Dean O

Looking for a trainer to carry out an 'inhouse' course for us on bats and arboriculture. similar to that supplied by the bat conservation trust. The BCT can supply a trainer for a cost but it may be financially prohibitive if I cant get enough bums on seats any one out there that has any contacts or can supply a lantra/nptc accredited bat course. we are based in south wales. Dean [email protected]

I'd go for fibre buckling can you picus or resistograph it?

so wait a bit and do it then.

My take on it would be.... if your reducing a birch you wont be making large diameter cuts; they don't like it up em. the sap rising into the small diameter wounds you leave will help to keep the pathogens out.

just had an email that I'd like to pass on. Had to think for a minute... is it April 1st.... "Dear both, After the destruction of our country parks in Neath and significant costs it appears that the Welsh Government has out of the blue given up on the control of Phytophthora. We have just been informed by letter from NRW that all Plant Health notices involving this disease in Wales will be revoked from the 6th February 2014. It appears that this was a ministerial decision taken on the 15th January 2014 and is for financial reasons not disease control. After a number of phone calls it is apparent that nobody was aware that this was coming. The plant health inspector for our area and Coed Cymru staff did not know about it until we told them. I know I am preaching to the converted but there are a lot of people who have suffered significant financial and environmental losses due to the governments failed sanitation felling policy which with an airborne disease was never going to succeed. Sanitation felling never worked for DED which with an insect vector was theoretically easier to control. No mention has been made of the continuing and with the suspension of felling increasing risk to other tree species. Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought the reduction in spore volume and the risk of infection to other woody species was the primary reason for the enforced felling. Every day politicians and the environment are becoming more like oil and water -complete opposites !!!" I'm sure the word will spread quickly enough so I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes by sharing this

where have you booked it Scott I was recently searching for a provider for a couple of places, struggled and gave up.

in my experience the person where the tree lands (and often causes damage) foots the bill to sort tree to the boundary line (where owner doesn't want to do anything about it). they claim off their insurance and subsequently their insurance company pursues it with the owners insurance co. some times the owner of the tree will take responsibility and pay for costs and damage, but in this instance the owner seems to be either skint or belligerent.

sorry - the point was, never had an issue with drying out problems.

we've done a lot of work with LA biodiversity units and amphibian/reptile groups where these have been put in during pond creation. Generally where there wasn't a natural inflow of water from a stream/ run off to keep it topped up, and or on new pond projects where there wasn't already a clay sub. from my experience its just making sure that the overlaps are bonded well with clay. There's always been a lot of marginal planting associated with the ponds I've helped complete so this may help with any drying out problems once established. Due to the nature of the work its generally carried out during the winter months, which may also go someway to help this issue too - i.e. allowing the plants time to get going and shade the banks before water levels drop. we've installed using the small rolls by hand and also been involved with bigger rolls put in using an excavator.

a nest in construction or use is protected. I wouldn't turn the work away if I was you, but there's no point in doing a botch job until you can get there. obviously some miscommunication on both of your parts - you could have called him sooner to arrange things as he may have been waiting on you - on the other hand he probably put of calling you to arrange things until the weather hit. I don't think any blame should be dished out, just offer to do it after the Christmas break, and put it in the diary if he wants you too. - if not just move on.

if you recommended its removal that long ago then perhaps your reply should be... "yes there's a good chance it will fail, would you like me to book it into my first available slot?"

If I have another problem with it I'll try and get a bit more length to splice with, there isn't much distance between the 'anchor points'. this may be the problem, unless I hang it quite slack. As others have said, pre-tensioning will likely create dependency which is never going to end well thanks for your input guys.

trouble is if the loop after the splice undoes itself under normal movement will it hold under failure. in failure the brace will be snatched therefor quickly tensioning itself and hopefully cable extension tightens the splice. I tried to install with a little slack to allow for sail and weight forces during full leaf. perhaps I didn't install with enough slack? so it will tighten if loaded in failure but not be effected by natural movement in windy conditions? or did I give too much slack - i.e.. should it be pre-tensioned? - therefor already gripping. I was under the impression originally that this was not the correct way to install but now I'm wondering. the cable distance is very short, only allowing 8-10 inches of splice before installing the second loop. perhaps this simply isn't enough splice?

cable round tree stem, with plastic insert inserted, tucked back into itself for around 10 inches, back out again and back in again to form a loop, then back in and out once more, following shaking it all about, to leave a little tail. (same on both ends). should've taken a pick. I don't think the splice itself is the problem, though it may be? But I think needing to preload it to retain the splices' grip seems wrong. this does make sense, thanks humpo, and is kind of what I'm wondering should be done. I haven't reads anywhere in the literature that this is the prescribed method. thanks

been many years since installing a brace. installed one a few weeks ago and had a call yesterday from the resident to let me know that it had "moved". climbed the tree today to take a look - it seems that one of the loops installed after the main splice had come undone (pulled through) because the main splice hadn't gripped. in effect, movement (luckily from just wind rather than failure) in the tree had pulled the splice through on this end of the brace. I'm worried that if wind can do this to the splice how about a failure?? the only way around it I can see is to tension the system so that the splice is tight on itself and so already gripping itself? initial installation wasn't slack but wasn't preloaded. any advice appreciated or stories of experience appreciated. Dean

halfords

I thought the FC were now saying that urea doesn't work - second hand knowledge to me tho'

still looking

I've had a few guys lined up for trials days that simply haven't bothered to turn up. Others that haven't turned up to an arranged chat (in lieu of a formal interview) One guy at least let me know he had changed his mind having applied for the job from his current location on the other side of the country. Another just changed his mind - unfortunately he had told me he was currently out of work so I checked his references, only to find he is, oops. others with a very basic list of tickets and minimal experience have wanted what I would consider to be very large salaries to jump their current ship - perhaps just chancing their arm for a worthwhile pay rise?? the daft thing is that for most of these guys, as long as they presented themselves well and were clearly not a complete moron would have received a job offer. I know for one or two they were likely just going through the motions to retain their jobseekers allowance for Christmas. oh well

is that stump at ground level? was the picus reading taken at ground level or higher up. looks quite accurate to my uneducated eye

as i said in an earlier post its put up with some fair old gusts just lately. but it is extremely sheltered where it is.

some more picture for now: 1) view up the stem 2) side view not very clearly showing how little of the circumference remains on this side of the tree 3) the visible heartwood is thin - you could knock it through with a good kick.

I'll send you the address - bring a trowel I'll pay you a fiver, in fact I've got a few other trees for you to look at Yeah - I think its gone past retention really, difficult for people to comment on (which is why the post was regarding the action of decay) pictures really don't give sense of it the felling would protect lots o things well within falling distance, houses gardens, a B road, an area children play in, an access track and a footpath, plus the parked cars. I can see it from both sides of the coin: the council has let them use the area as if it were there own in return for them spending their time looking after it, there's a 'potential dangerous' tree there, it would be a kick in the teeth for them to be evicted over it when the tree could still land on the garden gazebo. I'd like to see it retained in some sense just out of stubbornness but if it does end up being removed I'll try and remember to take piccies of the extent of decay.

its a community council tree so a survey wont be sought in this instance due to cost. I recommended that is was looked at by the local TO, who without knowing what I had prescribed suggested pretty much the same but preferred the idea of fell. its a tricky situation / site as its council land, but it has been relatively well looked after by the residents so the targets of parked cars etc cant really be removed without causing upset and probable abandonment. I did suggest giving the bell to the chap with the trailer but it wasn't taken as an option.

It would be lovely to save it - I never like to condemn a tree but with the coalescence of two quite large cavities which then extends up the stem plus the presence of so many targets.... its also compounded by the fact that the t/r ratio is more like 20-25%, so bellow the 30%, and I think with the presence of cavities like this maybe a t/r of 50% would be desirable. I agree the tree is reacting very well all considered, and the crown is very healthy. its stood up to some very heavy winds recently. I'm lucky I haven't been asked to report on it just quote for some works based on recommendations, but if it were to fail following a light reduction with the above info I think the prosecution would be very critical. I don't think many consultants would be happy without having recommended a fell, if only to cover bums - which is a shame but likely true