Treeation

Haha! Too true!

What a great resource thanks for sharing!

Hi, Got some middle aged lime trees that have significant mistletoe clumps in crown. The trees are located in a high use school carpark. There is also major deadwood present that needs removing. My instincts would be to thin out some of the heavier clumps of mistletoe whilst deadwooding to reduce failure of individual branches breaking out. Seems to be a lack of literature on mistle toe or I'm not looking in the right places....also do you think it is a sign of stress? Do trees compartmentalise against mistletoe invasion? Any thoughts welcomed

Great project!! Does the tree attract many visitors?

Even if the spec was to crown reduce heavlily due to defect management or the customer twisted the contractors arm, still no need to leave so many stub cuts, could have at least taken back to most suitable laterals given the situ. They have't bothered with that so makes you think they don't care or just don't know any better.

I think that is subjective to each individual customer - some are very caring about trees and seek a "tree care specialist" who has the knowledge and cares about trees. Others almost laugh in your face when you explain to them that taking too much off will probably kill the tree and just want the job done for peanuts. I guess with time you can weed out the crap customers and keep the good ones. I am going to keep telling myself I am a tree care specialist and aim for work that interests me:001_smile:

Hi Gary, yep agree the photos are a bit pants! But yes I am certain it is a coppice stool.

Red banded polypore found this winter in Slovenia....second pic is a dead fruiting body

I was lucky enough to spend xmas this winter in Slovenia and managed to make a visit to this huge small leaved lime (Tilia cardata) called the Navjevska lipa - one of the most important trees in Slovenia. It was planted in 1290 making it around 727years old. Small-leaved lime 'Najevska lipa' near the farm in Ludranski Vrh The girth of the tree, measured at a height of 1.30 m, is 10.70 m on Jun 11, 2006. Its height is around 25.50 m (Jun 11, 2006, measurement taken from info sign near tree, on which the exact measurement method is not elaborated. It was a real beauty of a tree, heavily hollowed out to the extent that there was minimal sound wood left at the base and large open cavities throughout. It seemed that the cavities were cleared of any partially rotted material and debris to try and reduce the food bank for decay fungi and protect what little sound wood still exists. There was some flexible, steel bracing within the primary branches and a fence used to exist around the tree that would help protect the root plate from compaction. Last pic illustrates the decay pattern across the basal area. Photos flipped 90 degrees when i uploaded sorry!

Yeah I think looks more like flamilluna due to the yellow colour of the fruiting bodies

Brilliant idea! And will be useful reference for the future thanks!

Agree...maybe ground anchor at top of bank with a lewis winch skid trees up bank butt first...or gravity fed chipper and down to trees and leave chip on site?pain in the arse but doable...

Personally, would of thought it wasnt a good idea considering ash because of Chalara fraxinea[/i (Ash dieback)

Not entirely sure about grey or italian poplar but if they are anything like common alder they should be fine which coppices well. I would try and speak to your local woodland officer working for the forestry commission and try contacting your local tree officer. I imagine there should be some research out there in relation to planting italian alders for future climate change. Good luck! Sounds like a good mixture you have going...I would advise planting in groups if you havent already thought so as trees grow better this way and easier to manage in the long term...I imagine you might get quite different growth rates though from such a mixture. I just coppiced a coup of hazel with a few sweet chestnut in there...the hazel grew 2ms in one year and pretty much every stool regenerated...only about 3 out ten sweet chestnuts came back and only put 1m of growth in a year.

cheers!

Cheers its a sycamore and absolutely smothered top to bottom in ivy! So not wanting to lose the will to live id rather drop her from the ground ....its got an open face cavity where i want to direct it but the sides look fairly sound (for a pretty hollow tree) with some nice butresses flaring off where the hinge will go...just interested why you go deeper with the gob - im guessing to make the tipping point a bit more agreeable? I do that whilst felling stems but not really tried on a full crowned tree

Got a large sycamore that I want to fell in a oner......its pretty hollow....client wants it down so she can install a native species hedge....any tips on felling large hollow trees? Im going to winch it over just wondering how much hinge I should leave on the sides....

Id say chicken of the woodd

Im selling one arbtrader for £3800 if you are interested

Id say set day or two free a week for quoting...sounds like your busy enough so no real worry that you might lose the odd job for the customers who want it done yesterday but in the grand scheme of things better to have life!

Thanks I will get in touch with my insurance company again and get PI cover. Im pretty sure they said it would be ok to insure as long as I have PTI. Im still not really sure what to aim for.....Im used to my own tree surgery rates but the bit that complicates things as I would need 5 years or so cover after my last inspection.... + I guess inspections takes extra knowledge/insurance and liabilty than a days tree work If I was doing a dayof inspections and reports would I be charging £200,£300, £400? etc...

Hi there, I have recently passed my Professional tree inspection course and am now looking to incorporate tree inspections into my contractring business. I live in the Cotswolds in UK so prices would obviuosly have to reflect my location. So, can anyone give me any any ball park figures for tree inspections? I appreciate it depends on what the job entails so day rate figures might be more useful at this stage...not trying to intrude on any elses work...I just really dont know what is a fair charge? Thanks in advance!

Innotus hispidus:thumbup1:

Locate the centre of the crown once you have your top anchor and always keep that centre in mind your mind (keep on reverting back to its position as you move around the crown later on in the job). Then look around the top section and spend some time deciding a good height where theres lots of side laterals roughly/at least 1/3 in diameter of the proposed pruning cut to prune back to. Remember this is important as the pruned branches have a better chance of survival if you do this and you want to avoid stub cuts as much possible. Once you have a rough height to work to always try and get above that cut line its sooo much easier to be cutting below your head than above it. So good anchor point is key. When cutting the top remember its only the very middle that is the highest bit so start a gradual slope down as you meet the sides of the crown. Once at the side try and distinguish on the lowest limbs on the tree a suitable reduction point to aim for. Imagine a curverd line joining the already pruned top section down to that lowest limb reduction point that you have chosen. Prune down the sides to that lowest limb. Work around the sides to complete a quadrant that is visible to your groundie so that he/she can see easily wether your cuts are in/out also completeing a quadrant as close to your chipper will also allow you chuck to prunings more easily out the crown and improve overall job efficiency. Sometimes I start my quadrant around the back of the tree so once I get my eye in I know the money shot (generally the side that will get the most visual profile) will be looking its best. Once you have a completed quadrant section just keep on goin around the sides..it should get easier at this point to see the shape. I always take a decent set of poles with me to cut anything upto 20 feet in height. This saves a bit of time and fatigue and its easier to see the shape from the ground. Try your hardest to get right out on those limbs. The best reults come from those who get right out into the tips. Be flexible, patient, always look up, down and around - im constantly trying to map that 3d dome in my head....I quite often draw imaginery lines with my hand to try and match up the shape of the dome...must look pretty wierd to onlookers...a spaced out tree hugger doing tai chi in the trees....but it really helps me and I havent been sectioned yet!