Veteran treework Gloucestershire

Qualified to Vetcert Consulting level, we are proud to offer high quality veteran tree work to our oldest and most important trees. We provide management plans & tree surgery for Countryside Stewardship TE17: Tree Surgery for Veteran Trees & TE18: Pruning to restore veteran fruit trees in Gloucestershire and surrounding counties. We have many years of practical experience working on some of the most important sites for veteran trees such as a project halo thinning veteran trees in the legendary Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, restoring ancient ash coppice in Lower Woods Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire and surveying veteran trees in ancient woodland for The Ernest Cook Trust.

Veteran trees are so valuable and sensitive to change that they really do need specialist knowledge and skills to protect them and the wildlife associated and the main aim is to keep them alive for as long as possible. Veteran trees should be first assessed to identify any future threats, tree condition and habitat potential by one of our experts before any work prescribed. Veteran treework is only ever prescribed when a tree/person/property is at risk of failure and their lifespan decreased. We use different cutting techniques to prune veteran trees than in conventional arboriculture. Our services include the following. Click on any of our services below to learn more:

Specialist Veteran treework services

POLLARDING

POLE THINNING

NATURAL FRACTURE PRUNING

VETERAN FRUIT MANAGEMENT

CASE study

Pole thinning a veteran horse chestnut at Llanthony Secunda Priory in Gloucester

CASE study

Crown reduction and propping a veteran pear tree in a traditional orchard

CASE study

A partial re-pollard leaving a sap riser on a veteran ash in wood pasture

CASE study

Crown reducing a veteran pear tree with a cherry picker in a traditional Gloucestershire orchard

Veteran treework Glossary

Pollarding -Cyclical removal of regrowth back to previous cut when the pollard is "in cycle"

Pole Thinning - The cyclical removal of 30-50% of crown to maintain crown stability in lapsed pollards or higher in the crown to reduce end weight where response to reduction would deemed to be poor due to lack of leaf bearing laterals.

Crown reduction - Reducing entire crown height/spread to reduce risk of catastrophic failure. Pruning back to suitable laterals and leaving stubs where necessary to encourage new shoots. This work may be phased to reduce the impact of sudden change where larger amounts of crown need to be be removed.

Selective reduction - Reducing a selected part of the tree rather than the entire crown.

Natural fracture pruning - Using "unconventional" cuts such as rip, coronet and ring barking to mimic natural breaks in the hope to increase biodiversity, improve regrowth shooting and to blend in aestheically. On live veteran trees no more than 15% of total cuts made should be natural fracture pruning as there is limited research at present on the effect they have on the tree.

Bracing and propping - Adding artificial support systems to reduce risk of tree failure or damage to property

Deadwood Management - Assessing aerial deadwood stability for retention. Pruning deadwood for risk purpose. Re-attachment of aerial deadwood

Halo thinning - Gradual removal of competing trees and shrubs by felling, pollarding or pruning that compete with veteran trees for light and resources. This must be carefully planned and phased as sudden over exposure to light and heat can cause veteran tree death due to excess desiccation.

Mulching - Phased application of organic matter to increase nutrient availability, improve soil moisture retention and help to decompact soil.

Fencing and vandal proofing - Trunk cavities in some cases are subject to fire and litter accumulation. We can use natural materials to obstruct such damage to veteran trees. For example we may used planks of untreated timber to block a cavity entrance.

Veteranization - This isn't a method used on Veteran trees but is commonly used to bridge the age gap in a tree population and increase wood decay habitats.

Veteran treework Gloucestershire

Specialist Veteran treework services

Veteran treework Glossary

Pollarding -Cyclical removal of regrowth back to previous cut when the pollard is "in cycle"

Pole Thinning - The cyclical removal of 30-50% of crown to maintain crown stability in lapsed pollards or higher in the crown to reduce end weight where response to reduction would deemed to be poor due to lack of leaf bearing laterals.

Selective reduction - Reducing a selected part of the tree rather than the entire crown.

Bracing and propping - Adding artificial support systems to reduce risk of tree failure or damage to property

Deadwood Management - Assessing aerial deadwood stability for retention. Pruning deadwood for risk purpose. Re-attachment of aerial deadwood

Halo thinning - Gradual removal of competing trees and shrubs by felling, pollarding or pruning that compete with veteran trees for light and resources. This must be carefully planned and phased as sudden over exposure to light and heat can cause veteran tree death due to excess desiccation.

Mulching - Phased application of organic matter to increase nutrient availability, improve soil moisture retention and help to decompact soil.

Fencing and vandal proofing - Trunk cavities in some cases are subject to fire and litter accumulation. We can use natural materials to obstruct such damage to veteran trees. For example we may used planks of untreated timber to block a cavity entrance.

Veteranization - This isn't a method used on Veteran trees but is commonly used to bridge the age gap in a tree population and increase wood decay habitats.

Management of Veteran Fruit trees - Undertaking work to increase life spans of veteran fruit trees.

Arboricultural Association

Vetcert Specialist

Fully Insured