How to Avoid Cowboy Tree Surgeons

We often get called to quote on jobs, after self proclaimed (Tree Surgeons) have either ruined peoples trees, damaged property and in some cases tried to also rip people off. So we wanted to create a useful article that will help you in spotting a Cowboy.

You may have seen posts on Facebook and other social media networks asking for help in finding stolen tools from tradesman. Sometimes we (Tree Surgeons) get targeted by these criminals. Because of this they often get resold for much cheaper than their actual retail value.

So although a person may appear to have all of the correct equipment, they may still lack in having fundamental knowledge, necessary qualifications and experience. With jobs being harder to find in the current economic climate, you see more chancers trying to break into the industry.

Why shouldn’t I use a Cowboy Tree Surgeon even if they are cheaper?

First of all, as you will be aware. Tree Surgeons operate very dangerous equipment that requires training to use. We’ve heard story’s of Cowboy Tree Surgeons actually risking their lives to earn a quick cash.

Tree’s are also alive, perhaps not the same definition as humans being alive. However they use oxygen (Which they produce during photosynthesis), they certainly reproduce and take in nourishment just like us.

Along with those three points, they can also get infections and die, when a Cowboy Tree Surgeon doesn’t cut the tree correctly it can cause irreparable damage.

In the first paragraph of this section, we mentioned that the Cowboy Tree Surgeon may risk their own lives. Some people may say “Well if it’s going to save me some money, I don’t care if he or she is risking their own life or limbs”.

Well imagine if the tree that they attempt to chop down becomes unstable, with their poor knowledge and little experience they may leave an unstable tree in your garden. When the weather becomes window it cause it to cause damage to your property or a neighbours.

Not using correct safety standards could not only endanger your property but your family.

What Questions should I ask to avoid a Cowboy Tree Surgeon?

  1. Are you insured? Can I see proof of this either a hard copy or a version on your website
    1. An Professional Tree Surgeon will have Public Liability Insurance, covering the public and employees. If they don’t have the correct cover and something does go wrong, you will be out of pocket
  2. What Qualifications do you have?
    1. All members of staff should be proficiently trained and have the correct qualifications to operate equipment.
  3. What Professional Organisations are you registered with?
    1. We are a member of the A.F.A.G (Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group) You can find out more about this here – https://www.hse.gov.uk/treework/resources/afag.htm Most professional Tree Surgeons will be part of a trusted organisation 
  4. Can you show me some examples of your work or any testimonials?
    1. Most professional businesses will now have a website or be active on social media at least. So this is a good place to start with looking at example work and also viewing testimonials to reassure you that you are indeed working with professionals. Please feel free to view our testimonials here – https://www.baileytreeservices.co.uk/testimonials/ 

Cowboy Tree Surgeons on Watchdog

So please bear this in mind when looking for a local and Professional Tree Surgeon. If you live in Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Lichfield or the surrounding areas. We would be happy to give you a FREE quotation. 

Bailey’s Expert Tree Removal Services

A lot of our work as professional tree surgeons in Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth entails treating and trimming trees to bring them back to health or more often than not, to keep them in check when they’re becoming a nuisance. Occasionally, however, we do have to remove a tree. We have many years’ experience removing trees in domestic gardens as well as in wider public settings such as public highways and parks. We also take care of any issues of consent, checking for tree preservation orders and gaining official permission from local authorities when appropriate.

Here are a few of the most common reasons why people require our tree removal services…

* Diseased trees

In a great many cases, tree disease can be treated and at Bailey Tree Services, we try as hard as we possibly can to save any tree. In some cases, however, usually because the disease has been allowed to damage the tree for a long period without being treated, the tree needs to be removed. Obviously, every case is different, and only by examining the tree can a diagnosis be made.

* Dead trees

Like all living entities, trees have natural life cycles: they start out life as saplings, they grow and mature and then, eventually, they die. Depending on the particular kind of tree, the life span can range from as little as 15 years to many thousands of years. The world’s oldest surviving tree at the moment is believed to be around 5,000 years old. When a tree reaches the natural end of its life cycle, or it dies because of disease or because of external causes such as storm or fire damage, then it becomes a hazard or an eyesore and needs to be removed.

* Dangerous trees

It’s not unusual for trees to become a threat to property. The most obvious and easily treatable way is when the branches encroach on houses. However, potentially much more damaging to the structural damage of a building is when the roots spread under a property. Trees can have vast root networks that can easily become a threat to the foundations of any building.

At Bailey Tree Services, we utilise a variety of different tree removal techniques depending on the specific circumstances of the tree in question. Our first step is to examine the tree and assess the most suitable method of disposal. In some circumstances, if there is sufficient space, we will be able to opt for a straightforward felling of the tree. More commonly, lack of space will mean we have to take down the tree in sections, using ropes and pulleys as well as rigging equipment and lots of careful planning.

Bailey Tree Services can take care of every aspect of your tree removal, from dismantling the tree itself to using specialist machinery including grinder and diggers to remove the stump. If you’re looking for trusted tree surgeons in Tamworth or Sutton Coldfield, then contact us now to discuss your requirements.

If you have a tree you think might need removing, give us a call today for a free no obligation quote.

3 Ways to Tell If You Have a Sick Tree

As with any other living thing, the quicker you know that a tree is sick, the quicker you can act to treat it and the greater possibility you have of saving its life. There are a number of outward signs that you can look out for. Here we offer a quick guide to some of the most common symptoms of a sick tree…

* Inspect the leaves

If it isn’t autumn and you have a tree that’s losing a lot of leaves, especially if they’re falling quite quickly, then there’s a good chance something is wrong. Watch out for discolouration too. One of the symptoms of Dutch Elm Disease is that leaves become yellow and start to wilt, usually in early summer. If untreated, the leaves will turn brown and eventually fall. Other trees too, suffer similar symptoms and leaves offer one of the best early clues that something may be wrong.

* Inspect the branches

Falling branches are another sure-fire sign of an unhealthy tree. Obviously, any tree is going to lose a few branches in high winds or stormy weather, but if your tree is losing branches at other times, particularly if they have already lost their leaves, there could be something wrong.

You should also keep an eye open for unusual growths. Some diseases might result in resinous cankers, discolouration or the appearance of a kind of white webbing in your branches. This latter could indicate the presence of the processionary moth, which can also impact on human health.

* Inspect the trunk and the bark

As with the rest of the tree, you should be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. This includes the appearance of any holes or dents. Many people don’t worry about holes in their trees as they quite like the idea of providing homes for living creatures, but generally speaking, a hole is a bad sign and could mean your tree is not healthy. Other things to look out for are any kind of unusual markings on the bark of your tree, including dark lesions, black weeping, brittle bark or bald spots.

If you notice any of the above signs or anything else out of the ordinary, you would be well advised to seek the advice of a professional tree surgeon. At Bailey Tree Services, we have many years’ experience treating sick trees or safely removing any that are beyond saving. We provide tree services in Sutton Coldfield and tree services in Tamworth and we are renowned throughout the area for our knowledge and professionalism

If you’ve spotted any of the above symptoms in your garden or would like some advice on the health of your trees in general, give us a call today on 01543 300 401 or 07969 275 510.

How to Choose the Right Tree Surgeon in the Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth areas

There are many reasons why you might need to employ the very particular skills of a tree surgeon, but whatever your reasons are, it is vitally important that you take the time to find a professional company. If you try to do the job yourself, or if you employ the services of one of the large number of cowboy outfits, not only do you risk unnecessary damage to trees, but also personal injury and the destruction of nearby buildings, cars and so on.

Here is a brief guide on how to choose the right tree surgeon in the Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth areas and beyond.

1) Check for Certification and Registration
The first and most obvious thing you need to check for is whether or not your tree surgeon has professional qualifications. At Bailey Tree Services, we are NPTC trained and fully registered as professional tree surgeons. Furthermore, we are certified with the British Standards Institution and compliant with BS3998, the national industry standard for tree work.

2) Check for Insurance
A professional outfit will have insurance policies in place to cover you just in case something does go wrong and there is accidental damage to your or any surrounding property. Bailey Tree Services are fully insured, with Public Liability up to £5m and Employer’s Liability up to £10m, giving you 100% peace of mind.

3) Check for Testimonials
As with any business, a sure-fire way of knowing if they’re any good is what other people say about them. Generally speaking, the more good reviews a business has from previous customers, the better they are. It is especially encouraging if they have a good reputation on a professional review site such as Yell.com. Bailey Tree Services is doing pretty well in this regard too. Check out our testimonials page for some of the glowing reviews we’ve had, or click through to our 100% 5-star record on Yell.com.

4) Look at Their Work
The absolute best way to know if your tree surgeon is any good is to look at their previous work. In this day and age, it’s very simple to keep an online photographic record of the work you do and any tree surgeon worth its salt will do that.

Check out our Gallery page on this site or our Facebook page and you’ll be able to see quite clearly that we know exactly what we’re doing.

When it comes to professional tree services in the Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth areas, or throughout the Midlands, Bailey Tree Services are trusted professionals. Unfortunately, there are many cowboys and rogue traders in this industry and you have to be careful that you don’t fall foul of them. We believe that our credentials speak for themselves so if you need any advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Caring for your Tree’s | Tree Work Tamworth

It’s cold and the last thing you will think about doing is going in the garden, but now is the best time to make sure your garden has the best chance of thriving all year.

So wrap up and give your trees a helping hand into spring, take a look at our guide that shows you how to:

  •  Get rid of weeds from the base of young trees.
  •  Check out newly planted trees to see if they’ve been lifted from the soil by strong winds or frost.
  • Tie up your splayed-out conifer branches that have been damaged by winds and/or snow
  • Get pruning – focus on removing the dead, dying or damaged branches, crossing stems and overcrowded growth. By creating an open centre when air can circulate through this will discourage pests and diseases.
  • Be careful not to damage your trees when sawing off thicker branches, if they are too large for you to prune alone get in touch with us we offer tree surgeon services in Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, Tamworth and surrounding areas.
  • Feed your trees after pruning.
  • Sow any tree seeds collected in the autumn.
  • You can plant young trees throughout February but if you add stakes and rabbit guards to
    prevent damage to the bark and root ball.
  • Like us, trees can get sick in the winter so check yours for any signs of disease. If you find that your tree is badly affected by a disease, give us a call as our tree surgeon services will be able to advice on what to do next to save your tree.

Happy gardening!

Trees of Sutton Park

If you have ever taken a stroll around the 750 acre Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield you may have noticed the variety of tree species the park is home to. Sutton park natively hosts the; Oak, Holly, Birch and Alder but it also habitats the; Larch, Spruce, Pine, Lime, Horse Chestnut and Sweet Chestnut which have all been introduced by the Sutton Coldfield park rangers.

Here at Bailey Tree Services we thought we would give you some interesting facts about the native trees at Sutton Park, so when you are next on your woodland walk you will know more about the trees at the park.

Oak, Quercus Robur

The Oak has extremely large dimensions, it can grow 70ft tall and 9ft in width and the branches can reach 135ft in length. Due to the oak being so big it requires a lot of water a day and can absorb 50 gallons of water each day.

Oaks produce more than 2000 acorns every year but only 1 in 10000 acorns will manage to develop into an oak tree. The oak starts to produce acorns at the age of 20 to 50 years and a lot of animals feed on them such as; pigeons, duck, pigs, deer, squirrels, mice and many more.

The wood from the oak is very strong and hard, it is used in the manufacture of ships, furniture, floorings and also Yamaha drums! It also is used to make the barrels for storing wine, whiskey, brandy and other liquors the oak wood adds an aroma to these beverages.

Holly, Llex Aquifolium

As you may be aware the holly is a symbolic winter decoration and in Christianity associated the prickly holly leaves with the crown of thorns from the crucifixion.

Although the wood of holly is the whitest of all woods and is hard and fine grained. This means that it can be stained and polished to make furniture or in engraving work but commonly used to make walking sticks.

The holly is a food for the holly blue caterpillar and in the spring this is where the butterfly lays its eggs.

Birch, Betula Pendula

The birch is the medium-sized trees in Sutton Park they can reach to 50ft in height and if you are a hay fever sufferer the birch tree is responsible for 15 to 20% in the northern hemisphere.

The wood from the birch tree is highly flammable it can even catch fire when it’s wet so because of that the birch tree is used as a high-quality firewood.

Another fact you may not know is that substances isolated from the different parts of the birch are used in cosmetics such as soaps and shampoos.

Alder, Alnus Glutinosa

Did you know that the whole of Venice is built on alder wood piles? Also the wood makes excellent charcoal and gunpowder! The wood is also used to make clogs and there was theory that if you put alder leaves in your shoes before a long journey it would cool feet to reduce swelling.

The roots of the Alder tree have nitrogen-fixing nodules which make it a good soil conditioner. So they are used to improve soil fertility on former industrial wastelands.

We hope you have enjoyed reading some of the interesting facts of the native trees of Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield.

Tree Services Sutton Coldfield

People often think because their garden is small it means that you cannot have beautiful trees in it. Here at Bailey Tree Services we treat many gardens of a variety of sizes, but it is important to choose a tree to suit their surroundings.

Take a look at our five suggestions for perfect trees to suit a small garden.

Mountain Ash, Sorbus aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’

This is a perfect tree for narrow gardens due to its columnar shape and would be great for town garden with its tolerance of pollution. With this tree you will get a variety of colours through the seasons. The flowers produced are small white flowers in spring. In summer you will get bunches of dark red berries and then fiery orange leaves in autumn.

Toringo Crab Apple, Malus sieboldii

If you love wildlife in your garden, you should consider yourself a Toringo Crab Apple tree in your garden. It will produce dainty pink buds that will open into white flowers in mid spring. Then you will get clusters of yellow or red fruit so that is why it is perfect for adding wildlife to your garden.

Paperbark Maple, Acer griseum

This is a slow-growing tree that has dark green leaves which will turn a rich crimson in autumn. Once the leaves fall the bark flakes and reveal a new coopery colour underneath this tree will grow to a height of 10m and would tolerate partial shade.

Snowy Mespilus, Amerlanchier Lamarckii

This tree will grow to 10m and in April will become a cloud of white star-shaped blossom, before producing sweet purple-black fruits. These fruits are great if you would like to encourage blackbirds to your garden. The leaves will turn from bronze in spring to green to bright red and orange. It will survive the extreme cold winters and requires very little pruning and is happy in the sun or partial shade. However it is a little fussy has is does insist on lime-free soil.

Weeping Pear, Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’

This tree is willow-like and has drooping branches that will stand compactly over a small lawn. The drooping grey-felted leaves will look graceful in the summer and will leave you with a strong architectural shape in the winter. In the spring it will have clusters of creamy-white flowers and it will only grow up to 5m tall.

So take a look at these and see what you think will be the best for you and your garden.

The Post – Christmas purge: What to do with your household waste.

The festive period is a time of merriment, parties and enough food to ensure you enter January feeling like never want to see a Mince Pie again (well at least until next December.) But, it’s not just your waistline that may be bulging on the 1st of January, but also your rubbish bin. The New Year is the time when you find yourself abandoned by the Christmas elves and left with a desperate amount of rubbish. So here are a few helpful tips of what to do with that Christmas waste.

Christmas Trees
Each Christmas 8 million trees are bought generating over 12,000 tonnes of waste. And with every family wanting to dispose of their tree in the same few weeks of January this can result in something of a logistical challenge. To help ease this process and to ensure Sutton Coldfield’s roadsides aren’t littered with trees Birmingham City Council has created Christmas tree recycling points. Between the 6th January and the end of the month you can drop off your Christmas tree at the visitor centre in Sutton Park where the park rangers will ensure it is recycled.

Wrapping Paper
Whilst the team at Bailey Tree Services personally find using gift bags is a stress free alternative to wrapping paper. (Which always seems to end up an ugly shaped mass that finds us picking up little pieces of sellotape for days afterwards.) For the defter amongst us wrapping paper can be reused in some pretty inventive ways including paper confetti, decorative streamers, drawer liners or for book wrapping.

Tin Foil
Every Christmas the amount of tin foil thrown away could fill around half of Sutton Park. Estimates suggest around 4,500 tonnes of tin foil are thrown away each December. So do remember that tin foil can be recycled along with food cans and foil trays.

Glass
Over Christmas around 13,350 tonnes of glass is thrown away, by recycling this amount we could save 4,200 tonnes of C02, which is essentially the same as taking around 1,300 cars off the road. So take advantage of that recycling bin provided by Sutton council and sort the glass from the chaff. And for those who are particularly creative, there are some wonderful ideas online on ways of reusing glass bottles for decoration such as this unique glass bottle.

Christmas Cards
Christmas Cards are a wonderful gesture, reminding a family member or friend that you are thinking of them. However, come January you can find your home littered with stray cards rather than simply putting them in the bin. M & S have created a fantastic initiative that means for every 1,000 cards donated to a store M & S will fund to plant a tree, and the store is hoping for 6 million cards allowing a fantastic 6,000 trees to be planted with the Woodland Trust. And in the post-Christmas spirit here is an easy link to Sutton Coldfield’s nearest M & S.