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Tree advice and insights

Practical articles on tree surveys, planning, tree risk and planting from an independent arboricultural consultancy.

2 November 2026 4 min read

Veteran Trees: Recognising Their Value and Planning Their Care

A hollow trunk or an old broken limb can prompt an understandable question: what should happen to this tree?

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An elongated cavity opening in the trunk of a mature tree

2 November 2026 3 min read

Managing Ash Dieback at Portna Riverside Walk, Kilrea

A tree risk assessment and management strategy for Waterways Ireland along 1.3 kilometres of riverside walk, with ash dieback affecting many of the trees.

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2 November 2026 3 min read

Tree Risk Management Across Seven Fermanagh and Omagh Council Sites

Seven council sites, from play parks to a riverside path, assessed with one consistent method and recommendations shaped by each location.

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Stone bridge over the river at Lovers Retreat, Omagh

2 November 2026 3 min read

Assessing the Dark Hedges: Tree Retention and Visitor Safety

A look back at a collaborative 2023 survey of the Dark Hedges, and how condition, visitor safety and habitat retention were weighed tree by tree.

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The beech avenue of the Dark Hedges on Bregagh Road

21 October 2026 7 min read

Tree Preservation Orders in Northern Ireland: How to Check and What They Mean

A Tree Preservation Order does not stop you managing a tree. It means the council has to agree first. Here is how to check, what needs consent and what the law says.

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Mature roadside tree protected by railings

21 October 2026 3 min read

Tree Inspections: What They Involve and How Often a Tree Needs One

There is no legal interval for tree inspections. How often a tree needs looking at depends on what, and who, is underneath it.

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Consultant inspecting the stem of a mature tree

2 October 2026 3 min read

The Week in Review: Planning Ahead in Kilrea and Surveying People's Park

Why long-term tree management is worth planning before an urgent problem forces the issue, and why the way people use a public park matters to a tree risk assessment.

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A tree-lined path through a public park, with a play area beyond

25 September 2026 3 min read

The Week in Review: Lichens, Exotic Trees and a Fence on the Menu

A suspected fungus that turned out to be lichen, a collection of exotic trees at Mount Stewart, and several trees in Lisburn that had started to eat a metal fence.

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Mount Stewart house and formal garden in morning sun

18 September 2026 5 min read

The Week in Review: Meripilus, Roots and Risk

Why a fungus at the base of a beech does not automatically mean removal, why we avoid the word hazard, and what happens when trees are planted too close together.

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Meripilus giganteus fruiting bodies around the base of a mature copper beech

11 September 2026 6 min read

A Week of Tree Surveys Across Northern Ireland and Ireland

Five days, five very different jobs. What each one involved, what the trees told us, and why the cheapest advice of the week was to do nothing at all.

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Mature hedgerow trees over a rural lane in September sunshine

7 September 2026 3 min read

Tree Surgery or Tree Survey? What Your Tree Actually Needs

Half the people who ring a tree surgeon do not need one yet, and some do not need one at all. Here is the difference, and the one question to answer before anyone picks up a chainsaw.

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Old beech tree with fungal brackets on its stems

26 August 2026 3 min read

Do You Need Planning Permission to Cut Down a Tree?

Not exactly, but several protections can make the work unlawful anyway. Here is what applies, how to check in one email, and what to do when consent is needed.

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14 August 2026 4 min read

Who Is Liable When a Tree Falls?

The law is more forgiving of tree owners than most people fear, and harder on those who ignored the signs. Here is how liability actually works.

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31 July 2026 7 min read

The 10 Most Common Trees in Northern Ireland: A Complete Identification Guide

Ten trees make up most of what grows around us in Northern Ireland. Here is how to tell them apart in any season, and what each one means if you own it.

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The ten most common trees in Northern Ireland shown together: ash, sycamore, beech, oak, hawthorn, alder, silver birch, rowan, horse chestnut and Scots pine

30 July 2026 6 min read

Scots Pine Identification, Shelterbelts and Care in Northern Ireland

Orange bark, paired needles and a flat-topped crown on the skyline. Scots pine identification, its role in Irish shelterbelts, and the risks worth assessing.

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Scots pine with an orange upper trunk and flat-topped crown

30 July 2026 2 min read

How Much Does a Tree Survey Cost in Northern Ireland and Ireland?

Tree survey prices vary for good reasons. Here is what actually sets the cost, what a proper quotation includes, and how to get an accurate figure quickly.

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Survey clipboard, tape measure and laser distance meter on a wall in front of a mature tree and house

29 July 2026 3 min read

What Does an Arboricultural Consultant Do?

Arboriculturist, arboricultural consultant, tree surveyor: the titles blur together. Here is what each one means, and what a consultant actually does for your project.

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Arboricultural consultant inspecting the stem and root collar of a mature tree

29 July 2026 6 min read

Horse Chestnut Identification, Leaf Miner and Bleeding Canker in Northern Ireland

Every conker tree in Ireland goes brown in August, and almost every owner worries. Here is what is harmless, what is serious, and how to tell them apart.

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Horse chestnut tree in full flower with upright white candles

29 July 2026 3 min read

BS 5837:2012 Explained: Tree Surveys, Categories and Protection

BS 5837:2012 is the British Standard behind every planning tree survey. Here is what it covers, what the categories mean, and what it requires on site.

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Tree protection fencing installed around a retained tree on a construction site

29 July 2026 2 min read

Arboricultural Reports Explained: What They Are and When You Need One

Planning conditions, lender letters and insurers all ask for an arboricultural report, but they rarely mean the same document. Here is how to tell which one you need.

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Mature cedar tree with a wide spreading crown, the subject of a condition report

29 July 2026 2 min read

The Arboricultural Association, and How to Choose a Tree Consultant

The Arboricultural Association sets the professional benchmark for UK arboriculture. Here is what it is, what its accreditations mean, and how to pick a consultant.

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Managed amenity trees around a public park lawn

28 July 2026 5 min read

Rowan Tree Identification, Berries and Garden Care in Northern Ireland

Ash-like leaves, brilliant red berries and a place in every Irish superstition worth knowing. Rowan identification, why it suits small gardens, and how to care for one.

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Rowan tree covered in bright red berries beside a stone wall

27 July 2026 6 min read

Silver Birch Identification, Garden Suitability and Care in Northern Ireland

The garden tree people most often plant and most often worry about. Silver birch identification, how close to a house is sensible, and how long it will really live.

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Silver birch with white bark and fine drooping branches

27 July 2026 4 min read

10 Types of Trees That Fight Climate Change

All trees lock up carbon, but some do far more for the climate than others. Here are ten types of trees that earn their place, and how to choose the right one for your ground.

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Copper beech tree in full leaf in a public park

26 July 2026 6 min read

Alder Tree Identification, Wet Ground and Care in Northern Ireland

The tree that grows where nothing else will, fixes its own nitrogen and hardens underwater. Alder identification, its uses on wet sites, and the disease to watch.

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Alder tree growing on a riverbank in Northern Ireland

25 July 2026 6 min read

Hawthorn Identification, Hedgerows and the Fairy Thorn in Northern Ireland

The most abundant tree in the Irish landscape, and the one with the most rules attached, legal and otherwise. Hawthorn identification, hedgerow law and care.

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Hawthorn in full white blossom along a Northern Ireland hedgerow

24 July 2026 7 min read

Oak Tree Identification, Protection and Care in Northern Ireland

Oak grows for 300 years, rests for 300 and declines for 300. Here is how to identify one, how to read its decline honestly, and how to care for an old one.

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Ancient oak tree with heavy spreading limbs in Northern Ireland parkland

23 July 2026 6 min read

Beech Tree Identification, Root Problems and Care in Northern Ireland

Smooth grey bark, copper leaves through winter and a root system that will not forgive building work. Beech identification, problems and honest care advice.

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Mature beech tree with a broad dome and smooth grey bark

22 July 2026 6 min read

Sycamore Tree Identification, Problems and Management in Northern Ireland

Vigorous, unloved and everywhere. Sycamore is the tree people most often want removed, and the one most often misjudged. Here is how to identify and manage it.

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Mature sycamore tree with a dense rounded crown

21 July 2026 7 min read

Ash Tree Identification, Dieback and Care in Northern Ireland

Black buds, pinnate leaves and a crown you can see the sky through. Here is how to identify ash, recognise dieback honestly, and decide what to do about it.

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Ash tree crown showing the pinnate leaves and light, open branching typical of the species

20 July 2026 5 min read

5 Situations When a Tree Survey Is Necessary

Most people only discover they need a tree survey when someone else asks for one. These are the five situations where a survey is either required or strongly advisable.

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Broad-crowned mature tree overhanging a rural lane

13 July 2026 3 min read

What Is an Arboricultural Survey and How Can It Improve Your Business?

Arboricultural survey is a term that covers several very different reports. Here is what each one does, and why the right one at the right time saves businesses real money.

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Consultant recording tree survey notes in a parkland setting in winter

6 July 2026 3 min read

How a Tree Survey Can Improve Your Mortgage Report

A tree flagged in a mortgage report can stall a purchase for weeks. A prompt, lender-compliant tree survey usually resolves it in days. Here is how the process works.

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Large mature tree standing close to houses in a residential street

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