Commercial and domestictree pruning and maintenance
Thomson Trees Arb Approved contractors are an Edinburgh based tree surgery company offering a high level of service in all aspects of tree surgery. Our teams are fully qualified to undertake pruning operations to British Standard BS3998:2010 (Tree Work – Recommendations), and carry out their work with professionalism at all times.
At Thomson Trees our services include:
Crown Lifting
This is undertaken to increase the clearance between the ground and the lower branches of the tree. This is often carried out to allow more light to penetrate under the tree, to clear sight lines or to allow access under the tree.
Ideally, the tree surgery practise of crown lifting (or crown rasing) should be restricted to less than 15% of the live crown height. This leaves the crown with at least two thirds of the total height of the tree. Removing too much of the trees canopy will adversely affect the health of the tree. Large diameter branches should not be removed as this can initiate trunk decay. To prevent this we would recommend removing some selective secondary branches wherever possible.
Crown Reduction
This is the removal of the outermost branches to reduce the overall size of the crown. This may be carried out for a variety of reasons, including to alleviate wind loadings when scaffold branches are structurally weak and to reduce branches back from buildings or roads. Ideally the tree should be left with a strong framework of healthy small diameter branches and twigs capable of producing strong leaf cover the following year. Crown reduction tree surgery cuts should be as small as possible and in general not exceed 10cm diameter unless there is an overriding need to do so.
In Conservation Areas and where trees are subject to Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s), Edinburgh Council only allow crown reductions for the reasons given above. A crown reduction to reduce shading is not accepted as a good enough reason to carry out this type of pruning as it can have a detrimental impact on the health of the tree. Thomson Trees will always be happy to liase with the council on the clients behalf, thus helping to ensure your application for works is handled as smoothly as possible.
Crown Thinning
Through selective pruning we can reduce of mass of smaller branches throughout the canopy of a tree to reduce weight, wind resistance, and improve the amount of light passing through. This tree surgery practise should leave the overall shape of the canopy unchanged. This tends to be an operation that is carried out regularly to maintain the uniformity of growth within the canopy. If the objective is to lessen the overall loading on a structural branch then a crown reduction can be more effective. Contact us for a free site visit where we will be happy to advise you on the best course of tree surgery to suit your needs.
Dead Wooding
The removal of limbs that are dead, or in a state of decline though damage or disease. The ongoing maintenance of trees in this fashion is important for amenity planting and areas of pedestrian and vehicle traffic to reduce risk of incident, and to maintain the appearance of trees.