A tree crown reduction is a very common arboricultural operation performed to reduce the height and or spread of a tree by selectively cutting back smaller branches.
This can be done to help prevent damage to the tree caused by ‘wind-loading’, but more commonly is performed when a tree is outgrowing its confines, or for purely cosmetic reasons.
Good arboricultural practice dictates that a crown reduction should not remove more than 30% of the leaf area of the tree.
A tree that requires regular tree crown reduction may become unsafe over time. In such cases removal and replacement with a tree more suited to the site may be a prudent option.
Tree Reshaping is an operation carried out by professional tree surgeons to make a tree safe or to bring the overall shape of a tree into a desireable condition or shape.