Paul Barton

Wowsers! Good on you for following it up! I spotted this one last week - but it wasn't in a high occupancy area!

Absolutely - I just wondered if as the airspade was out already it was used for a bit of soil fluffing.

Thanks for the video and explanation Ali. What did you find in the areas where the fruiting bodies emanated from between buttresses? Will you decompact with the airspade and apply a mulch?

7.4.2.3 New permanent hard surfacing should not exceed 20% of any existing unsurfaced ground within the RPA. However, I would say that if you can justify more then have a go. Justifying it is not easy though...you are likely to need details on soil structure and a carefully specced installation of the 'no-dig' solution. Some tree officers accept it and some don't.

It certainly looks like it. Whether or not you should decide to fell it depends on a) how advanced the decay is and b) how likely the tree would be to cause damage/injury if it failed. You can find out how significant the decay is by engaging an arboriculturist to use some fancy equipment such as a micro-drill or acoustic tomograph. Whereabouts are you based? Perhaps we could recommend someone to you.

Location of the symptom of dysfunction is definitely a big factor - anything above 2 metres is hard work with a bunch of sensors and cables for the Picus, but I'm quite happy using a micro-drill off a rope and harness. Other than that, I think about the outcomes of what each piece of equipment can produce, and what that will mean for the client. A Resistograph reading is fairly abstract, and of course limited because it only tells me the condition of wood in a single plan at a particular angle - therefore it's very much about first interpreting the body language of the tree and choosing the right location to drill to tell me the important information. Although the Picus also needs interpretation, it gives a much more readily understandable image of what may be occurring in one plane - for high value trees where decisions need to be justified to non-arbs a Picus is quite helpful in painting a picture of the issue at hand. Budget (of the client) and invasiveness also figure in my choice; the Picus being more expensive but less invasive.

Hi David - we use both but hire the equipment in so they don't come out that often. We're getting more and more requests for detailed assessments though which is great. Duncan Slater is a great thinker and happy to challenge assumed norms about what we think we know in Arboriculture. I can imagine the time with him and Ali was very interesting!

Superb article David - thanks very much for sharing. I shall approach trees with K. deusta with more confidence now!

What's the custom form app you're using?

That's not working so well in Sheffield though is it?!

We use FreeAgent for all estimates, invoicing, payroll etc. It's very good. Here's a link to 10% off the fee: http://fre.ag/434xo4m9 It may not have the same functions as ArbPro as it's not specific to contractors, but may be worth a look.

Barton Hyett Associates are looking for a new member of the consultancy team. The key roles of the job are: - Carry out on-site assessment of trees and woodlands for a variety of purposes including tree risk assessment, development planning and good arboricultural management. - Tree assessments include ground-based visual inspections, aerial (climbed) inspections and detailed assessments using specialist equipment. - Produce written technical advice and reports to clients for a variety of purposes. - Liaise with clients and other stakeholders regarding the preparation of reports and ongoing arboricultural advice. - Produce technical drawings and plans by collaborating with the supporting graphics technician. - Maintain clear records of all work tasks. - Input into the ongoing development of company process and procedures. - Attend training and to develop relevant knowledge and skills. You can see more details, and find a link to apply for the job at https://arbjobs.com/job-listing/4147 If you have any questions about the role, feel free to send me a private message via the forum.

Hi Tom, It could well be some kind of root damage - is the poor foliage on the same side of the tree as where you suspect some roots may have been damaged? As Mick says, some photos would help if you can post some up. There are some options to improve the soil environment and stimulate new root development that may help... Paul

I forgot to say it was probably pushed over by some left-wing scumbags. Better?!

Another falling tree! This time in Central Park: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/central-park-tree-falls-adult-children-injures-article-1.3413381

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40940007

Nasty incident in Maderia - 12 dead and 50 injured. The video is blurry but it appeared to be a still day. http://www.publico.pt/multimedia/video/a-queda-da-arvore-na-madeira-captada-em-director-20170815-150216

Good points Edward - but often the feasibility can be adequately demonstrated without having to produce all the specific detail drawings up front. If, in principle, pile and a voided raft would be acceptable having done some investigations re rooting and soil, then that should be enough to demonstrate the tree should not be harmed subject to implementation via a detailed AMS.

Yes, probably. We're finding that more planning officers are front-loading applications to require more and more information up front - which gets very expensive rather quickly for the applicants. I would have thought that in this case, particularly given the history of structures already in the RPA an indicative foundation section drawing and AMS would be enough - then use an appropriate pre-commencement condition for the rest of the detail.

Keep your knickers on Tim. It was a simple enough question. Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

Do you read Breitbart a lot Tim? Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

Maybe Ronseal? Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

Just ordered this one: https://www.hardtopsuk.com/hardtops-and-accessories/Nissan/navara-np300/double-cab/N3D104 Can't review it for you as I'm getting it on Monday! Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

I have the Bose mini sound link but it has stopped working as it won't charge any more. It was good while it lasted but that was less than a year. Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

That's the web cast by Ermine Moth larvae. They can cover entire groups of trees!! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2013/jun/13/caterpillars-ghosts-cambridge-park-in-pictures