Getting to the root of tree trouble

While the UK has had its fair share of tree-based troubles over the years, in terms of Dutch elm disease and bleeding canker, human error is what makes more garden trees unsafe.

Industry analyst Rosemary Bennett makes her comments in the online pages of the Times, explaining that an inappropriately big or fast-growing species of tree is where many problems can begin.

She suggests that leylandii, eucalyptus and London plane trees are not suitable for smaller green spaces.

Once horticulturalists become aware of this, they soon realise that the trees must be pruned, crowned or felled – and this is where the second most common issue occurs.

"Incorrect pruning is a major problem. People tend to cut back far too hard, they cut incorrectly and the cuts don’t heal and decay sets in. Roots can even become diseased that way and the tree becomes unsafe," Alan McWilliams, owner of Kent Tree Care, tells the site.

Web resource Leylandii Home suggests that the trees have found themselves in great demand over the past few years.