One of my customers has a huge stately old oak tree. A resistograph reading was done and there is a greater than 30 per cent area of unsound wood in the trunk, and removal is recommended. I gave her the name of a consulting arborist for a second opinion. She has not yet called him. She has one estimate on removal at this point.

If the tree is removed, I suspect a crane will have to come in, since it is perched on ledge overlooking a pool and pool house and I would think they would not want to get into the tree. I would appreciate suggestions on protecting the landscape and any tips on what to watch out for when such a large operation is undertaken. So far I told the customer: plywood planking may help(or so says an irrigation guy I talked to). Understand the logistics in advance - do other trees need wood removed so the crane can get in to work? Will equipment have to come onto the lawn? Is chipping/removal included in the price? To what level of cleanliness will the site get left? Can anything be done to protect the flagstone terrace under the tree in case wood falls on it? One irrigation guy said sometimes plywood planking is done to spread the load and protect irrigation. We want to plan carefully and not have surprises and decisions come up when there's a whole crew and huge equipment on site rarin' to go. (That's intimidating and poor decisions can result.)

Thanks for any comments. I value your input -- great site and great info.

Chris Reid

If the tree owner is your customer, what is your occupation? These questions would have to be asked directly to the contractor who would be quoting or carrying out the work. The important thing is your choice of contractor and their public liability insurance, as when employing any other professional service.

Kit,

Sorry not to reply sooner; I had stopped looking for input. I am a gardener who is interested in trees - have made some contractor referrals in the last year that have resulted in property damage (irrigation systems - trucks running over them with no protection), so I was interested in hearing what good practices other tree people used so I could ask the tree companies that I was interviewing for the customer.