Majestic trees felled

Greenman from Little Falls writes:

As a concerned resident of Little Falls I am saddened and shocked by how many trees are being felled and mutilated in our suburb lately.

Little Falls is known as a mature suburb in that it has many stately and majestic trees, some of which were planted decades ago and make up a part of what is known internationally as the world’s largest man-made forest, Johannesburg.

Granted, trees that are planted incorrectly later on can pose a problem, and others die naturally and have to be removed altogether.

This must be done by a skilled and experienced tree feller with the appropriate references and qualifications, and most importantly by using safe, maintained equipment. A qualified tree feller can trim overhanging problem branches back in the correct way, flush with the main trunk/branch without leaving the horrible stumps and jagged broken branches behind like amateurs do.

A horticulturists or landscaper can provide you with the right advice on which trees can be trimmed and shaped professionally to accentuate their form and beauty, making your outdoor room a pleasure and an investment. Their consulting fees and their professional services are well worth it, as the right plant in the right place only improves the value of one’s property and saves costs in the long run.

When trees have to be removed, please consult the professionals rather than approaching unskilled, unqualified roadside tree fellers who work with unsafe and poorly maintained equipment, do not have insurance and do not know about trees.

Trees are the lungs of the planet, and make our city a beautiful, shady and sheltered place to live in. Let’s only fell them when absolutely necessary for safety reasons, with the aim of improving the aesthetics rather than causing an eyesore for all of our residents.

As my good friend, a former landscaper asked me the other day, “If they cut down all the trees, then what are they going to plant in their place?”