Tree Surgery - Firewood - Tree Planting - Woodland Management - Stump Removal - Fencing - Free Quotations & Advice

Company Qualifications & Experience: 

BSc (Hons) (2:1)

Tech Cert (ARBOR.A) – Distinction

Professional Tree Inspection ( PTI Lantra)

 NPTC C&G Ph. II Arboriculture – Distinction

NPTC (National Proficiency Tests Council) certificates

CS 30, 31, 36, 38, 39

Qualified First Aid (St John’s Ambulance) in accordance with the HSE (First Aid) Regs. 1981

Insurance:

Professional Arboricultural Insurance:

£5 million Public Liability

 £10 million Employers Liability

Memberships & Affiliation:

National Trust, Woodland Trust

Work in Accordance with:

BS3998: 2010 -  Tree Work

BS5837: 2005 -  Trees in Relation to Construction

NHBC 4.2

NJUG Volume 4

Working with and trained by:

Arborists • Tree Planting

Woodland Management • Logs & Firewood  Welcome
 

Professional & fully insured Tree Surgery in Hertfordshire, North West Essex and South Cambridgeshire for domestic and commercial clients. We specialise in Planting Trees & Woodland and Native Hedge Planting as well as Managing Woodland for the benefit of our clients and our wildlife. We offer quality hardwood Firewood Logs & organic Woodchip Mulch delivered free locally in East Herts and North Essex. Please check our Logs & Mulch availability and Order Online. Alternatively please see our log & mulch delivery range Here

Tree Surgeon in Herts, Arborist, Tree Surgery - (tree pruning, tree thinning, crown lifting, dead wood removal, tree removal), Firewood Logs, Tree & Hedge Planting, and Woodland Management

Stevenage - Bishops Stortford - Buntingford - Ware - Hertford - Letchworth - Royston - Saffron Walden

Offering free tree work quotations and honest advice, with fully trained and qualified arborists, we strive to do our very best for our clients, the trees and woodlands in our care. We have a full understanding of the impact of our advice and work, and the by-products from our work are 100% recycled.

A full list of our services can be found on the left of this page, where you will find more detail on our range of services. We hope you find our website informative and constructive; please Contact Us for any further information, or to arrange a free quotation for any of our services, or to comment on any aspect of our site

Above Left - Hardwood Seasoned Firewood Logs Ready for Delivery. Centre - Tree Surgeons at Work in Buntingford Sectional Removal of Dying Silver Birch (Betula pendula). Right - Hedge Pruning & Tree Maintenance Across Herts

   Also on this page - (Read by clicking the links below)

• How much does Tree Surgery Cost?  -  A unique rough guide

• Environmental Policy  -  Doing things differently

• Tree Surgery Recycling practice  -  100% recycling of all waste

• Woodland Management practice  -  Traditional practices with modern methods

• Planting Practice  -  The right trees for the right site

• Wildlife Act and Conservation Policy  -  Knowing our place

• Method Statement  -  Delivering responsible environmental stewardship and arboricultural industry best practice

• Examples of Tree Surgery Work  -  What we can do and what you can expect

Above Left; Mature Hedge Planting - Semi Mature Hedge Plants Give Instant Timeless Cover To An Historic Cottage - Above Right; Native Hedge Planting - Mixed Native Hedges And Woodlands Planted Domestic Boundaries & Landowners Nationwide

Above Left; Herts Woodland Under Management For Wildlife And Amenity Value. Tree Surgery In Herts & Essex, Woodland Creation Nationwide - Above Right; Woodland Management in Herts; An Ancient Hornbeam Coppice Carefully Brought Back into Coppice Rotation

Weather

The one element we cannot control is the weather and in the tree surgery industry, one of the most dangerous jobs in the UK, safety is paramount. Frustratingly, when tree climbing is scheduled and we wake up to wind and rain work sometimes must be re-scheduled. Although forecasts generally cannot be relied upon, we have found metcheck to be one of the more accurate. Please find below a 7 day forecast based on the Herts Bishop's Stortford area

How Much will it Cost? - A Guide to Pricing in the Tree Surgery Industry

The Tree Surgery industry is very coy when it comes to publishing information on pricing, and as far as we are aware this is the only guide to pricing on the internet. To find out any examples you will have to search through many blogs or ask friends or neighbours who have had work done in order to gain any insight into what you might expect to pay to have any work carried out on your trees.

To be fair to the tree surgery industry, there are five very good reasons for this:

• Regulatory Factors. A company operating in the right way, i.e. within the strict legal framework regulating businesses within such a high risk sector, will have to charge far more than a company who is not. (More on this below)

• Situational Factors. All trees are unique. Your tree will be very different to your neighbours tree despite a seemingly similar size or appearance, and there are many factors affecting the risk, skill and labour involved that will ultimately affect the price of the job. (More on this below)

• Competition Factors. There may be many tree surgeons operating in your area. Lucky you. Get three or five quotes and you will find the differences can very wide ranging. We advise you do not go for the cheapest unless you are certain it is just a good deal from a good company. You should also find that there are a group of quotes around the same price - it is most likely these will be the companies offering a similar professional service with a keen eye on legislation and who are qualified and capable to operate your work

• Seasonal Factors. September through to March (dormant deciduous trees and out of nesting season) are the busiest months for the tree surgery industry. You will find in these months prices may be artificially higher due to increased demand and waiting times to get the work done greater. If it is possible to have your tree worked out of this season, you will find companies are more hungry for the work. (Be careful here - arborists should abide by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and stop work if they find nesting birds or bats. It is always worth you monitoring your tree for a few days and see if there is any activity so you are happy that you will not be about to disturb wildlife

• Equipment and Staff Factors. In terms of equipment the tree surgery game is a very expensive one to be in. In order to operate your work safely and to the best quality possible it may be necessary to use specialist equipment to access or process the tree. Qualified and reliable staff are also expensive - more on this below

Costs involved in Regulatory Factors:

• Qualifications. All operatives should hold relevant NPTC (National Proficiency Test Council) certificates of competence, and update them when required by law. You can read more on this in our section Become an Arborist, but in short each worker is required to hold relevant certification to prove he or she is skilled to do the job prescribed. To reach a level of competence to tackle most tree surgery work, it is easily possible to spend £3000 - £5000 on training for each climber

• Insurance. Public Liability Insurance is a must, and in such a specialist industry there are few providers willing to take on the risk of insuring tree surgeons. The normal costs reflect the company workload and work type, and are often dependant upon the height companies are prepared to work at, and the machinery used. Typically however, Public Liability Insurance can be expected to comprise 10% of an arboriculturalist company turnover. Employers Liability is an extra cost, not necessary to operate the company, but a must for conscientious operators.

• Regulation. Some equipment is required to be checked by law under the 'Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998', or LOLER, and must be inspected by an accredited inspector every six months in accordance with the law

• Risk Assessments and Health & Safety. Keeping risk assessment records and a keen eye on health and safety including provision of all appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is both an added administration and direct cost to a business operating within the law, and can easily add £15-£20 on the daily running cost of a professional tree surgery business

Costs involved in Situational Factors:

• Tree Species & Past Management. The species of tree will affect the ability an arborist may have to access and work the tree safely. Hardwood deciduous trees are often easiest to access and work, and are more reliable to climb and therefore safer. Some trees like Poplar and Willow can be snappy and this affects the ability to access over-reaching limbs or the extremities of the tree safely. In some situations therefore, the species itself can dictate the use of specialist access equipment in order to provide the best solution. Also the past management of the tree affects its growth and therefore the ability to access safely. Overstood pollards or poor previous work for example can result in panic water-shoot re-growth that often forms tall straight poles with few substantial lateral limbs that make access by climbing unsafe.

• Work Involved. The type of work involved will obviously affect the cost, as it will affect the time taken to work the tree, the skill levels required and the amount of arisings that are produced. Total removal of trees can result in all factors coming together and therefore be an expensive business

• Location, Size and Condition of Tree. It stands to reason that a dying or dead mature tree on a roadside situated over a property with telephone or electricity services running through the branches will take a lot more thinking about than a small tree in the middle of a field with no impedances. A good arborist will note any such risks at the quotation stage and look at fungal infections or disease, services and proximity to buildings or public routes and make an assessment of this and many other factors determining how the job should be approached

Equipment and Staff Factors:

• It is likely that even with a small job a reputable tree surgery company will attend the job with between £15,000 and £30,000 of equipment alone. Investment in equipment is necessary in any business, but the cost of tree surgery equipment is particularly high. It is likely an arborist will access your tree with £2000 of equipment attached to them! When undertaking large jobs that require specialist equipment, the costs involved escalate accordingly, and specialist lifting or access equipment can add to the cost considerably

• Behind the scenes a tree surgery company will require storage and a yard to process all the arisings from their work. A good yard may cost a similar amount to a mortgage on a house. Storage of large amounts of wood chip and cord wood must be done safely ensuring leeching tannins and moisture do not affect local water sources and drainage. Maintaining and storing equipment and storing and processing arisings is another large cost to most companies

• Staff are a factor in any service industry, but a skilled arborist can charge between £90 and £150 per day dependant upon the job, and ground staff between £60 and £100, add to this insurance, training and provision of protective equipment and staff costs can form a significant part of the price for a days tree work

So How Much will it Cost???

As the far from exhaustive detail and variant factors above indicate, it is impossible to apply a price to a days work without careful consideration of all of the above factors. On a job by job basis, it is vital to see the tree in situ and consider carefully the best approach to the work (another cost!) in order to provide an honest and fair price to both the arborist and the client.

The industry average for a three man work group is required to earn around £550 per day to cover costs and turn a small profit.  As a rough ballpark figure, an average day would be between £350 and £600. However if small jobs that will only take an hour or two demand a smaller price, a busy arborist will undertake this work by combining it with other work in the area, so it is always worth asking friends and neighbours as this will undoubtedly help the price of your tree work. In this case anywhere from £15 upwards could cover your work, so don't be put off by this too much! When considering difficult and dangerous work, the sky really is the limit dependant on the equipment needed and the approach required. Removing mature diseased trees in difficult to access locations could easily run in to thousands, if not tens of thousands.

Back to Top of Page

Green Man Conservation Environmental Policy

We are absolutely committed to the proper care of trees, their treatment in the broader environmental setting and their interdependence with surrounding wildlife. While the good management of trees and woodlands throughout their cycle is necessary, it is our abiding aim to eradicate the negative environmental impact of tree surgery operations in all settings through the pursuit of best practice and maintaining consistent responsible working standards

·          Close to 100% recycling of all our tree surgery work related waste arisings

·          Clean, sustainable energy from Good Energy Ltd powers our office, yard and 

       homes

·          Committed to sustainable woodland management

·          Correct ‘in-season’ pruning practice

·          Awareness of the Wildlife Act 1981 (as amended)

·          Basic wildlife surveying to avoid nesting birds, mammals and invertebrates

·          Local provenance, British native tree species recommended over exotics

·          Bio-degradable chain oils used

·          Brashwood habitat-piling

·          Mycorrhizal inoculation supports our new planting & remedial work

·          Low impact machinery

·          Responsible use of climbing irons

·          Truck & chipper run on bio-diesel

·         Close working relationships with Arboricultural Officers & Planning

       Authorities ensure

       Tree Preservation Orders, SSSI’s & Conservation Areas are sensitively

       approached

·         Tools, consumables & materials sourced from suppliers with responsible 

       environmental policies wherever possible

·         Active members of the National Trust & Wildlife Trust

·         Raising & sharing awareness of best practice

Back to Top of Page

Tree Surgeons who aim to Recycle 100% of Tree Surgery waste by-products

In practice this is not absolutely possible due to the need to destroy some diseased and rotten wood to prevent possible spread of disease pathogens. However the vast majority of the timber arisings from our tree surgery work is seasoned and cut to log lengths to supply the local community with quality firewood delivered in Herts and Essex, while much of our hardwood chippings are composted to provide mulch for new planting where feasible. Where appropriate, brash arising from Herts and Essex woodland management projects is chipped to the woodland floor to retain a site-specific nutrient base and provide invaluable invertebrate and small mammal habitat

Back to Top of Page

Sustainable Woodland Management Practice

Green Man Conservation work with woodland owners who consider themselves stewards of their woodlands, who take pride in regenerating and enhancing the woodland, and in ensuring its future and protection. We are proud to care for our native woodlands and are keen to support traditional woodcraft practices where viable

• Coppicing, including sensitive re-coppicing of over-stood woodland

• Deadwood clearance and making safe woodland areas (ideally, deadwood is retained onsite as a vital habitat, and safe standing deadwood is left as raptor posts and invertebrate habitat)

• Re-stocking woodlands to ensure a continued habitat and crop

• Felling, control and clearance of dominant non-native invasive species

• Timber extraction and processing

• Reversion of coniferous woodlands to deciduous

• Clearance and maintenance of woodland rides and glades

• Fencing and predator control methods

Back to Top of Page

Tree & Woodland Planting Practice

Where conducive with our clients’ aims, our preferred means of woodland planting and hedgerow planting, re-stocking, gapping-up and replacement planting is with local provenance British native tree species. This preference is based on an overriding desire to maintain the existing distinct character of the surrounding settings, so that all planting will eventually blend seamlessly. Planting British natives ensures the viability of the future habitat value of a project, becoming an extension of established habitat, not incongruous within it. Care is taken to survey current thriving species in the areas of proposed planting (along with soil configuration, moisture levels, p.h. etc), to safeguard highest survival rates possible

Back to Top of Page

Wildlife Act 1981 & Conservation Policy 1994

Green Man Conservation are aware of the relevance of the Act in respect of nesting and endangered species likely to be impacted by irresponsible tree surgery operations. Where operations may affect nest sites or viable habitat, tree work will stop, a survey will be undertaken and the advice of relevant specialists be sought before any further work to the tree is undertaken

Where the unconfirmed possibility of a bat presence exists, sensitive tree surgery work will be undertaken during spring or autumn. On ascending the tree, should suspicions be confirmed or further aroused, all tree surgery work will be terminated. If in doubt, contact will be made with the Bat Conservation Trust

When performing tree surgery between March and late August, extra care is taken in respect of the possible presence of nesting birds. Should a viable nest be encountered, all work will stop immediately and a re-evaluation of the task undertaken and relevant advice sought. However, with mild winters and ever-earlier springs, a constant vigilance is required to reduce the opportunity of disturbance whilst tree surgery work is undertaken

Back to Top of Page

Green Man Conservation Method Statement

We are very proud of our Method Statement, and are pleased to furnish clients with copies should it be required. Please Contact Us to request a copy of our Method Statement, which includes our full Company Policy, our Environmental Policy, our Health and Safety Compliance, Ethical Policy, Working Format and Insurance details

Green Man Conservation take huge pride in our work. Above Left; An ancient Hornbeam coppice woodland in our care in Herts; Above Right; A hollow Willow tree trunk is allowed to degrade by the ride as a vital habitat for invertebrates and fungi. Below Centre; A play area constructed from chippings at a Hertfordshire School, and beyond a dead-hedge woven from the brash of trees that have been re-coppiced for safety, ensuring biodiversity remains onsite

Back to Top of Page

Examples of our Tree Surgery Work

Tree Surgery Large or Mature Trees Sectional Removal

Tree Surgery Herts - Top Left; This veteran Oak was suffering from crown necrosis and Ganoderma fungal infection. At 350-400 years old, and measuring 22 feet around the base, there was an estimated 75 tons of timber that over time would collapse, posing a significant risk to the property owners. Making the tree safe whilst retaining a monolith for wildlife was the aim of this tree surgery work - Top Centre; Sectional removal of the tree was still possible despite the die back in the crown, as one side of the tree had retained life and was able to be used as an anchor point to gain a safe working position. Top Right; 35 tons of cord wood was removed from the crown of this Oak Tree and the operation took 2 days. Below Right; The Last 6-8 feet were removed with a 4 foot chainsaw bar and winched over safely, this lump alone weighed over 3 tons. Experience and careful planning are vital when working trees of this size. Below Right; The finished tree standing as a monument and important habitat, it will be decades before any further threat will be caused - Herts Tree Surgeons

Emergency Tree Surgery - difficult and dangerous tree work

Emergency Tree Surgery - Top Left; This Ash Tree was brought down by a combination of blizzard conditions and previous damage to the tree's root plate by a neighbouring garage build, plus recent exposure to wind by the removal of trees next door. The tree landed on an old Mulberry and the roof of the house. Very fortunately, the Mulberry tree stood the impact and bore most of the weight of the Ash tree. Swift and safe removal of the tree is now a priority as further movement would cause more damage - Top Right; After stabilising the tree to minimise likely further movement, careful removal of all limbs and cord wood that are free moving is undertaken, while concentrating hard on any compression or tension that may unsettle the tree further, or weight distribution that may unsettle the crown. Centre Left; Removing the bulk of the weight from the tree without unsettling the remaining trunk is a challenge, and requires careful planning particularly in bad conditions and with light fading Centre Right; The Mulberry still stands and the fallen Ash has been removed safely with no further damage or threat to the property Below ; The clients were very lucky, and damage to the roof is minimal with only one branch penetrating the roof. Emergency Tree Surgery Herts

Tree Surgery - Specialist access equipment for dead standing and dangerous trees

Green Man Conservation Tree Surgery Herts - Above Left; A Lime Tree (Tilia x europaea) with extensive rot at the base caused by Armillaria Mellea  Above Right; Balanced removal of limbs from around the tree ensured mechanical stability was not compromised Below Left; A carefully planned route through the crown is required, and cuts made so as not to shock the tree which could result in failure Below Right; The last 5 metres or so of this tree had hardly any sound wood - the presence of trees around it formed protection from the wind - if it were standing alone it would have failed before this stage

Tree Surgery Herts - Above Left; Use of a MEWP (Mobile Elevated Work Platform) to Sectionally Remove a Dangerous Dead Standing Ash Coppice From Over A House - Above Right; Dead Standing Ash Too Dangerous To Climb - Tree Surgeons Essex. Below Left; The Most Dangerous Part Of The Tree Removed. Tree Surgeons Hertfordshire - Below Right; Removal Of The Last Few Stems - Surprisingly, This Coppice Stool May Spring Back To Life, So We Give It Every Chance By Finishing With Neat Coppice Cuts

Green Man Standards of tree work

• All tree surgery is fully insured (£5m Public Liability) for your peace of mind

• All Green Man operatives are experienced and fully qualified in a range of arboricultural operations and are the holders of both full NPTC certifications in tree operations and academic qualifications in the areas of Environmental Science and Arboriculture

• Our tree work is carried out with due consideration to BS3998 'British Standard Recommendations for Tree Work'

• Thorough awareness of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is maintained

• Our tree surgery equipment is independently assessed by a LOLER ('Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations' 1998) accredited inspector every six months in accordance with the law

• Green Man work with the Council's Tree Officers, and are aware of Conservation Areas, SSSI's and Tree Preservation Orders within our Working Area

Contact us to arrange a visit.

Return to Top of Page

Tree Surgeons - Crown thinning and species specific work

Herts Tree Surgeons - Above Left; This large willow had previously been heavily and inappropriately pruned, (known as a peg-monster), resulting in huge amounts of shock re-growth and therefore weak unions and lots of dead and dying material in the crown  Above Right; The tree has retained a dignified structure; all dead, dying, weaker and rubbing branches have been removed and the sensitive work will prevent the tree from panicking in response to pruning. We have become highly proficient at rescuing trees from an embarrassing and tortured existence due to prior insensitive management

Herts Tree Surgeons - Above Left; Some trees like Walnuts need very careful pruning to prevent introduction of disease and rot. A mature specimen before surgery - Above Right; Species often require pruning at specific times of the year, this Walnut in Barley is being worked in August to allow healing time while seasonal airborne pests and diseases are relatively infrequent. Below Right; The tree has retained all dignity, whilst letting light through to the garden and house and being thinned and reduced by approx 40% - Tree Surgery throughout Herts and Essex

Tree Surgery - Aerial inspections and making safe trees in high amenity settings

Hertfordshire Tree Surgeons - Above Left; This Ancient Sprawling Ash Was Due To Be Removed As It Was Potentially Hazardous Tree Within A Hertfordshire School Grounds, The Entire Crown Was Dying Back Causing Extreme Hazard In Such A High Amenity Area - Above Right; 8 Hours Later - No Deadwood Over The Size Of A Pencil Remains In The Tree, And The Ash Retains Its Maturity And Dignity - Conservation Specialist Tree Surgery Herts and Essex

What is Tree Surgery?

Tree Surgery is necessary due to our close daily proximity to trees and the risks and infringements they subsequently impose upon us. Consequently there is a balance between their care and conservation in an amenity setting, and often judgment to remove and re-plant if they are inappropriate or pose a threat. Tree Surgery is the physical manifestation of the need to maintain trees in our environment for our benefit, and thorough knowledge is required of individual species and their habits, diseases and pests that influence viability and environmental issues that may impinge on the tree’s health.

In all circumstances the advice we give is based on a balanced holistic interpretation of the aims of the tree owner, the basic fundamental needs of the tree itself, health and safety, aesthetics and the impact upon the setting and the wider environment.

Tree Surgery is in many ways divergent from our aims with woodland planting and woodland management, where the tree is ruler of its own environment, and their natural forms, habits and historical management dovetail the needs of our natural environment.

Trees have a significant place in our environment, with amenity and aesthetic value through history as well as their uses for food, furniture and fuel and our spiritual attachment to them. Determining the type of work that is needed is a skill, and decisions on the type of work applied to them should not be taken lightly. In essence this is the difference between Arboriculture and Tree Surgery - an arboriculturalist will take an informed and holistic view, considering many factors such as species, position, disease, structure or form, historical use and value, and soil type to determine the type and extent of work appropriate to the tree. In most cases this should be the minimum amount of work deemed appropriate for the well being of the tree, the exception to this is when the tree poses a threat to safety in which case when the minimum amount of work to make safe would result in the trees' demise, removal is the last resort.

Return to Top of Page

Tree Surgery - Introducing management to mature trees

Tree Surgeons - Above Left; A large veteran over-stood coppice Tree in Barkway with decay leaning over a neighbouring property - Above Right; A few hours later the tree is made safe yet retained as a future pollard - after epicormic re-growth in a few years the tree can be reduced further to ensure its continued survival and safety. Tree Surgery in Herts

Sensitive tree management and conservation tree surgery

Conservation Tree Surgeons - Top Left; A sensitive and holistic approach to tree management dictates all our tree surgery operations at Green Man Conservation. Experienced, qualified and above all passionate about tree care - Top Right; A sensitive crown reduction tree surgery in Buntingford to allow more light to penetrate garden without compromising the dignity of this mature ash. All those involved in Green Man Conservation, its cooperatives and suppliers share an uncommon passion for tree care - Below; A wind-blown veteran willow in Ware is prepared for transportation to woodland copse as invertebrate and fungal habitat

Aspects of Green Man tree work and tree management:

Green Man Conservation is proficient in all facets of domestic and commercial tree management and garden maintenance including:

·          Sectional felling of hazardous or inappropriately positioned mature trees

·          Crown-lifting and reduction operations

·          Removal of crossing and rubbing branches

·          Removal of limbs that interfere with wires, buildings, gutters, windows, etc

·          Removal of dead, dying or diseased limbs

·          Creating a more wind resistant structure

·          Thinning to increase light and air aesthetic

·          Removal of storm damaged or hung up limbs

·          Formative pruning of fruiting species to maximize cropping

·          Recommendations on species selection and re-planting

·          Wildlife habitat creation

·          Installation, surveying and maintenance of bird, bat, owl and invertebrate

       habitat boxes

·          Hedge-trimming and small garden tree maintenance

Return to Top of Page

Tree Surgery Techniques, Garden Tree Work

Tree Surgery in Stevenage- Above Left; Before; Mature Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) requiring a sensitive 30% reduction to improve light, air, overall garden aesthetic and safety for adjacent children’s play area- Above Right; During; where possible, the use of hand tools in the shortening of boughs allows for cleaner, more controlled cutting, minimising the impact to the reduced tree - Below; After; the boughs of the reduced tree are shortened to growth points to continue the drawing of sap to the tips of the worked limb, ensuring re-growth and the sustaining of the branch. Tree Surgery, Tree Surgeons in Herts & Essex

Tree Surgery - Hedge Pruning and Reduction

Hedge Trimming & Hedge Maintenance - Above Left; Careful trimming of a mature Yew (Taxus baccata) hedge in a manor house setting in Saffron Walden - Above Centre; Facing and topping hedges should be done regularly to maintain a good shape - Above Right; The finished hedge ready for birds to find homes to nest and fledge. Hedge & Boundary Pruning in Herts & Essex

Hedge Pruning Bishops Stortford - Above Left; A Large Cypress Hedge Is Reduced And Faced By Our Tree Surgery Team in Bishops Stortford - Above Right; The Finished Hedge Reduced By Circa 5 Feet And Faced By Our Team Of Qualified Tree Surgeons - Tree Surgery, Tree Surgeons in Herts & Essex

Tree Surgery - Specialist Conservation Arborist Techniques

Top - A Tree Surgeon Performing Retrenchment Pruning On A Mature Ash in Ware, Herts. Below Left - a Semi-mature Willow tree having just been re-pollarded, and Below Right - One year later, the tree's re-growth is strong and healthy thanks to trained and qualified arborists making the correct pruning cuts

Working with conservation organisations and at the forefront of modern arboriculture are new techniques of pruning designed to mimic natural occurrences and yet increasing the longevity of the trees and enhancing their value to wildlife.

Chainsaw pruning cuts result in a flat surface not found in nature, usually as close to the main limb or trunk as possible to provide a neat finish. Most species struggle to repair these cuts fully, (over 4 inches in diameter), and such finish cuts often lead to rot being introduced to the main structure of the tree, resulting in early failure. Experiments within conservation organisations such as The National Trust (examples of this work can be seen locally at Hatfield Forest near Stansted Airport) have lead to developments in natural fracture pruning, retrenchment pruning and coronet pruning techniques.

The purpose of such pruning is two-fold. Firstly the form of the cuts after pruning is more natural, replicating natural occurrences such as storm damage or crown die-back, especially important in historical sites where tree surgery must be conducted but the results should not be obvious within the setting. Secondly the type of wound created by limbs snapping out is much more different to a chainsaw cut - the wound generally occurs some way along a limb, allowing rot or disease more time and space before it affects the tree structurally, also the wound has far more surface area and creates fibre separation and tearing in many different directions, all of which combines to provide a habitat for dependant species. In short if this is the type of damage that has happened to the trees for millennia, the chances are that they have learnt to deal with them far better than modern pruning cuts, plus new research indicates an interdependence between the life of the tree and the life within the tree - a symbiosis where nature knows best.

Deadwood has been, (and still for the most part is), treated by forestry and tree surgery as an evil which must be removed, to prevent the spread of disease into healthy trees. Apart from the obvious result of nutrient release back into the soil through deadwood presence after fungal breakdown, deadwood provides the base environment for many fungal and invertebrate species upon which other larger predators rely, such as woodpeckers, tawny owls, bats, willow tits, nuthatches, who survive on deadwood insect larvae and adult insects, or who nest in the cavities created by deadwood. In turn these creatures disperse tree seed ensuring continued survival and interdependence within their natural environment. Treating anything in isolation as a pest and attempting to eradicate is dangerous and in most cases a huge waste of energy and resource.

Retrenchment Pruning is a technique named by Paul Muir of Treework Environmental Practice, and is a technique designed to increase the longevity of veteran trees, particularly overstood pollards, (trees which were historically managed as pollards but have not been for some time). The technique involves a replication of the natural dieback in trees - a safer and more controllable form of 'self-pollarding' that many mature trees undergo. If these overstood pollards were to simply be re-pollarded, the resultant shock and large wounds would certainly lead to demise, either very quickly or over 2-5 years. Retrenchment pruning involves reducing the crown slowly over several visits, allowing re-growth to occur in between mimicking natural die-back. This is a skilled technique, sometimes requiring a less than 10% reduction on the first visit to a veteran tree, but the long term result is a tree that is more stable and far less likely to suffer from fatal storm damage.

Return to Top of Page

Please see Green Man Conservation Hertfordshire & Essex Working Range for clarification of our working area, or see below by village town and postcode for Herts and Essex Tree Surgery, Logs, Tree Planting and Woodland Creation services:

Tree Surgeons Tree Surgery Herts & Essex, Green Man Tree Surgeons Herts, Mycorrhiza inoculation, Firewood Logs and Organic Mulch, Hedge Planting, Tree Planting, Woodland Planting working range by Hertfordshire and Essex town and village;

Albury, Allen's Green, Amwell, Anstey, Ardeley, Arkesden, Aspenden, Audley End, Baldock, Barkway, Barley, Barwick, Benington, Berden, Birchanger, Bishop's Stortford, Bishops Stortford, Braughing, Brent Pelham, Broxted, Buckland, Buntingford, Chapmore End, Cherry Green, Chipping, Chrishall, Church Langley, Clavering, Clothall, Cole Green, Colliers End, Cottered, Cromer, Dane End, Dassels, Debden, Debden Green, Duddenhoe End, Essendon, Farnham, Farnham Green, Felsted, Ford End, Furneux Pelham, Good Easter, Graveley, Great Amwell, Great Chishall, Great Dunmow, Great Hallingbury, Great Hormead, Great Munden, Green Tye, Hare Street, Harlow, Hatfield, Hatfield Broad Oak, Haultwick, Hay Street, Hertford, High Cross, High Easter, High Ongar, High Wych, Hitchin, Knebworth, Kimpton, Langley, Letchworth, Levens Green, Litlington, Littlebury, Littlebury Green, Little Dunmow, Little Hadham, Little Hallingbury, Little Hormead, Manuden, Matching Green, Meesden, Melbourn, Much Hadham, Nasty, Newport, Nuthampstead, Patmore Heath, Perry Green, Puckeridge, Quendon, Reed, Reed End, Rickling, Rickling Green, Royston, Saffron Walden, Sandon, Starling's Green, Stickling Green, Sawbridgeworth, Stebbing, Stevenage, Spellbrook, Standon, Stansted Abbotts, Stansted Mountfitchet, Stocking Pelham, Takeley, Thaxted, Therfield, Thorley, Throcking, Thundrige, Tye Green, Ugley, Ugley Green, Upper Green, Wadesmill, Walkern, Ware, Wareside, Watton at Stone, Wellpond Green, Welwyn Garden City, Wendens Ambo, Westmill, Weston, Wicken Bonhunt, Willian, Wimbish, Wyddial

Green Man Conservation National Tree Planting, Woodland Planting, Woodland Creation, Hedgerow Planting, Hedge Planting nationwide, by county;

Greater London, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan

News and Info:

Spring 2012:

We have stock of

Seasoned Woodchip Mulch

available and ready for delivery now

Click here for details and to order

Tree Surgery in Buntingford, Bishops Stortford, Ware, Hertford, Royston,  Saffron Walden, Stevenage, Baldock, Letchworth, Hoddesdon, Harlow, Sawbridgeworth, Welwyn Garden City, Melbourn, Duxford and working through most of Hertfordshire North Essex and Cambridge for both small domestic and large commercial clients; Please see our current Working Area for clarification