gibbon

I understand you want to speed up the process, most likely starting with damaging the trees in some way. How do you know what latent fungi are present so how do you know that you are introducing a "stronger fungi"? Do you really think that you can ensure dominance or even infection of a certain fungi in a healthy tree? If so what eveidence is out there to support this, I'm curious

All this talk of introducing fungi. Would you not expect the spores of most species to be present anyway and colonise the trees if conditions are favourable?

Just do it, and and tell them why after. Nice job

Was paying £400 for a 50t about 18 months ago, thats dropped to around £350. Crane companys have been hit hard by the lack of site work.

I'm no Highway man. This was on an NT property but right beside the highway verge

I could have done with some additional PPE. There was a big one earlier that day acting very aggressive towards me about 4m away. I was terrified!

Few from today. Reducing back a declining Oak beside the M5

A few favourites. View from ridge top Kapok Sub Saharan desertification Curious Baboons

How about deep flush cuts? Should promote cavities above as well as below the wound. You could perharps combine with boring out the centre of the cut

Good job. That top looked a little hairy, but its got a great tear!

I think you misinterpreted my piont. You say you always clean up a stub. My piont is that I try to think breifly before I place a cut, I don't always do the same thing by any stretch. This is just my opinion which you asked for. From what I can see it seems that the limb failed because of the extent of decay on the upper side. That decay seems to extend down into the trunk. There is some reaction wood which I suspect formed alongside the decay. I'm sure that reaction wood is also present and continues in to the stem tissue below the wound and is forming part of the cylinder of wood around the core of decay in the trunk. Now that the limb is gone I would expect to see a slow down in the rate in which new wood is laid down in that area. By cutting through that spike of live wood do you think that would have any bearing on the trees ability to compartmentalise the decay? If that spike of wood had stayed and perhaps sprouted some new shoots, would that have had any bearing on the health of the tissue below the wound? Those are just my thoughts based on the photo and my own observations. To me your post came accross as if you were trying to give me a definative answer to which I disagree. My opinion is that wound will never occlude and stregthen the tree, I think its just going to die (the reaction wood, not the tree). I'm not trying to convince you, just my thoughts for the benifit of a different perspective

All I meant wast that if the stub wasn't a hazard I would have just left it, or maybe just reduced the length of the dead tissue and not cut into the living tissue. The cut looks like it has breached reactive zones that the tree has used reserves in creating. I doubt it would oclude, rather just form a callus on that little bit of live wood you cut though. My guess is that the tree was most likely doing a better job as it was. I'm just being fussy as I've often thought this when in the past I target pruned sick limbs only to expose reaction wood. Sometimes it pays to take a look at exactly what your putting your saw into. Please don't think I scanned your post looking to criticise you.

I shant say it then.

Thirsty, but great on the Estates

On that top photo on post 11 had you trimmed off a stub left from the tear?

Hi Jon. I sold a transit and now run a 130 insted. I think the landy would hold a similar quantity to a crew cab transit, just make sure you have barn doors or a double length tailgate to stop alll your kit rolling off the chip. Remenber you can tow a big trailer behind a landy too!

I don't think that its unreasonable to specify that the works should be undertaken by an experienced contractor at all. If the spec is tied to a planning condition its likely to be a tree covered by a tpo with some amenity value. Would you think it would be OK to let some do there 1st ever reduction on a protected tree? If these works are considered a specialism then why not use a specialist to do them? In other trades you find people who specialise in different aspects of their work and if you have an out of the ordinary request you may well seek out the relevant contractor for your job. If you want to become experienced in this type of work you could either work under the guidance of someone who is or practice and work up to doing it on larger or higher profile trees as you would with other operations. Its not to say if you don't have experience you shouldn't do it, rather get experince on woodland/roadside/whatever trees and improve your techniques 1st.

Stick to topping Beech trees then

Walking boots, nylon mallet, wire probe, binoculars, compass, clip board and a beard

Tree Carbon Calculator Not exactly what your after but could be a start

You could ask that question of any task.

I think I payed about a grand more but 4x4 had no warranty. I also had the back made to my spec and it came with a winch. I think the 2002 130 chassis cab was about 8k or a little more and the back was around 3K, both plus vat. The back took about 4 weeks but that was because autolift had a 3 week wait. They also changed the bonnet to a 300tdi bonnet which they said was stronger and was better suited to mounting the spare wheel. Upgraged the wheels to wider rims with mud terrain tyres, 6 months tax, put a middle seat and a stereo in all in return for keeping the luton back it had on it. They delivered it for free and sorted a little problem I had with the engine manigment system I had under the warranty. I get the feeling 4x4 would have done none of that. I would reccomend them.

I see where your coming from regarding enforecement. I think your description is workable I just don't like very tight specifications as I like the flexibility to make decisions when in the tree. I know guys who do not reccomend this type of cutting at all due to the perceived risk to the operator. In regard to when you are experienced, well thats the $64k question. I think fracture/coronet/destructive work what ever you want to call it is rather a specialism as apposed to a standard cut in a climbers bag of tricks. Some people do a lot of it an others never. Thats perhaps a reason why it may be worth considering suggesting a suitable contractor rather than over detailing. No matter how detailed your spec some cuts will always be better than others. I would be interested to hear how much detail Monkeyd uses in his work orders. 2am on Saturday mornings pretty late to be thinking about this though isn't it? Edit:He beat me too it

If you call HMRC they have a product code for nearly everything. Once you have the code they will tell you if you need to pay duty or not. Once it gets to the UK Customs may call you, you give them the code, pay duty if relevant and the vat then they send it on to you.