When it comes to tackling tricky tree care jobs, sometimes you need a little extra reach. That's where Tree Control's 20M tracked Mobile Elevated Working Platform (MEWP) comes in. This powerful piece of equipment allows our North Devon tree surgeons to access even the most difficult-to-reach branches and trunks, ensuring safety, efficiency, and minimal disruption to your property.

Reaching the Unreachable:

Imagine a towering oak tree casting a shadow over your home, a branch precariously close to your roof. Or perhaps a majestic Monterey Pine, like the one pictured, suffers from decay at its base, posing a potential hazard. In these situations, traditional methods might not suffice. But with our MEWP, our expert arborists can ascend to dizzying heights with ease, tackling complex jobs with unparalleled precision and control.

Safety First:

Safety is our top priority at Tree Control. Our MEWP is fully equipped with the latest safety features, including guardrails, harnesses, and emergency stop protocols. This ensures our team can work confidently and securely, even in challenging weather conditions.

When it comes to firewood in North Devon, variety is the spice of life! At Tree Control, we bring you not just warmth, but a symphony of crackling flavours with our two superstar firewood options: Monterey Cypress and Beech.

Monterey Cypress: Crackling Aromatherapy

Imagine this: cozying up by the fire, enveloped in the earthy, citrusy aroma of a crackling Monterey Cypress log. This aromatic wood, famed for its durability and vibrant hue, burns long and hot, offering a slow-burning fire with captivating fragrance. Its dense nature packs a powerful punch, ensuring hours of warmth and ambiance for your North Devon evenings.

Beech: The Golden Glow

Prefer a mellower mood? Beech firewood paints the scene with its golden flames and sweet, nutty aroma. This classic choice burns steadily and cleanly, leaving behind minimal ash and filling your home with a warm, inviting glow. Perfect for those long winter evenings spent reading a good book or playing board games with loved ones.

The threat of Ash dieback looms large for many woodlands and landscapes across the UK, including right here in North Devon. But at Tree Control, we're committed to helping homeowners and landowners tackle this devastating disease head-on.

Recently, our team spent a productive day on the outskirts of Barnstaple, assisting a client with the safe and responsible removal of several mature Ash trees suffering from dieback. These majestic giants, once vibrant features of the local landscape, had unfortunately succumbed to the fungal infection, posing a potential hazard to surrounding property and infrastructure.

Equipped with our state-of-the-art machinery, our skilled local Tree Surgeons efficiently and meticulously dismantled the affected trees, ensuring minimal disruption to the surrounding area. Working with precision and care, we sectioned the timber for future use, giving these fallen trees a second life as sustainable firewood or wood products.

Ash Dieback: Early Detection is Key

Ash dieback, caused by the Hymenoscyphus fraxineus fungus, continues to cast a shadow over the future of this once common species. Symptoms to watch out for include leaf loss, crown dieback, and the presence of dead twigs and branches. If you suspect your Ash trees might be infected, it's crucial to seek professional advice without delay.

Nestled within the emerald embrace of Nutcombe Bottom in Minehead lies a titan of the forest: England's tallest tree. This majestic Douglas fir, planted in 1876, has stood sentinel for over 140 years, its towering form a testament to the enduring power of nature and the importance of sustainable forestry practices.

Imagine the journey! Witnessing this giant sapling sprout from the earth, weathering storms and seasons, growing taller with each passing year until it claimed its crown as the undisputed king of the trees. Its 60.05-meter stature measured in 2009 still inspires awe, while its 50-ton trunk and 1.74-meter diameter speak volumes about its incredible strength and resilience.

But the story of this magnificent tree doesn't end with its impressive statistics. Nutcombe Bottom, where it thrives, is a haven for responsible forestry. Here, at Tree Control, we're dedicated to safeguarding the ecological balance while meeting the need for wood products. We work tirelessly to ensure every fallen tree is utilized to its fullest potential, minimizing waste and promoting sustainable practices.

This commitment to sustainability extends to our firewood offerings. By utilizing timber from responsibly managed local woodlands, we offer North Devon residents an eco-friendly way to stay warm during the colder months. Each crackling log tells a story of nature's bounty, harvested with respect and processed with minimal environmental impact.

So, the next time you're gazing at the starry sky, spare a thought for England's tallest tree. Its enduring presence serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between nature and human needs. And when you choose Tree Control for your firewood or tree care services, you're playing an active role in preserving that balance for generations to come.

Get ready for cozy nights by the fire next winter with sustainably sourced firewood from Tree Control, North Devon's leading tree surgeons. We're excited to announce the arrival of our latest batch of locally sourced Ash, expertly processed and ready to warm your homes.

Local Timber, Sustainable Practices:

At Tree Control, we're committed to responsible forestry practices. All our firewood comes from trees felled as part of our regular tree surgeon services in North Devon. This ensures we're utilizing every part of the tree and minimizing waste. The Ash we're currently processing comes from carefully managed local woodlands, promoting healthy and sustainable tree populations in the region.

Warmth with a Clear Conscience:

Choosing Tree Control's firewood means you can enjoy the crackle of a winter fire knowing you're doing your part for the environment. We source our timber responsibly and process it using eco-friendly methods, minimizing our carbon footprint. So, snuggle up with a good book and a cup of your favourite hot toddy, knowing your firewood is ethically sourced and contributing to a greener North Devon.

Acute Oak Decline (AOD) is a serious condition affecting oak trees, predominantly in the United Kingdom. It is characterized by the presence of dark, weeping patches on the trunk and branches, accompanied by significant decay and dieback. AOD is caused by a complex interaction between bacteria and insects, which weaken the tree's defences.

Prevention of AOD primarily involves good woodland management practices. Implementing measures like maintaining tree vitality, avoiding unnecessary wounds, and promoting biodiversity can help minimise the risk of infection. Timely detection and reporting of affected trees, followed by appropriate tree care and management, are crucial for mitigating the impact of AOD and preserving these majestic trees!

Generally, the best time to prune or trim trees is from November to March. Most trees are dormant in the winter months which makes them less susceptible to disease and insects and the lack of leaves also means it’s easier to carry out the work.

Thinning trees offers several benefits. Firstly, it promotes their overall health and vitality. By thinning the canopy, you provide better air circulation and sunlight, reducing the risk of fungal diseases and promoting even growth of the tree. This allows it to thrive and develop a strong structure.

It also enhances the aesthetics of your garden. By removing excess branches and foliage, you create an open and balanced appearance, allowing more light to reach the lower parts of the tree. This not only benefits the tree itself but also allows other plants and flowers to flourish beneath it.

Another crucial reason to thin trees is to mitigate potential safety hazards. UK weather is known for its variability, and strong winds can pose a risk of falling tree branches. Thinning helps to reduce the weight and wind resistance of the tree, making it less susceptible to damage during storms. This is particularly important if your garden is in close proximity to structures, pathways, or utility lines.

We spent a morning in Bideford, North Devon removing dead or damaged limbs from a mature Holm Oak. It certainly feel nice to be working in a t shirt again. 

We spent a few days in Bideford felling trees in preperataion for the development of a new care home, this Large Beech was removed due to severe decay making it unsafe. 

After a night of strong North Westerly winds we spent the day on clean up duties dealing with storm damaged trees. The tracked chipper proved very handy at this job dragging branches and timber out of the lake!

We always love deliveries with a view, here we are dropping two bags of hardwood logs of to a customer in Lynmouth. We have now sold out of Barn seasoned logs but do have outdoor seasoned stock still for sale. 

We have been carrying out more line thinning in Barnstaple, Shirwell. Line thinning promotes sunlight to neighbouring trees. After felling the trees, all timber is extracted and then chipped for biomass. 

Establishing tracks is the first step of any Forestry work, good tracks are the key for efficient timber extraction. This site in Barnstaple required 2 weeks of assisted fells using the digger before the tracks could be installed. 

It was another day of Ash Dieback work for Xtremetrees, here we are removing a few large limbs that were posing a threat to the property.

Ash dieback is a widespread disease but particulary bad in the Southwest. The disease is caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus which causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees and can lead to the death of the tree.

Our team was called in to carry out some selective thinning on a small woodland in Ilfracombe.

The aim was to thin the tree canopy in order to maximise the amount of sunlight hitting the forest floor. This would then aid the growth of plants at ground level.

An effective management plan is key to the long-term health of any woodland, no matter how big or small.

It not only improves the quality of the timber but also promotes the growth of a wide variety of ferns, grasses and woodland flowers, whilst also encouraging a wider range of wildlife. 

We were called in to dismantle this large Monterey Pine tree on the outskirts of Barnstaple.

We started by climbing the tree in order to remove all the branch wood which we then chipped and disposed of at local allotments.

The next stage was to install a pull line to enable us to fell the trunk itself, which we calculated to weigh 4000KG. Once on the ground, we cut the trunk into four sections and took them back to the yard using our crane trailer.

The timber was then cut, split into logs and used to fill 15 dumpy bags!