Tree Surgeons Great Dunmow

Tree surgeons in Great Dunmow play an essential role in the maintenance and general care of trees for a whole host of both commercial and residential clients. A trained tree surgeon in Great Dunmow can provide hazard assessments and inspections, the safe planting of trees, felling and removal, the pruning of intruding, dead or weakened branches, along with general tree care, to name but a few examples.

However, the job of the tree surgeon does not end with trees. Such tasks as stump removal, hedge trimming and maintenance and shrub care, are amongst the other responsibilities of a tree surgeon in Great Dunmow. The best individual to phone if you have any doubts about the structural integrity of a tree is a tree surgeon, since they'll be in a position to inspect your tree, put together a report on probable hazards, and give advice on the best way to proceed.

Tree surgery is a very hazardous occupation and unquestionably a process that must only be tackled by an expert. It would not be a sensible decision to avoid and take the do-it-yourself approach, even though this may at first seem to be an attractive solution. Tree surgeons have to be experienced, physically fit and qualified to carry out the work that they do.

Working at height is always hazardous, and the use of dangerous power tools whilst elevated in the air and dangling from a tree is no exception. So, you can understand why it isn't an activity for novices! To accomplish a tree surgery project, a team of tree surgeons all experts in their field, will generally be involved, and this will include both climbers and a ground team. It would be nigh on impossible for any untrained individual to compete with this level of experience, competence and risk assessment to carry out the work.

Upon deciding that that you need the assistance of a tree surgeon in Great Dunmow, the initial step is to find a good one that you can trust to do a fine job. But, how can this be accomplished? Well, there are a few things you should check, for instance costs and qualifications. Below are outlined some valuable tips for acquiring the ideal Great Dunmow tree surgeon to care for your trees.

Making sure that they have the required qualifications is the first step in assuring you that they're correctly accredited and competent. The main governing body that issues qualifications to tree surgeons is the National Proficiency Tests Council. The following certifications should be a minimum requirement for any tree surgeon in Great Dunmow:

• NPTC 206/306 (CS38) - Tree climbing & aerial tree rescue.
• NPTC 308 (CS39) - Usage of chainsaw from a rope and harness.
• NPTC 203 (CS31) - Fell and process small trees.
• NPTC 201/202 (CS30) - Chainsaw maintenance & cross-cutting.

As gaining these qualifications shows that they've completed the correct training, it's worthwhile finding a tree surgeon in Great Dunmow who has them, although surprisingly this isn't currently a legal obligation. Having such certifications should provide you with reassurance that the task will be completed successfully and safely. Because of the risks of falling from height and catastrophic bleeding, tree surgeons, forestry workers and arborists should also carry a First Aid kit and have some basic First Aid qualifications.

The next step will be to obtain 2 or 3 quotes from different tree surgeons in Great Dunmow, and carefully check their cost breakdown, and the work that's included. Disposal costs for the vast amount of waste that is often generated by tree surgery, will in some cases not be included in your quote. If possible, it is definitely better to have the tree surgeons remove and dispose of this waste themselves, since it can be hugely inconvenient and costly if it is left for you to do.

As well as this, make certain that you're ready to ask a number of key questions when you meet with the tree surgeon. As an example, you need to ensure you establish who is going to be doing the work. Will it be one person or a team of people? Is meeting them in advance a possibility? What tree removal or surgery methods will be used? How long will the job take? What will the impact on my neighbours/my home be?

To avoid any nasty surprises further down the line, ask lots of questions.

Finally, listen closely to your tree surgeon. In particular, you should listen to how they describe the work, as this can be a useful tool for evaluating their standards of expertise and professionalism prior to starting the work. Even if you know very little about tree surgery, you can usually tell when somebody knows what they're talking about, and the kind of terminology that should set the alarm bells ringing is 'topping and lopping', which is a fairly outdated phrase, more often linked to cowboys and rogue traders. More appropriate terminology such as 'thinning', 'crown lifting', 'pruning', 'dead wooding' and 'crown reduction', should trip off the tongue of a tree surgeon in Great Dunmow who is experienced, skilled and professional. Whilst this alone shouldn't be taken as evidence of ability, in terms of the experience of your tree surgeon, it can be a helpful clue.

To summarise, it's always worthwhile to consult a number of tree surgeons in Great Dunmow in relation to any potential tree surgery or tree care requirements you may have. Consequently, you should get a job that is professionally undertaken, caters to all your needs and complies with all the recommended safety measures.

Removal of Tree Stumps Great Dunmow

If you are in a position where you need to have a big tree chopped down and removed from your property in Great Dunmow, you're probably going to be left with a tree stump, which will also have to be sorted out. In certain circumstances it might be acceptable for you to just leave the stump in position until it rots and breaks down by itself. However, stumps can be a trip hazard, an eysore and can attract undesirable pests.

There are a number of ways by which a tree stump can be removed, if you determine that this is the best thing to do, but the two main options are stump removal and stump grinding. Below we will be investigating the removal option.

There are basically three methods of removing a tree stump - burning, digging out by hand and chemical treatment. If you wish to have a go at tree stump removal for yourself, you could choose any of these techniques where appropriate. If you're going to bring in a tree surgeon to carry out the work, they are generally going to favour the previously mentioned stump grinding solution, although a chemically based stump removal treatment such as eco-plugging may be on the agenda.

Burning a Tree Stump: Be very careful if you use this approach to stump removal, as burning can be dangerous and may contravene local laws. The burning procedure involves drilling out a number of holes into the stump, filling keeping them topped up with vegetable oil over a period of several days until soaked. You should then cover the stump with logs or charcoal and set fire to it. This shouldn't ever be left to its own devices, but be monitored continually. Once it has finished burning, ensure that the fire is fully extinguished, allow it to cool and then proceed to dig out the remnants of stump and roots.

This is not the only way to burn a tree stump, and you could also try scooping out all the soil from under the stump and lighting a fire in the cavity that has been made beneath. If the tree stump is near to buildings, other trees or fences, you shouldn't ever use any of the burning procedures.

Chemical Stump Treatments: Chemical treatment involves the use of a strong chemical mixture for example Vitax SBK Stump Killer, Resolva Xtra Tough Tree Stump Killer or Roundup Tree Stump Remover. Avoid skin contact when using these chemicals, and also try not to inhale. You must stick rigidly to the manufacturer's instructions, for quantities, applications and timings. Subject to the size of the stump, and whether it is alive or dead when it is treated, it can take quite a few weeks or perhaps even months for a stump to rot down entirely, so consider this to be as a long term solution. Once well decayed, it can be chopped small with an axe and removed with a shovel.

Digging Out a Stump by Hand: The technique for digging out by hand is relatively straightforward, and requires digging out as much soil as you can from around the base and roots, sawing through any main roots with a chainsaw, and lastly freeing up the stump so that it can be lifted out. Some type of winch could be required for the final freeing up process. This sort of work isn't suited to the unfit or faint-hearted, as it is tedious and tiring.

Tree Surveys Great Dunmow

Tree surveys may be necessary for a variety of reasons, but most commonly where development or property extension is involved. If, for instance, you happen to be clearing a piece of land in Great Dunmow to make way for a new house or an extension to an existing property, and trees are growing on that land, you might need to conduct a tree survey to BS5837 British Standards. Whether a survey is being performed on a public or private property, it should be undertaken by an accredited Great Dunmow arborist or tree surgeon.

A whole bunch of information about all of the trees within a specified area will be gleaned by a correctly conducted tree survey. For example:

• The health of the trees.
• The spread of branches to East, South, North and West.
• Allocating a unique tree reference number for every tree.
• The height of each tree.
• The life expectancy of the trees.
• The species of trees on the site.
• The existence of any TPOs.
• The diameter of each tree (taken 1.5m above ground level).
• Tree management advice.
• The ages of the trees.
• The number of trees.

You will most likely not need to carry out a tree survey if you're doing work on an existing property in Great Dunmow but you aren't changing the property's footprint and aren't changing the access points or service lines. (Tags: Great Dunmow Tree Surveys, Tree Surveyors Great Dunmow, Tree Survey Great Dunmow, Tree Surveys Great Dunmow).

Protecting Trees & Shrubs in Winter

Although lengthy periods of extreme cold are quite rare in the UK it is still worthwhile to consider a few measures for protecting your trees and shrubs when the weather conditions turn bad. In fact, even trees, plants and shrubs that we normally think of as hardy, can benefit from some added protection in the cooler winter months.

Although many of your trees may have already shed their leaves come winter in Great Dunmow, it is strong winds and storms that cause the biggest concern, and despite the fact that they offer less wind resistance, they might still be at risk of damage. If you've got a tree on your property that looks like it may be weakened, or shows signs of crashing to the ground, you will want to get it checked out by a tree surgeon, who'll offer advice and guidance. You can also have problems with breaking branches due to heavy snowfall, therefore when such weather is predicted, keep your eyes open for possible damage. In the depth of winter, your shrubs and trees may require a bit of protection from ice and frost. Laying a blanket of mulch round the stem bases will allow them to absorb moisture and stop the soil around the roots from freezing.

Wood Chipping Great Dunmow

In order to process the large volume of branches, tree limbs and vegetation that result from their work, the majority of Great Dunmow tree surgeons will use wood chipping machinery. Subject to what equipment is being used, these awesome wood chipping systems can gobble up as much as 40 tonnes of material each hour, although around five tons per hour can be processed by the more frequently used models.

Having lots of uses like landscaping, ecosystem restoration, weed prevention, garden walkways, mulch, wood pulp, biomass fuel and cultivating mushrooms, the chopped down tree branches are also a good deal easier to transport.

In most cases, tree surgeons in Great Dunmow will take away all the wood chippings that are generated by your tree surgery, except when you want them for one of the previously mentioned uses, when they will generally be delighted to let you keep some. As I'm sure you will have realised by reading this write-up, tree surgeons are a great source for wood chips that you can use in your garden in Great Dunmow, whether or not you actually need tree surgery. Some tree surgeons will supply you with wood chips free, others will charge, particularly if you want them delivered.

Popular makes of wood chipping equipment include Forest Master, Forst, T-Mech and Timberwolf.

Dutch Elm Disease

A fungal disease which has killed many millions of precious elm trees throughout the UK during the past five decades or more, Dutch Elm Disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi) is not quite the issue that it was at one time. Spread by the elm bark beetle (Scolytus) and caused by the Ophiostoma novo-ulmi fungus, Dutch Elm Disease (DED) was inadvertently brought into Great Britain from North America (Canada) in the Sixties.

Through the nationwide movement of elm products like saplings, crates, mulching bark, and firewood logs with the bark still attached, it spread rapidly through the British Isles after first arriving. It wasn't just Great Britain that was affected by this horrible disease, because stocks of elms were also devastated in mainland Europe, North America and New Zealand.

The first symptoms of DED are:

• Clusters of leaves turning yellow, wilting and falling.
• Twigs with dark streaks underneath the bark.
• Twigs turning into a "shepherd's crook".
• Shoots that die back from the tip.

It usually starts to appear in early summer.

Due to disease and the subsequent felling of dead, infected and dying trees, there are now hardly any large elms surviving in the UK countryside, and thus the spread has slowed and the beetle's habitat essentially decimated. A project for the propagation of young elms that up to now have proven resistant to DED is being undertaken.

You can get in touch with your local tree surgeon for guidance, if you suspect that you might have affected elm trees in your garden in Great Dunmow, or you could ask for a diagnosis from the Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service (THDAS), for which you will be charged.

Trees affected - Ulmus and Zelkova.

Agent of spread - small beetles of the Scolytus family.

Cause - fungi Ophiostoma Ulmi and Ophiostoma Novo-Ulmi.

Safety

The safety aspect is one of the major worries when you are having tree surgery done, given that if conducted badly it can be a dangerous and risky enterprise. If the "tradespeople" carrying out the tree surgery are incapable or inexperienced, there are a number of factors that can easily lead to damage or injury such as inadequate head protection, failure to use cut resistant (chainsaw resistant) clothing (specifically boots and leggings), hardly any protection from falling, in the shape of platforms, ropes and harnesses, not wearing hearing or eye protection, neglecting to cordon-off the area to protect passers-by and vehicles and falling timber and branches. What could be at risk owing to these inadequacies are the tree surgeon (up the tree), facilities on the street, vehicles, nearby structures, pedestrians, the tree itself, employees on the ground, the property owners, garden outbuildings and fences.

Skills Needed by Tree Surgeons in Great Dunmow

• Have patience and the ability to remain calm and focused in times of stress.
• Excellent customer skills.
• Physical skills like movement and co-ordination.
• Be capable of using, repairing and maintaining tools and machinery.
• Being able to work alongside other folks.
• Have necessary computer skills and know how to carry out tasks on handheld devices.
• Be conscious of the dangers and complexities involved in all aspects of the work.
• Have an organised and methodical way of working.
• Be able to work with your hands.
• Be professional and capable of completing tasks within a specified time frame.
• Good knowledge of public safety and security.

Problems With Tree Roots Great Dunmow

Because some trees have particularly invasive root systems, if they are growing too close to your dwelling in Great Dunmow, they can lead to various issues, possibly serious ones. These problems could include things like damaged foundations, cracked patios and blocked drains, to name just a few. Elms, maples, willows and sycamores, are notorious for having extremely invasive root systems.

Keeping any new trees you plant on your property, as far away as possible from your home, patios, paths and your sewerage pipes, is recommended to avoid future issues. You should bring in a tree surgeon in Great Dunmow, to see what can be done, if established trees are growing too near to your home and are leading to one or more of these issues.

This is not really the kind of task you should attempt to do yourself, and just cutting through the invasive roots could kill off the tree or seriously threaten it's overall health. For a tree to survive successfully it will still need to be getting ample water and food, and a skilled tree care specialist in Great Dunmow will know precisely which roots should be left, and which roots can be safely cut.

Shrub and tree roots commonly cause cracks in subterranean drainage systems, since sewage pipes provide a continuous source of nutrients and water. Joint failure and even blockages can arise, when small roots grow into the joints of a drainage system, establish themselves and develop into huge root balls. By using electro-mechanical equipment, high pressure water jetting or manual rod clearance, certain Great Dunmow tree surgeons will be able to provide high quality root removal services. (Tags: Problematic Tree Roots Great Dunmow, Drain Root Removal Great Dunmow, Tree Root Problems Great Dunmow, Invasive Tree Roots Great Dunmow).

Cable Bracing Great Dunmow

Cable bracing is a method which is used to give support to a tree when it is showing signs of damage, decay, or poses a risk to nearby property (or persons). Where it is undesirable to fell a tree or remove large, unstable sections, due to the tree being valuable or old, cable bracing is an effective solution.

In order to support defective joints, V-shaped forks and weak limbs in a tree, a purpose designed cable bracing system can be employed. Carrying out different kinds of bracing work, a skilled tree surgeon will be able to use rods and cables to help redistribute structural stress, and hopefully extend the lifespan of valuable trees in Great Dunmow.

Cable bracing does not cause additional damage to the tree (as could happen when drilling and bolting the branches), and delivers a shock-absorbing and flexible method of support that is largely non-invasive. An extensive risk risk assessment, to ensure the safety of the tree and surrounding areas, should be completed prior to the start of any cable bracing project in Great Dunmow. (Tags: Cable Bracing Great Dunmow, Tree Cable Bracing Great Dunmow, Cable Bracing Methods Great Dunmow, Cable Bracing Trees Great Dunmow).

Coming Soon:

Stump grinding machines - article 246.

Tree Surgery Tasks Great Dunmow

Great Dunmow tree surgeons can normally help with tree work, tree planning Great Dunmow, vegetation management, stump removal, shrub maintenance Great Dunmow, woodchipping, tree waste removal, pest control, cut sealing Great Dunmow, forestry management, crown lifting, hazard assessment, tree transplanting Great Dunmow, retrenchment pruning, tree felling, safety inspections, stump grinding, tree removal, hedge laying, hedge lowering in Great Dunmow, woodland management, tree topping, cabling, tree bracing, air spading, decompaction, root removal in Great Dunmow, crown removal, the protection of trees from grazing, domestic tree care, crown cleaning, tree inspections, crown reduction, tree replanting, tree management and other tree surgeon services in Great Dunmow, Essex. These are just an example of the duties that are performed by tree surgeons. Great Dunmow professionals will tell you about their full range of services.

Tree Surgeons Near Great Dunmow: Also find: Dunmow tree surgeons, Churchend tree surgeons, Takeley tree surgeons, Little Easton tree surgeons, Barnston tree surgeons, Felstead tree surgeons, Stebbing tree surgeons, Bambers Green tree surgeons, Great Waltham tree surgeons, Little Dunmow tree surgeons, Little Canfield tree surgeons, Duckend Green tree surgeons, Great Easton tree surgeons, Black Notley tree surgery and more. Most of these locations are catered for by tree surgeons. Great Dunmow home and business owners can obtain tree surgery estimates by going here.

(Created with tree surgeons Great Dunmow text version three.)

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