Arborowen

On 20/12/2019 at 15:14, warringtontreesurgeon said:

Hi guys, any pointers on my site as we would like to gain more work in from it?? https://www.warringtontreesurgeon.co.uk

 

Thanks in advance.

This thread doesn't really attract many useful replies and is pretty much just a list. However I am allowing myself to be distracted from report writing. Visually your site looks nice and has the bare essential info. My most immediate comments:

- You claim to be the leading TS in your area. How have you arrived at this conclusion? if making claims like this you should back them up with a source i.e independent audit or some form of award? if its not true or is just guesswork prob better to not make such claims. Misleading prospective clients is a sure-fire way to get a bad name, no one will be fooled if it's an outright lie. Perhaps consider a client testimonial section instead with quotes from happy clients or use the Google My Business feedback system to allow clients to feedback.

- Coupons and bonus thing seems a bit too close to what might be considered a scam. Perhaps it might scare people off rather that entice? Its not altogether a terrible idea but perhaps shouldn't be necessary. You could carry out market research to see what you client base thinks of this and maybe ask how many of your current customers have seen or know bout it? if it isn't working get rid. 

- There isn't really any information other than the stumps section, consider adding more info or link to sites like the AA that provide info on TS. Perhaps move some content off the landing page to tabs like the stump section with some dedicated headings.

- Finally consider getting someone to proof the content, I'm not going to do the grammar hitler thing but there are errors. 

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a huge topic an google is continually moving the goal posts. Unfortunately unless you have an abundance of time and technical skill you may struggle to master a truly effective site without considerable input. Think about what you need a website for then build it from there. Mine is essentially a business card with a little info to allow clients to know they are in the right place and could be significantly improved. I keep an eye on web traffic and enquiries so I know where they come from which helps me understand how the site is working.

Hope you had a nice xmas, happy new yr and most importantly stay safe. 

O

Where are these DED trees? Eastbourne? With regard to OP DED will likley finish the tree of in a summer or two. Looking at the extent of infection. If it's been ringed, it's for the chop. I've sent alerts to EBC a number of times of late with no reply and no action. I don't cut (professionally [emoji6]) anymore so no conflict of interest.

Tricky one from photos. Can't say K doesn't occur this high as this as it can, but usually things are much worse for the tree and usually it would be located along a wound as others have said. There are a number of bark occouring saps that look a bit like the secondary fruit body of K. This doesn't look like it to me.

Here's another wi k very high up. First was lime this is a beech. Raised spit of land. Chalk with extremely thin soil horizon. Stem has K up to 1.5m above buttresses. Mind boggling how this was still vertical.

Here's one of Kretch getting quite high up.

I've come accross this. Doesn't seem to be like ADB, (sorry if OT) as not emenating from leaf veins. I've posted elsewhere but am looking for suggestions. There is an Ash tree immediately next to this one with no symptoms.

Very strange.

Leaf size and colour are not set in stone. To my mind even shape differs from region to region. Flowers and seeds are the only structures that do not alter significantly. Those interested in bonsai regularly prune roots and carry out other odd practices such as defoliating to maintain a small leaf size in some maple spp.

This may not be the precise best place to post this. However I've spotted an Ash nearby to my home that is exhibiting some significant foliage stress. I've taken a sample and it does not seem to be emenating from the leaf veins as per ADB rather from the leaf margin. 

I'm interested in what this could be for obvious reasons. The tree stands imediatley next to another which is not showing these signs of foliage stress. 

My next thought was verticillium wilt but it doesnt appear to match images I can see from a quick Google. 

All thoughts and theories welcomed. 

O

What are you using to make it Mark? What exactly do you mean when you say E-flyer? 

If its what I think you mean, I've used Mailchimp for marketing via email its free and easy to produce professional corporate looking sendouts. It's also good for tracking clicks and reads and allows you then to follow up on interested parties with calls etc.

Although I normally address any contact I have directly to the people i'm interested in talking to then follow up with a call in the least spam like way possible as white washing contacts can de-value potential. Although having said that, currently i'm playing the 'throw enough at the wall' game and something will stick!

I think it depends of the scale of your company, the client base and probably a whole host of other factors as to how much can be gained from being a member.

Audits aren't fun and Its not for everybody. Being involved in audits with SSIPs and industry bodies shows a level of transparency and discipline. Both factors useful in tendering for larger contracts.

Its down to the individual to decide how useful it is for their own business. Generally speaking, having previously worked for an AAAC and managing the audit process for the AA and ISO schemes it's always been another string to the bow when tendering, quite a serious one at that.

Its sounds impressive, previous posts highlight the potential limitations. Regarding species, this depends on some additional "boots on the ground" assessments of the survey area. Hollow trees? probably not is the answer as its difficult to say when your standing in front of it let alone with lasers! 

Years ago I used to joke with one of my brothers that you can literally do anything with lasers and everything should have a laser. It appears, that from measuring gravity from space, trees, Lidar to name a few, my joking is now with some foundation.

On 1/14/2018 at 21:50, Steve Bullman said:

In answer to your actual question though, truck and chipper..I would buy brand new, present a nice clean image.  I would get both these on 0% finance but put the value of them into a savings account to fall back on.  There would be more than enough left over to buy the extra saws you need to start out.  Anything else you need price it into the work and buy it as you need it

Good advice, all that needs to be said really, other than i would like to have 50k :-)

Heres mine. My plans are to continue to build content and work on getting some logos on there. Feedback appreciated. live as of last week, all my own handy work.

https://www.owenallpress.com/

No you are right, I did mean to mention AA however was at risk of rambling. 

It is my ultimate goal to be an AA Approved Consultant Paul. Perhaps we can speak about this at some point if your still involved in that end of things. Cost is a big factor for me currently with the annual cost of something like SMAS being around £200 its a first step.

Regarding OP, construction line itself is NOT an SSIP as I guessed above. They promote their own SSIP scheme as part of the application process for an additional fee so its worth thinking what you hope to gain. I would question wether its better to go down that route or start with CHAS? bit of a mine field for the un-initiated.

O

Realise this is a little old now with no replies. I'm just getting back into Arbtalk after starting my own business. 

I have experience managing accreditations for a large commercial tree surgery in Sussex. During this time they were neither Chas nor Construction line. Bearing in mind this was around 5years back things may have changed. Chas was a bigger deal for us. 

CHAS is an SSIP, (Safety Scheme in Procurement) Construction line is more of an paid index which carries out similar checks to an SSIP. What you may find is that if you were to gain an SSIP, (CHAS or SMAS) this may cut out some of the paper work to becoming a member of Construction Line. 

Back when I worked for the un-named large Tree surgery. I realised I might be able to just Pay for CHAS if i was already SMAS. As we were already operating SMAS which was an SSIP as well, after some communication with CHAS we just paid up and they granted us membership of the back of our other SSIP membership.

Worth getting in touch with the people at Construction Line to discuss this. It's my understanding that all three schemes operate a directory service so it difficult to say which is more popular.

Depending on time and budget, my advice would be to check with Construction line to see if there are any shortcuts for companies with existing SSIP accreditations then get either SMAS or CHAS (or both) then approach construction line. The annual costs for all these sites are geared toward company size so it may not be financially worth while for you to take this approach. 

It is my intention to gain SMAS, (SSIP) and then approach Construction Line. As a self employed arboricultural consultant the annual costs are low and requirements from each scheme is relatively easy to address. I think the cheapest option from my perspective as a consultant with only myself as a 'member of staff' is to go for construction line directly. This approach is also likely to yield less paper work although Im not sure precisely what checks they make or what the forms are like.

Hopefully this is of some help although I appreciate it doesn't exactly answer your question. 

Found this on a beech last week, after initially thinking it was Oyster mushroom, i then began to think it might be dryads saddle. However based on the current combination of books on the desk neither of them persist for a very long after degrading. This is clearly a seasonal bracket thats either still attached because it's a sheltered spot or a late (early) second fruiting but no idea quite what it is.

Thought would be appreciated

I have been tasked with looking into this old chestnut again. My general approach is to work out what software would achieve our needs then select a device with the required ruggedness and spec. This time were coming at it from the reverse.

It has been suggested that we get some Windows 10, (as in desktop OS run on a rugged tablet) Rugged windows tablets. We have a device in-mind (MESA2) which looks very impressive however I have absolutely no knowledge of data collection software for windows platform. Previously all my forays have been either Android or windows mobile based. I'm aware a lot of desktop style software tends to focus on asset management style surveying for Local Authority. We do not typically have much use for long term asset management style software. 

In terms of usage we would mostly be looking to use the software for condition surveys on large rural or remote locations. The ability to plot tree potions with a reasonable degree of accuracy just so they can be found again and add attributes to something like and attribute table and export the resultant data to DXF SHP or similar is essential. It has also been floated that we try to source some software that has the flexibility to carry out BS5837 surveys. I am infinity dubious as to how effective a single piece of software may be in both scenarios. It may be the case that two separate approaches are used?

What ever the software, the output would need to be 100% customisable in order that it can fit into our current report presentation / style.

Any one with some thoughts here please do let me know. I've found that much of the software still on offer uses Windows mobile which is tragic in my view given how far things have move on since 1997.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks, DT> No obvious Glands and Prunus was one of my guesses based on the pics. Some samples have arrived in the office now and it does look to be Prunus, with one mature leaf there that looks to have a small singular gland. Difficult game when they've been bashed around huh.

Haven't posted for a bit. Usually I'm the tree ID monkey here but this one has me stumped. Buds look a little like willow, leaves look a little like prunus, bark looks a little like hawthorn. Very confusing. I offered to try to key it out but no samples were collected during visit.

Thoughts very much appreciated as its the only thing on my colleagues survey he has to ID!

I did wonder that with fall approaching squirrels can be getting feisty scraping thin barked trees too so that may account for the colour.

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Some photos from a site visit that one of my collegues carried lut yesterday. Ive seen ganoderma high up in beeches before. But cant make this out for him. Any thoughts.

Yes well that's he tricky one. I've been asked to re inspect three HCs following a comment by a knowledgeble member of the public. The tree with the rigi is not the one they are concerned about. They're seeing scaring from bleeding canker and getting anxious on another tree which is further and weighted away but still close enough. This one with the rigi had 2 mtrs out top only in 2014 leaving the entire remainder of crown toward play area. Previous tree office denied permission to carry out 6mtr height reduction specd by previous consultant. Which now I've met the trees can see would have been overkill.

My initial concern before the rigi on this was the historic dog legend prunnig wounds common on HC when low branches are heavilly prunned back.

Plenty to think about. Not sure of significance of the fungi. HC is fully on my one to watch list given its tendency to lack much warning signs or indicators in foliage vitality and to be peppered with bleeding canker often making things look pretty break but might not be. Very difficult to judge much beyond these two factors using just VTA.

Any thoughts? I've done several HC jobs this year all with the same collection of issues. Although not quite on this scale.

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Pretty sure Ridgidoporus on Horse chestnut here on a nice site in west sussex.

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Would ypu beleive me if I said that was my first guess. :-) with the form and white spores. The cross section seemed a bit too brown though. Ok. Thanks David. Do you have any comment on the significance on oak. Maybe not as dramatic as ash?

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Been a while since I've posted on here and equally feels like an age that ive actually had to ID a fungi being that the majorty of work presently appears to be BS with a lack of mature defective trees.

Anyway. This white spored fungi on an oak is foxing me. Its likley a usual suspect but can think which. The shape and spore colour is wrong for ganoderma? and the cross section does not match other brackets such as ridgioporus.

Your assistance here would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

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