Silver birch

[daltontrees]

Bad day Jules?

 

 

If I had the energy or inclination, I could go into great detail why mine has probably been worse. But instead I'm going to walk the dogs, chill out and get up tomorrow with the optimistic believe that it will be better than today.

 

Ach, this is the way I think every day, today I am just unable not to say it. Tomorrow is always better. Walk those dogs, chill, plan a route that avoids the neighbourhood 'freak' trees. Tomorrow can only be better.

[jomoco]

Just another uppity tree species with an inordinately fragile bark, thinking it's much better off without people around period?

 

How'd they ever get this far without us anyway!

 

Betula independula.....

 

Jomoco

[Mark Bolam]

Just another uppity tree species with an inordinately fragile bark, thinking it's much better off without people around period?

 

How'd they ever get this far without us anyway!

 

Betula independula.....

 

Jomoco

 

 

[emoji106]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[TuscanPhil]

...the firewoods usually pretty good

 

Without wishing to derail the OP's thread, I have 4 felled (last winter) Silver Birch trees currently lying on the ground. They are a bit gnarly on the bark in places but is the wood worth planking/milling or should I just chop and split it for my biomass boiler?

[TreeTiger]

Birch never look good reduced. JLA arborists photo demonstrates that.

 

Funny but true

[daltontrees]

Well Gary and Jules; I'm having a good day, and there's only 21 more good days to go before I'm redundant, and the days can only get even better thereafter.

 

Another LA TO bites the dust.

 

Ed

 

I am sorry to hear that, I've never met you but you are one of the most knowledgeable contributors to Arbtalk, if your LA doesn't replace you then that's one more chunk of the country left at the mercy (that's the wrong word for sure) of amateurs masquerading as professionals because the public doesn't know that having a chainsaw and calling yourself a tree surgeon doesn't assure the interests of the tree or the client come first. A system built on checks and balances is not a system at all if those are removed or weakened to become unbalanced. Cheapskate Britain strikes again.

 

I am certain that if you went it alone as a consultant you would mop the floor with teh opposition on quality. But if you do (maybe you have done so already or before) you will appreciate that the public are unwilling to pay for advice, they expect it for free and naively also expect objective advice. Meanwhile in the real world...

 

I had a prime example of this yesterday. A tree surgeon did a report recently for a property owner of some big mature boundary trees that my client on the other side is by agreement jointly responsible for. Said tre surgeon said 3 trees had to go, likely cost £2,000. I surveyed, assessed risks bjectively and recommnded that one had to be reduced substantially. Likely cost £500. Both owners have now accepted my recommendation. Cost of report £150. Cost saving £1,500. Net cost of paying for objective advice, -£1,350.

 

The tree surgeon also said that if his advice was not followed the building insurace would be invalidated. Utterly disgraceful vested-interest amateurism. Don't get me started on his lack of qualifications.

 

I'm no tree hugger, but trees just are too important not to deserve a level playing field. I have always admired your objectivity on Arbtalk, and I hope you go far.

[scotspine1]

Jules,

 

Why is the heavy reduction needed?

 

.

[Gary Prentice]

Hi

 

Any pruning will harm the tree by way of wound creation and loss of photosynthetic capacity. Where birch are concerned a wound of any size will rot as they do not resist decay. Any impact from loss of leaf area will depend on how much you cut off, and the physiological condition of the tree.

 

Birch never look good reduced. JLA arborists photo demonstrates that. However, the crown lift/crown thin proposal will, if done well, result in a much better outcome visually, whilst providing the tree owner with what they want.

 

Jules says 'Or there's the tried and tested method of getting someone who knows what they're doing to show you. You won't get that on Arbtalk.' and he's right, to a point. Not least because he suggests you start work with someone who knows what they're doing, and learn from them, which is good advice. Just getting stuck in could result in an unhappy client, no payment, and a poorly pruned tree. Not how you want to start off.

 

When Mark talks about 'purists' I think what he means to say is professionals. Just doing a bad job because that's what the client wants is not the way to go if you want a good, professional reputation.

 

The guidance set out in BS 3998 should be followed; 'Species of Betula, which generally have particularly weak defences against the development of decay, should be pruned as sparingly as possible and without exposing heartwood or ripewood'.

 

Well Gary and Jules; I'm having a good day, and there's only 21 more good days to go before I'm redundant, and the days can only get even better thereafter.

 

Another LA TO bites the dust.

 

Ed

 

Sorry to hear this, as I'm many areas it's becoming a free for all. I assume you're going into the private sector so wish you well.

[daltontrees]

Jules,

 

Why is the heavy reduction needed?

 

.

Late mature Ash, twin stemmed and over-extended both directions, likely bat roost in fork, moderately high target probabilities, unclimbable beyond last good growth points near midheight, no MEWP access possible, so it's a retrenchment and retain safe for habitat as long as possible.

[Gary Prentice]

Just getting in there and cutting some off is a job best left to the itinerant tree workers in society, the ones that don't a have a reputation to lose or premises where you can find them when you realise they've got it badly wrong.

 

Oh, who cares, it's only a tree. Welcome to UK arboriculture in the 21st Century.

 

Sorry everyone for continuing to de-rail but I've got to share this.

 

Passed a real nice tree wagon today, mobile number and the advert on the side advertised; Tree felling and Chopping

 

I've searched BS3998 and can't find the definition for 'chopping' so can only assume it means that after felling they convert to firewood:confused1: