Importance of Storm Preparation

The winter months are known for the storms and bad weather brought with them. While you may have prepared your home for a massive storm, have you taken precautionary steps to help your trees stand a fighting chance against the high winds? Proper storm preparation is a crucial factor that plays into the health and overall look of a tree as well as its surrounding area. There is a lot more that goes into preparing a tree for a storm than one might think. For example, when prepping, you must consider all parts of the tree and understand how different types of storms may affect them. From the branches to the roots, each part of the tree must be cared for.   

If you have any questions about how best to prepare your tree, give us a call – we’re happy to help!  

Tree Maintenance

Regular tree maintenance could be the deciding factor as to whether your trees make it through a massive storm. Regularly cared for trees tend to have stronger structures, which makes it easier for them to defend against strong winds and harsh weather. However, if your trees have not had regular upkeep or just want extra protection for them, keep reading!

Tree Thinning and Pruning

Thinning the top of the trees will drastically reduce wind resistance, which is the main cause of the weakening in branches and trunks. In addition to this, pruning your trees will also allow for the removal of any dead, weakened or broken branches that may be easily displaced during a storm. There are many attributes of a branch that help determine whether it is capable of withstanding high winds. For this reason a consultation with a professional is always the safest option. This is important as it not only helps the tree, but reduces the risk of these branches causing issues in their surrounding environments.

Mulching

While tree thinning and pruning are extremely important, there are other aspects of tree care that need to be taken into consideration. Mulching around the root of the tree is proven to help protect its root structure. Many people will forget this step or underestimate its benefits, however, having proper mulching is incredibly important. Mulching may be something that you can do yourself, but if you are not comfortable or confident in doing so, give us a call.

Lighting Preparation

Another aspect of storm preparation to consider is the installation of a lightning protection system. Lightning often accompanies winter storms and can be detrimental to weak or damaged trees. A tree that has been struck by lightning risks having its internal structure damaged. For this reason, the installation of a lighting protection system will help prevent the unfortunate effects of a lighting strike.

It is important to note that most of the above mentioned should not be attempted by non-arborists. As each tree is different and requires an individual examination to determine the best approach to be taken. For this reason, at Butlers, we offer a large range of services perfect for storm preparation. Call us for a free, non-obligatory quote.

Tips and Tricks!

1. Ensure there is adequate drainage as heavy rain will cause excess water and you don’t want the plants to drown
2. If your plants aren’t grown in a greenhouse, make sure they have a shelter around them. This ensures they will not get destroyed by heavy winds
3. If you have young or newly planted trees, it is a good idea to re-stake or create a support structure as their roots will not have firmly secured themselves in the soil
4. Secure/ground any hanging baskets
5. Inspect trees surrounding areas – Are they around windows or powerlines?
6. Ensure all fences are secured and are not at risk of damage
7. Keep gutters clear

We have invested in a series of short promo videos to showcase some of our work. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Butlers the tree people responded to an urgent call concerning an Oak tree which had shed a large stem, landing on the roof of a residential property. Having liaised with the home owners insurance company and the council we were given the go ahead the following afternoon.

Graham and team arrived to start work the following morning, clearing up the fallen stem and installing sheeting to the roof to protect against the weather. Unfortunately the failed stem had left the remainder of the tree very unstable, with an imminent risk of failure. As it was in the garden of a residential property, overhanging the neighbours house there was no option but to remove it. We accessed the tree using our 27m tracked MEWP, removing the tree in small sections, to leave the main stem at a safe height before we left for the day.

The next day saw the tidy up commence, all the smaller branches were chipped arising’s and removed from site. All the wood was transported back to our yard for processing. After a final rake up our work was completed. The tree safe, site tidy and property relatively weather tight awaiting repair.

Butlers the tree people are pleased to announce their success in the recent South Oxfordshire and Vale of the White Horse District Council tree maintenance tender bid.

Cheltenham area manager Jonny Platt says “we are excited to work with South Ox Council over the next few weeks on this new contract. We have been awarded 21 of the 30 sites available which is a great result. There is a good variety of  work, from removal of dangerous trees to reductions and pruning, we look forward to getting started on it”

The contract will be carried out by both Newbury and Cheltenham teams, with the aim of completing all works within four weeks. Watch out for our vans and MEWPS in the Oxfordshire area!

Butlers the tree people have been undertaking some exciting new work over the last few months. Working on behalf of a large telecoms management company we have been travelling the country, carrying out work on trees blocking the signal from phone masts. So far the work has seen us travel to Snowdonia, Cornwall, Kent, Liverpool and even in to Scotland.

Director Stephen Butler says “We are enjoying this exciting venture and we hope to continue providing a great service to the telecoms industry over future months and years. From our head office in Newbury and yard in Cheltenham we are well set up to cover large areas of the country, even if it does mean a few early starts.”

Often the work involves reducing trees in height to allow signal to pass over them, however at times we have found ourselves carrying out large scale woodland clearance work. We love the variety and the lads are enjoying the change of scenery. Often the arising’s from this work as habitat piled back on site, allowing us to use our fleet of Bipper vans to transport staff to the job. They are far more efficient and have much lower emissions than a regular Arb truck. However, when needed our MEWPS, Lorry’s and 4x4s are all available to get the job done.

Butlers the tree people have taken the decision to launch a branch of the business in the spa town of Cheltenham. This exciting venture, headed up by new Area Manager Jonny Platt will be bringing the same expertise, attention to detail and customer focus, established over the last 30 years in our Berkshire HQ, and applying it to our new Cotswold clientele.

Jonny says “I am excited by the move, although I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the guys down in Newbury, I am looking forward to the fresh challenge. I imagine it will take some time to develop a strong team and client base, but with the full support of the management team in Newbury we will succeed I am sure. I would like to thank them for their support and backing in this move.”

Why not give Jonny a call on 01242 650620 or drop him an email at info@lopit.co.uk, we would love to quote for any of your upcoming tree work.

G A Butler & Sons Ltd have taken delivery of a new stump grinder from Orange Plant, the machine is a 7015 tracked machine featuring a Deutz 66hp engine this machine has been described as “the most powerful and versatile self-propelled portable grinder made; combining the convenience of a narrow 35″/ 88.9 cm machine with the high horsepower of a tow-behind unit to create an extremely productive stump cutter.

The SP7015 offers a huge 70″/ 177 cm cutting arc while extending below ground 15″/ 38.1 cm and aboveground height to an amazing 43″/ 109.2 cm. Carlton’s exclusive patented turntable design keeps the weight low on the frame and the engine level during operation. This design also allows the use of a torque magnifying two-stage cutter wheel drive system.

Director Luke Butler said “We have chosen the Carlton 7015 after a long process of trialing other machines. What has impressed us is the robust nature of the machine and its ability to blitz stumps safely and efficiently”. He also comments on the width of the machine saying that we should be able to access 99% of all stumps. Luke says that “the lads are all keen to get the machine out and working and comments that the machine is particularly suited to large scale site clearance jobs.

Stephen Butler Health and Safety Manager says that the machine, being remote controlled puts the operator away from the noise, dust and fumes associated with other standard machines. Stephen adds that “our commitment to health and safety is demonstrated in our machinery purchasing.

G A Butler & Sons Ltd carry out tree stump grinding and tree stump removal locally in Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford, Andover, Basingstoke, Winchester, Wantage, Oxford and Cheltenham.  We also cover all of the south of England. If you are looking to remove a single stump in a back garden or have multiple stumps then we the machinery to complete the task.

2012 saw the addition of a new telehandler to our fleet of vehicles. Graham Butler comments “this machine has already proved invaluable around the yard for moving materials and loading lorries” Although predominantly based at our yard near Kintbury the machine is also used on sites where large trees are felled and require removal. The machine also carries out emergency clearance around West Berkshire.

Newbury tree surgery company G A Butler and Sons Ltd are celebrating our first anniversary of being in our new purpose built premises. The premises covering nearly 3,000 square metres enhances existing security and allows the business to respond quickly to customer needs. The yard located at Ball Hill, South of Newbury, just ten minutes from Chieveley services makes us ideally placed to cover all of Central and Southern England and provide the public with a range of services, including Tree Surgery, Tree Felling, Tree Planting, Stump Grinding, Chainsaw Training, Fencing & Landscaping, Grounds Maintenance, Arboricultural Consultancy and Tree Surveys.

Director Luke Butler says “the yard has been amazing for us it is so conveniently placed for covering all of the local areas. We can be on the Newbury bypass in less than 5 minutes to get to Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford, Andover, Basingstoke, Winchester, Wantage & Oxford”. As well as the towns we also work in all local villages such as Highclere, Burghclere, Kingsclere, Kintbury, Inkpen, Ham, Shalbourne, Yattendon, and Frilsham.

Graham Butler comments “now we have 600 square metres under cover, dry seasoned logs can be processed and stored inside to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality logs”

G A Butler & Sons Ltd are an arboricultural contracting company with a combined 80 years experience in the industry between the directors. We have a large amount of resources. We are approved contractors of the Arboricultural Association providing a range of services, including Tree Surgery, Tree Felling, Tree Planting, Stump Grinding, Chainsaw Training, Fencing & Landscaping, Grounds Maintenance, Arboricultural Consultancy and Tree Surveys.

We encourage the public to come and meet us at the yard where you can see examples of our works and also purchase woodchip, logs and sawn timber which we process on our saw mill. We have a personal approach to our customers and love to talk timber and seek to help people whether they require one piece of Yew for wood turning or a number of Oak beams we will do our utmost to help out.