daltontrees

It's not clear whether the trees are outwith the boundary of the land you want to buy. If they are to be on your land and are not protected by any local laws you could always cut them down. If they are to be on land retained by the garden centre, you could make their removala condition of you buying the house plot. And as Steve alludes to, it depends how close they are to the proposed house position.

Could just about pass the first pic off as example of early Rhytisma acerinum but by 'eck the trees look pretty poorly from the other two pics. I have a vague recollection from my studies that C corticale is a "sapwood intact" saprophyte, up till then the only example ever cited was Piptoporus betulinus. I would go with the idea that it is present and dormant in the tree but is activated by stress. Again, vaguely I recall that the stress triggering activation can be prolonged warmth. But incessant f***ing rain? More likely to be drowning the roots than drying them out..! And providing ideal humidity for spore germination? Strouts 'Diagnosis of Ill Health in Trees" reckins significance of C corticale is limited by the localised nature of the disease but I hope fpor all our sakes this year's abnormally dry start and then continual rain hasn't triggered a widespread outbreak of an incurable condition.

It always seems to me that BS5837 is the nearest thing there is to a methodology and format for tree surveys. That and Visual Tree Assessment from 'Body Language of Trees'. 5837 defines an arboriculturalist as a 'person who has, through relevant education, training and experience, gained expertise in the field of trees in relation to construction'. Our insurance wouldn't cover us if we did surveys outwith expertise and we would always refer something on if a VTA was inconclusive or flagged up the need for further investigations. We don't have shrinkable clays up here but the thought of signing off nhbc subsidence calculations fills me with dread. I agree with the advice about not calling yourself an expert. In court you would get taken apart. The gulf between 'expert' and 'gained expertise' is wide. I would recommend the Lantra Professional Tree Inspection course and assessment Lantra Awards UK - Professional Tree Inspection - ITA course . It is could be just the right proof of competence for you at this stage. Nothing personal but if you don't know enough to pass that assessment you probably shouldn't sign off surveys. And if you do nothing else get PI cover but first check what your insurer has to say about relevant expertise.

That C. corticale is nasty, isn't it? Won't it finish the trees off eventually?

Sounds like the tree is 300 to 400 diameter and so is not exempt from the rules. According to the English guidance "TPOs should be used to protect selected trees and woodlands if their removal would have a significant impact on the local environment and its enjoyment by the public. LPAs should be able to show that a reasonable degree of public benefit would accrue before TPOs are made or confirmed. The trees, or at least part of them, should therefore normally be visible from a public place, such as a road or footpath, although, exceptionally, the inclusion of other trees may be justified." Maybe your tree was TPO'd because the house was being built and the tree needed protecting. Anyway, the guidance is academic because the Order is already in place for whatever reasons and maybe was made when the guidance was not so clear on the emphasis on public benefit. If it was me I would be asking the LPA to consider why the Order was made, who the tree is benefitting if it can't be seen from anywhere and why it is resisting a reasonable management approach. And if the LPA is being unreasonable after that and the client is unhappy, put in an application, get a refusal, and appeal it. And if you're going to take it that far, it would eb a good idea to specify the works very precisely using the BS3998 method (para 7.7.2) i.e. the specified end result can be stated ... as the tree height or branch spread that are to remain ...and when reducing to create clearance from a structure the points between which the clearance will be measured should be stated. That's what I think anyway. The LPA should be made think too, they don't have to live under the excessive shade of a needlessly untouchable tree.

TPO or Conservation Area? Although it's behind the house can you see it from any public area? If so the LPA could find reason to resist topping...

Thanks for all the tips. Overnight I have tried soapy scrub then bleach solution soak then soapy soak then bleach again and I am giving it a final wash with soapy water. It's not gleaming but it's as good as it has ever been (I bought this saw second-hand 3 years ago, no operating manual). It will do fine for a while. There is someone in the States selling new ones for 281 at about £14 inc international postage. I charge out my time to clients at over £20 an hour so I should just buy one and it will pay for itself in 3/4 of an hour of fannying around. But it's the principle of the thing, isn't it? I think I will try the washing machine trick once and the dishwasher after that. I also have airline envy, got to get me one of those.

I have to say the washing machine trick sounds woth a try during the very rare chainsaw trouser wash. Will probably come out dirtier than it went in though hmm....

I don't have an airline, but I quite fancy getting one anyway for other stuff. Makes sense what you say.

Any tips for deep-cleaning mesh air filters? I have one really bad one (Husq 181/281) that seems to be way beyond scrubbing with detergent and warm water. Revently I soaked another smaller filter in bleach solution overnight and it came out gleaming but still slightly clogged. Someone recently mentioned brake line cleaner. Sounds a bit extreme? I don't mind cleaning filter daily but it never seems to get really really clean. Should I stop being a tighwad and just buy another filter now and again?

Species thought extinct was rediscovered in 1940 then in numbers in 46 and I think brought over to Kew shortly afterwards. The oldest ones in Britain can't be more than 60. I read somewhere that the leaves are really branchlets. Also read they are easy to propagate by cuttings, a client has a tree and I took cuttings last month which are struggling but may make it. Lovely soft foliage, like velvet.

Dammit, I have had to dust off Mynors to be able to reply on this! It seems that the courts have taken a view on the trespass matter. The neighbour should always ask the owner to abate the nusiance and similarly (possibly as pasr of the same communication) give notice of intention to do the work in default of the owner doing it. This is more than a common courtesy, as the courts have alluded to some of the reasons why asking/notice are needed. Here's exactly what Mynors says... "In particular the removal of the branches... up to the boundary between two properties may lead to the tree being unstable and thus more likely to fall in the future. In addition, if the work is carried out incompetently, it may lead to decay at the point wherre the branches were removed, thus shortening the life of the tree. It is for these reasons unwise to carry out abatement - other than at a trivial level - without first taking professional advice from an arboriculturalist." Now, Mynors is not prone to leave any point of law flapping in the breeze like that. It suggests to me that the strict liabilities have not been sufficiently defined in court yet and probably can't be without specific legislation. That's what I meant before about 'unresolveable'. Hopefully it is clear that if the tree blew over or died prematurely because of the pruning it could be the neighbour's fault. Much as he may have the right to remove branches he has no right to destroy or cause the self-destruction of another man's property. BS3998 I mentioned only as a test of what the courts might look at as industry best practice. If I was representing the owner I would be beating the neighbour over the head with it metaphorically if not actually. But it has a specific use in this scenario and it relates to trespass/notice/asking. If the owner had been asked or if the neighbour had taken that professional advice he might have learned that the BS at 7.2.4 suggests that the branches selected for removal should not be closely aligned within the tree's vascular system (e.g. in a vertical line). There are several stipulations in the BS that have been breached by this pruning/butchering job, like amount removed in one season, long pruning stubs etc. My first point is that if the neighbour had asked or taken advice someone could have removed the branches properly in a phased manner over several years to minimise the risk of the tree dying or blowing over. That would be reasonable. My second point is that if the tree now dies prematurely or blows over the neighbour is responsible, because it could have been avoided by more reasonable action. Mynors is going back on the shelf. Anyone who acts reasonably need no knowledge of the law and should have no fear of it, but those who act unreasonably cannot expect to hide behind it.

Fascinating post... I have recently done the AA Tech law exam (passed, phew). It didn't requre that level of detail on disputes and encroachments. So I got a copy of Mynors (which, incidentally, up here in Scotland is about as useful as a square pin plug in Europe) and after immersing myself in it I concluded that the law on this type of situation is not only unresolved but is possibly unresolveable and that each case would probably be decided on merits weighing up ecroachment against criminal damage. I have been in the situation too where police have been called, me being threatened with violence, interdicts, clients moving house to get away from 'cocks' forever etc. Foregetting about law for a moment, the average person would say the pruning is ridiculous, but I bet there are two sides to the story. Back to the law, it takes the side of a reasonable person. The issues of branch theft, trespass etc. would only be rocks to throw at each other in an expensive legal fight. To my mind the real offense is not yet proven... there is no doubt that the prunming cannot be defended as within best practice (BS3998 being a good foundation) and therefore the neighbour and/or advisor/contractor) wouldn't be able to satisfya court that the eventual demise of the whole tree was foreseeable. If it falls over or drops a branch on someone in the lane and there is injury or damage in the short term, the owner could well look to the neighbour for liability. In the loger term though, if I was the owner I would take impartial advice on the long term tree health and if it is or probably will become dangerous as a result of the pruning I would (i) take it down and (ii) consider seeking to recoup the cost or a part of it from the neighbour. That's what a reasonable person might do but as I say there is probably a bit of 'history' that could cloud judgement. PS I would have declined that pruning job, even with written proof that I had advised against it, for fear that people would have seen our company doing it. Or at least hire an unmarked transit and wear a Mickey Mouse mask. Maybe use a washing line for safety though, wouldn't want to take any chances.

More on that snake-barked maple. The best I have managed is pinching another leaf on the way back from the pub the other night, I literally have not had a moment to spare in daylight even to get a pic of the bark. So, here is a fully formed leaf, points and all.

Will do, but up till now I was going on nearest match being A.rufinerve.

Correction, I have just looked at the leaf again and it is possible that there is a bit of lost central tip but if so the whole tree had lost its tips as some sort of freakish mass windscorching. I'll have another look tomorow, it occurs to me now that these may be juvenile leaves. Good shout with A. pensylvanicum but I'm no longer sure if the photo is representative.

No, every leaf on the tree looked pretty much like this, definitely NO central lobe! Believe me, I looked...

See if you can identify this tree from just one leaf... I think I have got it pinned down to a 'Section' i.e. a group of species. It is just along the road so I can possibly get a few more pics, but if you have an idea and ask me the right questions you will probably get as far as I did without any more pics. But I am flummoxed about the species and really want to know, as does client. Or maybe I am barking up the wrong tree and have got the Genus completely wrong?

Thanks for the clarification. I don't fully understand the Andricus lifecycle, they need alternate cerris and robur or something like that. Maybe there is enough cerris in x hispanica to allow use a salternate host, but the leaves in the initial picture could just as soon be cerris. It is a big old tree in an avenue so if it's a hybrid it's likely to be a deliberate one rather than a natural one so I suppose it's going to be pure cerris or pure(!) x hispanica. I will look out for gooseberry galls, I have never seen them in Scotland maybe they haven't arrived yet.

Just read DH post, sounds good to me but maybe on x hispanica rather than cerris.

Somebody please figure this one out, it's doing my head in. Half an hour on I have eliminated lots of things but still don't have any ideas.

Tree looks like it has strongly opposite branch pairs. Rules out all the pterocarya/juglans stuff. Having taken down a A altissima I would say it aint one of them because beyond leaf shape the superficial similarity with Ash ends. To me it looks like a few of the mature F excelsior round here but there is a huge variety of bark textures and colours even in the same bit of woodland.

Up here in Scotland the climate may be that bit harsher but I would still suggest this. If it's a north/south hedger cut one side (the west side) one year and the other (east side) the next year. If it's a east/west hedge do both in same year. Even then I would think about taking 1 1/2 feet off each side in year 1 and another 1 1/2 feeet off each side in year 2. Maybe do in midsummer to allow for reflushing and the wounds to harden and prevent fungal infection in autumn. Beech has only been in leaf up here for 3 weeks. Scarily late.

A super little field guide is the Arb Assoc one, you can get it through their website publications section. Small but perfectly formed for the main tree killers. Als I think Lonsdale's Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management is so well written that it articulates the biology and biomechanics of decay in the context of management in a way that no other publication I have seen does. You need to speak the lingo though...

Eucalyptus is an Angiosperm, i.e. a flowering plant and not a conifer. True to the general rule it produces tension wood to react to stem bending and inclination. For formal experimental proof on Cider Gums see http://www.sid.ir/en/vewssid/j_pdf/80420060102.pdf The original question related to branch strengthening. You only have to try and get a Silky through the top of a branch union to guess that the wood there is denser, and apparently that's due to extra cellulose, which is basically what tension wood is. I haven't noticed eccentric rings on Eucalyptus branches but will look the next time. All the Eucalyptus around here have died in the last few cold winters so it might be a while before I get to work on a big one again.