Nottingham Tree Surgeons

"Should I get my trees looked at before the autumn gales?" Yes. Now's the time.

Late September into October is when the first proper winds arrive. That's when weak limbs and dead wood come down. Around The Park and Mapperley Park especially, you've got mature limes and horse chestnuts sitting on shallow root plates over sandstone. A crown thin before the worst of it makes a real difference.

Hedge work's fine again now nesting season's over.

Something looking dodgy? Want a second opinion? Nottingham Tree Surgeons will pop out anywhere in Nottingham for a free, no-obligation look.

Ash dieback. Here's what to look for. The crown starts thinning out. Leaves wilt and go black in mid-summer. You'll also see dark diamond-shaped lesions where the branches join the trunk.

It's been bad round the Sherwood Forest fringe. Got ash in your Nottingham garden? Check it.

Infected wood turns brittle. Dead limbs can come down with no warning, and October gales make it a lot worse. That doesn't mean every affected tree has to be felled. Some are under TPOs too, so find that out before anyone picks up a saw.

We've been at this over 20 years at Nottingham Tree Surgeons. Not sure what you've got? We'll come out and take a look. Free inspection, no obligation.

Can you cut back a tree in your own garden without asking anyone? Not always. Nottingham has over 10,000 protected trees. Work on one without consent and you could be fined up to £20,000. Tree Preservation Orders are all over the city. Wollaton and Sherwood have conservation areas too, and those come with their own rules. Up in Mapperley Park plenty of the big old oaks and limes are covered. At Nottingham Tree Surgeons we check a tree's status before we pick up a saw, so nothing catches you out later. Not sure about yours? We'll come and have a look for free. No obligation.

"How do I know if someone's properly trained?" Watch how they work, not just what they say.

A trained arborist climbs on ropes and a harness. Never spikes on a tree that's staying. Before anyone touches the tree they'll check for a TPO. That matters round here. Conservation areas at Wollaton and Sherwood, fines up to £20,000. Good ones talk you through the cut before they make it.

Ask to see liability insurance. Any decent outfit carries it and won't mind showing you.

Nottingham Tree Surgeons have been at this over 20 years. Free inspection if you want a second opinion.

"Why did that tree come down when it looked perfectly healthy?" Nine times out of ten it's the roots. Full canopy up top, root plate already gone underneath. Rot doesn't show above ground. Then a gale takes it over.

Round Nottingham we see it constantly. Shallow root plates sitting on sandstone. Things to watch for: ground lifting or cracking on one side. A slight lean that's got worse. Fungal brackets at the base.

Tree looking off before the October gales? Nottingham Tree Surgeons will come and have a look. Free inspection, no obligation.

"Can you sort a tree that's come down in the night?" Yes. Once the October gales set in that's most of what we do.

A lot of the mature limes and horse chestnuts round The Park and West Bridgford sit on shallow root plates over sandstone. Strong gust lifts the whole plate instead of snapping the stem. Whole thing goes over.

Site made safe first. Then we clear it properly. Want the timber for firewood? We'll cut it into 30cm lengths.

Give Nottingham Tree Surgeons a ring for a free look over. No obligation. You only pay once the job's done.

"Can you take it down if it's right next to the house?" Nearly always yes. Just not in one piece.

Where there's a roof, a fence or a power line in the way, we section fell. That means the tree comes down bit by bit on ropes and rigging, so nothing lands where it shouldn't. On the tighter plots around The Park and Mapperley Park it's the only sensible way to work. Those big limes and horse chestnuts especially.

Anything near the lines, we speak to the network operator first. Nobody should be improvising around live cables.

Happy to come and have a look. Free, no obligation. Nottingham Tree Surgeons, covering Nottingham and surrounding areas.

"Can you cut my hedge back now?" If it's March to August, usually not. That's nesting season. Disturbing an active nest is an offence, so we check every hedge before the blades come out. Birds in there? The job waits.

Late summer into autumn is when we do anything heavy. A light tidy is often fine before then, once we've had a proper look at what's living in it.

In Nottingham and not sure where your hedge stands? Nottingham Tree Surgeons will come out and take a look. Free, no obligation.

"Will a crown reduction kill my tree?" No. Not if it's done properly. Take 15-20% off a mature lime or beech and you keep the shape and the health. Hack it back hard and you get weak regrowth. Decay follows.

Thinning is a different job. We pull out crossing branches and deadwood so light and wind move through. That matters here. Shallow root plates over Nottingham's sandstone, autumn gales on the way.

Check for a TPO before anything else. Plenty of trees round here are protected.

Want a look? Free inspection. Nottingham Tree Surgeons.

"Can't I just leave the stump?" You can. But expect suckers coming up, honey fungus moving in, and re-turfing or planting turns into a proper headache. Grinding gets it out properly. Usually a few inches below grade, so you can top up with soil and get on with it.

Worth knowing round Nottingham: a lot of it's sandstone. Root plates sit shallow and spread wide. So grinding often covers more ground than people expect. We'll tell you that before we start, not after.

Happy to come and have a look. Free inspection, no obligation. Nottingham Tree Surgeons.