Portsmouth Tree Surgeon Hampshire: An attractive feature of many properties and gardens in Portsmouth, trees add substance, structure and style to what can oftentimes be a boring and two dimensional landscape. But problems can arise when trees are poorly maintained or are affected by severe weather conditions such as gales or flooding. The safest option if there is work that needs completing on your trees, is to seek advice from a trained tree surgeon in Portsmouth.
Using unqualified individuals for tree work or trying to do it on your own, could harm your trees, cause damage to property, or even lead to injury or death. But even using an established tree surgeon who is acquainted with all the dangers doesn't mean that tree work is entirely safe. Tree surgery is certainly not a task for novices, and on average there are three deaths and a hundred and forty serious injuries each year within the industry, making it among the most hazardous jobs in the UK.
With falling trees and branches causing around five fatalities a year in Britain, a risk to life can even be posed by a neglected or damaged tree. You could be liable for any compensation to any third-party as a consequence of your actions, if you hire somebody to carry out tree work and subsequently property is damaged, or an injury occurs. The above are merely some of the reasons why it is vitally important to retain the services of an accredited tree surgeon to undertake the work on your trees in Portsmouth. (Figures sourced from HSE UK).
A skilled Portsmouth tree surgeon will likely be an approved member of one or both of the 2 principal professional bodies. Both the Arboricultural Association (AA) and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) offers a website where you can check up on the professional status and membership of any tree surgeon. This webpage allows you to check whether any specific local tree surgeon has recognised Approved ARB Contractor status, and has membership of either of these bodies.
If there's a problem during the course of the tree work, or after it's been accomplished you'll be able to get in touch with these industry bodies for arbitration assistance and for guidance and help.
If someone offers you a price quote for any tree work and they're not on this directory, you should courteously decline their offer of work and find an approved contractor. You should try to get a minimum of three quotes from different companies in Portsmouth as soon as you've reassured yourself of their professional memberships and qualifications. You should ask the following questions while getting these quotations, expressing that you need to know the answers because of the risks involved in tree surgery work:
- Have you got documentary verification of your professional membership, qualifications and a NPTC certificate for the use of a chainsaw? The NPTC/LANTRA certificate is required by law for any operative/tree surgeon who uses a chainsaw. A certified tree surgeon in Portsmouth could hold City and Guilds Certificates and National Diplomas in Arboriculture.
- How much insurance cover do you provide? Don't entertain a tree surgeon in Portsmouth with less than £5 Million public liability insurance as recommended by the ISA and AA.
- Can I contact a recent person who you have worked for so that I can inspect the quality of your tree work? It is always a good idea to do an independent examination of recently completed work.
- Can you provide me with a quotation in writing? Only ever accept a quote in writing. NEVER settle for a verbal quote only.
On the written quote that you receive, you'll need there to be easy to understand specifics of all the tree work that is to be undertaken. Who's responsible for removing waste, tree branches and stumps should be stated, as should details about any trees which may be protected, and the steps necessary to get permission to carry out work on them. Verify that VAT has also been included on the quotation. It's important to understand that you have a responsibility for employing only trained tradespeople to work on your property and trees.
PRIOR TO WORK - Making enquiries into the possibility of any of your trees being protected, your selected Portsmouth tree surgeon should make sure that any tree work gets the go-ahead from the relevant local authority. Even protected trees require maintenance in order to cut back old or dying wood and ensure the safety of the public, so finding a tree has protected status doesn't mean that work can't still be carried out.
If your property in Portsmouth is within a designated conservation area, the Local Planning Authority will require a minimum of 6 weeks written notice of any tree work you are intending to do. This is only applicable to trees with a stem diameter of over 75mm in diameter, at a point 1.5 metres above the ground. If a protected tree's branches need to be pruned or thinned to sustain and encourage growth, it is also not necessary to provide notice.
After fully assessing the health of the trees on your property, your Portsmouth tree surgeon will determine the appropriate treatments and how the best outcome can be safely achieved. This involves conducting a risk assessment to include your property, public spaces and any parts of a neighbour's property that could be impacted by falling debris and branches. The amount of workers required and the level of protection needed, will also be determined at this point. This is both PPE (personal protective equipment) together with other safety measures to keep the public and other property safe from damage or harm.
ON THE DAY OF WORK - Before any cutting of branches, tree felling or climbing is started, safety measures and barriers will be put in place to keep unauthorised persons away from the area of work. If there's any danger of debris falling onto a public highway, traffic might have to be temporarily halted.
Different kinds of tree work will demand that the tree surgeon has different degrees of protection. When doing basic work with a chainsaw, to prevent cutting injuries to the hands, torso and legs, they will at a bare minimum be wearing special protective clothing. Every worker involved in the operation, must at all times be wearing head and eye protection, and high-vis clothing.
If any working at height is involved, safety climbing equipment and ladders will have to be deployed, and extra workforce will be there to help with the safe removal of high branches and pieces of tree trunk. A skip or pickup truck for removing the waste will be stationed as close to the work area as possible, therefore it is recommended that you inform your neighbours of the need for access.
AFTER COMPLETION OF WORK - The site can be cleared of all debris, and all of the waste can be hauled away, after all work has been concluded. Your tree surgeon will then sign off and present you with a certificate of work done, especially in the case of any protected trees. If any safety measures were put in public areas they can now be taken down, with highways and footpaths being re-opened to the public.
If you have any problems or issues with the completed work, you should first take them up with your tree surgeon so that they can be fixed immediately. If any further arbitration is required, and your tree surgeon is a signed up member of a professional body, you can get help and advice from the Arboricultural Association or the International Society of Arboriculture in order to come to a satisfactory solution.
Locally based Portsmouth tree surgery services will probably have the postcode PO1 and the dialling code 023. They will operate in Portsmouth itself, in addition to nearby areas such as Widley, Hilsea, Fratton, Drayton, Purbrook, Porchester, Gosport, Emsworth, Alverstoke, Copnor, Lee on the Solent, Milton, Hayling Island, Fareham, Southsea, Eastney, Cosham, Havant, and these postcodes: PO1 1QH, PO1 1RQ, PO1 2BH, PO1 1JJ, PO1 1NR, PO1 1PX, PO1 1TD, PO1 1AN, PO1 1QQ, PO1 1AW.
For this type of assistance it's certainly far better to employ a competent tree surgeon. Portsmouth homeowners can benefit from the skills offered by a trained professional.
Conservation Areas & Tree Preservation Orders Portsmouth
Another consideration before commencing work on your trees, is whether they've got a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) on them. If you make contact with your local planning authority, they will inform you whether any of your trees are protected by a Tree Preservation Order. You cannot carry out lopping, topping, wilful damage, uprooting, felling, removal or wilful destruction, without written consent from the local authority, if one of your trees is covered by a TPO. Talk to your tree surgeon about this - they'll be able to check all this out for you.
Also, if you propose to undertake any work on a tree with a diameter of 75 millimetres or more, and you live within a conservation area in Portsmouth, you need to give your local council a minimum of 6 wks written notice of the work.
Tree Transplanting Portsmouth
Moving mature trees is a delicate, yet relatively straightforward process nowadays, mainly due to cutting-edge truck mounted tree spades, tree lifting devices and other specialised machinery. Removing a tree from your land no longer means you have to resort to chopping it down and digging out the roots; a certified tree removal service in Portsmouth can remove and re-plant even mature trees and repair the ground afterwards.
If you've got no choice but to move a tree in Portsmouth during the warmer summer seasons of summer and spring, you should minimise the stress of the process on the tree's root system by comprehensively soaking the ground with water before any work begins. Excavating a mature tree involves a mechanical tree spade digging down and encircling the main root-ball, before raising the whole tree, undamaged, from the earth. The uplifted tree is then ready to be moved to its new home for transplanting, or held in temporary storage until it is ready to be replanted.
Even protected trees can be moved and transplanted by a certified tree moving company in Portsmouth, as long as all applicable preservation orders and authorisations are granted by the authorities and woodland organisations.
Ash Dieback (Hymenoscyphus Fraxineus)
First recorded in Great Britain in 2021, ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) is a dangerous fungal disease that is likely to decimate around 80% of the current ash trees, over the coming years. Ash dieback is going to have an enormous impact on our countryside, contributing to the damage caused by the earlier Dutch Elm Disease outbreak.
A highly destructive disease of trees of the Fraxinus genus, ash dieback has a particularly disastrous effect on the Fraxinus excelsior (common ash), British Fraxinus excelsior (common ash). Originating in Asia where the native Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica) and Chinese ash (Fraxinus chinensis) are more resistant to it, the fungus which causes ash dieback is known as Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (H. fraxineus), and it kills a tree by obstructing its vascular (water transport) systems.
Ash dieback has already spread to most regions of Britain, and is dispersed by minute spores that blow on the wind, released from the fruiting bodies of the fungus, and can travel for many miles, quickening the whole process.
The recognisable signs of ash dieback are:
- Leaves with dark patches that develop during the summertime.
- Leaves that wilt, turn black and fall early.
- New epicormic growth appears from previously dormant buds (common in trees under stress).
- Dying shoots and leaves are visible in summer.
- Dark brown lesions form where branches meet the trunk, and the inner bark under the lesions looks brownish grey.
To some extent, ash trees have the ability to fend off the disease, but they ultimately die after continual attacks every year. There's not yet any cure for ash dieback, and as it's an airborne disease, no certain way to stop it spreading.
If you think a tree in your local neighbourhood is contaminated with ash dieback, or you're nervous about a tree on your property in Portsmouth, you should bring in a local tree surgeon to affirm the diagnosis, and you could then report it to the "Tree Alert Service" provided by the Forestry Commission, although they're now only interested in hearing about cases in previously unaffected areas.
(Tags: Ash Dieback Signs, Spotting Ash Dieback, Chalara Ash Dieback Portsmouth).Air-Spading Portsmouth
There are a number of problems that could make the health of your trees a concern, however issues with the root system are quite frequently the cause. Easy access to the roots of your tree is essential for an experienced Portsmouth tree surgeon to check for soil compaction, root rot and other possible issues.
Because there is a possibility of damaging the roots during the process of digging, during the past this was difficult to achieve. A process known as "air spading" is employed by some up-to-date and "savvy" tree surgeons in Portsmouth, and this allows compressed soil to be broken down and cleared away by using compressed air, which avoids causing any damage to the tree's root system.
The soil around tree roots can get compacted by foot traffic, passing vehicles or construction work, and this is known to have a negative effect on the general health of a tree. When it does not get enough water and nutrients, a tree can quickly become "stressed", making it more vulnerable to attacks by insects, pests and disease. Root flare issues can also be tackled with air-spading, and this is when the flare around the base of the tree becomes covered with too much soil, heightening the possibility of root rot by causing the tissue to break down.
The ingenious air spading process involves the use of an air compressor and an air-spade tool which directs air into the soil at a speed of twelve hundred miles per hour, the air penetrates the voids in the soil and instantly breaks it apart, whilst leaving tree roots and utilities unaffected. This fast air flow blows the soil away from the roots, enabling immediate inspection and assessment. A resolution can then be found for any any obvious problems, and the previously compact soil replaced with a looser layer of chip mulch and fertiliser to help rejuvenate the tree.
Emergency Call-Outs Portsmouth
If you've got trees growing in your Portsmouth garden, there may be certain occasions when you have to contact an emergency tree surgeon. When there are high winds and storms, Portsmouth tree surgeons receive a surge in emergency calls, and many offer a 24/7 service. Whilst the chances of an entire tree falling down are low, there is more likelihood of branches snapping off and crashing to the ground below, when the weather is gusty. When branches and tree limbs start falling squashed sheds, damaged fences, smashed greenhouses and broken garden furniture are a common outcome, therefore prevention is preferable to having to deal with the aftermath.
Emergency tree care services will also often be essential to the local authorities in the Portsmouth area, as substantial tree branches can snap off and crash onto railway lines, roads and public footpaths, needing speedy attention.
Additional issues could also arise after the emergency work has been successfully completed, because when a tree has lost some of it's limbs, it could be lopsided or cockeyed, with an uneven weight distribution - consequently "re-balancing" may be required. To take care of all these various issues, you should call up a local tree surgeon in Portsmouth who offers emergency services.
Tree Pollarding Portsmouth
Where a tree has noticeably grown too large for its current surroundings, it must be considerably reduced in size by the use of a method labeled as "pollarding". It can at times be used for visual or functional reasons to mould a tree into a specific form. Trees which grow alongside streets in Portsmouth are often pollarded, as are those used for boundaries and in managed hedgerows. The somewhat bare and stark appearance that results from pollarding isn't at all popular with those who adore trees, seeing that it's so dissimilar to its natural state. The beneficial element of pollarding, is that trees which might normally have to be removed can be saved. Pollarding is routinely done on broad-leafed species like planes, sycamores, maples, beeches, horse chestnuts, oaks and limes.
Tree Surgery Tasks Portsmouth
Portsmouth tree surgeons will likely help you with hedge lowering, root flare exposure in Portsmouth, coppicing Portsmouth, tree transplanting, health assessments, fruit tree pruning Portsmouth, tree cutting Portsmouth, dead-wooding, tree removal, air spading Portsmouth, landscape clearance, tree bracing, tree topping, woodchipping, tree fertilising, tree felling, hedge planting, retrenchment pruning, damage restoration, site clearance, tree dismantling, crown cleaning in Portsmouth, formative pruning, stump grinding, waste removal, tree pollarding in Portsmouth, crown removal, crown reduction Portsmouth, conrolling pests, forestry management and other tree surgeon services in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Listed are just a small portion of the tasks that are carried out by a tree surgeon. Portsmouth professionals will be delighted to keep you abreast of their whole range of services.
Tree Surgeons Nearby
Also find: Hilsea tree surgeon, Eastney tree surgeon, Fratton tree surgeon, Alverstoke tree surgeon, Copnor tree surgeon, Cosham tree surgeon, Milton tree surgeon, Widley tree surgeon, Hayling Island tree surgeon, Lee on the Solent tree surgeon and more. All these localities are catered for by tree care companies. Residents in these areas can obtain price quotes for tree surgery by clicking here.
Tree Care Services Portsmouth
- Portsmouth Tree Felling
- Portsmouth Tree Topping
- Portsmouth Woodland Management
- Portsmouth Crown Cleaning
- Portsmouth Tree Pruning
- Portsmouth Air-Spading
- Portsmouth Tree Cutting
- Portsmouth Woodland Clearance
- Portsmouth Eco-Plugging
- Portsmouth Arboriculture
- Portsmouth Tree Planning
- Portsmouth Root Decompaction
- Portsmouth Tree Maintenance
- Portsmouth Tree Reduction
More Portsmouth Trades: Not surprisingly, whenever you're having tree surgery done in Portsmouth, Hampshire, you are likely to be in need of other garden related services, and aside from a tree surgeon in Portsmouth, Hampshire, you could also need landscaping in Portsmouth, topiary in Portsmouth, fencers in Portsmouth, local SKIP HIRE in Portsmouth, weeding services in Portsmouth, garden planning and design in Portsmouth, artifical grass in Portsmouth, soil drainage services in Portsmouth, garden decking in Portsmouth, garden rubbish removal in Portsmouth, patio layers in Portsmouth, garden sheds in Portsmouth, lawn mowing services in Portsmouth, garden clearances in Portsmouth, driveway pavers in Portsmouth, pond installers in Portsmouth, and other different Portsmouth tradespeople.
To find local Portsmouth info take a look here
Tree Surgery PO1 area, 023.
Stump Grinding Portsmouth - Tree Felling Portsmouth - Crown Thinning Portsmouth - Tree Surgeon Portsmouth - Arboriculture Portsmouth - Vegetation Control Portsmouth - 023 - Tree Management Portsmouth - Tree Pruning Portsmouth