Opinions please on large Beech

[combined tree services]

looks lik about 12-16 standing loads of logs to me steve . nice lookin tree tho

[Mike Hill]

Pollard it?Just keep a few lower lateral Branches to give it a Natural appearance.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

If you gave this tree a reduction would you 100% guarantee the safety of this tree? Would you put your name on the insurance so if anything did go wrong you got the bill, and maybe even a jail sentence, would you tell the familiy of the elderly owner that they can sleep safe knowing you have given the tree a little trim?

 

If I was able to see the tree, specify the works and see the second prune through as part of the contract to "make safe" YES, YES and YES.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

So Stephen, are you suggesting that as soon as an arb is called in he takes full responsibility for the tree forever? I am happy to give 12months-24 at a push guarantee on say up to 5 on the beufort scale, anything above that is beyond reasonable precaution

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

at the end of the day your clients fear it, and have made up thier minds, but I am certain if YOU had been confident in your approach to this tree, they would have considered it and its OUR confidence and knowledge these folk rely on, not everyone fears trees, and most just want OUR reassurances, thats OUR job.

 

No tree can be guaranteed, neither can my life span be predicted, life isnt a mathematical equation.

 

the tree is old and now mature, so the argument could be had for both our views, so considering the validity of both arguments were left with the decision to retain or remove.

 

I just fear that we are eradicating trees in such a way as to be akin to euthanizing the pensioners of the world because they are a liability and drain to society.

 

it wouldnt be socialy acceptable would it

[Stephen Blair]

i dont generalise and label us as Arbs, the qualifications and letters go for nothing, it comes down to Morals. When an elderly lady calls me up to look at her tree, and i go there and she spends all her time in her garden under the tree on her terraced garden and her little tin house is almost under the drip line and the 40 ton tree is sitting on rock elevated 50 feet above the house then YES i take full responsibilty for my recomendations for the lifetime of that tree.

If i was after loads of money i would have 5 bites of the apple over 10 years and then monolith it, make bats holes and then go back in 20 years and fell the dangerous stump and then apologise for all her others trees dying becasue the huge lump of rotting wood has attracted and harvested every piece of decay going and it has then ambushed every wound on any plant or shrub with in spitting distance, so i could then remove all them, re landscape her garden and get some more money of her.

I told both clients of they wanted remedial work done then to contact another contractor because i wouldnt sleep at night worrying about them.

I drive round all the trees locally that the council have refused removal on windy nights and after a storm to make sure they are still there.

 

edit, you are now using analogies holding trees in the same value as humans. mmmmm!!!!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Im sure youre doing the right thing, I just like to open the debate to other possibilities, there is just far too much pec puffing a section fell threads and fire wood threads, I just want to see retention in as equal a measure as the big fells.

 

its just my way, aint right for all.

[Lorry thompson]

I genuinely respect you Hama and have learned a great deal from your posts but I would be the same as Steve as a company I wouldn't dare say a tree is safe, not saying I would

say fell everything as we do a lot of sympathetic pruning/reductions but I would worry too much saying a diseased tree is safe but that's probably down to my lack of knowledge.

[mrtree]

"If you gave this tree a reduction would you 100% guarantee the safety of this tree? Would you put your name on the insurance so if anything did go wrong you got the bill, and maybe even a jail sentence, would you tell the familiy of the elderly owner that they can sleep safe knowing you have given the tree a little trim?"

 

Well with that attitude just remove every single tree. There is likely no tree you can guarantee as 100% safe so lets remove every tree.

 

While we are at it, less get rid of arborist education/training, no need since the answer is always removal since we cannot guarantee anything 100%.

[Robert_S]

No i dont think that is Stevies attitude, but surely you have to make the call on an individual basis with regards to the targets if the tree does fail? im sure if this tree was in a woodland/park site then sympathetic pruning could be undertaken to give the tree a few more years but not overhanging a couple of houses on a cliff edge.