Cardiff is known for its trees, from the mature street planting to the big Victorian and Edwardian gardens in places like Llandaff and Penylan. When the lowest branches droop over a path, a driveway or a window, a crown lift raises the canopy and clears the space. Light reaches the ground again, and the tree keeps its natural shape.
We take only what the tree can spare, make careful cuts and clear everything away, so the work leaves the garden in good order. Our aim is a tree that looks as though it has always grown that way, with room underneath for people and vehicles.
Large houses often come with large trees. An old lime, sycamore or beech in a Cardiff garden can carry low limbs that stretch far across the lawn and into the drive. Lifting the crown clears the area underneath, makes the garden easier to use, and lets light reach the lower windows that big trees tend to shade in summer, and it makes the lawn and borders under the canopy easier to look after.
Because the limbs on a mature tree can be thick and heavy, we cut in stages. The weight is taken off first, then the final cut is made cleanly back to the branch collar. This protects the bark, keeps the wound small and gives the tree a good chance of closing it over, which matters more than speed on a tree that may have stood in the same Cardiff garden for generations.
Many Cardiff gardens contain tall conifers. These can be lifted only where the branches still carry green growth, because they will not regrow from old bare wood. Where a conifer has already gone bare underneath, a lift will simply leave an empty trunk, and we will tell you so instead of cutting. Broadleaf trees such as limes and sycamores are far more forgiving of a sensible lift, so most of the work in the city is on those.
Cardiff has conservation areas, and some of its trees are protected, so consent can be needed even for a lift. We check this first, because acting without it can lead to real trouble. Street trees on the pavement are normally the council's and not ours to cut, but we can work on a tree in your own garden that overhangs the street.
We avoid the bird nesting season and pick the time of year that suits the species. If you are unsure whether a lift is enough, we will look at the tree and tell you what we think. As well as Cardiff itself we work in Llandaff, Whitchurch, Rhiwbina, St Mellons and Pontprennau, and we remove every branch we cut.
A few jobs we have completed. We also work in and around Cardiff.
Garden ClearanceWork in progress clearing a long-neglected Cardiff back garden, with a brushcutter cutting down tall grass and weeds across the lawn.
See the project →
Garden FencingOld weathered fence panels taken down and new close-boarded fencing fitted beside a conservatory in a Cardiff back garden.
See the project →
Hedge TrimmingA long clipped hedge beside a patio, a front hedge cut back at the kerb and a tall garden tree reduced from a ladder in Cardiff.
See the project →We work across South Wales. Pick your town to see how crown lifting works locally.
Crown lifting raises the canopy by removing low branches, while crown reduction makes the whole tree smaller, so choosing the right one depends on your problem.
Read the guide →
Tree surgery is priced job by job rather than from a fixed list, so this guide explains what moves the cost up or down and how to get a firm figure.
Read the guide →
There is no single perfect month for every tree, but winter suits many species, and this guide shows how timing, nesting birds and weather affect the choice.
Read the guide →If the tree is in your garden, yes. We can raise the branches overhanging the road so vehicles and pedestrians can pass. If the tree is on council land, it is not ours to cut and you would need to contact them.
It does not stop you, but you normally need to give notice before work starts, and a tree with a protection order needs formal consent. We can look at what applies to your property before booking any cutting.
As few as will do the job. We choose the lowest branches that cause the problem and keep a good proportion of the live crown, because taking too many weakens the tree and spoils its shape, leaving a tall bare trunk with a tuft of growth on top.
Tell us what needs doing and where. We will come back to you, or call 07766 919630 if it is urgent.