Tree Pruning

There are many different forms of tree pruning, each appropriate to different situations. The most significant ones are described below. We are happy to advise you on which type is most suitable for your requirements and the health of your tree. The term ‘crown’ is often used when describing tree pruning techniques – it refers to the tree’s canopy, ie the leaf and branch area but not the trunk/stem. 

Crown Reduction

To reduce the overall volume and visible size of a tree, while maintaining the natural balance and shape – ensuring that it still looks like a tree. It may be that you would like to keep your tree but you need more light in your garden , or you feel the tree is too large given it’s proximity to your property. Sometimes a tree with a potentially hazardous disease or unstable rot may be spared removal by reducing it’s volume and thus greatly reducing it’s susceptibility to high winds or it's collapse due to excessive branch weight.

Crown Thinning

This process leaves the overall size of the tree as it is, but removes selected branches within the crown. The branches that are removed are often those that are dead, rubbing, split or defective in some other way. Combined with increased airflow within the canopy this is a good way to maintain the health of your tree, while also increasing the light passing through to the ground below. Crown thinning reduces the ‘cluttered’ appearance of an overly thick canopy.

Crown Lifting

To remove the lowest branches of a tree, providing increased clearance below. Often carried out on roadside trees as there are statutory height clearance requirements that local councils/highway authorities can enforce. Can also be a good way to increase the light below garden trees.

Pollarding

A traditional method of tree management, this involves pruning the tree quite dramatically, often to only a few metres high, from which shoots will often re-grow with surprising vigour. It can be an effective way to greatly reduce the size of a tree while also leaving it in an easily maintained condition (so long as this is done on a regular basis). While it is not appropriate for all species, it can increase the health and longevity of other species – indeed, some of our best known ancient trees are old pollards.

Deadwood / Branch Removal

The removal of dead tree branches greatly improves the safety of people and property below. Trees naturally produce deadwood as branches die and decay, indeed in an area of untravelled woodland this provides excellent wildlife habitat. Unfortunately deadwood branches have a tendency to fall out of trees and above public areas, roads or gardens this can be a hazard. Having a tree cleaned of deadwood greatly reduces the hazard to those below.

Individual selected live branches can also be removed if they have grown in an overly heavy or weakened manner, or if they cause other problems such as light obstruction or rubbing on property.

 

Examples of pruning methods