madm

Hi all, long time since I've been on here, I blame the slow internet connection, wrecks my head. But I have a conundrum and I thought this the best place to ask! I have some old apple trees to prune and the problem is that they are 15-20 metres high. The owner obviously wants them at a much more manageable height and I'm worried about a)taking that much of the crown off in one go, and b)having to reduce branches (and trunks!) back to before any growth points. Basically, I'm scared of killing them!!! Does anyone have any good advice? Glad to see ye're all still going strong by the way;-)

Reducing a hanger...

Hi Gayn, don't think my input is of much value as I've only just started studying for the cert myself, and also as I'm not following any course, my only guide is the spec from the ABC website (!!), so I don't really know if I'm above or below the standard required. BUT I do think that if you have past experience or qualifications in horticulture that's worth an awful lot, you'd know a lot more than you realise about botany, soil, ecology, planting and design etc, you probably can already identify most of the shrubs on the list. Aswell as that, I learned from the RFS exams how much it makes a difference to be smart about how you study. Read through topics, take out the tricky stuff that needs to be learned off, write it on some cards and keep them in your car, don't go back to the topic till a couple of weeks later when you've had the chance to get to grips with the stuff on the cards. Divide things up, always have some stuff handy in small chunks eg. a fungal disease or whatever that you can do if you have a spare half hour. You'd be surprised how much material you can actually get out of the way without sitting down for a marathon session. I know that this is just what works for me, and that by the sounds of it you have a fair bit on your plate already. But I reckon you should keep at it, keep positive, there's nothing to lose, and it'll hopefully start to look less scary after getting into it.

was there nothing better that could have been done?

On your cards make a note of where there is one of that species growing near you; 1st tree on left inside park gate, tree in corner of car park, whatever. Like that you can pass by a few times during the year and start recognising the general shape, growth habit, colour of leaves in spring, autumn, flowers etc. It's good to be able to have a good idea of what a tree is from a distance, without having to go up to it and examine the leaves/buds etc

So how do ye think it went?

From Proclimber. Think it's a really good site, loads of info, opinions etc., well laid out n all too. I'm cutting down as of now though, there has to be more to life!!!

Can anyone tell me WTF a moon cup is I obviously need to go to more women's events!!

I don't think I'd be too interested in a women-only get together (but I'm not in England anyway). What's the point? It's a male dominated industry, we all work with men 5 days a week, what's the point of our own private climbing get-together? Women work more or less the same as men in the trees or on the ground, have more or less the same issues etc and the same things to learn. The biggest obstacle I come against is that gender is often too big an issue; if you do a bad job it's because you're female, if you do a good job it's despite being female. Each as irritating as the other. The only way past that attitude is to concentrate on the job, not the gender, and I feel that women-only events, however small, are not a step in the right direction, and maybe the wrong one. Honestly I'm not trying to be aggressive or dismissive, but after a few years I've learned that the best way to work as a female in this job is to forget about sex:scared1:haha ye know what I mean:001_tongue:

Well done:thumbup1: I think you were being a bit hard on yourself earlier; if you can get out along a wet slippy branch with no footholds there's not much you won't manage! Just my opinion but I would say why not go for it, push yourself more, sometimes it's the only way especially if you tend to be very cautious. I started climbing nearly three years ago, taking a notion out of the blue to do CS 38 and 39, no industry experience, nothing. A week later, having been out to the end of about three branches in my whole life I landed a job by fluke. Day one was sent up a big beech for a reduction:scared1: With an experienced climber, who was a saint. Came on more in those first few weeks that I ever could have by plodding along at home, getting comfortable etc. You stop fretting about the walk out the branch when it's just one part of the whole job. I know what you mean about walking before you can run but sometimes, for some types of people (I would tend to be a bit cautious generally too) it's the only way. That's what I reckon! Good luck PS I also think your description of yourself as a bit cautious may be a bit out, have you read your own post in the "craziest thing you've ever done"?!!!

Yup:thumbup1:

Me too!

Climbed and took down a small/medium eucalyptus in a back garden once, the woman watched the whole thing out the window, kept coming out to take photos. Told me aterwards it had been the most exciting day of her life..

Oh right, thought it was a bit of a sexist thing, was ready to jump down your throat....sorry!!

**** man, sorry about your mate. Not surprised you didn't feel like getting stuck into the "arboricultural significance" of 72 types of feckin shrubs after that! Thanks for the advice

it's easier to drink more at a time if it's not too cold

why not??

Know what you're right, I was thinking that it'd be a bit much to do it with no guidance at all but now that I read through the syllabus I suppose it'd be possible to do just by reading up on stuff and making notes...I saw three day prep courses for the September exams on that treelife website; do you reckon they're a good idea?

Poplars. Problems with ash multiplied by 200:thumbdown:

Anyone got course notes for the AA cert that they're willing to sell? I'd like to do it but haven't got the money for the online course. Don't mind too much what they're like as long as the bones of it are there..

Well done on passing!

I'm thinking along the same lines; just did the exams for the cert and couldn't say if I passed but thinking ahead anyway! Also can only do home/online study. I was thinking the same, that it might be as well to bypass the tech cert, so what then.. I was looking at the online foundation degree in Myerscough but I don't know how much it would cost; it's 3 years and the 1 year tech cert course is £600. I've emailed them to find out but I can't see it being cheap. For that reason I was looking at the RFS Diploma; the HCC sell the course for £300, probably about half that if you only buy the notes. I know it's a bloody big jump from the cert but I would give it a couple or a few years. Only thing is that the course they sell is a HCC Diploma, not the RFS Diploma course exactly. Apparently it used to be, but the RFS changed the syllabus a couple of years back and now the HCC course doesn't match. I don't know how diferent it is; if it's only a few things you could make up the difference yourself, I imagine. So I'll wait till I get a bit more info but that's what I'd be thinking.... would welcome any better ideas!!

Howya all, am new to this, so be gentle.. Just reading this thread and wondered, in the same way, what do you do afterwards? I mean I honestly love doing this job (even the leylandii, most days) the odd time get panicked when I think that I won't be able to do it forever;old age, leylandii fatigue:......, and have no clue what'll come next. I've been starting and putting off the RFS cert for ages but I don't think there's that much point, I'm not going to set up on my own and there's not enough big companies around to try to work as a manager or whatever.. So any interesting stories of what climbers do when they stop climbing?