Pruning & Tree Reduction
Correct pruning maintains general tree health and structural integrity. Using only professional tree care specialists to help you plan, develop, install and care for your trees will ensure their continued health and value.
Habitat Tree Surgeons are experts in pruning and tree reduction in all urban and rural situations. We service Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti Coast, Levin, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt and further upon request and negotiation.
Form Pruning
Form pruning is basically taking any unnecessary growth and dead wood out of a tree. Doing this brings the glory of the tree out, enabling you to see the upper canopy, also seeing the strength and power of the wood, bark, branches, limbs, wood structures and foliage.
Dead Wooding
Dead wooding goes hand in hand with form pruning, as far as visual goes, but it is also good for the trees health to remove the “3 D’s” (dead, diseased, and dying wood). Essentially, the tree is trying to seal (compartmentalise), but can’t until the dead wood has naturally rotted off, or has been removed by an arborist. So cutting it off at the collar gives it a helping hand. The tree also looks better having the dead wood (spooky look) removed and of course it’s also safer from a hazard perspective, plus better for the tree.
Crown Lifting
Crown lifting is the pruning off the lower branches giving more room and light for other plants, enabling pedestrian or vehicle clearance.
Thinning for Light
Thinning for light is form pruning, dead wooding and crown lifting combined, but with the added extra of thinning the entire canopy to allow 200% to 400% more light to come through (depending on the tree variety, wind environment).
Directional Pruning
Directional pruning is done to prune and train limbs and branches away from structures, power lines, other trees, paths, drives etc.
Pruning View Windows in a Tree
Pruning view windows in a tree is a cost effective way of retrieving a view. See the tree as not an obstacle to the view, but as a visage or frame of the view.
Tree Reduction
Tree reduction is not considered best practice, but is sometimes necessary. Once you take the tree reduction avenue there is usually no going back. It does (in most cases) irreversible damage to the trees integrity. However, there is a “best practice” for doing the “not best practice” of tree reduction. If the tree has already been reduced (AKA "Topped") and cannot be removed for various reasons, there is no option but to keep it going. It does create a high maintenance situation though .
If the tree is left alone to grow - it is very likely to fail at some stage. We are happy to provide tree reduction services, but only after we have explained to you the consequences of that action, and for you to have had the opportunity to understand and ponder alternative options that may be available.
Epicormic Sprouts
Epicormic sprouts are buds that are forced to grow due to a branch being removed or if the tree is under stress through drought, wind or disease etc. After tree surgery has taken place it is not unusual for them to grow near and around the cuts. You can just rub these off with your hand if you get to them early enough, or cut them off, or wait till you get us back again. We always love to come back and see how our work with the tree is holding out. We also enjoy seeing the difference in the garden after it has been given more light and room, and after the you have added your unique 'gardeners touch'. Sometimes we will prune a tree to generate epicormic growth to create privacy or wind protection.