TREE SERVICES

Without doubt the most common service any tree company provides is general pruning. But how do you know you are getting work done correctly and to the right standard ?

All pruning staff at CTS are trained and have certificates in Arboriculture. Following qualification, further developments in industry standards are regularly provided and advanced training is fostered and encouraged.

The Principal Steve Kneebone has and Advanced Diploma in Arboriculture, and Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training, so clients can rest assured the staff are completely competent in all areas of operations. Steve also lectures Arboriculture at Challenger Tafe in Murdoch.

Pruning is undertaken to address the following issues

• Removal of deadwood
• Reduction of weight on branches showing excess physical loading
• Crown lifting for clearance
• Property clearance
• Power line clearance ( see following section )
• Removal of diseased matter
• Canopy thinning
• Formative structuring

Did you know that every major pruning cut on a tree should be at a carefully selected growth point ? If you see a tree that has been topped and all the foliage removed, there is generally no sound arboricultural reason to have done so!

On occasions samples will be sent to laboratories for detailed testing and identification. This is predominantly with fungal pathogens, that do not always present their fruiting bodies for easy recognition. As some pathogens only affect underground parts of trees it is essential to isolate the problem correctly, as stability through root loss can compromise structural integrity.

Other laboratory services used are soil analysis, leaf tissue analysis and toxicity level analysis . This enables the Arborist to diagnose deficiencies  that may be lacking and thus provide an adequate management programme to bring the tree back to optimum health.

For various reasons trees need to be removed. This may be due to ill health, future developments, instability or simply outgrowing the current situation.

Tree removal gets very involved  as trees mature and become larger. Attention needs to be given to advanced rigging techniques, the use of alternative equipment ( cranes etc ) and the necessity to leave the property or site exactly as it was before the removal.

Clients generally require evidence of Public Liability insurance and rightly so. At CTS you will be pleased to know we have $20 million cover for all our tree services.

You will be even more pleased to know that in 21 years of operations we have never made one claim for damages. When you consider the nature of our industry this is an incredible record.

Trees get ill and develop systems needing attention like any living organism. For the most part they are amazing at solving their own problems and are generally best left alone.

Occasionally structural problems and damage require specialised attention

• Cabling to retain a tree that may have developed a split
• Bracing of specific joint fractures
• Repair of wounds to the outer bark from machinery or storm damage
• Root pruning to repair underground excavation damage
• Stability cabling to avoid tree failure
• Bridge grafting to repair ringbarking

CTS plant trees from 11 litre pots to 1000 litre containers. We can organise supply and will ensure you get quality stock that is not root bound, diseased or been subject to poor nursery practices.

There really is a right and wrong way to plant a tree. All staff are trained in the latest international standards and regularly keep in touch with Australia’s leading tree development website - treenet.org . Fertilising needs to be carefully assessed as well as the final settlement in to site. Correct rootball stability and adequate mulch levels are final considerations.

Did you know most new plantings die because they are either planted too deep or the watering programme is incorrect!

Did you know that when you plant a tree, the hole should be dug no deeper than the height of the growing container!

This is a very specialist area requiring preparation well in advance of the actual move. Many factors come into consideration, even before any work is contemplated.

A successful transplant requires as much post transplant care as pre transplant preparation. At CTS we will provide a detailed management programme for your transplant with regular inspections for ongoing assessment of the tree(s) health and vitality.

Some transplant options may be unsuitable and we will tell you that if this is the case. Better to choose the correct option rather than undertake an extensive operation with crossed fingers.

Each transplant consideration is best considered on an individual basis. Please call anytime to discuss the move you may be considering.

Western Power require set clearance limits form their live power lines. Audits are regularly carried out and compliance letters are provided to relative property owners.

This is definitely the point where professionals need to be called in. Contact with any power line can and almost always does, result in a fatality. Don’t try to do this pruning yourself !

Every employee at CTS has a Western Power approved “ Power Line Safety Certificate “. Anyone working around low voltage power lines has to have one of these, even grounds people.

We also have four staff with High Voltage licenses that permit them to act as recipients in charge of site operations and prune trees that are too close to these very dangerous lines. This is seriously specialist work requiring 100 thousand volt insulated elevated work platforms and pruning equipment.

Pruning points for all power line works are carefully selected to minimise regrowth back into the clearance zones, whilst maintaining the best aesthetic condition achievable for the tree. Too often the tree is placed second in this area and we unfortunately see ridiculous overpruning or errant standards.

Did you know electrical current from power lines can arch across to tree branches in certain conditions!

CTS has two licensed QTRA assessors. QTRA ( Quantified tree risk assessment ) is a probabilistic method of calculating the risk of harm from potential tree failure.

Core input areas into calculation systems are the probability of failure, size of the part most likely to fall and the frequency of occupancy of the target. Remember if there is no target there is no risk. For a detailed introduction to QTRA please visit their website on – qtra.co.uk –

The system provides a sensible approach to risk assessment, providing a calculated figure of the level of risk . This level is an internationally recognised benchmark of 1 in 10,000, whereby any risk less than this is acceptable and any risk higher will require remedial works to mitigate the problem. As a comparison to this figure the likelihood of being killed by a falling tree in Australia is 1 in 10,000,000. Therefore the 1 in 10,000 benchmark is very generous on the side of caution.

The main benefit of QTRA is that it negates a lot of unnecessary tree work that is undertaken for the purpose of supposed safety. Too often the work is detrimental to the tree and actually causes more problems that it attempts to solve.

Health and Safety reports are conducted in conjunction with QTRA principals, to assess the condition of specific trees. Trees may be in a decline and therefore long term viability needs consideration. All inspections are undertaken by Consultants at Advanced Diploma and Diploma level.