06 · Shape & light
Crown reduction, thinning & lifting
Pruning that keeps a tree's natural shape — reducing height and spread, thinning the crown or lifting it to bring light and space back to your garden.
A good reduction is hard to spot. Rather than hacking a tree back, we look at its entire shape and reduce it evenly to suitable growth points — so it keeps its natural form, regenerates over time and lives alongside you more comfortably.
What are the benefits?
Tom's Trees tree reductions.
01
Crown thinning
Removes smaller branches within the crown without losing the tree's shape — letting more light through and reducing wind resistance in strong winds.
02
Crown reduction
Reduces the height and/or spread of the crown, easing mechanical stress on the tree and the effects of shading and light loss.
03
Crown lift
Lifts the crown to let more light through, provide access where necessary and give you a better view.
Want to know more?
How we approach tree reductions
A reduction means looking at the entire shape of the tree and reducing it evenly, preferably to suitable growth points, so the tree keeps its natural shape and regenerates over time — much like deadheading your plants.
Correctly reducing a tree allows the wind to move through it more efficiently, reducing the risk of failure. Reduction can also be used to target-prune lateral limbs to reduce end weight.
Done well, a reduction is a great way to maintain and preserve the life of our trees, so we can live harmoniously with them — improving lifespans and the ecosystems within our developed environments.
Pruning protected trees
Lopping or topping a tree with a Tree Preservation Order, or in a conservation area, usually requires consent or notice first. We'll check before we prune.
GOV.UK: Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas (opens in new tab)In their words
Kind words from customers.
“Liking to support local business, we were glad to find Tom in our neighbourhood. He called quickly to assess our jobs and discussed the options frankly, allowing us to decide what seemed best. Once we had agreed the scope of the work and the price, he and a couple of colleagues undertook an excellent job, thinning and lifting several tree crowns. The trees now look elegant and are safer. Apart from his expertise as a tree surgeon, you’d hardly know he’d been here. Tom and his team worked carefully in the property and were extremely tidy, leaving us with some logs and clearing everything else to restore the status quo. We are delighted by Tom’s work and warmly recommend him.”
Questions
Tree Reductions: common questions
Free quotes & site visits
Need tree reductions?
Tell us about your trees — add a few photos if you can — and Tom will arrange a free site visit and quotation.