Love them or hate them, here in Cumbria trees are everywhere! From the most modern estates to the oldest country house. Living with them can be hard at times. They can block out the rise of the morning sun, give us unending task of clearing up after them all autumn and we lie awake on long stormy nights waiting for yet another branch to crash through the greenhouse.
But let’s consider what we love about them. The amazing varying shade of colour the way in which they purify our air, the homes they provide for our wildlife, and not forgetting the natural shields they form for our houses to keep out unwanted interest.
As an arborist (tree surgeon) I am regularly asked to remove a particular tree which is causing a problem. Many don’t necessarily want to ‘remove the tree’ but feel they don’t have much choice. For instance, it may be blocking sun light, growing too close to the bedrooms windows or simply causing a headache (or more likely backache) from picking up the mess it leaves (see what I did there). I try to explain there are ways in which we can manage out trees and perform maintenance on them to reduce all of the problems associated with having a tree in your garden or grounds. On carrying out the maintenance work we find people are left feeling happy that the tree is still a feature of their garden but at the same time they have overcome a problem it has been creating.
There is different type of maintenance we can carry out to overcome, three of these services are:
- Crown Thinning
- Crown Lifts
- Crown Reduction
Crown Thinning is the removal of a percentage of the branch structure without changing the outline of the tree. Crown thins are usually conducted to allow more light to pass through trees but may also be conducted to reduce the sail area of vulnerable trees or to reduce water uptake.
Heavier limbs may also be removed during this operation providing the form of the tree si not damaged or the tree is left in an opportunity to remove dead, dying, diseased, rubbing or crossing limbs.
Crown lifting is the removal of the lowest branches of the tree to give a uniform height above the ground level. This practice reveals a clear stem which is often more pleasing to the eye. Common reasons for crown lifting are to bring more light under the tree to give access to vehicles and pedestrians. Clearance for vehicles if 5.2 metres (17 feet) and for pedestrians 2.5 (8feet)
Crown reduction is used to reduce the height and/or the spread of the crown of the tree. This is generally conducted for aesthetic reasons but may be carried out to remove dead wood “stag horns”, at the top of a mature tree.
Crown reduction is used to reduce the height and/or the spread of the crown of the tree. This is generally conducted for aesthetic reasons but may be carried out to remove dead wood “stag horns”, at the top of a mature tree.
Have a look at the trees around you and see whether they could benefit from one of these tree maintenance services. Whether you’re a homeowner, commercial organisation, local authority or agricultural business, we are able to assist with your needs. Reach out to us with a message below.
