Crown reduction is the reduction in height and/or spread of the crown (the foliage bearing portions) of a tree. Crown reduction may be used to reduce mechanical stress on individual branches or the whole tree; make the tree more suited to its immediate environment; or to reduce the effects of shading and light loss.
Combined with some crown lifting and crown thinning the final result of a whole tree reduction can really open up the area around a tree and increase the light and feeling of space in your garden.

There is a limit to how much you can take off a tree however. A large mature tree cannot simply be hacked down to a much smaller size without causing serious long term damage and decline in the tree. 30% of the tree’s “volume” is generally regarded as the limit to how much a tree can be reduced and every cut needs to be done in the right place to avoid “die-back” and future decay.

Aesthetically, if a skilled tree surgeon reduces a tree, it should still have a natural looking appearance that respects the form and structure of that particular species. If a tree looks like it has obviously been cut back, then it’s most likely been done incorrectly. “Stubby” branches are a sure sign that whoever has cut the tree lacks the necessary knowledge and skill. When choosing a tree surgeon or arborist in Manchester and Cheshire to reduce your trees, take a look at the Before and After pictures on their website. This will give you a good indication of what you can expect yours to look like.

The Before and After images below are of crown reductions carried out by our tree surgeon teams for various clients in Manchester and Cheshire.

We were asked to reduce this magnificent London Plane tree in Altrincham (below) towards the end of last year. It was starting to block out light for the owner and three of the adjoining houses. All the residents love the tree but they wanted to reduce its size because it was becoming a little overbearing!

They definitely did not want it just hacking back so we suggested a crown reduction, and they were thrilled with the result. It still is a “big” tree but it’s now much lighter and brighter in the clients’ gardens and homes.

A client in Bramhall, Stockport had recently installed a brand new thatched roof and now wanted the trees next to the house reducing and pruning back away from the property. She wanted more light in the house and garden, and wanted to remove the risk of any branches falling onto the new roof in high winds. This was the result following a crown reduction from one of our professional tree surgeon teams