Tree surgeons and arborists in the UK provide a wide variety of services. They’re often called out to work on trees in private gardens and in commercial spaces, but they also perform many works for the public sector such as utilities and infrastructure and may sometimes provide consultancy for land developers.
With so much variety within arboriculture, it’s only natural that some tree surgeons and arborists specialise in one or multiple tasks rather than try to do them all. For the sake of this blog post, we will examine the most common services that a tree surgeon provides and touch on some of the more specialised services as well.
Common services provided by tree surgeons and arborists
Tree crown reduction
This service involves reducing the height or spread of a tree’s canopy while preserving its natural shape. Crown reduction is performed to prevent interference with buildings, keep trees structurally safe, and allow more light into gardens and properties.
One of the most common services that most tree surgeons provide is tree crown reduction. The crown is the upper visible part of the tree, the canopy of where fruit and/or foliage normally is. A tree’s crown can become too heavy for the tree to support, out of balance, or too dense which can limit light penetration and lead to deadwood in the inner areas.
Tree surgeons have the skills and expertise to perform crown raising/lifting (trimming away the bottom-most part of the crown to create clearance), crown thinning (reducing overall density and increasing airflow and light penetration), or crown reduction (general reduction of the crown’s size and reshaping it).
Tree pruning
We’re sort of double-dipping here, because tree pruning is essentially what a tree surgeon does when he’s doing crown reduction. Tree pruning is a general term for the removal of branches or limbs from a tree to improve its overall health, remove deadwood and diseased branches, to remove hazards, and to make the tree simply look better.
Pruning can be specific, such as crown thinning, lifting, or reduction, or it can be broadly applied to other uses such as hedgerow trimming (it’s a form of pruning away branches and twigs) or even for artistic purposes, referred to as topiary.
Not all trees need to be pruned, but those that do often need either multiple sessions of pruning, ongoing yearly pruning, or emergency one-time pruning. Due to the multiple advantages of tree pruning and especially for risk mitigation, tree pruning is a core service that most tree surgeons provide.
Tree felling and removal
A service that many associate with tree surgeons, tree felling, is quite common but perhaps not as common as it’s believed to be. While tree felling may be entertaining to watch and it makes for great clips on social media, tree felling is generally seen as a last resort measure for dead, diseased, or dying trees. In other words, tree surgeons and arborists should always seek alternative measures to tree felling first.
Naturally, that isn’t always possible and sometimes trees do need to be felled for the health and safety of those passing underneath. It can also help contain the spread of diseases and improve the soil quality, so while not the preferred option most of the time, tree felling is sometimes the only option left.
Tree felling is, as you can imagine, the process of felling one or more trees in a controlled manner, typically with a chainsaw. This normally means just the bulk of the tree’s stem (trunk) and crown, leaving a stump behind. Tree removal, on the other hand, typically involves the complete removal of the tree and its stump, and sometimes the roots as well.
Tree stump grinding & removal
Tree stumps can pose a tripping hazard and block access for future development on land. Stumps can also become diseased and rot, and some of those diseases (like honey fungus) can ravage nearby vegetation. If a stump is no longer wanted, the typical method of removal is with mechanised stump grinding equipment.
Tree surgeons provide professional tree stump grinding services, which involve the use of a stump grinder which pulverises the leftover stump down just a little below ground level. The remaining part of the rootbulb and roots will then die off and decay gradually.
For those who want complete removal of all roots, tree stump removal is the preferred option. By removing all roots along with grinding the stump down, the soil can be immediately backfilled and the area can be landscaped as desired.
Tree surveys and assessments
Many trees in the UK are protected, and there are various schemes to protect trees such as Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), Conservation Areas, and more. Felling or even sometimes working on protected trees without obtaining planning permissions can lead to heavy fines or even be considered a criminal offence, so it’s never a good idea to risk cutting down or pruning a protected tree.
For this important reason as well as to protect wildlife, roosting bats, and/or nesting birds which may inhabit a tree, various types of tree surveys and assessments may need to be carried out in advance. Tree surgeons can then apply for any relevant permissions if required, and if not, work on the tree with full confidence that they are abiding by the law.
Surveys and assessments may also be carried out to inspect the tree’s structural condition, whether there are any pests or diseases afflicting the tree, if cabling and bracing are suitable to reinforce the tree, or simply to provide property owners with a management plan for one or more trees to improve their health over time.
Other services provided by tree surgeons and arborists
Most tree surgeons in the UK provide the above core services and many also provide emergency tree care. These cover most bases for most private domestic and commercial clients, but there are specific services that are often in demand and are often only provided by specialists such as arboricultural consultants.
The below list contains just a few more tree care services that some tree surgeons and arborists in the UK may provide to their clients:
- Tree pollarding: the routine pruning of a tree’s upper crown area to manage its height and structure.
- Woodland & vegetation clearance: often called land clearance or site clearance, this service is a partial or full clearance of vegetation in an area, often to prepare it for current use or future development.
- Tree planting & management: arborists can provide expert opinions on suitable tree species for your property, have them planted professionally, and create a management plan for vegetation on a property.
- Tree relocation: the process of transplanting one or more trees from one location to another.
- Pest & disease control: specialised diagnosis and treatment of various fungal and bacterial infections which may affect one or more trees.
- Consent dealings: typically provided by arboricultural consultants to land developers, consent dealings involve obtaining all permissions relevant for development.
- Hedge trimming & ivy removal: while landscapers and gardeners often provide these services, many tree surgeons excel at pruning to begin with and can trim hedgerows and ivy.
- Cabling & bracing: supplementary structural assistance for trees with cracked or damaged limbs.
Is it worth hiring a local tree surgeon?
Caring for trees on your own property can be time-consuming and challenging, not to mention very hazardous depending on the task. There are a few things you can do yourself that are quite enjoyable and easy, like hedge trimming or pruning small trees without the need to climb a ladder or put yourself in danger. But even these, if done improperly, could end up harming the tree. People have a tendency to prune more than necessary thinking it will save them time next growth season – the opposite (pruning less)is usually better and healthier for the tree.
These are just a few reasons why it’s almost always better to leave these tasks, and most of those listed above, to qualified, professional tree surgeons and arborists near you rather than trying to DIY.
When you need to save time and money on hiring a tree surgeon, look no further than TreeMend. Use our platform and get a no-obligation quote from a local tree surgeon.
