Arboricultural Association Approved Contractors!

TreeAbility awarded Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor status. When the 25th March arrived it was the culmination of weeks of hard work by Louise and Nick. The Arboricultural Association Assessor arrived to put the company through its paces and see if it was worthy of being accredited as an ‘Approved Contractor’, the highest quality standard in the industry. I’m relieved and proud to say that it was! You can only apply once you have been up and running for 2 years and it is work standards we have been meeting and working … [Read more...]

TreeAbility win award

TreeAbility win KITA award!  Well almost... we won a runner up award in the Kent Independent Traders Awards (KITA).  The awards were open to any Kent based businesses and we were runners up in the best start up business category.  The awards showcase the best of Kent businesses with 11 different categories for the awards. TreeAbility were finalists in two categories: Best independent tradesperson and start-up business of the year.  In the start-up business of the year there were over 40 entrants.  This was reduced down to 8 finalists for the … [Read more...]

TreeAbility and the iconic Otford Pond roundabout

TreeAbility made the press last month with some pruning work for Otford Parish Council.  The iconic duck pond in the middle of the Otford pond roundabout by the village green in Otford has two landmark Weeping Willow trees bordering it.  Due to decay in one of the very large trees, its days are numbered, so a replacement has been planted. Unfortunately due to the shadow cast by the existing tree the new specimen is being supressed and growing wonky!  We were contacted by the council about the problem and specified some crown reduction on one … [Read more...]

Tree Rings and Mulching

Here are some photos of TreeAbility’s Nick Winram installing a metal tree ring and mulching around a mature magnolia tree. Tree rings are excellent for mature trees as well as newly planted ones. They help to contain mulch, allow for easier lawn edge trimming, prevent mower and strimmer damage to trees and improve the aesthetics of any tree or shrub bed. As this was a mature Magnolia it had several large surface roots. It would have been too damaging to the tree to sever these roots on both water and nutrient uptake grounds and also tree … [Read more...]

Ivy – Love it or hate it?

Ivy - love it or hate it- TreeAbility - The tree professional's opinion of ivy on trees Ivy is a very divisive subject, here are what I feel, as a professional Arborist, are the pertinent points in favour and against ivy on trees. I draw these conclusions after almost 10 years in the arboriculture industry and now as owner of TreeAbility. If you are a fan of ivy then sorry to disappoint but there is only one actual benefit of ivy on trees; It provides habitat for wildlife. This can be in the form of shelter for nesting or hibernating and … [Read more...]

Conifer Aphids

  When spring is around the corner so are the Conifer Aphids (Cinara cupressivora)! As the final frosts of the winter end and the weather begins to warn up it is a good time to inspect your hedges for Conifer Aphids, also known as Cypress Aphids. Hedges provide vital screening and are important features in your gardens. Conifers provide one of the most effective forms of screening with excellent attributes as they are fast growing and evergreen. They are however susceptible to several problems. One of the most significant is a little … [Read more...]