Chipped on site or taken away?
Most tree surgeons carry a chipper. Brash (the small branches and twigs) is fed through it and either left in a pile for you, spread on the garden or loaded into the truck. Larger timber is cut into logs and either left, taken away or sold on. Chipping on site is usually cheaper than removing bulky branches, and leaves you with free mulch. If you do not want the chip, say so when you ask for the quote, because it is simpler than arranging a collection afterwards.
Using woodchip
Chip varies with what was cut. Chip from freshly cut branches includes leaves and twigs, while chip from older, drier wood is more even. Ask what the pile is made from before you decide where to use it, and how much you are likely to be left with, since a large tree can produce a surprisingly big heap. If you do not have space for it, say so before the work starts so the firm can plan to take it away.
- Mulch. A layer of chip around trees, shrubs and borders keeps the soil damper and suppresses weeds. Keep it clear of the trunks and stems themselves.
- Paths. Chip makes a soft path, but it breaks down and needs topping up.
- Fresh or composted. Fresh chip is fine as a surface mulch. Digging it into the soil can tie up nitrogen while it rots, so for planting beds use composted chip or leave it on the surface. Chip from diseased trees is best kept away from the vegetable patch.
- Free chip. Some firms give chip away or deliver it to nearby customers. Ask whether it is available and how much you would get.
Waste carrier registration and duty of care
If a firm carries waste for you, it normally needs to be registered as a waste carrier. The government waste carrier registration page says businesses that transport waste must register, and registered businesses appear in a public register. Waste from your own garden is household waste, but you are still responsible for making sure it goes to someone authorised to take it. The waste duty of care code of practice explains that the law requires anyone dealing with waste to keep it safe, deal with it responsibly and only pass it to authorised businesses. Ask the firm for its registration number and where the waste will go.
What to ask in the quote
- Is chipping included, and will the chip be left, spread or taken away?
- Are logs left, stacked or removed? See logs and firewood if you want to keep them.
- What is the firm's waste carrier registration number, and where will the waste be taken?
- Will they clear up leaves, twigs and sawdust at the end of the job?
For larger clearances, where the volume of waste is a big part of the job, see site clearance.
Burning garden waste
The government says you can't get rid of household waste in a way that causes pollution or harms health, and that includes burning it. Councils investigate smoke and fumes that may be a statutory nuisance and can serve an abatement notice, and you can be fined if smoke drifts across a road and becomes a danger to traffic. Many councils ask residents not to burn, and burning is restricted in smoke control areas. A business burning waste in the open generally needs a waste exemption, which is one reason most tree surgeons chip rather than burn.
Japanese knotweed and other invasive plants
Do not chip or compost Japanese knotweed with other green waste. The government knotweed guidance sets out how to treat it, bury it on site or send it to a permitted landfill or incineration site, and says contaminated material must be handled under the waste rules. Never spread chip from a site that has knotweed. If a tree surgeon spots knotweed on a job, stop and take advice before any material is moved.