Tree Pruning & Crown Reduction in Hampshire
Expert crown reduction, pollarding, fruit tree pruning and coppicing across Winchester and Hampshire — every specialist crown technique your trees need, done to BS 3998 and without spoiling the tree’s natural shape.
Sound familiar? You’re in the right place.
A tree is dominating your garden but you don’t want it taken out — you just need it kept to a manageable size
Branches are brushing against your house, guttering or outbuildings and causing concern
Your tree isn’t flowering or fruiting the way it used to and you’re not sure why
You’re worried about a large limb coming down in a storm and want a professional opinion
Good pruning is the difference between a managed tree and a butchered one
Done well, pruning controls a tree’s size, improves its health and keeps it safe — all while preserving its natural form. We work to BS 3998, the British Standard for tree work, so your trees are cut correctly, never simply “topped”.
Reduce size & weight
Bring an overgrown tree back to a sensible, manageable size for its setting.
Let in more light
Thin or lift the crown to bring light and air back into your garden.
Improve tree health
Remove dead, crossing and diseased growth to help the tree thrive.
Keep it safe
Take out weak, hanging or hazardous limbs before they cause a problem.
Better shape
Restore a balanced, natural-looking form that suits the tree and the space.
Clearance you need
Create space from buildings, drives, paths and overhead lines.
Considered pruning in five steps
Free assessment
We look at the tree, the species and what you want to achieve, then quote — no obligation.
Right work, right time
We advise on the correct approach and the best season for that species. 📅 See our seasonal tree care calendar for species-specific timing.
Prune to BS 3998
Clean, correct cuts that the tree can heal — never indiscriminate topping.
Reduce, thin or lift
We carry out the reduction, thinning or crown lift to suit the tree and your aims.
Chip & tidy
All arisings chipped and cleared, leaving your garden neat.
Reduction, thinning or lifting — what’s the difference?
“Pruning” covers a few distinct techniques, and the right one depends on the tree and what you’re trying to achieve. We’ll recommend the approach that solves the problem with the least stress to the tree.
- Crown reduction — makes the whole crown smaller while keeping its shape
- Crown thinning — removes selected branches to let light and wind through without changing overall size
- Crown lifting — raises the lowest branches for clearance beneath
- Pollarding — cyclical reduction to fixed points for long-term, predictable size control
- Fruit tree pruning — specialist care for apple, pear, plum and cherry trees to maximise cropping
- Coppicing — cutting back to the base for vigorous multi-stem regrowth; hazel, willow and sweet chestnut all respond well
Need a tree assessed or pruned?
Free site visit — we’ll advise on the right approach for your speciesPruning questions, answered
Reduction makes the crown smaller, thinning opens it up to let light and wind through, and lifting raises the lower branches for clearance. We’ll recommend the right one for your tree.
It depends on the species — many trees are best pruned in winter when dormant, while some flowering trees are better done after flowering. We’ll advise on the ideal timing.
Only what’s appropriate. We reduce sensibly and keep the tree’s natural shape — we don’t “top” trees, which damages them and causes weak, ugly regrowth.
Done correctly to BS 3998, no — good pruning improves a tree’s health, safety and structure. Bad pruning can harm it, which is exactly why it’s worth using qualified arborists.
If the tree has a TPO or is in a Conservation Area, you may need consent even to prune it. We check for you and handle any application with the council.
Yes — pollarding is a specialist technique where we cut back to fixed points on a regular cycle, keeping the tree permanently small and manageable. Willows, limes and poplars are well suited to it. We’ll advise whether it’s appropriate for your tree.
You are responsible for branches and roots from your tree, even where they extend over the boundary. We can reduce or reshape the crown to resolve the issue cleanly. If the tree is protected by a TPO, we’ll handle the consent application with your local council before any work begins.
Absolutely. Fruit tree pruning is specialist work — opening the canopy for light and air, removing crossing and rubbing growth, and encouraging productive new fruiting wood. We work on apple, pear, plum, cherry and other orchard trees, ideally in late winter before bud break.
📖 From the blog: when is the best time to prune trees in the UK? — species-specific guidance for Hampshire gardens.
For trees that need managing at a fixed size long-term, see our pollarding service. Or see the full range of tree surgery services across Winchester and Hampshire.
We serve customers across Hampshire — including Romsey, Alresford, Chandler's Ford and Stockbridge.
What does tree pruning cost?
Every tree is different, so the only firm price comes from a free site visit. As a rough guide, most pruning and crown reduction jobs fall in the range below.
Typical range for crown reduction and pruning, depending on the size of the tree, the species and how easy it is to access. We confirm the exact price at a free, no-obligation site visit.
Get a free quote for tree pruning
Tell us about your tree and we’ll come and take a look — usually back to you the same day.