David finally managed to nail down the arboriculturist to a visit, so Tim Laddiman came along about 11.30, giving us time to answer some of Steve's questions first. I'm becoming increasingly confident with Steve as time goes by, and seeing his work-in-progress is bolstering that sense of all-being-ok with each visit; I am delighted - I've hated having to post about shoddy workmanship, so it makes me really happy that I'm not having to do that again.
Tim was really helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and full of advice. Because we already knew we wanted to remove the conifers, he asked how we would like to be advised - we wanted a letter for the insurance, should there be any problems, and to know whether to take them down all in one go or in stages. He also did a walk-around to look at the trees nearest the boundaries.
He said it's a myth that you should take trees down gradually to minimise soil disruption; as long as it's done during the winter dormancy (i.e. now), it's best to fell them all at once to get the damage to the building over with as soon as possible. 80% of any harm will likely happen in the first year, with any effects lasting from up to five years to up to 15 years, if my memory is correct. He says get is over with before repairing the existing cracks, and certainly before painting the house - a fantastic excuse to not feel guilty for dropping that down the list of priorities!
He said the risk is low because they are still young trees. Apparently, when mature, they would be twice the height; so not suitable for a garden unless you're a major royal or other "estate" landowner! We were confused because a) they are huge, and b) they are flowering, which I had always thought a sign of maturity?
Although thinking about it now, I know that's not the case as you can buy patio apple trees to fruit within a year or two. I guess our brains are just pretty fried with all the other things whirling round in there.
Oaks are immense users of ground water in season: 1,000 litres a day, of which they utilise 2%, the rest going to the atmosphere through transpiration. He advised us to remove the long, low limbs nearest the house and garage on three (maybe four; I'm glad he marked them) trees, and one at the corner of the wood where there are two low branches overhanging the road that look diseased.
There are also two dead oaks; one, long dead, can be safely left, the other is more of a danger to the neighbours shed, so that needs to be felled. He said the ditch along the road, and the line of an old hedge closer in confirm that it is ancient woodland [we'd had our suspicions because of the variety of trees, especially since he identified my "mystery" tree as a chequer tree or wild service tree (sorbus torminalis), which we have been told several times is an indicator of old woods], and was to allow deer to leap over the hedge to leave the wood, but be unable to vault over the ditch and hedge combination in order to stop them getting to (and so damaging) young coppiced shoots.
Some more snippets from Tim:
- We should do an annual, or twice-yearly inspection of the boundary along the road, and as far as the blue shed in Jenny and Peter's garden, and look for any dead twigs of older than first-year growth. We should also monitor for any fungus growing out of the base of trees; chicken of the woods is a particularly bad sign
- There was a small strip of blackening, which I can't remember if it was phytophthora or not [I can remember he said not to worry about it, but to keep an eye out for blackening of trunks], but I will monitor that. Luckily, it's by the road, so I suspect I will see it when picking up litter!
- The hornbeam in the woodland which is leaning: check the base, and if "new" soil appears (it's currently well covered by moss) that's a sign it has started to move again, and will need re-inspecting
- My mystery willow is a goat willow, and to be ever-so careful if taking any trunks/limb down - it's very springy, and the falling limb may bounce, twist or generally behave in some other lethal fashion
- Ditto for the rhododendron ponticum in the woods: so much so that Tim says to lop off growth branch by branch, rather than felling them. They will also sucker/layer, so should be dealt with sooner rather than later
- The rhodies are also poisonous: their leaf litter poisons all other species attempting to grow beneath them, and the dried, crushed, leaves will kill insects because of the cyanide they contain!
- The wild service tree/chequer tree [I think], along with the other smaller trees (whitebeam [same family as the chequer tree], poplars, aspen, birch) are "pioneer species"/primary woodland. He said if we are going to take several of these tall, floppy trees down, to take them all down as the others will fall if the support of their neighbours is removed. Gives us a chance to plant more widely spaced and get better specimens/more interesting species and allow more light into the garden for a few years, at least
- When using the Tree Round-Up (or whatever it's called), there is no need to drill the stumps, just paint it onto the stump. If felling at this time of year, wait till new shoots are forming (for translocation), and cut a ring off the stump (as the wound will have sealed itself over winter), and paint when in active growth
- Hornbeams have low moisture demand, and in wet areas the growth slows down. He said he counted the rings in some coppiced trunks they removed from their garden, and instead of the expected 25-or-so years old, they were about 60
- Japanese maples don't like wet
- We definitely should apply for a shotgun licence for pest control; grey squirrels are likely to be a significant hazard to any saplings we plant. [Not to mention the rabbits.] Apparently, if the population gets too dense, there are too many adolescent males and they take out their *frustrations* by stripping bark from young branches! I had that with my beloved "Shindeshojo" in Brixton, so would like to prevent it if at all possible. And squirrel would make a good game stew, I suspect, and I also suspect that David would like to find out if it does!
- He has seen a number of 14th Century pubs that now have infestations of woodboring insects; this is becoming a problem since the ban on smoking in buildings. Who'd have thought smoking would have its benefits!
Oh, and the house is habitable, too!
Barry, the roofer, arrived while I was following Tim along the perimeter, and David took him around the house to look at the roof...
Good news and bad news: bad news - the roof all needs re-felting, but the good news is that it's not an immediate need as there are no active leaks.
One we can put on the "save up for it" pile, which feels like an immense gift at this stage of continual purse-emptying.
We were just asking Steve if he would mind letting in Peter, from the council, to view the work going on, when Peter arrived. We were hoping to claim a Band D exemption from paying Council Tax whilst the house is uninhabitable. We were really glad he came, as the criteria on the website didn't sound as though we would qualify, but I received the notification yesterday that we are having payments suspended until we can live in the house. We're still paying in Maidstone, and we're not using any services while we can't live there, so I am pleased.
But somewhat mystified that a house with only two temporary sockets and no water beyond the kitchen sink during complete re-wiring/re-plumbing counts as habitable, whereas if we were having structural work done we'd automatically gain exemption from taxes. Having lived in places during both, I'd much rather have walls knocked down/built than be without lights or sanitation. I'm really pleased the personal visit over-rode "the computer says no".
Very glad to head out to France and light a fire in our woodburning stove, having just switched on an electric light and having visited the loo without taking a trug-full of water with me to flush it!
Ah, bliss.
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