Palm and Tree Pruning

Pruning can be dangerous work, especially when reducing the height of a tree or thinning a canopy where there is deadwood.  Sydney Tree Removals have the equipment, skills and insurance to ensure all circumstances are managed effectively and safely.  A small job may only require the use of manual tools such as rope saws, pole pruners and portable buck saws, however when tackling larger jobs our experienced arborists are just as comfortable handling a chainsaw from a cherry-picker.

The notable difference between using an expert and tackling these kinds of jobs yourself, is the safety and efficiency of the work.  Knowing how best to prune considering the uniqueness of each situation, and engaging the most efficient and cost effective techniques is our speciality.

Pruning may be desired for a variety of reasons – not all of which may be approved by the local council.  Sydney Tree Removals are committed to adhering to all relevant regulations.  We do not want our clients to be fined!  Most people, however, call arborists because the problematic tree is causing a danger to people or property.  It is best to talk to someone at Council about the issue before engaging the services of an arborist.  No work can commence until approval is given, if it is required.

Apart from pruning away dangerous branches, pruning may also be undertaken for the health of the tree or for aesthetic reasons. There may be restrictions under these circumstances, but it is still usually doable.  If in doubt, seek advice from your council or contact us to discuss.

The end result of pruning a tree should be a healthy, well balanced tree with no branches creating danger for people and property in the immediate vicinity.  Managing our urban landscape to include the many beautiful trees we love to include will inevitably require the services of an arborist from time to time.  Sydney Tree Removals would love the opportunity to assist, and demonstrate our professionalism. Contact us today.

Palm & Tree Pruning

Trees can become problematic at times and pruning is required. We offer a professional pruning service allowing the tree to retain its health and structure, all pruning work is carried out by qualified arborists and complies with Australian Standard AS 4373-2007.

Common tree pruning works carried out are:

Crown Thinning
By reducing the canopy density of a tree by the removal of secondary branches, a 10% crown thinning can allow better light into a yard or help rekindle a lost view. This can be an option used when the tree is to be retained.

Selective Pruning
Sometimes there are some branches that cause a specific problem, such as tapping against a building or allow birds to perch over your car. Selective pruning is an excellent option to remove these branches without damaging the structure of the tree.

Deadwooding
Removal of deadwood is the removal of dead branches. This prevents the dangerous situation of dead branches falling during times of heavy wind. Deadwooding is also used to remove small dead branches that fall regularly from trees. By removing them it reduces the frequency of twigs littering your property.

Crown Lifting
If you need to increase a trees clearance, you can perform a crown lifting which is where you remove the lowest branches. This improves clearance and access from the lower obstructing branches.

Remedial Pruning
Remedial pruning is the corrective pruning of damaged branches to promote healthy growth. This can involve removing diseased branches, or tidying up some localised damage.

Formative Pruning
Plants don’t always grow in the directions you want unless you plan it. Formative pruning to young trees encourage growth in better and more suitable formations.

Palm Pruning
The removal of old and potentially hazardous fronds and fruiting clusters is a regular request. These often fall and make a mess, or a strong smell. This is a great preventative option to stop that smell or any damage to objects below.

Line Clearance 
Pruning to maintain safe clearances around overhead services such as power lines, transmission lines, or telephone connections.

Tree Pruning can be complex and difficult task – a professional arborist should always be sought. Sydney Tree Removals uses qualified experienced arborists for all tree pruning services. When undertaking tree pruning our work conforms to Australian Standards. We can remove branches from difficult to reach places without damaging the tree or its surroundings. For tree pruning call Sydney Tree Removals for a no obligation free quote.

Tree Topping Verus Crown Thinning

Many times trees we are approached to reduce the height of a tree. Usually this is because they have grown into mature trees that are now interfere with utility lines, are obstructing views, grown too close to buildings or neighbouring vegetation, or shading solar panels. Topping (also referred to as heading, stubbing, rounding, or dehorning) is the practice in which the top of the tree or shrub is removed to reduce the overall height of the tree. This has been common practice for many years and in some cases is the only viable solution for urgent tree work where tree removal is not an option.

Not only is tree topping very un-anaesthetic, it also generates problems by removing a major portion of the tree’s canopy and upsetting the natural balance between foliage, branches and the trunk. The tree’s ability to perform photosynthesis with the reduced canopy is diminished, leading to insufficient chemical energy to continue with the healthy growth of branches, trunk and roots. The stored chemical energy in the branches is lost too when the branches are removed, leaving no energy reserves to correct this imbalance. At this point it the plant may be unable to support its own growth or repair, with bark now being damaged by sun burns, and soon becomes overcome with diseases, fungi and rot leading to an eventual death.

Large branch removal also invites the insects and pathogens into the branch stubs. Even coating the branch stubs with a wound dressing is unable to prevent the decline of the tree with its lack of energy. The plant is unable to repair itself and stop the spread of decay. Surprisingly, around the branch stubs there is usually sprouts of vigorous regrowth that are weakly attached to the tree. The regrowth is trying to return the tree to its former glory, growing faster than ever and with a greater density than a properly pruned tree. All the sprouts and newly formed branches will likely collapse under any strong weather events and pose a risk to people and property in its environment. Any immediate benefit from tree topping is usually only short lived with the tree requiring more attention, more often, in the long run.

Another method for achieving the similar results to tree topping is crown thinning. It is a selective process where trees heights are removed over a number of years by strategically removing branches at the collar or the connection of a branch. This process is repeated with each time a thinning and height reduction being achieved. This method is preferred over tree topping because it protects the integrity of the trees, it results in a more natural and aesthetically pleasing appearance, and it increases the time between prunings as it reduces the occurrence of weakly attached sprouts. Crown thinning is similar in cost to topping but provides these long term benefits. There is still the risk of infection and decay to the large pruning wounds of major branches which can never be eliminated.

Another alternative is to simply remove any trees that are inappropriate for their location and context. For example, a tree lopping and stump grinding service could be engaged to remove trees under electrical wires so the customer and simply replace the tree with a more appropriate plant for the location. By ensuring the replacement tree has a more suitable maximum growth height and width this problem can be avoided altogether and requires no ongoing pruning.

Why use a professional pruner?

Mature trees are a valuable asset to every home, business, and community. They increase the quality of our lives by providing shade, pleasant views, fragrant smells, and somewhere to tie our hammocks. Trees and palms require qualified arborists to ensure their longevity, with arborists often referred to as “tree doctors” or “tree surgeons” because of their specialised skills.

Some of their specialised skills include;

  • Climbing trees and removing difficult branches without wounding the tree.
  • Identifying and removing disease from trees. This process is called disinfection.
  • Pruning in a way to prevent the splitting or tearing of the branch collar or trunk, without leaving stubs, resulting in the promoted growth in a desired manner.
  • Lowering branches in high, confined, or hazardous places.
  • Pruning to protect the growth habit, and maintaining the correct weight, crown, foliage distribution.
  • Formative pruning of young trees to enhance the shape of the plant, reduce the development of structural weaknesses, and to accommodate site constraints.

Why let unqualified and inexperienced tree loppers destroy or damage your tree. Call Sydney Tree Removals today for a free no obligation quote and some quality professional advice.