Pollarding is a technique that has been around for thousands of years and is used to maintain a tree at a predetermined height, encouraging the tree to produce dense clusters of growth from dormant buds below the bark.
 
Traditionally in the UK it was used to create fodder for livestock or for timber and was cut higher up the stem, rather than at ground level (known as coppicing) to protect the regrowth from grazing animals.
 
It is an extremely effective way of managing certain species such as willow or lime trees, however not all trees (most conifers, birch and cherry for example) will respond well to pollarding.
 
The age of the tree to be pollarded is also critical as younger trees respond much better to this type of management whereas veteran trees almost certainly wouldn’t be able to cope.
 
The initial process will encourage rapid responsive growth, usually emerging from an area near the pollard point (end of the cut stem or branch) but could grow from anywhere on the stem or branch.

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The above diagram will not win any prizes for its artistic merit, but it hopefully shows the idea of a pollard in simplistic terms. 

​Due to the type of branch union which has originated from under the bark rather than from within the incremental growth of wood within the stem stem or branch, these pollard unions will be inherently weaker than a normal branch union. Given this, it is not wise to allow these branches to become too long or heavy otherwise the risk of failure increases to an unacceptable level.

Therefore, depending on the species of tree and the rate of responsive growth, pollarded trees usually need to be re-pollarded where they are cut back to the previous pollard points on a cyclical basis (often between 3 and 10 years). It is important not to take the easy option and cut below the pollard point as this will create a larger surface area for the tree to heal, causing unnecessary stress.
 
The most important things to consider when choosing pollarding as management option for your tree are whether a dense crown and cyclical management are right for you, your tree and the landscape and to remember that an unmanaged pollard can become a serious safety risk.

When deciding whether to have your tree pruned, there are important factors that must be considered. Tree species, size, current structural and physiological condition, and location can all influence the decision-making process when it comes to tree pruning. It is important that we make the correct decisions when pruning a tree, as these choices will affect the future health and longevity of the tree.
 
Outcomes of Good Pruning –

• A smaller crown which maintains balance and amenity value
• Removal of weak parts
• Removal of dead branches or branch parts
• Maintain healthy structure, prolonged health etc.

 
Outcomes of Bad Pruning –

• Increased risk of failure (higher hazard risk
• Decline of the tree
• Insect infestations
• Decay of the branches, stem or even roots
• Stress which often allows secondary issues (pests and pathogens) to attack whilst the trees natural defences are hampered

 
Timings for Pruning
 
As a general rule, most deciduous (leaf dropping) and evergreen (which includes most conifers) trees are best pruned during their dormant period (over winter in the UK), with early spring a time to avoid for pruning due to excessive bleeding of sap. The second best time is often mid summer but there are a number of exceptions to these rules for various reasons. 

For example, cherry trees (prunus species) should be pruned early to mid summer to avoid infection from canker and silver leaf diseases.
 
 
The Pruning Cut
 
One of the first basic mistakes that people make when trying to maintain their trees at home, is making improper cuts. A bad cut can make it very difficult for a tree to react to a wound, and gives opportunity for harmful infections to get into the tree.
 
The two diagrams below show the ideal pruning points for removal of a branch, ensuring the minimum diameter wound is left and that the tree has the best chance of sealing the wound to prevent colonisation by decay fungi.

​The diameter of the branch being pruned (removed) removed should ideally not be more than a 3rd of the diameter of the branch it is being pruned (removed) from.

Pruning cuts should be made with clean, sharp tools (secateurs, loppers, hand saw or chainsaw.

Below are photographs taken by AG Tree Services Ltd and we have shown the desired target pruning cut line on real trees (a cherry and a twisted willow).

​Permission to Cut
 
Tree owners are often under the false impression that they can do whatever they like to their trees. This is definitely not the case if the tree has a Tree Protection Order (TPO) or is within a Conservation Area. Such trees are legally protected under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). Failure to correctly apply the local planning authority and gain relavent permissions before carrying out work on the trees with a TPO or within a Conservation Area can result in prosecution and an unlimited fine for any personnel found guilty (this could be owners, managers and/or contractors).
 
For specific advice on pruning your tree(s), please contact AG Tree Services Ltd. We offer free, no obligation quotations and are more than happy to advise our clients wherever necessary.

Regularly, customers come to AG Tree Services Ltd to ask for work to be done on their trees and they have no idea on whether they are located within a conservation area or not or what to do even if they are. It is important that this information is known as trees within a conservation area are protected by the provisions of Section 211 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and substantial fines can be given to tree owners, managers and contractors who breach these regulations.

These regulations for trees within conservation areas cover all trees and shrubs with a stem diameter of 75mm or more, measured at a height of 1.5m. This is regardless of whether the tree was planted or self-sown. Trees of this size will require an S211 application (known as an S211 Notice) which can take up to 6 weeks to process and allows the local planning authority a chance to assess whether the tree has amenity value worthy of giving it a Tree Preservation Order (often referred to by the abbreviation TPO).

Circumstances where an S211 Notice would not be required for trees above 75mm in a Conservation Area include dead and imminantly dangerous trees. Even in these cases, the council Tree Officer is required to give 5 working days notice (if possible) of any planned work so he/she can assess whether it is correct as an arborists assesment of imminanty dangerous often differs from a tree owners or other members of the public.

Our advice here at AG Tree Services Ltd, if you have any questions regarding trees in conservations areas in and around Dorset, or if you are unsure as to whether you are in a conservation area or not and would like work down on a tree or large shrub, is to contact us for assistance. We can remove any of the common stresses that can be involved in submitting an application of this type and we are sufficiently qualified and experienced to ensure we can offer the best advice possible.

The normal depth for grinding is around 8 inches below ground level, which is enought to plant bedding plants/shrubs on top and/or shrubs on top.  Should you require the stump ground lower and/or the larger roots 'chased' out then this is also possible. It will simply take longer, as the spoils will have to be continually cleared from around the machine, to allow machine to get lower and the grinding head to continue cutting lower.

The stump grinders generally work by having a cutting wheel lined with teeth (often tungsten) and they spin at high speed. When theis wheel is passed over the stump, it removes small amounts of wood at a time, creating woodchip/mulch material.

Whilst grinders make history of stumps, it is imperative that there are no services such as electricity cables, gas or water pipes in the vicinity of the stump as the teech will cut throught these if care is not taken to identify exactly where these hazards are located.

The grinders we use vary from a small push grinder which is similar in size to a self propelled mower and can be relatively manouvered around alleyways and carried up steps to access tighter areas, to larger self propelled machines which are operated by a remote control making it physically easier to use but requires good access to the stump.

Please do not hesitate contact us should you wish for a free, no obligation quote for your stump removal, whether its in or around, Dorchester, Weymouth or anywhere else in Dorset.

We get asked a lot about burning conifer and there is a great deal of confusion in the UK regarding which species of logs are best to burn and which should be avoided. All wood is good to burn in a stove as long as it is properly seasoned/dried.The scandanavians burn mostly conifer and they also supply many of the stoves we install in our homes so bear that in mind.

Although you get nearly the same amount of heat out of a kilo of hardwood as you do a kilo of softwood, hardwood is denser so would need less logs than softwood, hence softwood is usually cheaper to buy. 

Lots of people believe that you should not burn conifer as these contain sap/resins which tar up the chimney or flue. This is largely untrue. The more likely cause of a chimney or flue blockage is by burning unseasoned wood as the high water content combines with other gases and particles and as the fire isn't burning hot because of the inefficiencies of burning wet logs, the condensation forms a creosote substance which hardens as it cools to form a tar lining.  The other problem is that the condensation is acidic and will corode the inner liner of a flue. It is important for anyone burning logs to have their chimneys/flues swept regularly by a suitably qualified person to ensure it maintains safe and unrestricted.

So, the importance is not really the species - more the quality! Softwood is great for getting a fire going so it has its place when buring logs. The exception is for those people burning on an open fire, as that some species of wood tend to spit making species choice as important as the quality. This happens not just with conifer but also some hardwoods - notably horse chestnut, sweet chestnut and willow.

Other factors to carefully consider when purchasing your logs, is to clarify exactly what volume of logs you are buying. Our loads are always measured to ensure you get 1m3 of loose logs. I am amazed when new clients phone up and ask for a price for a 'load' - can you compare a shallow covering of logs in a large tipper van to a deep trailer load or a back of a pick up? We have experimented by putting the same amount of logs in different delivery vehicles/bags and you would be surprised how easy it is to give the impression that you are giving more logs, just by the type of vehicle or bag it is delivered in. Beware of buying logs in builders dumpy/1 ton bags as you appear to be getting a good amount but they only hold around 0.6-0.75 m3 and they do not allow moisture out so the logs can't dry out.  Also remember that if you buy large logs (diameter more than length), you will get more air space in your load so maybe it might be worth buying smaller logs although you have to put more logs on the fire. It all depends on what is important to each client. At AG Tree Services we try to use as much of the tree as possible so you tend to get a good mixture of sizes from narrow branch wood to large split lots.


At AG Tree Services we strongly recommend you buy your logs well in advance of when they will be required (even the year before if possible) and store them in a log store or garage so that you can drive that moisture content right down giving you the most efficient burn and subsequently the best value for money.


Please feel free to call us on 01305 246573 or 07403 944331 if you would like to discuss any firewood or to place an order.  All our logs are locally sourced from sustainable woodland work or tree surgery arisings, keeping the carbon footprint low and we tailer the size and species to the needs of each individual client.

AT AG Tree Services, we like to think outside the box when it comes to what can be done with tree surgery and forestry produce. Logs are not only good for firewood, an alternative is to make a 'stumpery.

The logs are infected with specific fungi mycellium (normally edible varieties or those used for medicinal purposes such as shiitake, oyster and reishi mushrooms) which are sealed into the logs using bees wax to ensure that no other fungi or wood boring insects get in. It is wise to also seal the log ends for the same reason.

If done right, a crop will be ready in 5-10 months time. (See our photo gallery entry for 'Stumpery' to see an example of one we carried out in birch logs).