According to Trees for Cities, the only UK charity working at a national and international scale to improve lives by planting trees in cities, urban trees ‘have crucial environmental benefits and give all us city-dwellers a place to relax, away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.’ To keep them in top condition, our urban trees need support from gardeners and arborists often associated with our local councils. Young trees need to be watered, and protected from the wildlife which wants to eat them or from strimmers and mowers which will damage the bark and stems. Whilst older trees may need to have their branches reduced if they get too big, or dead limbs removed to prevent them causing damage to people or properties. This sustainable work can often go unnoticed.
When a young tree is first planted it can benefit greatly from the use of an irrigation tree bag (1). The bag, made of rip-stop polyvinyl chloride (PVC), can help to reduce transplant and drought shock as its stock of water slowly seeps through the bottom of the bag and empties over a period of 6-10 hours enabling healthy root development. If such a device is not required, the trunk of the tree can be protected from hungry wildlife such as rabbits, hares, voles, or deer by using a tube or mesh protector. The Tubex Shrub Shelter Plus (2), made of oxo-biodegradable polypropylene (PP), provides a protected microclimate for trees retaining moisture and reducing water stress. The high density polyethylene (HDPE) open mesh protector (3), on the other hand offers good ventilation and lets wind and other weather elements through, which helps to strengthen the plants trunk and allow it to grow freely.
As trees age, they need careful management by professional arborists using specialist equipment such as the treeMotion Pro Arborist’s saddle (4) and the Harkie Trojan tree climbing rope (5). The tree maintenance team may need to use chainsaws to remove dead and diseased limbs to ensure the overall health and well-being of the tree. The Breatheflex Pro trousers (6) feature a resilient and abrasion resistant panel on the front and ankles. The material is woven with Kevlar fibres, these protect the legs from accidental chainsaw damage by being drawn into the drive sprocket of the saw and blocking the chain movement.
