Tree Crown Reduction / Thinning / Lifting

 

The best and most natural pruning for a tree is a crown reduction or just a crown thin although in most cases a reduction would include a thin. This is the specialism of tree surgery where Mayatte excels. Crown thinning a large tree is necessary periodically to allow the wind to be able to pass through the crown.  a dense crown in leaf will be susceptible to blow over in storms and heavy wind gusts.

It is necessary to make the distinction between a reduction and a sympathetic reduction. One is not natural for the tree and results in an unnatural appearance around the edge of the crown on the branch tips which will result in further un-natural growth. Usually an ugly excessive growth pattern appears due to stress.

Sympathetic pruning is a specialism which is very hard to find amongst tree surgeons, both the ability and desire to practice sympathetic pruning. It is basically a reduction by thinning rather than a reduction by cutting back the edge of the crown. In a nut shell it means that carefully selected branches are pruned leaving smaller ones which naturally reduces the overall size of the crown. This method of pruning leaves the same growth pattern than of a tree that has not been pruned before and is therefore the most natural and best method of pruning a tree that gives no stress to your tree.

 

Crown lifting removes the lower branches of a tree crown to allow more space under the crown, to remove branches encroaching on walls, neighbors gardens and other plants, shrubs or trees. Sometimes some branches can be left if desired to allow a screening and privacy from the neighbors.