Tree pruning
Every cut should have a reason
Tell me what you want to change about the tree. I'll tell you whether pruning can do it, and what it'll look like afterwards.
ISA Certified Arborist PN-7893AT · Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) · 17 years in trees
The first question
“Can you trim my tree?” means four different things
Get it off my roof. Take the dead stuff out. It's too big. My neighbour's complaining. Four different jobs, four different sets of cuts. So the first thing I ask is what you want to be different when I'm finished.
- “Get it off my roof”
I take the branches back off the roof, cutting each one back to a side branch so it keeps its shape. I allow for how fast it grows back, so you're not booking me again next year.
- “Take the dead stuff out”
Taking out the dead branches, especially the ones over a driveway, a patio or a walkway. Usually the biggest difference for the least cutting.
- “It's too big”
Sometimes I can shorten the branches back to suitable side branches, so the tree gets smaller and keeps its shape. Sometimes the honest answer is that the tree is in the wrong spot, and we should talk about removal instead.
- “My neighbour's complaining”
Usually branches over a fence, a driveway or somebody's garden. I'll tell you what can come off without leaving the tree lopsided, before you go and have that conversation.
I climb. That means I can work on the exact branches high up in the tree, not just whatever can be reached from the ground. Anything hanging over a roof or a garden gets roped and lowered down.
Climbing and riggingHedges
Hedge trimming
I trim hedges as well. Cedar, laurel, or whatever you've got.
Tell me roughly how tall it is and how much you want off, and send a photo if you can.
FAQ
Questions
Do I need a permit to prune?
Usually not. Port Moody doesn't require one for pruning done to a proper professional standard, and Port Coquitlam doesn't require one for taking out dead or dying branches. Topping and damaging cuts are treated differently, and rules vary by town and property.
Can you make my tree shorter?
Sometimes, by shortening the branches back to side branches. There's no single amount that's right for every tree. It depends on the species, its age and condition, and what's been done to it before. I'd rather look at yours and tell you what's realistic than promise a shape that would hurt the tree.
Will pruning make my tree safe?
It can reduce a specific branch problem. It can't fix a root or trunk issue, and no pruning makes a living tree permanently safe. If you're worried about the whole tree rather than one branch, start with an assessment.