Tree & Bamboo Removal

Can I cut down a tree/ trees on my property?
Councils across Melbourne have various rules and regulations regarding works intended to be carried out on trees. Many trees are protected by a planning overlay or local law, and work on them needs a permit first. Check with your local council before any work starts, or ask us when we quote. Removing a protected tree without a permit can bring heavy fines.

Do trees grow back once you have felled them/cut them?
Some trees that have been removed especially deciduous varieties have dormant buds within the bark which can then sprout up into new trees. Even after minor pruning operations multiple dormant buds can emerge around the pruning cut, which may result in weak growth unions resulting in possible branch failure in the years to come. To avoid health and safety implications and damage to property we recommend, firstly, that tree/trees which are likely to grow back after being felled, are ground out with a stump grinder. And secondly trees that have been cut and pruned, are regularly cut back to avoid weak branch formation.

Do I need a permit to cut down my tree?
In many cases, yes. Check with your local council whether the tree is covered by a planning overlay or local law. Our suburb pages set out the rules for each council.

How do I choose the right company to remove my tree/trees?
Hire trained, certified and insured professionals to do the work. It is far more difficult and dangerous work than most people realise. Checking the legitimacy is also important and can be achieved by asking for relevant insurance documents or checking out a company’s website/reviews.

Why would I need to remove a tree?
Trees create an important feature within our urban landscape, but like all living organisms are prone to stress, disease, damage and change. Trees that are showing signs of dieback or have fungal fruiting bodies near the base, on the stem, or branches may have succumbed to disease, this could make the tree structurally unsafe resulting in damage to property or may pose a health and safety risk. Other factors may cause tree dieback and decline such as building work, excessive soil compaction, and any number of aggressive changes to a tree/tree's immediate environment. Other reasons why trees may need to be removed and is common in a domestic setting, is that they have simply outgrown the environment they’re in.

What are the costs associated with removing the tree?
There are many costs associated with tree work, and it is always better to pay good money than to take shortcuts, and have a job go wrong. Some key points to take into consideration if you are thinking of having tree work done are:
• The Size of the job tree/trees
• The time it will take to do the job

• The complexity of the job
• The amount of waste produced The more of these factors are incorporated into a specific job, the more expensive a job will likely be.
This is because big jobs require more manpower, bigger machinery, more heavy-duty equipment, more fuel, and a greater waste volume to dispose of all of which adds to the cost.

What equipment is used to remove trees?
Arborists use a wide variety of equipment and machinery to remove trees including, but not limited to:
• Chainsaws of various bar lengths.
• Climbing gear e.g. ropes/lowering ropes, harness, karabiners.
• Woodchipper
• Stump grinder
• Cherry picker
• Winches
• Lowering and anti-friction devices

Is a dead tree harder to remove?
Yes. Dead trees are brittle and unpredictable, which makes them more dangerous and often more expensive to remove. Deliberately killing a protected tree can also lead to council fines. If a tree is in decline, have it looked at early.

Can a tree/roots cause structural damage?
Yes, a tree can cause structural damage the most common is subsidence, where a tree's roots near a building causes the soil to shrink causing cracking and sinking to the brick work. Heave can also occur when the ground near a tree and building moves up forcing the building to move up. Other minor structural damage can occur such as branches rubbing on the roof of a house.

What causes trees to die/Why has my tree died?
Trees can die due to a number of stress factors including storm damage, fungal disease, building work, over pruning, excessive soil compaction, and generally aggressive changes to a tree/tree’s immediate environment. If your tree has died think about work that has taken place recently in or near your tree and its immediate surroundings. Look for any evidence of fungal fruiting bodies within and around the tree and get a specialist in who can identify the problem.

What can I do to improve the health of trees?
Various techniques can be used to improve tree health these are described briefly as follows:
Tree Inspections - Regular tree inspections can catch changes in a tree’s health before a disease, insect, or environmental problem becomes too serious to address. Ideally, mature trees should be inspected at least once a year to assess four characteristics of tree vitality: new leaf or bud formation, leaf size, twig growth, and absence of crown dieback (gradual death of the upper part of the tree). Evidence of die back is reliable indicator that the tree’s health has recently changed.

Mulching - Good quality locally sourced mulch can reduce environmental stress, by providing trees with a more regulated root environment that has fewer temperature and moisture fluctuations than the surrounding soil. Mulch reduces competition from weeds and grass, and as it breaks down adds nutrients back into the soil.
Pruning - Pruning is often desirable or necessary to remove dead, diseased, insect-infested and crossing branches which in turn improves tree structure, enhances vitality, and reduces risk. While pruning has many benefits, the removal of live branches creates a lasting wound. No branch should be removed without a reason. The removal of large limbs on a mature tree requires careful consideration.

When does tree removal become an emergency?
Storms and high winds put immense pressure upon the canopies of trees, and their root systems. This extra pressure and change in a tree’s environment can mean pre-existing weaknesses within the trees structure and form can suddenly fail, causing branches to break, stems to split, and even whole trees to come down. This is normally due to compromised, disease-ridden roots, that could not be seen above ground. Moreover, this can be seriously problematic and dangerous in urban environments.

Where can I turn to in emergency situations?
To be blunt, us! Razor Blade Tree Specialists, with our 24/7 emergency tree removal and pruning service we can get out there when you need us the most!
We are a family owned business, so we know how stressful a fallen tree or storm damage can be.
We will be available at any time of the day 7 days a week.
Razor Blade Tree Specialists can also help with information for insurance claims after storm damage.

Can I cut overhanging branches growing from a neighbour’s property?
Providing a tree does not have any sort of special protection for example a council planning overlay or local law, you can cut the tree in question back to the boundary line.

Do I need a neighbour’s permission to cut a tree back?
Generally you do not need permission to cut back branches that overhang your boundary, as long as the tree is not protected. But it’s good practice to be considerate of your neighbours so it might be worth letting them know of your intentions.

When is the best time to cut/prune a tree?
Every tree is different and there is an optimal time to carry out pruning operations upon each specific species, this is not always practical but generally the best time to cut trees is in the autumn/winter when at least the deciduous trees lay dormant.

How often should I prune my trees?
This is entirely specific to the location of the tree, for example a tree growing next to a house is going to need regular pruning to prevent branches encroaching onto the building, which may cause structural damage. On the other hand, a tree at the bottom of the garden may not need pruning for

many years but is recommended dead wooding and selective/formative thinning and pruning operations are carried out every 2-3 years to maintain the trees health in the long term. Remember smaller more frequent works are cheaper than a huge clean up operation where the tree and branches have become dangerous due to neglect.

Can I prune trees around powerlines, what is the difference between High Voltage (HV) and Low voltage (LV) lines?
Pruning trees around powerlines is obviously extremely dangerous and can be very costly. Ideally powerlines should be isolated so that you can carry out the work needed safely without the risk of electrocution and death. Cherry pickers are often used to keep ropes away from wires, and to remove branches and wood in small pieces which are easy to control. Generally, the lower wires which then connect to houses are service wires, whereas anything above them is high voltage (HV). Never prune near powerlines yourself.

How can trees get damaged?
There are many ways trees can get stressed and damaged usually due to poor arboricultural practice, which can lead to further problems down the line these include:
• Mechanical damage to roots, and surrounding buttress roots e.g. ride-on lawn mower
• Climbing trees with spikes damages the cambial layer opening the tree up to possible disease.
• Cleaning or filling in cavities and holes
• Enlarging, painting or excessively dressing wounds.
• Wrapping wire, and twine around the tree can be damaging because as the tree grows it cuts into the bark and cambial layer and effectively strangles the tree.
• Unnecessary or excessive spraying or injections.
• Burying trees, or piling up mulch, rock and other material can damage the bark, causing stress.

What will happen if I cut my tree roots off?
It all depends on the size and location and the number of roots you remove. As a guideline, avoid cutting roots more than 5 cm wide. Removing large tree roots can make the tree unstable or

unhealthy. If large roots are removed, the tree may not be able to get enough nutrients and water, this can result in die back within the crown. Also, don’t remove roots that are close to or are fused to the trunk since these are critical to the tree’s structure.