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...]
Tree Pruning and Felling
Tree felling and tree removalWe do not condone the widespread felling of trees but it is unfortunately one of the essential services we offer. Trees become diseased or die, suffer structural damage or simply outgrow the space they occupy. Either straight felling or sectionally dismantling a tree using ropes and rigging to protect features below, TreeAbility are expert tree surgeons well used to removing trees in the most challenging of spaces! We try and encourage the replanting of replacement trees and when removing TPO trees always suggest … [Read more...]
Hedging
For many tree surgeons hedging is an afterthought or necessary evil. We love hedging, the bigger the better! We realise the importance of hedging as a screen for privacy and noise reduction and take pride in producing great looking hedges. We are experts at hedge cutting be it small formal box hedging or large scale Leylandii tree screens. TreeAbility can assess your hedges and as a general rule we will use ladders or climb them. However if safety or the sheer size of the hedge dictates we may specify the use of a cherry picker platform … [Read more...]
Planting
Tree planting is one of the most rewarding aspects of tree surgery. Tree Ability can advise you on species selection for an individual specimen tree planting, planting schemes and also hedge planting. We use the most up to date techniques to ensure optimal tree health as the tree grows. We always plant trees using underground guying to support the tree. This avoids over ground tree stakes which spoil the natural beauty of a tree and can damage a tree if not removed after establishment. We also formative prune all trees we plant. A few well … [Read more...]
Debris removal
As a matter of course all the debris from our work is removed and the site is left clean and tidy. Our woodchip is recycled as biomass for power stations, timber is either split and sold as logs or burned as wood fuel locally. Debris removal is not always necessary. We are happy to leave debris on site if required, either as woodchip and timber or if the site permits it can be stacked as Eco-piles to provide habitat for native insects and invertebrates. Please discuss your requirements when we visit you to provide a quote for your tree work … [Read more...]