Time to think about trees.

So summer is coming to an end, the broadleaf trees will start to brown and will soon lose their leaves altogether. Everything becomes dormant and now is the time to start to think about what to do about the trees in your garden.
If you are going to go ahead with tree work, there are a few things you should think about before you employ a tree surgeon.

1  Is he/she recommended? Does anyone know a good one? Does any of your friends/family know a local one they have used before or have heard is good?

2  Are they qualified? Tree surgeons should be NPTC qualified* which means that should have certificate of competencies or “tickets” in chainsaw use and tree climbing.

3  Are they insured? Tree surgeons should have Public Liability insurance of one million pounds as a minimum; some will have five or even ten million.

4  Can they supply you with any references?

5  Are they happy to meet you to give you a quote at a reasonable time convenient to you? Can they supply you with a written quote after this meeting?

6  Does the quote seem reasonable? The job is a relatively risky job and therefore may be quite expensive – especially if here are complicating factors:  like buildings or garden features near or around the work – but is it too expensive? Also be aware if it is too cheap.

7  Can they give you an estimate for how long the job may take?

8  Do they seem to know what they are talking about? Tree surgeons should at least have a basic understanding of tree theory and tree names – some might even know Latin names too!

9  It may be worth getting two or three quotes for the proposed works, any tree surgeon will be happy to take part in this.

Obviously, this seems quite a lot to think about to employ someone for a day or two in your garden, but the work may affect the garden for a long time afterwards. And the trees deserve to be treated with respect and care like any other part of your house. A badly performed tree surgery operation may cause great stress to the tree or even kill it; your garden or house may be damaged; or you might feel conned or out of pocket.

My best advice to anyone looking to try a new tree surgeon is: go with a recommended one who seems happy to talk to you about the job; appears to know what they are talking about; is happy to show you their qualifications and insurance documents and happy to give you a reasonable quote. Easy!

Simon Zec - www.treedomsussex.co.uk

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