Newport is a city of contrasts, with Victorian terraces near the Usk, leafy parks and big suburban estates where the planted trees have now grown up. Pruning is how we keep those trees in step with the space they live in. We shape, thin and tidy them so they stay healthy, safe and pleasant to have outside the window.
Whether it is one overgrown ornamental in a small back garden or a row of mature trees along a driveway, we start by looking at what the tree actually needs and then cut no more than that, with a tidy finish.
Many of the estates around Newport were planted with young trees that looked small and neat. Years later those same trees can shade the lawn, press against the house or lean over a neighbour's boundary. A light reduction and some thinning brings them back into scale, lets daylight into the garden again and reduces the load on the heavier limbs, which matters in the strong winds that come up the Usk.
We work branch by branch rather than hacking at the outline. Crossing and rubbing shoots go first, then dead, split or damaged wood, then any growth heading towards roofs, gutters, windows or fences. Each cut is made cleanly back to a branch collar or a healthy side shoot, so the tree heals well and keeps a natural, balanced shape that suits its surroundings.
Around the Victorian streets, and close to green spaces such as Belle Vue Park, the trees tend to be older and set in their ways. These need a gentler hand. Removing a few well chosen limbs and a little deadwood is often far kinder than a drastic cut, and it avoids the weak, fast regrowth that heavy pruning can trigger. In Newport we see this often after earlier over-enthusiastic cutting.
Fruit trees and ornamentals in these smaller gardens are treated as individuals. A cherry or an apple has its own timing and its own way of growing, so we adjust the work to suit. Conifers are cut only within their green growth, because they will not sprout again from bare brown wood and a bad cut would be permanent, so we plan the reduction before we climb.
Before we start we check whether the tree has a protection order or stands in a conservation area, since Newport has both. We also keep clear of the nesting season and choose the right time of year for the species. We cover Caerleon, Bettws, Rogerstone, Maindee and Duffryn, and all branches and clippings are cleared away when the job is done.
A few jobs we have completed. We also work in and around Newport.
Tree PruningCutting back a bushy evergreen from the ground beside a Bedwas patio, with a ladder ready against the wall for higher growth.
See the project →
Tree PruningCutting back a tree in a Blackwood front garden from a ladder, with the chipper beside the road taking the branches.
See the project →
Tree PruningPruning dense evergreen growth in a small terraced back garden in Caerphilly, working around a conservatory and a covered swing seat.
See the project →We work across South Wales. Pick your town to see how tree pruning works locally.
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 →Tall conifers can often be reduced safely, but only back to living green growth, because most will never regrow from bare brown wood.
Read the guide →Regular pruning keeps trees safe, balanced and healthy, brings light back into gardens and buildings, and usually avoids the larger and more disruptive jobs that neglect leads to.
Read the guide →Not always, but a tree with a protection order, or one in a conservation area, usually needs consent before it is cut. We can check this with you before work begins, so you are not caught out and the tree is treated lawfully.
That depends on the species and its age, but moderation is the rule. Removing too much at once stresses a tree and can lead to weak regrowth, so we keep reductions sensible and discuss anything larger with you first.
If it belongs to the council we cannot work on it, and you would need to contact them. We can only prune trees that are on private land with the owner's agreement, and we will tell you if we think a tree is not yours.
Tell us what needs doing and where. We will come back to you, or call 07766 919630 if it is urgent.