How Does the Crown Reduction Process Work

When it comes to tree surgery, one of the main practices that tree surgeons Essex will come across is crown reduction. While many people might consider tree surgery as a process of simply cutting and removing branches, that couldn’t be further from the reality.

Every tree has a crown and the process of removing the crown will ensure that the area is removed as a whole which means both laterally and vertically. This is something that is commonly carried out on trees that are located within enclosed spaces as a way of increasing light and reducing encroachment on a building or area.

Crown Reduction – What is it?

Essentially, crown reduction is the process of removing a specified amount of the tree canopy. The crown of a tree is measured from the area where the branches start and does not include the main stem, which is the section between the ground and the first branch.

The aim of crown reduction is to help reduce shading and encroachment although it is also carried out to help reduce the mechanical stress on individual branches or the tree as a whole. This ensures that the tree is suited to its environment and location. What this means is that the tree surgeon will ensure the main framework of the crown is retained while giving the tree a smaller outline.

The cuts will be made at the growth points, which is a secondary branch that is growing off a main branch. When reducing a tree, branches should be cut back to a suitable growth point along that branch that is being reduced. By cutting back to a growth point, it ensures the tree retains a natural shape while promoting the formation of healthy secondary growth and excellent tree health.

It’s important that the cuts are as small as possible and should not exceed a diameter of 100mm unless there is a need to do so. The reductions that are made are done so using actual measurements, where possible and should reflect the finished results. However, the measurements might refer to lengths of certain parts that need to be removed in order to aid clarity such as ‘crown reduce height by 2m and lateral spread by 1m, all-around to finished crown dimensions of 18m in height by 11m in spread’. This is not something that can be used on all species of tree and so, it is important to ensure that crown reduction is not confused with topping.

How Much Can a Tree Be Reduced By?

Every species of tree is unique and have the ability to tolerate different amounts of crown reduction. For trees such as Ash and Sycamore, they can handle heavier crown reductions as they are good at regrowth. Species such as Oak and Cherry will struggle with large reductions and could die back if they are pruned too much. Furthermore, the process also takes into consideration the natural look and shape of the tree and so, the crown reduction will be completed in a way that ensures it remains in good shape.