Tree Surgeon Longford

Local tree surgeons for homes, farms and businesses in Longford

5 County Tree Surgeons is a licensed and insured tree surgery company working across Longford, Cavan, Westmeath, Roscommon and Sligo. We fell dangerous trees, prune and reduce trees that have outgrown their space, grind out stumps, cut back overgrown hedges and clear up after storms. We work on private gardens, farms, rural sites and commercial properties.

Every job starts with the same question: what does this tree actually need? Plenty of trees that people expect to lose can be kept with the right pruning, and some trees that look fine from the road have problems that only show up close. We tell you what we see, give you a clear quote that sets out exactly what is included, and leave the site tidy when we finish.

• Licensed and fully insured tree surgeons
• Free, no-obligation quotes, often from photos
• Branches chipped and removed, or logs left for firewood if you want them
• Emergency callouts for fallen and storm-damaged trees

Tree removal in Longford: straight felling or sectional dismantling

Removal is the right call when a tree is dead, split, leaning badly, heavily infected with disease such as ash dieback, or simply growing in the wrong place. Roots lifting a driveway, a large conifer shading the whole back garden or a tree pressing against a gable wall are all common reasons customers in Longford ask us to take a tree down.

How it comes down depends on what is around it. In an open field or a large rural garden, a tree can often be felled in one piece in a controlled direction. Beside a house, shed, glasshouse, wall or road, we climb the tree and take it apart from the top down, lowering heavier limbs on ropes so nothing drops onto property below. This is slower, but it is the only safe way to remove a big tree in a tight space.

Before we start, we agree what happens afterwards. Brash is usually chipped and taken away. Timber can be cut into rings or firewood lengths and stacked for you, or removed completely. The stump can be left low, ground out, or treated later as part of a landscaping job.

Stump grinding in Longford

A stump left behind after felling is a trip hazard, gets in the way of mowing and stops you using that part of the garden. Old stumps can also host fungi such as honey fungus, which can spread through the soil to nearby trees and shrubs.

Stump grinding uses a machine with a toothed cutting wheel to chip the stump and main root plate away below ground level, usually somewhere between 150mm and 300mm deep. That is enough to lay new topsoil and reseed. If you are planning a patio, path, driveway or a new tree in the same spot, tell us at quote stage so we can grind deeper and wider.

Grinding does not pull out every root. The smaller roots left in the ground rot away naturally over the following years. The chippings can be raked back into the hole to settle, or removed and replaced with topsoil if you want to sow grass straight away. Let us know the width of your narrowest gate or side passage so we can plan how to get the grinder in.

Storm damage and emergency tree work

After a named storm, the same problems come up across Longford: trees across driveways and lanes, split trunks, uprooted conifers, and broken branches left hanging in the canopy. Hanging branches are the most dangerous of these because they can drop without warning, even days later.

If a tree has come down or is damaged, this is what to do:

• Keep everyone, including children and pets, well clear of the tree and anything hanging from it.
• If the tree is touching or near power lines, do not approach it. Call ESB Networks on 1800 372 999.
• If it is blocking a public road, contact Longford County Council or the Gardaí.
• Take photos from a safe distance for your home insurer.
• Call us on 085 816 8484 and we will make it safe as quickly as we can.

Not every storm-damaged tree has to come down. If the damage is limited to one or two limbs, we can often remove the broken wood and keep the rest of the tree.

Do you need permission to cut down a tree in Ireland?

Sometimes, and it is worth checking before any felling starts. Under the Forestry Act 2014, felling a tree generally needs a felling licence from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There are exemptions, including trees in urban areas and trees within 30 metres of a building. Most garden trees close to a house fall under an exemption, but on a farm or a larger rural site it is worth confirming first.

Some trees are protected regardless. A Tree Preservation Order, a condition attached to a planning permission (common in newer housing estates), or a site within an Architectural Conservation Area can all restrict work. Longford County Council can confirm whether any of these apply to your property.

Wildlife needs considering too. Birds nest in trees as well as hedges, and all Irish bat species are protected, so mature trees with cavities or loose bark may need a check before work goes ahead.

With neighbours, you are generally entitled to cut branches that overhang your property back to the boundary, but not to damage the rest of the tree, and the cut wood belongs to the tree's owner. A friendly conversation first saves a lot of trouble. We are happy to talk through any of this when we quote, though for a genuine dispute you should get legal advice.