Selective, considered pruning to manage growth, clear buildings and lines, raise crowns, and keep your trees healthy long-term.
What 'pruning' actually covers
Pruning is a catch-all for selective cuts that aren't a full reduction. On most jobs that means one or more of:
- Crown lifting — removing lower limbs to raise the crown above vehicles, paths or a garden underneath.
- Deadwooding — taking out dead and dying branches so they don't fall on people, cars or the greenhouse.
- Building clearance — pulling limbs back from windows, gutters and roofs.
- Formative pruning — early-years shaping of young trees so they grow well.
- Restoration pruning — bringing back a previously over-pruned or neglected tree over a few seasons.
When you'd want this done
- Lower branches catching the van when you pull onto the drive.
- Dead limbs above the patio, decking or the kids' trampoline.
- Branches scraping a wall, blocking a window, or lifting roof tiles.
- A young tree that's growing two leaders or going the wrong direction.
- Big old fruit trees that have got tangled and unproductive.
Why pruning matters — not just neatness
Done well, pruning extends the safe life of a tree. Done badly — random topping, flush cuts, tearing off bark — it shortens it and triggers decay. We work to current arboricultural standards (BS3998) and to natural target points, not whatever's easiest to reach.
Timing
Most trees: late autumn through early spring while they're dormant. Exceptions worth knowing — prune cherry and plum in summer to avoid silver leaf, walnuts in late summer when sap is low, and don't prune oaks May–August because of oak processionary moth. We'll give you the right window for your tree.
Bird-nesting season
Bird nesting season runs roughly March to August. We won't prune a tree with an active nest in it — legally we can't, and we wouldn't. Bigger jobs are often best booked in for autumn anyway.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between pruning and reduction?
Pruning is selective — specific branches for specific reasons. Reduction takes size off the whole canopy. Many jobs end up being a bit of both.
How much will it cost?
Most domestic pruning jobs land between half a day and a full day — that's the right way to think about it. Free written quote, no obligation.
Will it harm the tree?
Pruning correctly is part of how a tree stays healthy. Over-pruning or lopping is what causes harm. We don't do either.
Can you prune fruit trees?
Yes — apples, pears, plums and cherries. Different trees want different treatment and different timings. Tell us what you've got.