Contracting

Treetops has been established since 1996 and has built up a good private and commercial client base to include District and County Council contracts. We also operate on various private estates. We cater for all aspects of tree management from the planting through to the dismantle or removal and the processing of all materials into chip.

We provide free quotations for:

Tree Surveys and Consultancy

Planting of heavy standard specimen trees, groups, avenues, whips and hedges

Hedge trimming

Hedge trimming is the trimming of hedges to a desired shape. It may be that you already have a hedge that is well trimmed and you just need it tidying up at regular intervals. Or it may be that you have a hedge that has not been trimmed well in the past and needs someone with a good eye to bring it back into an aesthetically pleasing form. We can do both.

Crown Thinning

Crown thinning is the removal of a portion of smaller branches to produce a uniform density of foliage around an evenly spaced branch structure. It is usually confined to broad-leaved species. Crown thinning does not alter the overall size or shape of the tree.

Common reasons for crown thinning are to allow more light to pass through the tree, reduce wind resistance, reduce weight (but this does not necessarily reduce leverage on the structure) and is rarely a once-only operation particularly on species that are known to produce large amounts of epicormic growth.

Crown Lifting or Crown Raising

Crown lifting is the removal of the lowest branches on the tree. Good practice dictates crown lifting should not normally include the removal of large branches growing directly from the trunk as this can cause large wounds which can become extensively decayed leading to further long term problems or more short term biomechanical instability. Crown lifting on older, mature trees should be avoided or restricted to secondary branches or shortening of primary branches rather than the whole removal wherever possible.

Crown lifting is an effective method of increasing light transmission to areas closer to the tree or to enable access under the crown but should be restricted to less than 15% of the live crown height and leave the crown at least two thirds of the total height of the tree. Crown lifting should be specified with reference to a fixed point, e.g. ‘crown lift to give 5.5m clearance above ground level’.

Crown Reduction

The reduction in height and/or spread of the crown of a tree. Crown reduction may be used to reduce mechanical stress on individual branches or the whole tree, make the tree more suited to its immediate environment or to reduce the effects of shading and light loss, etc.

The final result should retain the main framework of the crown, and so a significant proportion of the leaf bearing structure, and leave a similar, although smaller outline, and not necessarily achieve symmetry for its own sake. Not all species are suitable for this treatment and crown reduction should not be confused with ‘topping’, an indiscriminate and harmful treatment.

Cable Bracing

Bracing is a term used to describe the installation of cables, ropes and/or belts to reduce the probability of failure of one or more parts of the tree structure due to weakened elements under excessive movement.

Coppicing

The cutting down of a tree/shrub within 300mm (12in) of the ground at regular intervals, traditionally applied to certain species such as Hazel and Sweet Chestnut to provide stakes etc.

Dead wooding

This is a term used for the removal of non-living branches or stems due to natural ageing or external influences. It involves the shortening or removing of only those that pose a risk. Durability and retention of deadwood will vary by tree species.

Formative pruning

This is the minor pruning during the early years of a tree’s growth to establish the desired form and/or to correct defects or weaknesses that may affect structure in later life.

Pollard

This is the initial removal of the top of a young tree at a prescribed height to encourage multistem branching from that point, traditionally for fodder, firewood or poles. Once started, it should be repeated on a cyclical basis always retaining the initial pollard point, or bolling as it becomes known.

Felling

This is the process whereby a tree will be cut down in its entirety if the space around it permits. This tree would then be processed once on the ground.

Dismantling

This term is used when a tree is to be removed in its entirety but there isn’t the space to fell the tree as a whole. It involves the removal of whole branches until the tree stands as a pole that can be felled safely without damaging anything that may be under/near it e.g. specimen plants, green houses, sheds etc.

Advanced rigging techniques

In some circumstances it may be that a tree needs to be removed that overhangs something of great value e.g. a house. In this instance it is not possible to use the usual felling and dismantling techniques as this may well cause damage to anything of importance that is underneath that tree. This requires the use of advanced rigging techniques which use pulley block systems and the occasional zip line etc to lower out tree limbs in a controlled manor so as to not cause any damages.

A word of caution: many trees are legally protected. Felling or even just pruning a protected tree without permission from your Local Planning Authority may be a criminal offence. Always check for Tree Preservation Orders or Conservation Area restrictions with your local council’s Tree Officer and/or Planning Department before carrying out any works. We are more than happy to make planning applications to your local council for any tree works at a cost of £60.

Stump Grinding

Stump grinding is the removal of tree/shrub stumps with a machine that works by grinding left to right across the stump and working Dow to a depth below the ground of approximately 6 - 12 inches. This also allows the machine to remove surface roots.

Once the grinding is complete the grindings are raked up into a pile where the stump once was and are left to settle down to prevent there from being a dip in the earth. Any grindings remaining above ground once the earth has settled can then be used around the garden.