Advanced Techniques
 
The following techniques should in the main be carried out by trained personnel only on mature trees. I have included them to give an insight into tasks that can be performed in the relevant situation and the terminology used. Many are tasks that are performed during the formative pruning of a tree with the same principles ‘scaled up’. The best time of year to carry out the tasks can vary.
 
 
  Leave advanced work to the professionals or it may well all end in tears! Note how this limb removal has managed to damage the tree, wall and shed with one cut!  
 
Crown Reduction
 
In its true form crown reduction should follow principles where no branch should be reduced to one less than 30% in diameter of the original branch and preferably have an angle of no greater than 30º to retain the trees shape. Unfortunately this is a procedure which results in the mutilation of many trees through ignorance and lack of skill. I you are having this type of work done ensure you are comfortable with what the end result will be!
 
 
 
This is not crown reduction, just pain and simple mutilation!
 
Crown Lift
 
Crown lifting is a common practice where the canopy of the tree is ‘lifted’ by the removal of lower branches. This is generally undertaken to allow more light to penetrate under the tree or to improve restricted access (care must be taken not to create a structural imbalance).
 
 

Crown Thinning
 
A reduction in the density of the crown usually by removing weak, damaged or crossing branches which can allow more of the trees reserves to be directed towards the stronger and healthier structural branches.
 
Dead Wooding
 

Dead wood is an energy source for fungi/bacteria and should be removed especially where there is a risk associated with its location. Dead wood is also essential for wildlife, so there must be a balancing act between health and environment in certain circumstances (carry out a risk/hazard assessment, but as a general rule trees in a domestic environment/town should be dead wooded).
 
 

Storm Damage Repair
 
Depending upon the severity of the damage it may be possible to remove broken limbs and re-balance the tree. This will obviously cause the tree a great deal of stress and any treatment should be balanced against the aesthetic/environmental value of the tree, safety and practicality of the treatment.
 
Pollarding (or high coppicing)
 

Once the shape of a tree is formed the young new growth is cut back to, or adjacent to, the frame of the tree every year to regulate its shape and size. There is a fine line between Pollarding and Topping of many town trees.
 
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Topping
 
The topping of large trees is not pollarding, it is a crime against nature – Alex L. Shigo.
 
There seems to be two schools of thought regarding the topping of trees, one for and one against. My personal stance is in agreement with the views of Alex Shigo.
 
How many times do you see a tree ‘topped’ adjacent to a building or property? If the tree was there first it must have been decided that it was of sufficient amenity value to be retained. If this value was so high then why should it be destroy by topping, should the building not have been planned in a more sympathetic manner to the tree? If the tree was planted at a later date than the construction then why was its size and impact not considered when planted? There can be little defence baring greed and a lack of forethought.
 
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Bracing
 
A specialist procedure carried out to support or tie in branches or sections of trees at risk but needing to be retained due to high amenity values etc.
 
There are other advanced techniques in use but there is little benefit in discussing them here as they are either little used or not really applicable in a domestic environment.