Ladders...

[Mulberry View]

I'm thinking of buying a new ladder.

 

I've been struggling on with a 3m 2-section ladder, over-reaching and becoming a little more treacherous as I get a little braver. I'm using it mainly to remove Ivy from trees, of which we have plenty. Also dead and unwanted branches. I get frustrated when I can't quite reach.

 

Any advice on what height to go for? I want to buy one that's high enough, but also conscious of my bravery having a limit, which I do not at this stage know the extent of. I had assumed 3-section would be better, but I'm now thinking 2-section might be more practical, especially since I do not need to move it off-site. I still have my 'little ladder' when I need it too.

 

Any recommendations would be appreciated...

[joe90]

Not a recommendation fir a particular type of ladder but having worked at height most of my life the best thing is to always tie it off at the top. I always have a short length of rope fixed to the top rung so when you get up there it’s simple to wrap it around the tree etc and tie it off on the ladder. When I started work with BT  many moons ago we also tied the bottom of the ladder to the pole to stop it sliding away as well.

Edited June 3, 2020 by joe90

[Mulberry View]

Just now, joe90 said:

Not a recommendation fir a particular type of ladder but having worked at height most of my life the best thing is to always tie it off at the top. I always have a short length of rope fixed to the top rung so when you get up there it’s simple to wrap it around the tree etc and tie it off on the ladder.

 

Yes, I was saying this to my good lady. My confidence at a height on the ladder would probably be helped by a small ratchet strap to attach the ladder to the tree. Thanks.

[Russell griffiths]

If you are only working at 6m you might be better off getting some pole pruners, the type that clip together with either a saw on the end or loppers. 

[Mulberry View]

2 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

If you are only working at 6m you might be better off getting some pole pruners, the type that clip together with either a saw on the end or loppers. 

 

Or both!! LOL.

 

I have a lot of Ivy covered trees and, whilst I could wait for it to fall on its own, much of it is highly ingrained from years of neglect, so very tightly woven and looks very unsightly.

[Russell griffiths]

Have you considered a harness and a safety strop so you can tie yourself on so you have both hands free. 

[ProDave]

Tress are just about the worst things to climb with a ladder. It's not like you have a nice flat thing to lean the ladder against.

 

I have another tree to fell this winter but it's too close to the PV to just fell it in one from the ground.  I am seriously considering erecting a section of Kwikstage to get up to it and then fell it in managable sections, taking the scaffold down as i go.

 

I have several ladders, the big boy being a 5M 3 section ladder which I hardly ever use the third section.  But more usually I used my shorter 2 section ladders as they are a lot lighter.  One can never have too many different sized ladders.

[scottishjohn]

1 hour ago, christianbeccy said:

 

Or both!! LOL.

 

I have a lot of Ivy covered trees and, whilst I could wait for it to fall on its own, much of it is highly ingrained from years of neglect, so very tightly woven and looks very unsightly.

having just cleared lots of ftrees and ivy from lots of other trees iam keeping 

and some of htis ivy near the bottom is 4-5" thick 

Ican tell you that if you cut sections out of it at the bottom while not cutting the tree ,then it will wither prety quickly and alot of it will loosen its grip on its own + pull off 

bits that are wound round might need a little help so it does not have a full wrap --then when it dies back it  will come off easily 

no way would i consider climbing up 60 ft trees to get the ivy off 

your next and most important job is to watch the roots carefuly --most realy big ones will die 

but if not you may nedd to dig them out and next year jsut keep knocking off  any new growth at the base of the tree

 no need ot climb up trees to kill the ivy  some picccies of after and before

last picture look how big the ivy incomarison to tree it is on  andI,ve had it twice as large as that 

 with large ivy like that you can inject the roots with round -up -that will make sure its dead if you want

Edited June 3, 2020 by scottishjohn

[dnb]

That's some good ivy there!

 

From my limited working at heights training from work, it seems the best way of doing it is to find a way to not have to work at a height. I like scottishjohn's approach of removing the ivy roots and stems. It works for me. But it doesn't deal with dead wood in the trees. This does involve heights, and I wouldn't like to do it from a ladder because trees move a lot when their centre of gravity changes as branches are removed. I don't like working at heights at the best of times, so I tend to be very cautious with it, unlike some of my friends at work who are quite happy to be atop a 30m Bronto in free space. The last dead wood and tree removal I did involved a cherry picker on my driveway. It was easier to do this than rope and climb 8 trees in a day.

[Temp]

1 hour ago, scottishjohn said:

can tell you that if you cut sections out of it at the bottom while not cutting the tree ,then it will wither prety quickly and alot of it will loosen its grip on its own + pull off 

 

That's what we do. Cut out 3" sections and the rest will die off. Quite a lot just falls off when it's dead.

[Roundtuit]

I cut several well-established ivy 'trees' off at the base about 6 years ago that were smothering some Birch and Ash trees.  Some of the stems were four or five inches thick and heavily intertwined.  The dead ivy branches are still dropping off now when its windy, and will be doing so for a few years yet I reckon.  It does look a bit unsightly, but not bad enough to get the ladder out!

 

I also suspect that the decaying ivy wood has an environmental value as we have both Green and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers paying regular visits to check for bugs.

[Ferdinand]

12 hours ago, Temp said:

 

That's what we do. Cut out 3" sections and the rest will die off. Quite a lot just falls off when it's dead.

 

Quote

cut several well-established ivy 'trees' off at the base about 6 years ago that were smothering some Birch and Ash trees.  Some of the stems were four or five inches thick and heavily intertwined.  The dead ivy branches are still dropping off now when its windy, and will be doing so for a few years yet I reckon.  It does look a bit unsightly, but not bad enough to get the ladder out!

 

I also suspect that the decaying ivy wood has an environmental value as we have both Green and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers paying regular visits to check for bugs.

 

This has always been my bag for big ivy. Seems to work.

 

As a pragmatic answer,  perhaps do the section cut now,  and revisit later in your build and decide whether you

actually need to do the ladder-gymnastics then.

 

For ladders, I have a Wickes 3 section "professional" one, which was made by one of the branded companies. I think it does more than yours, but still goes in a small hatchback by about an inch.

 

F

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Ferdinand

[Mulberry View]

For example, I have a pair of fairly hefty Fir trees side-by-side that I cut the Ivy on several months ago and it is now completely dead, but the main vines are woven so tightly around the trunk that I can't see them ever letting go. It looks very unsightly.

 

I spoke with a tree surgeon a while ago about felling a couple of other trees we can't handle doing ourselves, so I asked him if he'd remove the Ivy as a secondary job and he kinda looked at me a bit funny, but I really want it gone.

 

I've managed to borrow a set of ladders so at least I can see if I have the confidence to climb them before I waste my money, but I'd like to be a bit safer, so what should I buy? At the very least, I'll buy a ratchet strap to attach the ladder to the tree, but how about a fall-arrest harness? Or is this overkill for 7m? Screwfix appear to do a decent one for around £40.

[Conor]

Stay safe and leave the ivy alone... Good shelter for insects, provides food for birds in late winter, and only in extreme cases causes harm to trees.

 

I used to hate the stuff as well, realised it was always a losing battle, now happy to ignore it.

[Mulberry View]

3 hours ago, Conor said:

Stay safe and leave the ivy alone... Good shelter for insects, provides food for birds in late winter, and only in extreme cases causes harm to trees.

 

I used to hate the stuff as well, realised it was always a losing battle, now happy to ignore it.

 

You've never experienced REAL Ivy.

 

This is the trunk of a beautiful Eastern Redbud, a tree that I've never seen until now. Its Ivy infestation is so severe that it has failed to put any low foliage on, only at the very tips of the extremely leggy branches, causing them to grow unnaturally long and in great danger of breaking. Worse though is the way it has grown into the trunk, which along with the woodlice has caused extreme rot.

 

 

 

 

...and here after removing most of it.

 

 

This, believe it or not, was once 2 trees. Both died long ago and what you see is mainly Ivy, which then traveled along the ground and completely infested a large 50 ish foot Conifer. When we arrived, it was impossible to tell that it was a Conifer, none of the original foliage was visible and it was beyond saving.

 

 

This is the stem of a lovely Euonymus Alatus (Burning Bush), take a look at the constriction this Ivy caused

 

 

 

We also have a lovely large Hornbeam that once had 2 stems to it's trunk, but one has died and fallen, the other is so covered in Ivy that looking from the ground up you can't see any of the trees foliage, only Ivy.

 

I've taken the advice of a Tree Surgeon who advised cutting all the Ivy, but sadly some of the trees are so consumed by it, that the remaining dead Ivy makes up most of the tree and also blocks a lot of light into the garden. I'm keen to give them the chance to produce their own growth as soon as possible.

 

Furthermore, we have lots of what appears to be Hedera Canariensis, both in trees and on the ground. Google it, it's once of the most toxic strains of Ivy and is already causing contact dermatitis on my arms and legs, despite taking protective measures. It needs to go.

[scottishjohn]

Do you have enough space to get a rough terrain  access platform /cherry picker in at  them

the way you now decribe it 

its not a quick nip  up a ladder cut off a branch -job done

its sounds like a full days job even with right kit 

or days climbing up ladders 

either way start by cutting ivy at bottom --then remove it later after die back 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by scottishjohn

[ProDave]

Re harnesses.  A fall arrest is probably overkill and in any event they need "space" to activate so are really meant for seriously high stuff.

 

I just have a harness , a few climbers slings and caribinas and clip myself on to anything secure that might be the tree or might be the ladder.

[Ferdinand]

Ivy wood is very soft, so loppers or a decent pruning saw can achieve a lot.

[Mulberry View]

9 hours ago, ProDave said:

Re harnesses.  A fall arrest is probably overkill and in any event they need "space" to activate so are really meant for seriously high stuff.

 

I just have a harness , a few climbers slings and caribinas and clip myself on to anything secure that might be the tree or might be the ladder.

 

I was thinking of something like this?

[Mulberry View]

8 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

Ivy wood is very soft, so loppers or a decent pruning saw can achieve a lot.

 

I think I'm going to buy some of the Wolf Garten click system bits. Looks like they have a 2.2-4m extendable pole with various accessories to click onto it, including a lopper, saw and hook. Hopefully I can get most of what I want to do done with that, limiting the amount of time needed atop the ladder.

[Ferdinand]

16 hours ago, christianbeccy said:

 

I think I'm going to buy some of the Wolf Garten click system bits. Looks like they have a 2.2-4m extendable pole with various accessories to click onto it, including a lopper, saw and hook. Hopefully I can get most of what I want to do done with that, limiting the amount of time needed atop the ladder.

 

Probably teaching to suck eggs, however it is often necessary to do some manual untangling before cutting ivy stems as they become very well attached over time.