Tree Surgery
Crown Reduction
Bringing the whole crown in to make the tree smaller.
A reduction shortens branches back to suitable growth points all round, so the tree keeps a natural shape at a smaller size. It is the right job when a tree has outgrown its garden, is crowding a roof or gutter, or is throwing more shade than you want.
Every cut goes back to a side branch that can take over as the new leader, which is what stops the tree responding with a mass of weak regrowth. A reduced tree will want revisiting every few years to hold it at the size you have chosen.
When crown reduction is the right job
A tree that has outgrown the space it was planted in
Branches crowding a roof, gutter or chimney
More shade across the garden than you want
A size you are happy to hold with a revisit every few years
Crown reduction worked from the platform
Willow reduced and reshaped