We prune fruit trees and small ornamental trees in domestic gardens: crown thinning a young tree, taking weight off a branch that now hits the shed, formative pruning, and the winter work on apples and pears. The aim is a tree that fits the garden and stays sound, not a pole with a tuft.
We work from the ground or a cherry picker when that is the safe way to reach the crown. We do not dismantle large trees, work over the public highway, or cut next to power lines. If a tree is hollow, leaning hard, or big enough that getting it wrong would matter, you need a qualified tree surgeon. We would rather hand you that advice than the wrong quote. Trees with a Tree Preservation Order or in a conservation area often need the council’s consent before anyone cuts them — ask your district council if you are not sure.
What is included
- Apple, pear and other fruit trees in gardens
- Garden trees we can reach from the ground or a cherry picker
- Removing deadwood we can reach safely
- Lifting low branches that block a path or a mower
- Advice when the job is really tree surgery
- Clearing the brash, or leaving logs if you want them
Worth knowing
- Winter is the usual time for apples and pears. Stone fruit such as plum and cherry is better pruned in summer, to reduce the risk of disease. We time the visit to the tree.
- A heavy cut all in one year can throw a tree into a thicket of water shoots. Sometimes the right job is two lighter visits.
- We will not ‘top’ a tree because it feels too big. Topping makes a weaker, uglier tree. Reduction, done on the right species, is the conversation to have.
How it usually runs
01
Tell us the tree
A photo of the whole tree and one of the trunk saves a wasted trip if it is obviously a climber’s job.
02
We say if we can reach it
If it is safe from the ground, we quote the pruning. If it is not, we say so.
03
Cut, then tidy
Cuts are made to a branch collar, not flush, and the debris is dealt with as agreed.
Questions
Are you tree surgeons?
No. We prune garden and fruit trees we can reach safely, including from a cherry picker. Large, dead or dangerous trees, and anything over a road or a power line, should go to an arborist with the right qualifications and insurance. Ask us if you are unsure which it is — we will not guess in your favour.
Can you remove a tree completely?
Small garden trees, yes, when they can come down in sections from the ground without hanging over a road or a glass roof. Stumps can be left low or you can arrange grinding separately. Large fells are not our work.
My apple tree has not been touched in years. Is it too late?
Rarely. Old apples usually want a staged prune over a couple of winters rather than one dramatic afternoon. Fruiting recovers better that way, and so does the tree.
We cover Norwich and the Norfolk towns on the areas we cover page. If the garden is further out, ring and ask — the answer depends on the size of the job.