Failed street trees.....

[Kveldssanger]

Yeah and probably planted in hardcore. Without any watering there no water there be any water will naturally get to them there. I do a lot of L.A working and drives me crazy the total lack of aftercare

 

Plenty of internal barriers to spending money of aftercare. Watering can cost a fair but if done properly, and budget-holders may very well be aghast at the final costs involved, and therefore choose to just not permit aftercare at all - or a watered-down version; pardon the pun. Not at all surprising when I see dying young tree after dying young trees on LA land. If the lack of water didn't kill the tree, the stake and tie left on after 5-10 years did.

[bob]

I would imagine most of the cost is in the pit and sorting services rather the price of the tree

I.e a tree in a street planter box ends up approx £600 and only £100 for tree

At least last one I did cost that with the price of planter soil and fixings and labour

 

So can easily see 1k in streetworks and proper pit preparation

 

 

But yet again likely a minescule part of the full costs of the scheme

[richy_B]

Agreed. £150-300 for a tree pit to be established on a hard surface. Stone edging, etc. £150-200 for a tree. £50-80 planting fee. Maybe fancy root ball anchoring and watering £30-40. First year watering contact £30. Not sure about £1k but a reasonable investment.

 

I do loads of highways planting and get called into to replant projects that have failed in previous years. You hear a range of reasons why they think they have died (some projects are planted mid summer for example, trees were put in by the tarmacing team who haven't planted before...) but in the vast majority of cases it is clear the trees have not been watered.

 

Most of the time it is this exact set up - Trees in the verge of a busy highway. Sometimes contractors just dont care but often not a lot of consideration is given to the practicality of watering. You have 29 trees spread along a busy road. I would suggest these trees need to be watered weekly from May to end of August. Doesn't seem feasible to water from a bowser as it's the middle lanes of an A road so you have guys parking up on the hard shoulder running back and forth with water cans, trying to get 50l of water on each tree. What's the spacing of these trees? 150m+ along the carriageway? Having to move the van every few trees. They guys out doing the watering are rarely the most skilled or experienced - the are newbies given a list of locations and a watering can. Often a tight schedule as well. It isnt an excyse for someone doing a bad job but you put trees in hard to water locations, don't be surprised by high failure rates.

 

I really like to have trees in urban environments but it needs a lot of thought about appropriateness. Sandwiching in trees into large highways develops 'to tick the green box' isn't good idea. Use the money to plant up in a local parks, woodlands, edges of playing fields, etc.

Edited August 19, 2016 by richy_B

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

BBC Radio Cornwall - James Churchfield and Pam Spriggs, 19/08/2016 article at (8:08)

 

It would appear that the 1k/tree cost is before planting or aftercare....

[Mesterh]

I hate to see this happen. Lots of expense for nothing due to poor management. Hopefully they will at least replant and not just remove and forget.

 

I have removed too many street trees due to non existent after care, no watering, stakes and ties left to strangle the tree or extremely expensive iron work restricting growth. More often than not the tree was removed and a patch of tarmac put in it's place.

[David Humphries]

London Plane trees (imported from Italy) at >£1000 a piece all failed.

 

 

Debatably the bigger issue here is perhaps why the UK is importing Platanus sp from a region of Europe which has a significant disease threat killing thousands of Platanus trees.

 

The on costs of dealing with the disease if it gets here would dwarf the local budget issue that's being reported here.

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/100779-ceratocystis-platani-canker-stain-plane.html

 

 

 

.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

The debate is raging on the phone in show BBC Radio Cornwall - Laurence Reed, 17/08/2016

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Debatably the bigger issue here is perhaps why the UK is importing Platanus sp from a region of Europe which has a significant disease threat killing thousands of Platanus trees.

 

The on costs of dealing with the disease if it gets here would dwarf the local budget issue that's being reported here.

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/100779-ceratocystis-platani-canker-stain-plane.html

 

 

 

.

 

I managed to get on in the last 10 minutes of the phone-in and shared the info you highlighted here David! (with credits)

[Mick Dempsey]

I'm not going to listen to 3 hours of that Kevin! All I can get is an old guy with dark urine.

 

Is it in the last ten minutes of the three hour show?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

It's a phone in Mick, it's not meant to be a comedy show, but given some of the random "Cornishness" that comes out in a live phone-in it often has me in fits!

 

There have been various subjects throughout the afternoon. My little bit was end of show -40mins ish.