The Complete Tree Surgery Guide: Expert Care for Your Trees Year-Round
Introduction
This article provides comprehensive information on professional tree care, drawing on our extensive experience across Worcestershire and the surrounding areas.
Understanding Tree Surgery: More Than Just Cutting Branches
Tree surgery encompasses far more than simply removing unwanted branches. It’s a specialised discipline that combines horticultural knowledge, safety expertise, and artistic vision to maintain, improve, and preserve trees whilst ensuring they remain safe and healthy for years to come.
When we approach any tree surgery project, we’re considering multiple factors:
- The tree’s species and growth patterns
- Its current health status
- Environmental stresses
- Seasonal timing
- And your specific requirements
Each cut we make influences the tree’s future growth, so precision and expertise are crucial.
Essential Types of Tree Surgery We Perform
Crown Lifting: Creating Space and Light
Crown lifting involves the careful removal of lower branches to increase clearance beneath the tree.
This technique proves invaluable when you need to improve access for pedestrians or vehicles, reduce interference with buildings, or allow more light to reach gardens and lawns below.
We typically recommend crown lifting when branches hang lower than 2.5 metres over footpaths or 5.2 metres over roads. However, we’re always mindful not to remove more than 15% of the living crown in a single session, as this can significantly stress the tree.
Crown Reduction: Managing Size Without Compromise
When trees have grown too large for their location, crown reduction offers a practical solution.
This process involves reducing the overall size of the crown by cutting back to suitable lateral branches, maintaining the tree’s natural shape whilst making it more manageable.
Crown reduction requires exceptional skill because poor execution can leave trees vulnerable to disease and structural failure. We never simply “top” trees by cutting straight across branches, as this practice invariably leads to weak regrowth and increased maintenance needs.
Crown Thinning: Letting Light and Air Flow
Crown thinning selectively removes branches throughout the crown to reduce density whilst preserving the tree’s natural shape and size.
This technique improves light penetration, reduces wind resistance, and can help prevent fungal diseases by improving air circulation.
During crown thinning, we typically remove no more than 25% of the living crown, focusing on damaged, diseased, or crossing branches first, then carefully selecting additional branches to achieve the desired density.
Pollarding: Traditional Management for Modern Gardens
Pollarding is an ancient tree management technique where we cut the tree back to the main trunk or primary branches, encouraging new growth from these points.
While it may seem drastic, pollarding can significantly extend a tree’s life and is particularly useful for managing trees in restricted spaces.
This technique works best with specific species, such as willows, limes, and plane trees.
When performed correctly and maintained regularly, pollarded trees develop distinctive knuckled appearances that many find architecturally appealing.
Deadwood Removal: Safety and Health Combined
Removing dead, dying, or diseased wood is fundamental to both tree health and safety.
Dead branches can fall unexpectedly, posing risks to people and property, whilst diseased wood can spread problems throughout the tree.
We inspect every tree thoroughly, identifying not just obviously dead material but also branches showing early signs of decline.
Our trained staff can identify subtle indicators, such as changes in bark texture, unusual growth patterns, or early signs of fungal infections.
Seasonal Tree Care: Timing Is Everything
Winter Surgery (December – February)
Winter is the optimal time for most tree surgery work.
With trees dormant and leaves absent, we can clearly see the branch structure and make precise cuts.
Wounds heal more effectively during dormancy, and there’s minimal risk of attracting insects or pathogens.
We particularly recommend winter work for fruit trees, as this timing encourages healthy spring growth and improved fruit production. However, we avoid working during severe frost, as this can damage freshly cut surfaces.
Spring Considerations (March – May)
Early spring requires careful species selection for tree work.
While most trees handle spring surgery well, we avoid pruning birches, maples, and walnut trees during this period as they “bleed” sap excessively, potentially weakening the tree.
This season is ideal for assessing storm damage from winter weather and planning summer maintenance programmes.
We often recommend light crown cleaning during spring to remove any winter damage before the growing season begins.
Summer Surgery (June – August)
Summer tree surgery requires extra precautions, as trees are actively growing and more susceptible to stress during this time.
However, certain situations necessitate summer work, such as emergency storm damage or health and safety concerns.
During summer months, we’re particularly careful about wound dressing and timing our work to avoid the hottest parts of the day. We also monitor trees more closely following summer surgery to ensure they’re coping well with the stress.
Autumn Preparation (September – November)
Autumn offers excellent opportunities for tree assessment and planning.
With full leaf cover, we can evaluate tree health, identify potential problems, and plan winter surgery programmes.
This season is also ideal for young tree formative pruning, helping establish good structure before winter dormancy.
We often recommend autumn inspections for commercial clients to identify any urgent work that needs to be done before winter storms arrive.
Safety Protocols: Your Protection Is Our Priority
Tree surgery ranks among the most hazardous occupations, which is why we maintain rigorous safety standards that exceed industry requirements.
Every member of our team holds relevant certifications, including NPTC (National Proficiency Tests Council) qualifications for chainsaw operation and aerial tree work.
Personal Protective Equipment Standards
Our operatives use professional-grade safety equipment, including cut-resistant clothing, safety helmets with face protection, protective eyewear, and hearing protection.
When working at heights, we use specialist climbing harnesses and ropes that have been tested to exacting standards.
Risk Assessment Procedures
Before beginning any project, we conduct comprehensive risk assessments covering everything from overhead power lines and underground services to pedestrian access and property protection.
We identify potential hazards and implement control measures to eliminate or minimise risks.
Insurance and Qualifications
We maintain comprehensive public liability insurance, as well as employers’ liability coverage for our team.
All our tree surgeons hold appropriate qualifications from recognised bodies, and we invest heavily in ongoing training to maintain the highest standards.
Tree Health Assessment: The Foundation of Good Care
Effective tree surgery begins with a thorough health assessment of the tree.
Our arborists examine multiple factors when evaluating trees, using both visual inspection techniques and, where necessary, specialist diagnostic equipment.
Visual Health Indicators
We look for obvious signs of distress, including:
- Leaf discolouration
- Premature leaf drop
- Die-back in the crown
- Fungal growth
Bark condition provides valuable insights into tree health, with splitting, cankers, or unusual growths indicating potential problems
The tree’s overall structure receives careful attention as we identify weak branch attachments, crossing limbs, and signs of previous poor pruning.
Root problems often manifest in above-ground symptoms, so we examine the area around the tree base for signs of disturbance or decay.
Advanced Diagnostic Techniques
For valuable or potentially dangerous trees, we employ advanced assessment methods, including resistograph testing to measure internal wood density and sonic tomography to identify hidden decay.
These techniques enable us to make informed decisions about whether to retain or remove trees.
We also consider the tree’s environment, examining soil conditions, drainage patterns, and potential stresses from construction or landscaping changes.
Understanding these factors enables us to recommend effective management strategies.