Thesnarlingbadger

Don’t think there have been any significant branches removed from the tree in the past but I could be wrong. The branches around this level are all basically epicormic not hiked than 3” diameter but there may have been a larger branch removed 50 odd years ago when the trees were a little smaller. The Tree officers in the area are aware of this and are going to decide what would be the best course of action to take. Removing the tree would be a real shame as it makes up a row of 10 with a matching set of 10 the other side of the lane but that being said it is a high risk area of the tree did come down in winds.

That’s my concern, that it could be anything and not knowing really means removal to keep things safe. There’s no songs of the tree compartmentalising around the scaring and I would say that the rot is spreading but I don’t have a previous point in time to compare to. It might have to be remove and replant but if it is fungal then I’m concerned a newly planted Lime will not take in the same spot.

Maybe. Still not 100% do you know what time of year the fruiting posies would show with this? If it is Kretzschmaria I would say it’s fairly advanced stages. Thank you

We reduced an avenue of lime trees last week and when we came to the last one and started reducing it we noticed it felt a little more ridged than the other 9 in the row and realised it had a huge patch of rot on the back of the tree. The trees are all TPO’d and I have spoken to the tree officer and sent over photos and she is as miffed as I am. We are trying to work out what is causing the issue and I don’t want to remove the tree if not completely necessary but the area has high foot fall and traffic and is right next to a garage and within falling distance of the house so I’m fairly concerned. It almost looks like phytophthora but not got the bleeding stains that you usually get with this. I have tapped the base with a mallet and all sounds solid enough but the rot starts about 4m up and is about 1.5m in height and 0.5m across and the rotting wood is like polystyrene and the tree sound hollow all the way around this part of the trunk. The tree is the second one in the row of 10 trees and is sheltered and probably why it has not come down in the winds a ninth or so back but is not as tall as the others. The new growth looks healthy but I know limes can be bloody rotten and still look in good shape. I’ve attached a couple of photos. Let me know if anyone has got any idea. Thanks for your help as always. Cheers

I know tell me about it. Some people look at life in a different way to everyone else I guess. Still I was stacked with work around the time and a couple of phone calls sorted work for the day.

Had someone ask me to trim and reduce a conifer hedge a few years back. About half a days work for 2 of us and I quoted £270 or something. She said that was fine, so booked in the work and sent the quote through. Turned up to do the work a few weeks later and the hedge had been done by some travelling friends who she said charged £1000 but said they could do it then and there so she decided to have it done as the weather was nice. She then said that they through everything into the neighbours garden and could I clear it away. Yes no problem but it will cost you £600 as the neighbour have no access to the back garden and it is all in a stream about 20ft down from your garden. She told me that I was a rip off and that I should be ashamed of myself after she had been done over by travellers, I should be doing it for free. I apologised and explained why it was going to cost what it was. She then went down her road and told every neighbour what had happened and that I was a robbing bastard. I then got 3 called from her neighbours about work who all explained to me that she was a nightmare and she had actually done the job herself with her husband. Her neighbour with the conifer leftovers in his garden explained that he asked them not to drop the branches in his garden to which she told him that she had someone coming round to clear it up in a couple of weeks. Beggars belief.

This is true, but we do have a lot of other work as well as ash dieback and to be honest if the trees are too knackered I’m pricing for a MEWP and or a crane. I’m aware it’s not going to be around for long and if I can use it as a way increase profits and buy larger kit that that’s something (similar to what a lot of older firms did with Dutch Elm. Not that I’m happy about taking ash out as it’s an awful situation but I guess issuing it to an advantage is the best we can do.

I would say anything can come under this legislation if it’s causing a light issue to a neighbour.

Yes some of the jobs we look at are fairly large site clearances and a lot of roadside ash dieback. We cope with what we have but I have no doubt we have lost a couple of jobs due to not having the kit at the ready. Not that I’m worried about that but we are an expanding company and I’m always looking for ways to go a little bit further. On a standard day I’ll have one team out working on a commercial job or a large domestic job and another team or two out doing smaller domestic jobs or I’ll be out stump grinding. I wouldn’t loose the domestic side of things but would like to aim for a bit more commercial as that is what seems to bring in the money.

Yes once all the costs are taken out of the £125k a year we are left with about £50k and then I pay myself part of that and put the rest back in to equipment. So it’s never going to be a rich man’s game this industry but I do it for the love. Yeah sorry I should have explained that better, my parents got a loft conversion and I’m back living with them while I save up to buy a house. I have 3 kids with two ex’s, don’t live with them but support them.

Non taken, the reason I need to take home that much is I run 2/3 teams generally have a couple of chippers as 3 trucks the yard to pay rent on and the insurance. Fuel costs are about £1500 a month and after all the out goings for the business I have 3 kids and am trying to buy a house for the first time. Generally I’m not a greasy person and I spend next to nothing on myself other than the odd pint on a Friday but I find if I don’t charge the prices I do I am feeling like I’m not getting anywhere. Plus if I have a bit of equipment or a vehicle brake down on me I want the money in the bank to deal with it.

I never said there was anything wrong with not being vat registered. I just couldn’t stay that way with the type of work I was taking on. Not sure why it matters if they are called customers and clients, generally I will call people from the commercial side of things clients and domestic customers.

Yes I’m looking in to tractors and timber trailers at the moment to speed things up a bit. I’m happy working for the commercial side of things as I know that work is what brings in the money and is what I need to grow the business.

Quoting for jobs must be one of the hardest things to get right all the time. And I’m finding now that a selection of my regular clients don’t want to pay more ( yes I pruned your Apple tree 4 years ago for £225 but that was 4 years ago and now I have more overheads and am VAT registered so it will now cost you £360). I understand that the cost of living is sky rocketing but I need to make £500 a day after vat and staff are paid to keep the business running. I have found since going VAT registered a few years back my work has shifted massively to the commercial side of things (not the end of the world but the guys moan able wearing hi-viz all the time and hate it when there isn’t a cup of tea all day). The domestic side of things I try and keep cheep but find by doing that I’m shooting myself in the foot. I have just reevaluated my prices and am now charging £300 more on a 2 man day from when I started. Some jobs I’ll drop the price a little if it’s a nice job or I know the customer is friendly but I rarely do this because it’s only me who suffers. I quoted someone £450 for a sycamore take down the other day, half a days work with 3 guys and the customer said she had been given a quote for £250 and could I match it, not a chance. Also I’m fully aware that the staff are going to start needing more money with rising energy costs etc and that is another thing I have to prepare for. Tree work in general has always been a cheep game and prices for work haven’t changed a huge amount in the last 20 years compared to builders or other trades. We had a loft conversion 15 years or so back and it cost around £17k and a neighbour has just had one done a few doors down by the same builder we used for nearly £50k (almost identical work). I don’t see our industry changing our prices like that but then maybe I’m wrong and I’m just looking at my area. I’d be interested to know what other peoples thoughts are on industry prices etc.

Yep. Just been one of those weeks. I’ll have better ones

Just doing an Ash at the moment which I put £1500 on but I should have put £3k on it 🤦‍♂️. All the back side has to be rigged and nothing is allowed to go in next door and every bit that was rigged got caught up. We have managed to speed line one side out but then the weather turned and it’s only timber left and we can’t do anything till it drys up a bit because the lawn will get trashed with it being boggy. So I have a half done job that I am finishing in 3 weeks time. And to top it all off I’ve got one truck in the shop at the moment and my hilux has just cut out on me and had to get a tow back this afternoon. It’s under warranty but Toyota have said they can’t do anything with it till end of next week. What a week.

Ahh mate I feel your pain. I had an incident with some hedge cutters back in 2016 where I was putting them in the van at the end of the day and that caught on something and the sheath came off and my hand went along the blade. I severed tendons, cut all my nerves to my index finger and chipped the bone. Doctors stitched the tendons and nerves but only a few of the nerves took so I still have no feeling along the outside of my index finger unless it’s cold and then it’s just effing painful. I was off the ropes for about 6 weeks but have fully recovered now and hardly have any issues, I had to do a lot of physio for my tendons and I have to be carful I don’t cut that side of my finger as I wouldn’t feel a thing but other than that all good now. I always find it amazing how well the body can heal. Hope you recover fully and quickly mate.

I think the reason people aren’t finding out about it is because some idiots try and not tell anyone. I mentioned it to a friend of mine a few years back or whenever it first got set up and he told my Arbtalk was a waste of time (think he was thinking of the Facebook page though if memory serves). I later found out of one of his staff members that he was using it daily last minute to find tip sites (not knocking this if done the same thing in a pickle) but he told all his workers not to let anyone else know about the tipsite dictionary because all the tip sites will be taken. Fortunately the majority of people will spread the news and these sites will become more and more popular.

Filled up this morning in Bristol and it was . £1.89 pl for diesel and cost £120 to fill up the Hilux. My fuel bills are going to be almost doubled by the end of the month. All well and good the idiots running this country want us all in electric cars but I’m never going to make the money to buy one with the prices of fuel at the moment. That on top of trying to buy a house which is beyond a joke at the moment.

Maybe it’s all a myth mate.

Good point. Cheers

Thanks for everyone’s input. I think we are going to be pretty safe with this one. As I mentioned originally I have taken down countless trees in similar situations and not had any issues or heard of any before. I think my client was just being overly caucus as they have just moved in to the house and I said I would double check on here. Good to know that phased fells are a complete waste of time though and 10/15 years ago when I started they were all the rage. Thanks again, really appreciate the help as always. Cheers Eric

The tree is situated in yate Bristol which generally has a lomey clay content. The tree I would say was planted 10/15 years ago (going on growth rate) and the conservatory was slightly before that. The house would have been build in the 80’s or early 90’s. They are not worried about the wall as the tree has already caused damage so are planning on re building a section of wall at some point. I can’t say anything about the pre-existing soil moisture as I wouldn’t have a clue unfortunately. The other option is to do a phased fell but this would seem a little pointless if the likelihood of risk to the conservatory or house is minimal. Thanks again for the help?

Hi All, I have a client who has a tulip tree that she would like to remove. She is worried about heave with the tree coming down. I have explained that I think it would fine and wouldn’t cause an issue. However I have said I’ll double check and get back to her when I have some more solid advice. The tree is around 6/7m high and around 3m from the conservatory and 5m from the house. I’ve taken down plenary of trees this size near property’s and never heard of an issue but wanted to check with you lot to see what your thoughts were. Pictures of tree below. Thanks as always. Cheers Eric

If you do it and the council find out your tree officers would have good reason to make life hard for you in future. Just explain to the guy you are not willing to brake the law for a few quid.