Pruning
In caring for trees we use modern principles known collectively as arboriculture. Arboriculture is the study and practice of tree maintenance and management to benefit a tree's amenity and health.
At Tommy Plummer Tree Services, tree work is undertaken to the highest standard, and to British Standard BS3998: Tree Work - Recommendations , where it is appropriate to do so, and within the remit of the work required.
We have a good working relationship with local district council tree officers and a wealth of experience in making applications for works to trees in Conservation Areas or protected by Tree Preservation Orders.
Depending on your objectives, the tree species and its health and situation, there are a number of tree pruning options. These include:
All arisings (parts of the tree that are produced as a result of our work) are recycled; timber is cut and used for firewood, or milled for furniture making, while brash is chipped and used at a biomass-fuelled power station.
All work is fully insured and we have Public and Product Liability Insurance to £5 million.
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Crown reduction – this involves shortening branches back to a suitable growth point to make a tree smaller. Typically a reduction would involve making the crown smaller by no more than 25-30%. A crown reduction retains the visual attractiveness of the tree, while often reducing some of the nuisances caused by them and can be used to improve the safety of trees where their removal is not appropriate. Please be warned though: some species of trees respond to even the lightest reduction with a vigorous response, and in some cases a reduction can be short-lived and often create a denser canopy.
Crown thin – this involves the selective removal of certain smaller branches, normally where they duplicate, cross, or rub on one another. Typically thinning the crown would be by no more than 30%. The resulting tree would look much the same in outline but have a less busy crown.
Crown raise – this involves the removal of lower branches. Often this is an effective way to increase light and the feeling of space into a garden, and is routinely used on roadside trees to ensure that low branches do not interfere with traffic.
Deadwood removal – this involves the removal of deadwood. This is most often undertaken as a safety measure – dead branches are frequently the parts of trees which fail, even in healthy trees. It is also used to improve a tree’s appearance - some species of tree, especially denser evergreens accumulate a lot of deadwood which makes their crowns appear very dense and this is an effective way of improving the appearance of a tree without interfering too much with it.
Pollard/Re-pollard – this involves pruning a tree more heavily than in a reduction, and normally so that no foliage remains – leaving a framework of timbers. This may initially look unattractive but if done correctly, and on species where this management is appropriate, can prolong the useful life of a tree.