Blake Tree Care

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

Floating like a cloud ☁️

I’ve been doing tree work since my early teens, but three days of crane training have genuinely changed the way I look at a tree.

At Blake Tree Care, we’ve traditionally worked with MEWPs, dismantling trees into smaller, manageable pieces. This course has opened our eyes to a completely different way of thinking — and now, even when quoting, we’re looking at trees and asking whether a crane could make the job safer, more controlled and more efficient.

This clip of making the cut sums up one of the biggest lessons.

Understanding the weight, balance and centre of gravity of the piece, then getting the attachment points and sling positions right, means that when the final cut happens there should be no pop, fracture, twist or drop.

It simply floats away like a cloud. ☁️

The amount of experience surrounding us was phenomenal. From the people we’ve counted so far, there was 238 years of combined tree-work experience across the course — and considerably more when you include everyone else involved.

And at one point, there was exactly 100 years of experience in one tree — Joey with 7 years, myself with 19, Simeone with 20, and and with 27 years each.

100 years. One tree. And everyone still learning. 🌳

A massive shout-out to the crane driver as well. He genuinely didn’t stop all day — just cracked on, worked with everyone in the tree and kept the lifts flowing. A huge part of making everything run as smoothly and efficiently as it did. 🏗️👏

And the best bit? We’ve already got our first crane job booked since completing the course.

We’re going into it excited, knowledgeable and comfortable that we now have the skill set to approach it safely, carefully and efficiently.

Genuinely one of the best training experiences I’ve had in tree work.

Plenty more footage and learning from the three days still to come. 🌳🏗️

Huge thank you to everyone involved, .axe.brothers and to Simeone at .climber for capturing it all. 🎥

You never stop learning.

03/09/2026

Back to school 📚

It’s always a privilege to be trusted to work within school environments, and we recently completed a package of clearance works at St James’ Primary School in Colchester ahead of their new nursery development.

Our team cleared dense bramble using the digger and flail, alongside cutting back established conifers to make way for new fence lines and future landscaping works.

When working around schools, it’s not just about getting the job done. We understand the importance of taking extra care of the surroundings and leaving the site safe, tidy and ready for the children returning.

We can also schedule tree surgery and vegetation management works during weekends and school holidays, helping schools complete essential projects with minimal disruption.

30/08/2026

The yellow combo that keeps the wheels turning. 💛🌳

Not the biggest bits of kit in the fleet, but definitely two of the hardest working — out on the road pretty much every day.

A simple truck and chipper combination, but still such an important part of what we do.

Of course, they’d just be sitting in the yard without the great team behind them — heading out every day and delivering quality tree work across Essex and Suffolk.

Good kit helps. Great people make it work. 💪🌳

27/08/2026

You’ve probably walked past bracket fungi hundreds of times without realising just how much they can tell us about what’s happening inside a tree 🍄‍🟫

Swipe to find out more ➡️



One of the more recognisable fungi, often appearing in colourful, layered brackets across dead or decaying wood. It’s a great example of the important role fungi play in breaking down woody material and recycling nutrients.

Bright, bold and difficult to miss when fresh. Chicken of the Woods is one of the more distinctive bracket fungi we encounter and can often be spotted from quite a distance when fruiting.

Honey Fungus is a familiar name to many gardeners, but its significance can vary considerably. What matters is the tree species involved, its overall condition and whether the fungus is affecting the roots or lower stem.

Often noticed around the base of a tree rather than higher in the canopy. Its presence is a useful reminder that a tree inspection isn’t just about looking upwards — the root flare, buttresses and surrounding ground can tell us just as much.

Ganoderma brackets are a fairly common sight on mature trees. When we find them, we look at the wider picture, including their location, the tree’s condition and whether there are any other signs of decay or structural weakness.

Probably one of the most appropriately named fungi — fresh specimens can genuinely resemble a piece of raw meat. Its unusual appearance makes it one of the easier bracket fungi to remember once you’ve seen it.

With its large size and distinctive patterned surface, Dryad’s Saddle can be difficult to miss. It often develops around wounds or damaged areas, making previous pruning points and injuries worth paying attention to during inspections.

Shaggy Bracket can look very different depending on its age and condition. Fresh brackets are often soft and distinctive, while older fruiting bodies can darken considerably — another reason identification isn’t always as straightforward as it first appears.

A great example of the close relationship between certain fungi and particular tree species. Spotting the host tree can often

27/08/2026

Throwback Thursday ↩️ Back to 2019 🌳

A bit of old-school rigging on a dead weeping willow.

There’s something satisfying about a good rigging job — getting the ropes set, controlling the timber and watching each piece land exactly where you want it.

This one’s from 7 years ago now… mad how quickly the time goes.

Always good looking back at old jobs and seeing how we worked then compared to how we’d tackle the same tree today.

24/08/2026

🌿 Laurel Hedge Removal 🌿

A recent job where we removed a section of laurel hedge to create some much-needed extra width to the driveway.

The remaining hedge was trimmed and tidied, with the stumps left high for the landscapers to remove safely with a digger as part of the wider landscaping works.

As we approach the end of bird nesting season, it’s a good time to start thinking about any hedge work or tree work you may have been putting off🐦🌳

If you’re considering hedge removal, reduction or general tree work, get in touch for a free quotation.

📞 Get in touch today

18/08/2026

An ash tree and a poplar growing side by side, gradually wrapping around one another as they mature🍃

A simple but fascinating example of how trees adapt to their surroundings – and sometimes to each other. Nature always finds a way💪🏻🌳

09/08/2026

Big problems don’t always need big solutions. 🐘🌳

Sometimes you just need to break them down.

One branch.
One cut.
One section at a time.

Whether it’s an 80ft dead oak, building a business, training for a marathon, or tackling a challenge that feels impossible — just concentrate on the next bite.

Plenty of different ways we could have tackled this one, and I’m sure the comments will tell us! 😂

How would you have done it? 👇