Tree surgeons cutting trees on top of cranes

Everything you need to know about tree pollarding

Pollarding is a tree pruning method that restricts the natural growth of trees and shrubs. It is used to prevent trees and shrubs from outgrowing their space and reduces the shade cast by a tree. It may also be needed in built-up areas to prevent contact between the tree and electric wires or streetlights. This is a technique that needs to be done by a professional tree surgeon, which is where our friendly and fully qualified team at Bronzeleaf Tree Surgeons come in. Our professional and fully insured team have many years of experience, we will get the job completed to a high standard. We take pride in our company’s ability to complete jobs safely, in good time and to the highest standards.

Tree surgeons cutting trees on top of cranes
Contact Us for Your Tree Pollarding Needs

Why do trees need pollarding?

Pollarding is a heavy pruning technique that keeps trees smaller than they would naturally grow. It is most commonly used in public, built-up areas to keep a tree a good size for its allotted space. The practice removes all branches from the tree except for the essential ones, stripping it back to reduce the inconvenience of large, shaded areas and low hanging branches. The best time of year to have your trees pollarded is during the winter months, as the trees enter a state of dormancy. This means that the tree sustains less of a shock when it is cut into, meaning that there will still be healthy growth approaching the warmer months. Furthermore, during the winter there are fewer leaves on the trees, reducing the workload and time taken to complete jobs..

What are the benefits of tree pollarding?

Pollarding can be very beneficial to trees when carried out correctly by a trained professional. This prevents trees from outgrowing their allotted space by restricting the height and span it can reach, which is particularly useful in built-up areas with limited space. We know pollarding a tree can also be very beneficial for its health, possibly resulting in a larger yield of fruit and flowers. Furthermore, trees that are pollarded at a young age may live longer than trees that are left to grow naturally as they are not subject to as much windage and weight. Tree pollarding also makes the trees in question safer- it lowers the risk of falling branches, rotting deadwood and fruits, all of which may cause someone injury if they were to fall. It can also reduce the volume and spread of leaves and debris.

What you should know about tree pollarding

Tree pollarding is sometimes thought of as a bad practice, but this is not true when carried out correctly. This is because pollarding is often confused with topping, which is poor practice that sets trees up for decay and is very harmful to the tree’s overall growth. Topping is a practice that involves cutting the tree to a set height without considering the trees growth points, age, or species. When done with a lack of consideration, this practice leaves the tree open to diseases and faster decay, if it doesn’t kill the tree entirely. Topping removes over half of the trees canopy. The canopy is where food is produced for the tree, meaning that excessive removal can starve it.

Furthermore, a trees stress response is to produce lots of new shoots very quickly, but if the tree can’t get enough energy to do this it won’t have the energy to defend against pests and diseases. This fast growth of new shoots can also cause hazards- after topping, the new shoots are held by weaker attachments, meaning that they are more prone to breaking and snapping. Topping also ruins the aesthetic appeal of any garden- the practice leaves ugly stubs, and a tree that has been topped may never go back to its original attractive form. Tree pollarding should be consistent to get the best results, but the frequency varies depending on why a tree needs pollarding- our team here at Bronzeleaf Tree Surgeons an advise you on this.

Why Bronzeleaf?

Problems can be avoided when one of our experienced tree surgeons pollards your trees,  our teams have many years of experience make them fully qualified to give your trees the best of care.

If you need our tree pollarding services, then you can give us a call on 07854 369097. Alternatively, you can browse the rest of our services by clicking here.

Article: Phoenix Marketing 

 

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