Now is the season for tree planting. It may be wet and miserable but the availability of new trees is at its highest through October and November. We are often asked to plant new trees on development sites to screen off the building works from the existing neighbours. This gives the developer a better chance of getting his chosen development approved.

Here is our green machine moving a 750kg root ball across the clients lawn on Cumnor Hill, into position. The machine has enough dexterity to place the tree in the planting pit and to keep it in position whilst the pit is backfilled.

Securing the tree with the crane before safely removing it

We enjoyed a day of site clearance with the Forestry Mulcher. A beast of a machine for clearing thick vegetation.

This site on Boars Hill required the vegetation to be cleared so the developer and architects can measure up and consider options for the site.

The machine speeds up the site clearance process, making the work more cost effective for the client and safer for the tree surgery operatives.

The tree is approx 200 years old and will now, hopefully see in another 50+ years. The larger sections of timber were milled by Steve Jefferies at Willow Pond Mobile Sawmills Wpmobilesawmills.co.uk to produce planks and lumber for the National trust to use on outdoor building projects around Greys Court.

Three dead trees were removed from the rear boundary and the ground prepared for the planting ahead of time.

After a hot day digging we finally had the new trees on place set at a distance to offer some immediate screening to the neighbouring property whilst allowing for subsequent growth.

We worked alongside the client to identify the preferred new species and an affordable size for the new trees. We managed the project from sourcing the trees through to delivery to aftercare.

The majority were given a clean bill of health. A large willow on the rear boundary was found to be structurally unsound.

Rather than remove the tree to ground level we recommended it be pollarded to leave a viable 3 metre stump. Over time the pollard will regrow and present and important resource for wildlife in the garden.

The access proved difficult with only a small passage to the side of the house. We made enquires with the landowners to the rear and used the field for access with an agreement to reinstate the fence after completing the work.

The tree was reduced in sections with a combination of rigging and free-fall techniques.

A large branch had collapsed and it was evident that the tree required maintenance to remove end-weight from its main limbs to prevent future limb failure.

The willow is a protected tree via the trees in conservation areas legislation. We liaised with the local council, discussed options and it was decided to crown reduce the tree by 20%.

As much of the tree projects over the village pond we had several elements to overcome. The majority of the branch material was lowered to surface of the pond and pulled to the bank and some larger sections were zip-lined to the adjacent car park.

We estimated a job duration of three days for three men with our truck, wood chipper and chainsaws. After consideration we hired in a forestry mulcher.

Although this added hire costs, the duration of the work was cut to one day for one man with the hired in machinery. Thus reducing costs for our client. The area was cut back to bare earth ready for new stock fencing and replanting with English native standard trees.

Access was tight and the tree and stump very large. After removing the crown of the tree we elected to pull over the main stem will our Land Rover mounted winch. We cleared the timber and ground out the stump the following day.

The stump proved to be a bit of a task for our smaller stump grinder. For stumps of this size we use our large remote controlled hydraulic stump grinding machine.