Tree Pruning

At Driftwood, we provide professional tree pruning services to enhance the health and safety of your trees. Whether it's improving tree structure, removing hazardous branches, reducing shading, or ensuring clearance from nearby structures, pruning plays a vital role. However, pruning must be done carefully, as cutting too much can expose the tree to disease or decrease its overall vitality. Below are the main types of pruning services we offer to keep your trees in top condition.

Crown Thinning

Crown thinning is a specialized pruning technique that removes smaller, tertiary branches from the outer crown. This method helps maintain uniform foliage density while preserving the tree’s overall size and shape. Crown thinning is perfect for broad-leaved species and improves light penetration, reduces wind resistance, and minimizes weight without compromising the tree’s structure. Driftwood ensures that no more than 30% of the tree is thinned for optimal health and appearance.

Crown Lifting

Crown lifting involves the careful removal of lower branches to allow more light and access under the tree. This technique helps improve clearance around buildings, pathways, or vehicles. At Driftwood, we avoid removing large branches directly from the trunk to prevent long-term damage. For mature trees, we focus on shortening secondary branches to minimize risk and ensure stability. Our crown lifting services are tailored to leave at least two-thirds of the tree’s crown intact.

Crown Reduction

Crown reduction reduces the size of the tree’s canopy, either in height or spread, to reduce mechanical stress and improve the tree’s fit within its environment. This method also helps reduce shading and light loss. Driftwood’s crown reduction technique ensures that a significant portion of the tree’s foliage is maintained while creating a smaller, balanced outline. This technique requires precise cuts, typically no larger than 100mm in diameter, to minimize damage and promote healthy regrowth.

Pollarding

Pollarding is a pruning method that involves the complete removal of secondary and tertiary branches, leaving only the main scaffold branches. This technique is only suitable for certain tree species and requires regular pruning to maintain the shape. Driftwood’s expert team can safely perform pollarding and advise on ongoing care to ensure the tree remains strong and healthy.