Delivering the Project
We delivered the trees over a six week period with 10 deliveries in total. The estate that we were delivering to are experienced in tree planting so we were able to work with the local contractors to fit in with their schedules and make this as efficient as possible for them.
Lifting the Trees
The trees selected were of such a significant size that we had to hire a specialised spade to lift them. The spade consisted of eight prongs, each entering the soil separately. Once firmly in place, the tree is then carefully lifted and transported to the back of a lorry to go to the despatch yard. At the yard the tree is then placed on top of hessian and two cages. These protect the rootball and keep its shape and once the tree has been planted, the hessian and cage will biodegrade. The hessian is pulled up around the rootball and neatly wrapped, then the cages tightened around it – while one person could manage this task with smaller rootballs, many of these rootballs required three people.
Preparing the Tree for Delivery
After securely wrapping the rootball, the tree is tilted onto its side. Given its size, a crane is used to position the tree onto hay bales on top of pallets. Cherry pickers were used so that our team could reach the canopy to tie the branches. Each branch was drawn inward towards the main stem and secured with twine. This not only makes loading the tree onto the lorry easier but protects the branches during transportation.
Loading the Lorry
To transport these trees, a hi-ab crane is used for delivery. Upon its arrival, the trees need to be loaded onto the crane. To do this, a strop is placed around the rootball and main stem and a rope is fastened around a strong branch to guide the tree onto the lorry. Once securely loaded onto the lorry, the tree is strapped down and ready for delivery.
