Crown Lifting Your Trees Is An Aesthetic & Practical Task For The Winter

As we enter the depths of winter in the UK, one task that can be done outdoors is crown lifting of your trees. The art of crown lifting holds a pivotal role in ensuring the vitality and appeal of your trees. As a technique designed to elevate the canopy of trees, crown lifting requires careful consideration and expert execution. Read on to find out more.

Crown lifting involves the removal of lower branches from a tree's crown, effectively raising the canopy and creating space beneath. This technique is particularly useful for trees in urban and commercial settings, where vertical clearance is essential for pedestrians, vehicles, and structures.

While crown lifting offers a multitude of benefits, its success depends on the expertise with which it's executed. Certified arborists bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, understanding the specific needs of different tree species and ensuring the process is carried out effectively and safely.

In earlier blogs we have already talked about tree planting in winter, reshaping or pruning established trees as well as tackling decay and deadwood on trees that aren’t as healthy as they once were. So we hope that this series of blogs will help you understand the needs of the trees on your property, and how we might be able to step in and help you with the management of them.

Why should I crown lift the trees on my property?

Aesthetics is certainly a consideration when looking at crown lifting. Crown lifting contributes to the overall aesthetics of your stand of trees bringing more light through to the understory and enables you to also shape the tree at the same time.

Apart from this, there are safety and visibility considerations if you have trees in your commercial property’s grounds. Crown lifting is a crucial safety measure in commercial landscapes, as it minimizes the risk of low-hanging branches interfering with pedestrians, vehicles, or structures. This promotes a safer environment for everyone and could be a necessity if you have quick growing trees such as willows near to entrances and exits where you have vehicle movements on your property.

Airflow within the canopy is also improved, which can reduce the risk of fungal diseases and other issues associated with poor ventilation in the tree's structure. If you have flower beds or shrubs planted under the trees, you can also introduce greater sunlight penetration which will help the plants under the trees grow more healthily.

Can I do this job myself?

The easy answer to this might be ‘yes’! But there are nuances in the answer you ought to consider.

If you have an on-site caretaker you might be tempted to ask that person to perform crown lifting as part of his or her duties, which is just fine if they possess the requisite skills.

Certified arborists possess the expertise to assess the specific needs of your trees, ensuring that the crown lifting process is carried out effectively and without compromising the health of the tree.

Tree surgery can be a risky job, and accidents may happen. When drafting in professionals, you can be assured they will have adequate insurance for this task, and so health & safety considerations for your staff should be borne in mind if you are considering asking your staff to do this instead.

It is vital you are adequately insured. This includes both liability insurance and insurance in consideration of employee welfare and any compensation that could be claimed in event of an accident. With serious accidents, such as those caused by branch fall or chainsaws, the Health & Safety Executive would also need to be notified, and so if embarking on this, you would be well advised to thoroughly risk assess and document training of staff to protect your business and your employees from the ‘worst happening’.

A tree surgeon specific company will also come with experience and qualifications, including the latest industry standard and best practices. For some trees for instance, understanding the law on pruning, felling and tree protection orders is vital to avoid the company becoming liable for damages or compensation claims. In some cases – for instance in the recent case of the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian’s Wall – it could be a criminal offence to tamper with some trees.

And of course, when hiring in a company to perform these tasks for you, they will see to the disposal of the huge amount of waste wood that can be generated.

While cost is a factor, it should not be the sole determinant in your decision-making process. Obtain detailed cost estimates from potential tree surgery companies, and compare them along with the services offered. Remember that quality and expertise come at a price, and investing in a reputable company can save you money in the long run by avoiding potential issues.

Contact Us

If you are a facilities manager, property or landowner looking for help with your trees, your grounds maintenance, soft landscaping work or are looking for a regular maintenance contract, get in touch with us.

Telephone: (0114) 269 9119

Email: info@spalandscaping.co.uk