Tree Surgeon Roscommon

Tree surgeons covering all of County Roscommon

Roscommon stretches a long way, from Monksland and the Shannon at Athlone up to the Arigna hills and Lough Key, and the tree work changes along with it. On the eastern side, it is riverside properties and ground that floods most winters. In the south, it is thin soil over limestone. Around Boyle, Strokestown and Castlerea, it is often big, old estate trees that have been growing for well over a century.

5 County Tree Surgeons takes on tree removal, pruning and crown reduction, stump grinding, hedge cutting and storm clean-up across the county. We look at each tree on its own merits, explain whether it can be kept or needs to come down, and give you a straightforward quote that covers the cutting, the timber and the clean-up.

• Licensed and fully insured
• Free quotes, with site visits for larger or riskier jobs
• Experience with large mature trees as well as garden trees and hedges
• Logs left for the stove or everything taken away, your choice

Trees along the Shannon and on flood-prone ground

The whole eastern edge of Roscommon follows the Shannon, from Lough Ree past Ballyleague, Tarmonbarry and Rooskey and up towards Lough Allen. Large parts of that land are callows: low meadows that flood every winter and sometimes well into spring.

Most trees can cope with a few days of flooding. Weeks of standing water are a different matter. Roots need oxygen, and when they are submerged for long periods they start to die back. The damage often does not show until the following summer, when the crown thins out, leaves stay small or whole branches fail to come into leaf. Saturated ground also loosens a tree's grip, so trees on flooded land are much more likely to blow over in the next storm.

If your property floods regularly, keep an eye on trees within reach of the house, sheds or the road, especially after a wet winter. A lean that was not there before, cracked or heaving soil around the base, or a tree that leafs out poorly after a flood are all good reasons to get it checked. Work on callow ground is usually best planned for late summer and autumn, when the land has dried out enough for safe access.

Caring for old demesne and parkland trees

Roscommon has more than its share of old estate land, around places like Boyle, Strokestown, Castlerea, Rockingham and Mote Park. Many houses, schools, churches and farms built on or beside former demesnes have huge beech, oak, lime, sycamore and horse chestnut trees that were planted generations ago.

These trees are worth keeping wherever possible, but they need different care from a garden tree. Common issues we see include:

• Large dead limbs high in the crown over drives, yards and parking areas
• Fungal growth at the base of old beech, which can signal root or lower trunk decay
• Bleeding cankers on horse chestnut, with dark, sticky patches on the bark
• Heavy, over-extended limbs that have grown out towards the light and become unbalanced
• Sudden branch drop from big beech and oak during hot, still summer weather

In most cases, targeted deadwooding and a sensitive crown reduction can make an old tree much safer while keeping its character. Removal is the last resort. Old trees often host bats and nesting birds, so any major work is planned with that in mind.

How tree work is priced in Roscommon

We do not quote from height alone, because height is rarely what decides how long a job takes. A big beech in an open paddock may be quicker to deal with than a much smaller tree wedged between a house and a boundary wall in Roscommon Town.

• The size, spread and health of the tree
• Access for people, machinery and timber
• What could be hit, from roofs and cars to power lines and roads
• Ground conditions, especially on flood-prone or soft land
• Whether timber is kept, removed or cut for firewood
• Stump grinding, and whether rock is likely

Booking several trees or a tree plus a hedge on the same visit keeps costs down compared with separate callouts.