Bundle 2

My comments that fell and replant may be the way forward are in no way based on the estimated risk so far.....Too many arbos think the buck stops with them and so recommend drastic measures that belie an altogether flawed grasp of the issues.......

My question was however.."what is the difference between a National Certificate and a National Certificate..." Honestly, the whole thing turns into some kinda elaborate "hoop jumping" exercise....I wanted to work as an arborist:cursing: edit: I thought you had finished with the Prof Dip?

Not so really...when you think about it, you have infact taken an appropriate and professionally informed measure to insure against an incident and so done your job....and the tree is safe when previously it wasnt. As to the costs of reinspection and the initial installation, which I would recommend be carried out by professional and competent individuals...I can only hazard a guess as to its financial sense.... What you cannot do is walk away from the inspection knowing it may have a problem and do nothing! edit: ftr; I would fell and replant...but would like to see some pics please!!

Hopefully this will upload...the extract talks about the need to do both....If I had to reduce AND install AND then reinspect...I might just get rid and replant.....see what you think. Crown Support-Standrds.pdf

Using the planning portal for s211 notifications is a PITA ...

"Personally I cant see a tree that is say 40-50 years old and in good health failing due to poor planting. Surely if its planted poorly or hasnt developed a decent root system it would show long before it reaches a size that could be classed as a hazard." Dont count on it! "I would rather see trees planted with a 7 foot stake and a mesh guard than not planted at all. " So would I mate....

Not talking about Professional member status mate.... It is a scheme requiring a commitment which is not entirely focused on a level of achievement in actuality...but if I were cynnical, a history of contributions to the organisation....?

The ideology goes something like this I guess.... Those trees that are prepared in line with the british standards on nursery stock will go on to stand a better chance of survival if planted in line with best practice guidance for planting, pit design and drainage and soil considerations....Those that succeed are not a waste of money if they produce tree stock that can be relied upon to fulfil its potential....as opposed to growing into poor specimens requiring maintenance over and over again only to fail ( perhaps from root plate morphology resulting from poor production ) which duly requires the resources and time demanded of the situation and deemed right and proper by the rest of society if, for instance, the failure resulted in a fatality or costly damages to property.... Much better in my mind to allocate an appropriate level or resources to the management of trees from the first instance. I cannot regard the loss of trees from anti-social behaviour as an adequate reason to only plant poor specimens-

Andy, Im not sure I quite agree with you although I do wish the framework would/could settle on something and leave it alone... The AA list those quals that are what "they" apparently regard as level 3... NVQ/SVQ Tree Work ( Arboriculture) AA Tech Cert EAC European Tree Technician ISA Certified Master Arborist National Certificate (Arboriculture)-Level 3 (BTEC/EDEXCEL only) Advanced National Certificate( Arboriculture) National Award (Arboriculture) National Diloma (Arboriculture) It does seem to attempt to at least draw a line where there appears to be so much variation on a theme. I am just curious to know how an NCH which I was awarded with distinction in 2000 is already not appropriate...Is it really not on a par with level 3? If so, why list it as level 3 on their own website? Just a bit miffed I guess....I have trained in BS 5837, VTA...first aid, Personal Track Safety and I am a licensed QTRA user in addition to that stated in the original post....still not good enough.

I am wondering what the deal is with the AA's grading of their membership levels.. In particular...I hold what I have hitherto regarded as two level 3 qualifications 1: NCH-Landscape 2:NCH-Arboriculture Both of these are City & Guilds....apparently only BTEC/Edexcel is acceptable ...Whats the difference? I have worked in the industry since my first NCH in 1996...I have a number of NPTC units,Chapter 8 , IPAF and I am also AA/LANTR-PTI qualified yet I find myself excluded from AA membership at Technician level.... I notice a alot of prospective employers are today citing membership of, in particular , the AA as a suitable professional affiliation.... I would like to better understand the sculpting of the AA's criteria if atall possible.

I am persuaded by the ideology that it must all start with nursery stock and methods....Good plants with good roots.....soil testing and inprovement, species selection and aftercare...pit consideration methods..it goes on and on.... Its a sad indictment that " a tree " is better than "no tree "...Im not so sure tbh!

I think that staking is a design to alleviate leverage on the root ball/system whilst it becomes established...end result is a tree that stands upright not on the p88s....the other objective is to allow movement of the stem ( flexing) as this encourages active incremental growth patterns that increase strength and taper more akin to open grown habits....well thats the theory anyways!

Looks like a right faff!

They provide a very necessary service ...I guess its maybe just a case of guarding against over pruning WHU...We all see some shocking work about the place- no doubt mine wasnt all that great in the early days either!! Its gotta be worth fostering good relations with your local LA Tree Officer- they need to know you can be trusted and are good at what you do....unfortunately there maybe quite a number who have never done the job . They will tend to hide behind the legislation ime....very hard work and best kept at arms length! As an aside..it would seem the government in New Zealand is all but ready to lift all legislation that protects trees in the urban context.They have a system quite different to ours but this does not bode well as I see it!!

Cool...sorry to council bash an all tha' but I sometimes think those bods are from a different planet....

Coulda used a bit of a thin in the lower crown....just to be picky!! Im not a big fan of thinning as it happens...I have used it as a pruning technique on one site predominantly to alleviete light issues for residents of a caravan site. Light levels improve and the feeling of being under "big,scary" /trees is lessened psycologically perhaps..plus there is perhaps less honeydew.....but generally the tree puts on thickening ( quite locally) at those areas of wood that are served by the canopy that remains.....ie, taper is reduced in lateral and scaffold branches and end weighting becomes more of an issue- added to which the "elasticity" of the "mass damping" can only be reduced....just some of the reasons why Im not always convinced its a great idea and certainly not my first choice when considering the options....That said.. Otherwise looks pretty good mate....

"The bigger the diameter at breast hight (DBH) the more I would charge." I wish it worked like that.... I spent years swinging a saw in the woods and it was more often than not a case of the more I felt.....the more I got paid. This is because you get paid by volume.....If its just some thinning in a wood then a day rate is probably the easiest for all concerned. But as you,d expect, the better you are , the more the day rate you can command upto a point... Start by working out how much it costs you ( fuel, travel, insurance + all the other stuff) then a number you need to make gettin' out of bed a worthwhile proposition and bingo! ( You,ve probably worked out that its frickin' hard work and they never gonna cough up that much without arguing that its 50% air you've stacked and you shoulda stayed in bed anyway)....my tuppence worth!!

Good effort CTS....there is no end to the grandiose reach and scope of phytopthora spp - an extremely big player in the natural world and well worth a google and read around.....!

"had to have a word with quite a few people about their manners.." Ahh... you big girls blouse...the rest of us are just used to it.......!!

Ha ha...Cambridge seems to have its fair share of "pink" trees and some other variations on the theme....No harm done imo Perhaps it will dissuade the dogs from attacking the trees....? I mean...its understood in nature that the more lurid you are..the less attractive you are to predators!!!?

We are not all perhaps in a position to dictate to co-workers that they observe best practice regs; it strikes me that this is a two way street- work to your own standards and refuse to allow yourselves to let sloppy habits and such creep into your own work ethic... Kinda losing touch with this thread as it has descended into a competition to see who can cuss the best in french but I think I would be looking to move onto pastures new if I were you-with a safer work practice culture and a mindset that holds the professional aspirations of the industry a little nearer to their hearts maybe.....

"Why aren't people planting walnut trees? " Not as a street tree tho' eh.....too many nuts mate.

"Generally, no more limes (people have to wash their cars, poor lambs...)" I posit that alot of folk wash their cars anyway...mostly on a sunday- they just want something to grumble about!-Seriously tho' I understand your reasoning... "Gleditsias" Okay....but they too tend to have a skinny frame and sructure about them, with an overly extending habit ; I certainly dont think of these trees as strong having cut a fair few over the years!- I always enjoyed the thorns too!!

In a nutshell...... " Celles aux prix, bourdelles et putin de merde!":tongue_smilie:

Gonna have to go for good old common Ash- Fraxinus excelsior on the native stakes anyway-----cant let it go unmentioned and unloved , that just wouldnt be right! I love peering into the leafed crown on a sunlit, bright day to see the complex leaves and vibrant tones & colors; the dancing and dappled light that gets through to your feet.... The wood burns green, major bonus-a beautiful white timber and grain that is straight and true... Being a native, it is of significant conservation importance and the lifecycle idiosyncrasies keep you guessing....Yeah. its a certainly up there for me:thumbup1: