Crown reduction, done to growth points.
Reducing a crown means taking the whole outline in evenly and finishing each cut at a growth point, so the tree keeps its shape and seals properly.
How a reduction differs from topping
Both make a tree shorter. The difference is where each cut stops, and what the tree does afterwards.
- The whole crown reduced evenly, so the tree keeps its natural outline
- Every cut finished at a side branch that can take over as the new leader
- Reduction quoted as a percentage, agreed before anyone leaves the ground
- Typically fifteen to thirty percent, which a healthy tree takes comfortably
- Light back into the garden and weight off limbs that were getting long
- No stubs, so no dense regrowth to pay for again
Reasons people ask for one
Usually light, sometimes weight, occasionally a surveyor.
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The garden is dark
A reduction with a thin takes the edge off without leaving you a bare stem in the corner.
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It is too close to the house
Taking the lateral spread back off a roof or a gutter, rather than removing the tree.
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The limbs are getting long
Long horizontal limbs on a mature tree carry a lot of weight. Shortening them reduces the leverage.
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Something has been flagged
A survey or a mortgage query naming the tree. Bring us the wording and we will quote to it.
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It has outgrown the spot
A forest tree in a small garden will never be the right size. A reduction on a cycle keeps it workable.
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A neighbour has asked
Often the cheapest way to settle it, and better than a one-sided cut back to the boundary.
Want to know what it would look like?
Send a photo of the tree from the house. We can tell you what a reduction would take off it, and whether it is the right answer at all.
Questions about this job
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A reduction takes the outline in all round and finishes each cut at a growth point, so the tree carries on from there. Topping cuts the crown off at a height and leaves stubs, which cannot seal and throw out weak regrowth. Topping is quicker and cheaper on the day and costs more over a decade.
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Most healthy trees take fifteen to thirty percent without complaint. Beyond that you are removing a lot of the leaf the tree feeds itself with, and it reacts by growing back hard. We will tell you the figure we think the tree will take rather than the figure you ask for.
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Depends on the species and how hard it was taken. Three to five years is common on a vigorous tree such as a lime or a willow, longer on an oak.
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Right after a winter reduction a bare tree looks smaller and more open, because it is. Come the spring flush it reads as a well-shaped tree. We would rather show you a photo of similar work before you book than have you surprised.
Other things we do
Most jobs turn out to be more than one of these. Ask for a price on all of it at once.
Tree felling and dismantling
Qualified tree felling and sectional dismantling across the Kent, Surrey and Sussex borders.
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Tree pruning and trimming
Crown lifting, thinning and deadwooding carried out to the British Standard.
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Hedge cutting
Hedge cutting, reshaping and height reduction for homes and commercial sites across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
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Stump grinding and removal
Stump grinding and removal across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
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Storm damage clearance
Windblown trees, hung-up limbs and storm damage made safe and cleared across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
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Site clearance
Overgrown plot and site clearance for homeowners, builders and landowners across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
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