Save water during the hosepipe ban...

DESPITE the wet Easter weather, a hosepipe ban has been introduced across East Anglia.

People who flout the ban, which follows one of the driest two-year periods on record, face fines of up to £1,000. Water suppliers Thames, Southern, South East, Anglian, Sutton and East Surrey, Veolia Central and Veolia South East have all introduced ‘temporary use bans’.

The Government has urged householders to be “smarter about how we use water”. Using a hosepipe to water a garden, water plants, fill a pond not containing fish, or clean outdoor surfaces are all banned as are filling and maintaining ornamental fountains. But exemptions are in place for grass and surfaces used for national and international sports which means the Olympic and Paralympic games will be unaffected.

Here at Prince Tree Surgery, Brentwood’s leading tree surgeon, we are keen our clients do their bit for saving water, whilst also ensuring their trees and plants are well cared for. One of our top tips is the use of water butts, and B&Q say that its sales are up 196 percent on this time last year. The rain water is collects can be use to water your garden.

Other tips for saving water include:

• Use dishwaters and washing machines only when they are full.

• Use bathwater and washing-up water to wash the car and the garden.

• Save the cold water that comes through before a tap runs hot, and use it to water plants.

• Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of waiting for the tap to run cold.

• Turn off the taps when you’re brushing your teeth or shaving.

• Install a water-saving device in the toilet.

• Grow your grass a little longer. It will stay greener than a close-mown lawn and need less watering.

Water companies say they have no option but to put the bans in place to preserve essential water supplies but say they also need their customers to help cut down on their usage. Most of the suppliers expect the ban to last all summer.

As tree surgery specialists, here at Prince Tree Surgery we offer a range of tree-planting services including planting of any size or scale, tree moving, maintenance plans and after care programmes and planting schemes.

If you would like any information about the service we offer please contact us on 01277 229709.

It was announced The Woodland Trust aims to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee by planting millions of trees, including new woodlands, and that it had met its target to get one million trees in the ground in February.

The February planting drive was kick-started by the Queen, who was joined by the Princess Royal to plant a tree at Sandringham at the beginning of the month. Clive Anderson, Dame Judi Dench, Kate Humble, Dermot O’Leary, a beefeater, Blue Peter and thousands of volunteers and children also planted trees to meet the target. More than 300,000 trees were planted by schools from free tree packs, 230,000 went out to communities, 236,000 were planted in 60-acre diamond woods and smaller jubilee woods, 43,500 were planted in private gardens and more than 200,000 were planted by partner organisations and at Woodland Trust sites across the UK. Click here to read more…

Here at Prince Tree surgery we endorse any project or initiative that prompts tree growth and protects our environment for years to come. Our native trees, individually or in woodlands, provide great habitats for wildlife and the sustainable cultivation of trees for renewable low-energy construction materials, charcoal, food and as an alternative energy source are significant ways in which every tree will matter in years to come.

Georgina McLeod, director of the Jubilee Woods project, said: “Achieving the February million is great news and is a fantastic accomplishment to start the year.”

She said that since the project launched in February 2011, the Trust had planted 2.75 million trees, and raised £4 million for the scheme, and was well on its way to meeting the target of six million trees – which will cost £8 million.

She added: “We want to give everybody the chance to plant trees and we’re appealing to our supporters; individuals, organisations and businesses, to help make this happen and we hope that millions of people across the UK will take the opportunity to get involved in 2012.”

Please call us at Prince Tree Surgery for any of your tree surgery needs on 01277 229709. All of our tree surgeons are fully qualified professionals dedicated to providing you with a top quality tree surgery service.

At this time of year, Brentwood Logs – the other arm of our tree surgery business Prince Tree Surgery – gets inundated with calls from customers seeking information and advice about supplying their log burner or traditional fire.

But we also sell wood chip mulch, which has enormous benefits for your garden. Some of these benefits for your flower beds include keeping weeds down, conserving soil moisture, moderating the soil temperatures and creating neater looking flower beds.

We advise that wood chip is laid in spring before the hot weather and while annual and perennial plants are still small enough to work around easily.

But there are also benefits from laying your mulch in the winter. This doesn’t actually keep your plants warm, but maintains a more even soil temperature. This is a good thing in areas where winter brings alternative periods of freezing and thawing and where there isn’t enough snow to give plants a thick insulating blanket.

The wood chip mulch should be layered two to four inches deep over bare soil around your plants. It is advised not to put it right on top of perennials, and is best kept from direct contact with the bark of trees and shrubs as excess moisture can cause disease and rot.

For more information our wood chip mulch supply and our log supply visit www.brentwoodlogs.co.uk or call us on 01277 229709.

The East of England is in the midst of the driest winter since 1921 leading to fears about prospects for summer.

With no heavy rain forecast, our experts here at Prince Tree Surgery, Essex’s leading tree surgery service, are keen to ensure our clients do their bit to conserve water, whilst ensuring your trees and gardens are well cared for. 

It is important that you make the most of your supply of water all year round. You can do this in your gardens by mulching beds, fitting automatic irrigation systems and water butts and by targeting your watering. 

The Environment Agency is already warning about the likelihood of a hosepipe ban, which will make it even harder to care for your gardens.  This will be the first hosepipe ban in the Anglian region for 20 years.

Catherine Burbage from the Environment Agency said: “Last year was a very dry year with exceptionally low rainfall, so we needed to make up for the deficit through winter. To get back up to normal, we need 120% of the long-term average rainfall over the entire winter period. We are very concerned about the prospect for summer.”

Currently Suffolk and Essex are listed as facing a ‘potential’ drought situation, which will change if full drought status if the rainfall does not hit the target figure.

According to Ms Burbage, a water shortage would also cause environmental problems such as a higher level of pollution incidents and low oxygen levels in rivers, which would impact on wildlife. 

For ideas and tips on how to save water visit click here.

As tree surgery specialists, Prince Tree Surgery offers a range of tree-planting services including planting of any size or scale, tree moving, maintenance plans and after care programmes and planting schemes.

If you would like any information about the service we offer please contact us on 01277 229709. 

The council urged everyone who cares for their environment to plant one tree – or more. The value of trees can not be underestimated. They are an invaluable consumer of carbon dioxide, as well as helping reduce wind speeds on blustery days and giving shade on hot days.

Thousands of communities, schools and businesses around the country all took part, which as the director general of the Tree Council, Pauline Buchanan-Black, said will help to boost the health of the nation.

“A tree planted close to where you live, work or study is good for you and for the nation’s condition; trees have been proven to have positive effects on mental health and as an antidote to stressful lifestyles, even aiding recuperation from illness,” said Mrs Buchanan-Black.

“However, to be able to look out on a tree simply lifts my soul and gladdens my heart. That, at bottom, seems to me to be one of the most compelling reasons to argue that everyone should be able to see a tree from their window – and if you can’t, then now is the time to set about changing the view. Every tree matters as much for the beauty, growth and renewal, whether in urban or rural settings, that it demonstrates year on year as for the very practical benefits it brings.”

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman also added her backing to the scheme. She said: “Trees are an important part of every community and necessary to our very existence. The Tree Council’s National Tree Week is the perfect time to inspire more people to plant trees in their local communities. It has seen thousands more planted right across the country, helping to create neighbourhoods that everyone can be proud of.”

Here at Prince Tree surgery we endorse any project or initiative that prompts growing for our trees and protecting our environment for years to come. Our native trees, individually or in woodlands, provide great habitats for wildlife and the sustainable cultivation of trees for renewable low-energy construction materials, charcoal, food and as an alternative energy source are significant ways in which every tree will matter in years to come.

Please call us at Prince Tree Surgery for any of your tree surgery needs on 01277 229709. All of our tree surgeons are fully qualified professionals dedicated to providing you with a top quality tree surgery service.

According to the Woodland Trust, our milder winter weather is having an unprecedented effect on our trees and flowers. There have been ample sightings across the UK of snowdrops and daffodils blooming, as well as silver birch, oak and hazel trees’ buds bursting. Apparently the last three months of 2011 only experienced four air frosts, compared to 35 in 2010. 

Here at Prince Tree Surgery, Brentwood’s leading tree surgery specialists, we are highly knowledgeable about the effect changing seasons have on our native trees. These milder temperatures will undoubtedly have an impact on how we care for our trees. We are very interested to hear the findings of the Woodland Trust, which is calling on the public to report their observations of the effects of the milder weather.

Dr Kate Lewthwaite, from the Woodland Trust, said: “Our native plants and trees are great indicators of wider changes in the natural world.

“By recording budburst and flowers blooming the public can help us determine whether these changes are having a major effect on how Mother Nature functions. Despite what people may think, in recent years it has become commonplace to see daffodils and snowdrops in late December and early
January as the climate warms.” 

Prince Tree Surgery offers a range of tree-planting services including planting of any size or scale, tree moving, maintenance plans and after care programmes and planting schemes.

If you would like any information about the service we offer please contact us on 01277 229709. 

The winter is hard on trees, even those that are accustomed to cold climates. Stress caused by cold, drought, pests and branch breakage can take its toll. While you can’t do much about the weather and icy temperatures, you can take steps to lessen their impact.

Here at Prince Tree Surgery, Brentwood’s number one tree surgeons, we offer a comprehensive tree surgery service so homeowners needn’t panic if they haven’t the slightest clue about what they can do to protect their trees. It is always worth calling in the experts if you have any particular concerns about a tree or need specific advice on winter tree care.

Here are a few of our basic tips:

1) Keep trees clear of snow.  After a heavy snow, brave the cold and do your best to remove as much snow as possible from your trees’ branches. Excess snow can cause branches to bend as well as break. If tree limbs break or sag under the weight of ice or snow, it is best to have them removed as soon as weather permits. Hanging branches can be a danger to passing pedestrians. Also, the tree will be able to heal the wound better in spring if the wound has clean edges instead of ragged tears. Our experts at Prince Tree Surgery will be able to help with any tree pruning needed.

2) Fight winter drought. Wind and a lack of liquid can cause drought in the winter months. Once the ground freezes, tree roots can’t absorb any more water. While it might seem strange to water trees in cold weather, it should be done if you didn’t do it earlier in autumn.

3) Bundle them up. Your garden trees are unlike their counterparts in a forest or other wooded area in that they are probably unprotected and isolated in comparison. Trees in this situation should be sheltered and protected from the wind and cold by wrapping their trunks of covering them completely for a short time with tree blankets or other types of covering.

4) Prune in late winter. Winter is a great time to prune trees because it is easier to see a tree more clearly without its leaves. Pruning helps to maintain tree health and protect against disease. Pruning should focus on removing deadwood and improving shape and structure. Check for shoots growing at unusual angles or extra shoots growing from the top of the main trunk or from the base, which deprive it of nutrients. Again, our team at Prince Tree Surgery will always be happy to help.

For more information about the services we offer at Prince Tree Surgery contact us on 01277 229709. 

But there are a number of key tips to ensure you get the very best from your beautiful tree and that it survives the festive period.

It is also important to ensure that you buy your Christmas tree from a seller which guarantees that the tree has been grown sustainably in Britain and with environmental considerations in mind. 

1) Firstly you need to decide on a spot for your Christmas tree. Ideally this would be away from heat sources such as TVs, fireplaces, radiators and air ducts. It is probably worth measuring your chosen space so you can check the height and spread of your tree.

2) Next you need to find a reputable and trusted retailer to buy the tree. If in doubt you can visit the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association (BCTGA) website and find your nearest seller. The association promises that any tree bought from an association member will have been grown sustainably in Britain. You can also contact the Forestry Commission to find an approved seller.

3) Once you have found a retailer here are our tips for picking the best tree. Ask the seller whether the trees are delivered once at the beginning of the selling season, or at different times during the season – the latter means trees will be fresher. A fresh Christmas tree will have few browning needles. Needles should be flexible and not fall off. For the longest-lasting trees, choose a cut tree or one that has been grown in a pot rather than placed in the pot having been grown in the ground. Once home, it is also worth using a saw to make a fresh one-inch cut on the butt end of your tree.

4) Watering and keeping the tree from getting too hot is the key to ensuring you get the very best from your Christmas tree. Treat your tree as you would a freshly cut flower. Make sure the water level covers the base of the tree – if the base dries out, the tree won’t be able to absorb water and will dry out quickly.

5) And finally remember to recycle your Christmas tree when the New Year comes. Most local authorities will provide tree recycling servicing, or if you bought it from a BCTGA retailer you can take it back and the seller will recycle it for you. 

Please call us at Prince Tree Surgery for all your tree surgery needs on 01277 229709. All of our tree surgeons are fully qualified professionals dedicated to providing you with a top quality tree surgery service.

The popularity of outdoor lights and decorations has grown considerably in the last decade, with more and more of us choosing not only to deck the halls, but our gardens too.

Here at Prince Tree Surgery, Basildon’s leading tree surgery service, we wholeheartedly embrace the Christmas spirit. However, without wishing to introduce a Scrooge-like note, we offer a few words of safety if you are considering decorating your outside trees with fairy lights. When it comes to installing outdoor lighting, safety should be taken very seriously indeed.
Working on ladders or working at height is something most people are not used to.

There are important safety rules to abide by when using a ladder to reach the highest tops of your tree. These include keeping your body centre within the ladder, and always keeping three points of contact with the ladder. You should also wear non-slip footwear and keep the rungs clean and in good condition.

Finally, position the ladder on a firm, level surface and if possible get someone else to hold the base and supervise. Remember don’t over lean when you’re struggling to reach that difficult tree branch – it’s simply not worth it.

Always use lights that are suitable for outdoor use. Winter weather invariably means snow and rain – and that means water. And water and electricity are a potentially dangerous mix. Outdoor lights will be more heavily insulated and water-proofed than those lights intended for inside. Even if they are outdoor only lights, we advise that you check them carefully to ensure the insulation is intact.

As tree surgery specialists, Prince Tree Surgery offers a range of tree-planting services including planting of any size or scale, tree moving, maintenance plans and after care programmes and planting schemes. If you would like any information about the service we offer please contact us on 01277 229709.

Like all living things, trees are susceptible to disease. A tree needs a good supply of light, water, carbon dioxide and nutrients from the environment for optimum growth. A lack of one or more of these may lead to reduced growth and put the tree under stress, which means it could become vulnerable to disease.

If you suspect your tree may be diseased, it is important that you seek the advice of professionals before it spreads and destroys more than one tree.

Experts here at Prince Tree Surgery were interested to hear this week about the discovery of a deadly plant disease which is previously unknown to England.

Scientists from the Forestry Commission have confirmed that Phytophthora lateralis, a fungus-like pathogen that kills trees’ roots, has infected several trees in a shelter hedge on an industrial estate in Devon.

The disease is very infectious to Lawson Cypress and some other trees, but harmless to people, animals and most other plants. The trees will be felled and disposed of safely and the site is subject to bio security measures to prevent spreading the disease particularly in contaminated soil, felling equipment and other tools.

John Morgan, Head of Plant Health for the Forestry Commission, said: “It is very worrying. Its main victim is Lawson cypress, not a very significant forestry tree, but very popular in parks, gardens, churchyards and crematoria. We are asking people working around trees, particularly arboriculturalists and those who manage parks and gardens to be particularly vigilant for signs of the disease.” 

Gardeners who spot signs of the disease are urged to report it immediately so the tree can be removed, as the infection can spread through soil and on tools such as felling equipment. In diseased trees, the leaves turn a lighter shade of olive-grey than healthy trees, then they wither and turn reddish-brown as the foliage dies. The infection extends from the roots and up the stem, killing the inner bark so the entire tree dies.

For all aspect of tree care and advice on dealing with diseases, please contact us at Prince Tree Surgery 01277 229709.