Tree Surgeons Scotland

Various DIY tree care procedures are of course possible if you have a hands-on approach, and the upkeep of hedges, bushes, smaller trees and fruit trees, can all be done by a gardening enthusiast. When tree growth can be readily accessed from ground level, trimming and pruning is a relatively simple process, and if you are confident, know what you are doing and have an appropriate tools, they can definitely be embarked upon. You should however call in the experts if larger, more mature trees are involved that will need the use of ladders or climbing.

When accessing tall trees, it is not simply the chance of you falling and hurting yourself, it is also the risk of you injuring others by dropping tools or heavy branches whilst working up high. If you picture yourself teetering precariously up a tree wielding a razor sharp handsaw or powered-up chainsaw, that ought to be sufficient to put you off the idea for good.

For this sort of work, you might feel that a gardener would be the right individual to call. Yet, gardeners are mainly not qualified in the care of bigger trees, although may be a decent choice for pruning shrubs, fruit trees and hedges. The person who'll have the proper tools, equipment and qualifications for any type of tree care work, is a tree surgeon. Special tools like wood chipping machinery, chainsaws and harnesses might be required to accomplish the work on your trees, but will obviously depend on the extent of the work and the size and type of trees that you've got.

A proper tree surgeon in Scotland should be trained in the use of such tools and machinery and while many folks in Scotland boast of being tree surgeons, you will need to pick one who is suitably qualified in arboriculture and has the following certifications:

• CS31 (NPTC 203 - Fell and process small trees.
• CS39 (NPTC 308) - Use of chainsaw from a rope and harness.
• CS38 (NPTC 206/306) - Climb a tree and carry out aerial rescue.
• CS30 (NPTC 201/202) - Chainsaw crosscut & maintenance.

Tree surgeons also need to have some basic first-aid qualifications. It is vital that all professional tree surgery in Scotland is undertaken to British Standards BS3998 (2010) guidelines.

When you are hunting around to uncover a good tree surgeon in Scotland, you should be on the lookout for these qualifications at the very least. You should look elsewhere if the person you're thinking of using doesn't have any of these certifications. More skilled tree surgeons in Scotland may also hold a City and Guilds or similar qualification in forest management, countryside management, arboriculture, woodland ecology & conservation or forestry.

A variety of tree related tasks such as tree planting, tree felling, disease identification, the protection of trees from grazing, pest control, tree removal, stump grinding, tree surgery and transplanting, can be completed by a properly trained tree surgeon in Scotland.

Certain aspects of these services might be needed by the average home owner in Scotland, particularly; crown shaping, staking, crown raising, tree felling, storm damage restoration, pruning, crown cleaning or crown thinning, which are some of the more typical tree related projects.

A professional Scotland tree surgeon should also be acquainted with, and proficient in the use of a variety of tree surgery tools and equipment such as stump grinding equipment, lowering pulleys, rigging pulleys, flip lines, pole saws, chain saws, axes, wood shredders, winches, harnesses, rigging ropes and climbing ropes. Anybody who turns up with just a ladder and a handsaw should promptly be shown the door.

Before carrying out any serious work on your trees in Scotland, you need to make sure there is not a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) on any of them. To check whether any of your trees are subject to Tree Preservation Orders, get in touch with your local authority. Your tree surgeon will be able to explain the process and help you out with any checks.

You can start searching for a tree surgeon in Scotland, once you've decided that you need professional assistance with the trees on your property. There are numerous ways that you can accomplish this. You could ask neighbours and friends if they know a company they are prepared to recommend. You can flick through your local newspaper classifieds or check out the Yellow Pages. You can search online and check out the websites of local Scotland tree surgeons working near you. You can try out one of the many trade portals such as Quotatis, My Builder or Rated People. This should provide you with several possible choices.

To find the crème de la crème of tree surgeons in Scotland, you can look to the Arboricultural Association, who have a directory of approved contractors, who comprise the top 2 percent of the UK's tree surgey companies. They've attained:

• Working standards, operations and knowledge.
• Compliance with health and safety regulations of arboricultural contracting.
• Arboricultural legislation compliance.
• High levels of service to clients.
• Training and development.

You should generally avoid jack-of-all-trade types in Scotland, who offer to cut back your trees, and mow your lawn, jet wash your driveway or clean out your gutters. Also stay away from rogue traders, cold callers and cowboys, who don't have a clue about tree surgery procedures, but will 'have a go' regardless. Tree surgery should not be attempted by anybody who is not fully trained, and as has already been mentioned, this sort of work is very dangerous.

I am sure that you don't want any harm to be inflicted on your trees, however this is likely to happen if you don't use somebody who's knowledgeable. Trees that are lopped, treated or pruned in an improper way or at the wrong time of year, can have their health affected in disastrous ways, therefore my recommendation is - only hire professionals.

You should always try to get at least 2 or 3 estimates from different tree surgery companies in Scotland, to get a broad range of prices. This will give you a selection of tree surgeons in Scotland, although you shouldn't necessarily base your choice on price alone.

Try to ask plenty of delving questions, if they answer confidently and give the impression that they know what they're talking about - there is a fair chance that they do! Tree surgeons must be insured for a minimum of 2 million pounds, so make certain they have adequate insurance, and also establish that everything you'll need is included in the quoted price. One of the crucial things that you will wish to determine is if waste removal is included in the price. They're going to generate a great deal of waste and branches, so make certain that they'll dispose of this for you.

If the tree surgeon could give you a couple of references from customers they have worked for in the past, that will also be useful. If they are a genuine company they will be delighted to provide you with references and even some photos of work that they have accomplished. To discover how a company performs and how content it's customer base is, you could also have a look at it's Facebook or Twitter page.

Getting Help and Information

To guarantee that you find a tree surgeon or arborist who is both up to the job and who will not cause irreparable harm to your precious trees, there are several questions that you need to ask when looking for a tree surgeon in Scotland. Pertinent questions should be along the lines of: Can you give me references from past clients? Do you and your workers have the correct qualifications and certifications (for using chainsaws and tree care)? Are you a member of a reputable professional association (such as The Arboricultural Association or the International Society of Arboriculture)? Can you give me a quote in writing? Do you have employment and public liability insurance? Do your working practices follow the British Standard? If you're not given positive replies to any of these questions, you should find a different a tree surgeon.

You need to visit the AA (Arboricultural Association) site to find an abundance of helpful info about ways to pick a reliable tree surgeon, together with a searchable directory of registered tree surgeons in the British Isles. Another fantastic resource is the International Society of Arboriculture website which has a "verify arborist's credentials" tool (here) and a "find a tree surgeon (arborist)" tool. To get a general view of tree surgery as a vocation, you could check out the trusty Wikipedia "Arborist" webpage by going here, or the Britannica page here. Submitting a form with one of the much publicised trade portals like Checkatrade or Rated People, where necessary credentials have been already checked and customer testimonials are available to study, may also save you a considerable amount of time and effort, since they conduct much of the work on your behalf. Trustmark is a Government approved website which is also a good resource for acquiring authentic contractors.

A Tree Surgeons's Regular Duties

• Plant trees and vegetation.
• Climb trees to remove or prune branches as required.
• Evaluate the health of trees and create plan of action.
• Cut and chip logs and branches.
• Prepare tree survey reports for domestic and commercial clients.
• Tidy site upon completion and remove waste from client's site.
• Fell and remove trees and grind stumps.
• Establish hazards presented by trees.
• Be adept with power tools and other powered equipment.
• Deal with customers and complete administration tasks.
• Maintain and service equipment like wood chippers and chainsaws.
• Produce telephone or on-site quotes for customers.

Conservation Areas & Tree Preservation Orders Scotland

Another thing to consider before beginning work on your trees, is whether they have a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on them. To find out whether the trees on your property are covered by TPOs, get in touch with your local authority. If one or more of your trees have TPOs, you cannot perform wilful damage, cutting down, removal, wilful destruction, lopping, uprooting or topping, without consent in writing from your local authority. Any decent tree surgeon in Scotland will be ready to help you with this process.

If you are living in a conservation area in Scotland, and plan to carry out any work on a tree with a diameter of 75mm or more (1.5 metres from the ground), you must give a minimum of 6 wks notice in writing to your local authority. (Tags: Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) Scotland, Tree Preservation Orders Scotland, Tree Preservation Order Scotland).

Skills and Knowledge Needed by a Tree Surgeon in Scotland

• Have a good understanding of public safety measures.
• Be professional and capable of completing tasks within a given period.
• Have a methodical and systematic way of working.
• Be able to work well with your hands.
• Be patient and have the ability to remain focused in times of stress.
• The capacity to work efficiently with other people.
• Be mindful of the complexities and dangers involved in all aspects of the work.
• Physical skills such as movement and co-ordination.
• Be capable of maintaining, using and repairing tools and machinery.
• To be able to undertake common tasks on a hand-held device or computer.
• Decent customer skills.

Tree Removal Scotland

Trees are normally beneficial, therefore the removal of a tree should in fact be a last resort. On the other hand, needless to say there are bona fide factors behind tree removal on your garden or property in Scotland. Among the typical factors behind needing to remove a tree are if: the tree is in the way of new construction project, your tree presents a safety hazard, the roots of a tree are damaging retaining walls/foundations, your tree has grown too large, your tree has been uprooted by the wind, you've got a dying/dead tree or the tree is infected/diseased.

Tree Surgery Tasks Scotland

Scotland tree surgeons can usually help with damaged tree removal, hedge reduction, hedge lowering, emergency tree surgery Scotland, crown reduction, fruit tree pruning Scotland, residential tree surgery in Scotland, staking Scotland, tree planning in Scotland, hazard assessments, tree watering, tree management Scotland, dead wooding, stump grinding in Scotland, hedge planting, tree pest management Scotland, tree dismantling, site clearance, tree health monitoring Scotland, tree replanting Scotland, crown thinning in Scotland, commercial tree surgery, tree transplanting, tree pruning, decompaction, expert tree care, crown removal Scotland, tree shaping in Scotland, felling of storm damaged trees, woodland management, landscaping, root pruning Scotland, crown lifting, waste removal, tree topping in Scotland, crown cleaning Scotland and other tree surgeon services in Scotland, Scotland.

Tree Care Services Scotland

Find a Tree Surgeon in Scotland Here

• Scotland Tree Removal
• Scotland Dead Wooding
• Scotland Tree Watering
• Scotland Tree Maintenance
• Scotland Woodland Management
• Scotland Hedge Trimming
• Scotland Tree Replanting
• Scotland Arboriculture
• Scotland Woodland Clearances
• Scotland Crown Removal
• Scotland Crown Cleaning
• Scotland Hedge Planting
• Scotland Tree Transplanting
• Scotland Tree Cutting

More Scotland Trades: Obviously, whenever you happen to be having tree surgery done in Scotland, you'll probably be in need of other garden related services, and aside from a tree surgeon in Scotland, you could also need garden clearance in Scotland, landscape gardeners in Scotland, hedge shaping in Scotland, artificial grass installers in Scotland, garden digging services in Scotland, block paving in Scotland, waste removal in Scotland, fence builders in Scotland, SKIP HIRE in Scotland, garden designers in Scotland, patio layers in Scotland, garden decking in Scotland, pond maintenance in Scotland, grass cutting in Scotland, garden shed installation in Scotland, soil irrigation in Scotland, and other different Scotland tradespeople.

(Sourced from tree surgeons Scotland text version two.)