Pruning covers a range of targeted work — deadwooding, crown lifting, thinning and removing specific branches. It's generally the cheaper end of tree surgery, and it's very often the work that actually solves the problem someone rings about.
We don't publish a fixed price list, because two trees that look similar from the pavement can be very different jobs once you factor in access, what's underneath and how the material has to come down. What we can do is explain exactly what moves the number, so you know what to look at before you ring round.
What pruning actually covers
| Type | What it does | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Deadwooding | Removes dead branches; safety work | Several years |
| Crown lift | Raises the canopy, freeing the ground beneath | Many years |
| Crown thin | Lets light through without changing size | Three to five years |
| Targeted pruning | Deals with specific branches over a specific problem | Depends on the cut |
| Formative pruning | Shapes a younger tree while it's still easy | Ongoing, but light |
Why pruning is often the right answer
People generally ring about a symptom rather than a tree. The garden's dark, they can't mow underneath, branches are on the roof, twigs keep coming down on the lawn. Each of those has a targeted answer that costs a fraction of reducing the whole crown.
What drives the cost
- Size of the tree and how much of the crown needs working.
- How much is being removed — deadwooding a few branches is not thinning a whole canopy.
- Whether it can be climbed or needs a platform.
- Access for the chipper, and how far the arisings have to travel.
- What's beneath — a border, greenhouse or conservatory changes the method.
- Species, which affects both cutting time and how the tree responds.
How much can safely come off
Timing matters more than frequency
- Winter dormancy suits most deciduous trees — the structure is visible and the tree is resting.
- Plum and cherry in summer only, to reduce the risk of silver leaf and canker.
- Birch, maple and walnut in late summer, because they bleed heavily in spring.
- Nesting birds are protected from roughly March to August, which restricts work regardless of species.
- Avoid heavy pruning in hot dry spells, which stresses the tree further.
How often does it need doing?
Most established garden trees need attention every three to five years, and some considerably less. Young trees benefit from light formative pruning more often; fruit trees are usually annual. A healthy tree with room to grow may need nothing at all beyond occasional deadwood removal — pruning is a response to a problem, not routine maintenance like mowing.
Little and often beats rarely and hard
- Smaller wounds close faster and resist decay better.
- The tree keeps its natural shape rather than having it rebuilt.
- Regrowth is less vigorous, so the intervals get longer.
- Problems get caught while they're small — a rubbing branch, early deadwood.
- Each visit costs less than a major intervention.
What to tell us
- What's actually bothering you, in plain terms.
- Where you notice it — a room, a path, the lawn, the boundary.
- Roughly how tall the tree is and what species, if you know.
- Whether other trees need attention at the same time.
- Whether you've checked if it's protected.
Need a tree pruned?
Tell us what's bothering you about it and we'll suggest the smallest thing that fixes it.