There are many reasons why you need tree maintenance. Tree surgery will make trees more safe, avoid subsidence, increase vigor and health, improve light and make a tree more beautiful.
Different species of tree respond in different ways to pruning, depending on the season and severity of the pruning. At Cut Above Tree Management we will provide you with the advice needed to suit your particular situation and budget.
Trees have a pronounced effect on the environment in which they grow, affecting the view from your own and neighbouring properties and can add or detract value to or from these properties. They also provide habitat for bats, birds and insects. For these reasons trees can be protected under an individual Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or as a group in a Conservation Area. We will always take the time to investigate these considerations to avoid any unwanted fines or problems.
We offer the following services
- Tree felling and removal We offer a safe and professional tree felling service. Don’t worry if you have buildings near to the tree(s), our rigging systems can safely fell the tree in sections without any damage.
- Tree pruning and shaping. There are different types of tree pruning that will be selected depending upon your particular requirements. All pruning cuts comply with modern arboriculture principles, which limit, as much as possible, the impact of tree surgery on tree health.
- Tree crown reduction and shaping Crown reduction pruning is used when a tree has grown to large for the environment in which it has grown, the aim being to reduce the overall size of the tree. When carried out correctly the tree should maintain a natural appearance and minimize stress on the tree. A well-proportioned tree is a delight to see, and careful reshaping and thinning can greatly improve its appearance and structure by the careful removal of the outer branches.
- Reducing away from buildings This pruning is used when a tree has grown in close proximity to a building or structure and is causing or has the potential to cause damage.
- Tree crown thinning and dead wooding Crown thinning reduces the density of the canopy by removing between 20% and 30% of the live growth. The aim is allow more light and wind to pass through the tree and remove any dead or hazardous limbs. Branches are removed from within the tree crown in order to make it uniformly less dense. The natural shape of the tree is completely unaffected but the ‘Sail Effect’ (wind resistance) is reduced and more light allowed to filter through.
- Crown lifting and reducing Crown lifting is the process of removal the lower limbs of the tree to allow clearance for vehicles, pedestrians and lines of site.
- Tree pollarding. Pollarding is a frequently misunderstood term, and is used in two different contexts. Traditionally, the term describes the removal of all branches from the trunk. Mature trees that have not been previously pollarded are generally not suitable for this type of pollarding due to the large wounds that it produces which can jeopardise the long-term future of the tree.
A less frequently used definition can mean the regular (annual or biannual) pruning back of small branches to the same point resulting in the formation of a ‘pollard head’. The new growth of pollarded trees require regular maintenance.
- Tree planting We provide a tree planting service to help maintain and develop your environment.
- Stump grinding and stump removal Either by ‘grubbing out’ by hand (if the stump is small enough), employing a stump grinding machine (if the stump is large) or poisoning the stump and allowing it to slowly decay over time.
- Emergency call out We are also there to help you in an emergency, please call us and we will try our hardest to meet your urgent needs.
- Insurance Subsidence Mitigation Subsidence is very common in some parts of Southwark and Lewisham. The Victorian properties have poor foundations and some are built on clay, which is prone to shrinkage.
Trees, particularly growing on clay subsoil can cause cracks to appear, as indeed can the removal of such trees. Different types of trees can cause different damage, so that ones with deep tap roots will be unlikely to cause root impact damage although they may dry out the soil a bit. We are used to dealing with these issues and the insurance issues associated with the problem. - Site clearance If an area has been selected for building or regeneration projects sometimes a tree and shrub clearance is necessary. We will carry out all relevant conservation area and tree preservation order (T.P.O) checks before proceeding with removal and if requested use stump grinding methods to gain adequate footings.