Before And After | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Case Study 2

Here, the client felt that this tree was too large and she wanted to reduce the size of the crown (crown reduction).

Unfortunately, this tree had been over thinned several years before and as a result, the majority of the foliage of the tree was located at the extremities of the branches. An overall crown reduction on this tree would have left the top of the tree and one of its sides looking very sparse, and would also have sent the tree into a state of shock due to its sudden loss of foliage.

Had a full crown reduction been carried out, the tree would have responded by producing a large amount of new growth to compensate for this sudden loss of foliage. In the long term, the points of new growth would not have been strong enough to support the weight of the growth, resulting in the risk of branches splitting and falling or the tree becoming infected and diseased.

It is essential for tree surgeons to recognise these potential problems when advising clients on work required and to be able to offer alternatives that are in the client’s long-term interests.

So, Peter Stopford Tree Specialists left the height of the tree as it was and concentrated on the sides of the tree. These side branches were pruned back lightly around the circumference of the tree and any disproportionate branches were shortened to produce a neat, regular shape. The crown level was also raised (lower branches were removed), and all dead or diseased wood was removed from the tree to promote its health.