Deadwooding in Sandwich & East Kent
Removal of dead, dying or diseased branches from the canopy. Purely for safety and tree health, nothing structural changes. Standard annual maintenance on established garden trees, especially over paths, driveways and neighbours' greenhouses. Ash dieback country over here.
The bits the tree has already given up on.
Every mature tree grows some branches it can't sustain. As the canopy matures, some branches lose the light race, dry out and die. They stay attached, sometimes for years, and eventually fall. When they fall onto a shed roof or a car it's a problem. Deadwooding is going through the canopy and taking those out on our schedule, not the tree's.
Standard practice is anything above 25mm diameter that's dead or dying comes out. Below that, small twiggy deadwood usually stays, it's habitat, it'll rot back naturally, and cutting it costs more than it's worth in canopy climb time.
What we're actually doing up there
- Climbing the tree with rope and harness, no cherry-picker unless access demands it
- Identifying dead wood by bark, colour, snap-test and bud presence
- Cutting back to the branch collar (not flush, not stub) so the wound seals
- Lowering pieces on rigs where they can't safely drop
- Chipping brash on site, logging any heavier deadwood
Ash dieback and what it means
Chalara ash dieback has hit East Kent hard. The A257 corridor, the lanes out towards Woodnesborough and the field-edge trees on the way to Ash and Eastry are peppered with symptomatic ash. In advanced cases the tree is 60–80% deadwood, well past routine deadwooding, and into felling or heavy reduction territory.
What we do when we see it:
- Early stage, deadwooding still viable. We take out the affected limbs, monitor annually.
- Mid stage, deadwooding no longer buys much time. We recommend reduction or fell, depending on setting.
- Late stage, brittle, unsafe to climb. We fell from the ground with a MEWP if needed, and we're honest that this is now safety-critical work.
Diseased ash brash is chipped hot (not composted) and disposed of properly to slow the spread, the fungus survives in leaf debris otherwise.
The tree over the neighbour's greenhouse
Sandwich gardens are compact and back-to-back. A dead limb over next door's greenhouse or conservatory is the single most common deadwooding call we take. We do the tree from your side; we brief the neighbour so they know what's happening; and we rig cuts down rather than dropping them onto anything glass. Standard courtesy, but worth stating.
Deadwooding FAQs
How often should I deadwood?
Established garden trees every 3–5 years. Ash currently every 1–2 years if the tree is still worth keeping, because dieback progresses fast.
What does it cost?
£180 to £550 per tree. A small ornamental with a couple of dead limbs is at the bottom of the range. A mature sycamore or ash with heavy deadwood throughout the canopy is at the top.
Will you spot other problems while you're up there?
Yes, a canopy climb is the best chance to see rot pockets, fungal brackets, storm damage and early ash dieback symptoms. We report back in writing with photos, so you've got a decision-ready assessment for future work.
Do I need permission?
Deadwooding is generally exempt from CA and TPO restrictions, dead wood is dead wood. But we still notify DDC if a TPO tree needs a substantial deadwood job, so nothing gets misinterpreted. Handled by us either way.
Send a photo. We'll send a quote.
Photos of the tree, the surrounding buildings and your postcode. Same-day price, next available date.