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Our team boasts some of the best tree pruning experts in the industry, with decades of experience and a wealth of tree care knowledge; tree pruning and shaping is our shared passion and where we get our chance to leave a lasting impression on our clients and their trees.
Our commitment to quality tree pruning, safe working practices, and customer service sets us apart from the rest.
Whether it’s tree, hedge, or shrub pruning we will enhance the beauty and safety of your trees, green space, and woodland areas.
Choose us for expert tree care in Stockport, Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Contact us today!
Trees are a lovely feature in any garden, if pruned correctly, they look beautiful even when they are out of leaf. Trees protected by conservation area law or tree preservation order must be pruned to the British Standard BS3998:2010. But, why not prune all trees to a standard that has been put in place to:
1) Protect the natural branch structure of the crown and its value in the amenity.
2) Proper pruning ensures cuts are made back to growing points with significant enough foliage to supply pruning wounds with energy to heal. Healing is important as it prevents pathogens from entering the tree.
3) Healing also uses a lot of the tree’s energy, slowing down future growth. It’s a win, win, win, with proper pruning by one of our experts.
Most trees growing in an urban environment will require maintenance to stop them from becoming hazardous, unsightly or growing out of context with their location. This involves techniques such as crown lifting, crown reduction, crown thinning, and formative pruning, as demonstrated in our pruning portfolio.
If you have trees on your property, you are legally responsible for ensuring they do not pose a risk to other people or their property. Your responsibility is very simple.
“You are expected to take reasonable action to prevent foreseeable harm.”
This can be as simple as asking a qualified arborist such as the team at Sabre Tree Surgery, to come out and give you a free quotation for anything that needs attention to meet your ‘Duty of care’.
For further information regarding your legal responsibility as a tree owner and how you can learn to inspect your own trees using our tree safety checklist please visit our blog.
No two customers, trees, or locations are the same and our team will always consider your specific requirements and your budget carefully to make sure our prices are as competitive as possible.
In my experience, the most common action in tree operations is to lift the crown. By the crown, we mean the head of the tree (anything above the stem. Crown lift simply means to remove the lower branches.
Some branches will be cut back to the stem. Some branches may be reduced neatly back to appropriate growing points.
Crown reduction or reshaping means either:
A) Reducing the overall size of the crown
B) Reducing branches from an obstacle or buildings.
There is a healthy limit to how far a tree can be reduced, some trees are more tolerant to heavy pruning than others. Sometimes a compromise between a moderate reduction and a ‘thin’ is better to allow through more light, whilst maintaining the well-being of the tree.
The objective is to leave the tree looking as natural and untouched as possible. All cuts should be made back to a natural growing point, ideally at least one-third of the size of the branch removed.
Before and After Crown Lift and Thin
Before and After Of Crown Reduction and Formative Pruning
Crown thinning means to remove a percentage across the entire crown. This can be anywhere up to 30%. Over thinning can cause stress to the tree.
Crown thinning usually starts with a ‘clean out’ which involves the removal of any dead, dying, diseased, or crossing (rubbing) branches. Also any climbing plants or foreign objects, such as plastic bags or other debris and any damaged branches will be removed.
As the name suggests formative pruning is the shaping of young trees to help ensure strong, healthy, evenly ‘formed’ specimens.
This involves removing unwanted branches, weak forks or unions, and dead, diseased and crossing branches, resulting in a balanced, even and attractive canopy.
When a tree is pruned from a young age and the above objectives are met, it is sometimes referred to as tree architecture.
When formative pruning, it is wise to consider which branches should be pruned to allow good and safe work, positioning, and climbing access for future maintenance operations.
A1. Crown lift involves removing lower branches of a tree to enhance pedestrian or vehicle access, increase visibility, allow more light, improve the general appearance, and discourage vandalism. It is a common action to address urban tree growth.
A2. Crown reduction involves reducing the overall size of the crown or branches from obstacles or buildings. We recommend it when a healthy compromise is needed, allowing more light, preventing property damage, and maintaining the well-being of the tree.
A3. Crown thinning involves removing a percentage across the entire crown to improve light, reduce wind sale area, enhance general appearance, and increase airflow. Over thinning is cautioned, as it can stress the tree.
A4. Formative pruning shapes young trees to ensure strong, healthy, and evenly formed specimens. We highlight its importance in achieving balanced, attractive canopies, preventing structural issues, and facilitating future maintenance operations.
A5. Proper tree pruning ensures cuts are made back to growing points with enough foliage to supply pruning wounds with energy for healing. This not only protects the natural branch structure but also prevents pathogens from entering the tree, promoting overall tree health and longevity.
A6. Crown thinning involves removing a percentage across the entire crown. We suggest a percentage of up to 30%. Over thinning is cautioned, as it can stress the tree. The process starts with a ‘clean out,’ removing dead, dying, or crossing branches to enhance tree health and appearance.
We provide arborist inspections and consultancy, tree and hedge pruning and cutting, large tree felling and dismantling, site clearance, woodland management services and anything else your trees and hedges might need!
Jess our lady tree surgeon, Operations Director Ben Magill and their hard-working and skilled team, cover Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Stockport including:
If you would like information, advice, or to arrange a FREE competitive quote for any aspect of tree and hedge care, pruning, surgery, removal, or consultancy, please just contact Jessica directly by phone today at: 07584 128 652 or email at jessica@sabretreesurgery.co.uk
Professional tree and hedge services covering the Cheshire areas. Get in touch today for more information and to get a FREE quote.