Let’s now speak too soon, but the weather appears finally to be settling down and we hope you’re all safe and sound.
It’s been an incredibly busy time for us and all our tree surgery colleagues all over the country on the back of the storms. We’re very grateful for our customer’s patience – we know it must be frustrating if you’ve been waiting for a while and then find that we’ve been called out to an emergency. Thankfully, we saw no personal injuries, though there have been plenty of insurance claims when property has been damaged.The biggest problems have been the waterlogged land, which has become so soft and soggy that even relatively light wind pressure is bringing over well-established trees. The other issue has been the strong wind, which has simply snapped trees – even those that were healthy, though any sign of decay is usually shown up very clearly at a time like this.
Here are just a few that we’ve worked on.
In extreme conditions like we’ve had, it’s tricky to predict exactly what will go down, and where.
However, there are some helpful questions to bear in mind if you’re weighing up the value of regular tree work to your tree stock:• Are your trees still vertical? If they were leaning before, are they still at the same angle?
• Are there any broken branches or stems in the canopy which might fall and injure someone or something?
• Are there any broken roots above ground or any new cracks or gaps in the ground around the tree?
• Are there any signs of fungus growing on or around the base of the tree?
• When was the tree last pruned? Is it a reasonable size for it’s environment?
• Where is the tree positioned? Does it form a windbreak that might make it vulnerable to high winds?
• What does the tree overhang? Is there a risk to people (children in the garden, or a public pathway underneath it, for example) or damage to property (if it overhangs a neighbour’s greenhouse, for example)?
If you have any concerns about your trees, or would like advice about good ongoing tree management, call Andrew on 01256 817369 or 07771 883061 or email him at Andrew@primarytreesurgeons.
For more pictures of the recent storm-related tree works, follow us @PrimaryTreeSurg