Sometimes, natural growth isn’t the best thing for your tree. From wayward branches to crowding other trees or structures, there will be times when it’s necessary to trim back or prune a tree. But through services like crown thinning or raising, a local trusted arborist can help you maintain your deciduous tree’s overall appearance and health.
Often done together, these pruning methods focus on different parts of your tree to reduce the bulkiness of the canopy, provide better clearance, and improve the health of your tree.
Tree crown thinning is the process of removing select branches from a tree’s canopy in order to thin out the foliage and allow more light and air to penetrate through the tree. This type of pruning focuses on the upper portion of the tree in order to maintain its overall shape and health.
Crown thinning isn’t to be confused with crown reduction, as crown reduction involves reducing the overall size of the tree's canopy by pruning back the branches to decrease its height and spread. While in crown thinning, you are reducing the density of the tree's crown by selectively removing branches and foliage to allow more light and air to penetrate through the canopy, unlike crown reduction, it does not aim to alter the shape or size of the tree's canopy. Crown thinning is primarily done to improve the tree's health and overall structure.
Crown thinning is nothing like tree topping. While tree topping refers to the indiscriminate removal of a significant portion of the leafy crown or canopy, crown thinning is a selective pruning technique that involves removing specific branches to reduce the density of the crown while maintaining its natural shape in order to promote better health.
Tree topping, on the other hand, does not improve the tree’s health. In fact, it’s harmful to the tree, and can lead to a weakened structure and increased vulnerability to disease and pests. It's important to prioritize proper pruning techniques, such as crown thinning or crown raising, that promote the tree's natural growth and long-term health.
Tree crown raising, or crown lifting, refers to the process of removing the lower branches on a tree, creating the appearance of a raised canopy, and this type of tree pruning method is done with the goal of providing better access and clearance beneath the tree.
While crown raising may also give the appearance of a reduced canopy, unlike crown thinning and crown reduction, which involve upper limb and entire canopy respectively, crown raising is focused on the select removal of lower branches to improve vertical clearance beneath the tree rather than reducing the overall shape of the canopy. This technique is commonly employed to address issues related to height restrictions or obstructed views.
However, crown raising may not work well for every tree. Tree branches stemming off low on the trunk may not respond well to crown raising because of the potential for weak attachment points and structural instability. Removing too many low limbs can add stress to the top of the tree, especially during windstorms, as there’s no counteracting balance to prevent the tree from breaking or falling. Additionally, limbs that are too large are not good candidates for removal, as they play a crucial role in the overall stability and health of the tree.
Because of these restrictions, it is often better to perform crown raising on young trees, and to remove or thin out only a few branches at a time, allowing the tree to adjust gradually and minimizing stress.
Both crown thinning and crown raising are a form of maintenance, helping to keep your tree in its best condition and preventing potential hazards, keeping both your tree and your property safe. These services are often done in tandem, as they both contribute to the overall health and appearance of the tree while focusing on different areas. By maintaining a proper balance of foliage density and lifting lower branches, the tree can thrive while minimizing risks.
Some of the benefits of crown thinning and raising include:
Crown thinning and crown raising can improve your tree’s health by promoting better airflow and light penetration, reducing the risk of disease and improving the overall aesthetics of the tree. A cumbersome, heavy, or sagging canopy can prevent the tree from receiving adequate sunlight and hinder its growth potential. By strategically thinning or raising the crown, the tree can thrive with a more balanced and functional canopy.
These forms of pruning can also help prevent disease or pest infestations, as they create an environment that is less conducive to the growth and spread of pathogens or pests. Pruning can lessen the risk of disease by removing dead limbs or decaying branches. By getting rid of these branches through crown thinning or raising, more resources can be allocated to healthier branches and growth and fighting off diseases. Pests are also less likely to thrive in a well-pruned tree, as the removal of dead or diseased branches eliminates potential habitats and food sources.
Additionally, for flowering or fruit trees, crown raising or crown thinning can help increase production of blooms or fruits by allowing more sunlight to reach the lower branches, stimulating the tree's reproductive processes, resulting in a healthier and more fruitful tree.
By removing or reducing heavy branches, you can increase safety around your tree. Crown raising removes lower branches, providing clearance and preventing head injuries from whacking against lower branches. Crown thinning reduces the density of the upper branches and heavy limbs, allowing for better air movement and reducing the risk of branch breakage during storms.
Additionally, removing broken branches or dead tissue in your tree helps to strengthen it by reducing stress levels and diverting resources to strengthen healthy branches, helping to improve limb strength and preventing further damage.
Crown thinning and crown raising allow for sunlight to reach the lower parts of your tree easier. This not only can improve its own health, but improves the health of the surrounding ground and yard.
A heavy canopy of leaves lessens the amount of light and other resources from hitting the ground. This in turn prevents growth of nearby grass or surrounding foliage, and can create a damp and shady environment underneath the canopy. While trees are expected to provide some shade, too much can have a detrimental effect on its surroundings, hindering the growth of plants and ultimately impacting the entire food chain.
As both crown thinning and crown raising helps thin out or reduce the canopy, this creates more opportunities for light to get through and hit the ground, promoting healthier growth among the understory vegetation, improving air circulation, and reducing the risk of disease or pest infestations.
While the goal of most tree pruning services is to promote the health of your tree, a natural consequence of crown thinning and crown raising is improving the shape of your tree. A tree that’s undergone one or both services will have a less dense canopy that isn’t as sprawling or low to the ground as before. This helps it appear healthier and tidier, while providing more room around your tree and better access to surrounding plants, areas and views.
It can be hard to navigate around a tree with a dense canopy or low-hanging branches. By removing or reducing these through crown thinning or raising, you can improve accessibility around your tree.
Crown thinning provides better access to the top of your tree, while crown raising removes cumbersome lower branches that may get in your way. These services, especially when removing lower branches, can provide ease-of-access around your tree, providing clearance for foot traffic, vehicles, and structures. When your tree has a more open canopy, it’s easier to navigate around, as there’s less risk of branches obstructing pathways or structures.
When you have an ISA-licensed arborist performing crown thinning or raising, your tree's health and well-being are their top priority. While many Edmonton homeowners can prune their own trees, you have to be careful of where and how much you cut. Cutting too much off your tree can harm its health, and cutting the wrong branch at the wrong time could result in further injury to your or the trees. A professional arborist will be able to tell which branches to trim back or get rid of, and do so safely while benefiting the health of your tree.
If you’re interested in crown thinning or raising services, contact the experts at Trusty Tree In Edmonton and the surrounding area to see how we can help improve the health and appearance of your trees. With our arborists’ extensive knowledge and experience, Trusty Tree will ensure that your crown thinning or raising service is done efficiently and with utmost care.
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star reviewContracted Trusty Tree Services to remove 6 tall Aspen Trees. Workmen arrived ahead of schedule and trees were taken down very quickly and site cleaned up all debris. Great job highly recommend.
Very efficient staff. The work was completed as expected and to our satisfaction. The clean-up was also very good.
We have engaged Trusty Tree to carry out a long-term plan to rehab and maintain our extensive tree inventory on our 6 acre site. They did a great mapping of all the trees using Google Maps, and proposed priorities. The first stage was completed yesterday - Keegan and Adrian did a 30 minute Q&A with interested owners first, and did a great job of explaining and giving some hints on things we could to. The pruning was well done, and they cleaned up carefully - we are pleased with the work. They had a great idea for how we could take advantage of the resulting mulch to rehab some areas that needed amendment under conifer trees. We are looking forward to moving ahead with that. So kudos to Keegan and Adrian.
Very pleased with the service from start to finish...from talking to Sarah at the onset who was very knowledgeable and pleasant to the quick efficient pleasant service by the 2 man crew..reasonable and fair pricing..thank you..will gladly recommend
I contacted 5 different tree removal companies, 1 did not get back to me and the other 3 were almost double in price. Kolton contacted me almost immediately after inquiring online, gave me a fair and honest quote, snuck me in right away and did an unbelievable job. I would highly recommend trusty tree! Save your self time and energy and go straight to these guy.
Wow! Both Chelsey and Jared were very helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, efficient and thorough. They were also very tolerant in answering all my questions. 🙂 All the work was completed on time and at a very reasonable price. Also, zero collateral damage from the removal of some pretty big and awkwardly located trees. Great job. I’ll be recommending you to my neighbors and colleagues 👍
Jared, Sarah, and Chelsea were extremely knowledgeable, professional, and hardworking, with an obvious love of trees, an amazing attention to detail, and an outstanding work ethic and desire to do the best job of pruning each tree, checking and double checking their work. Very friendly and personable, willing to share expertise and worked their butts off non-stop. Cleaned up thoroughly and left the yard like they’d never even been there. I highly recommend Sarah, who gave us a fair quote, and Jared and Chelsea, who thoroughly, quickly, and expertly completed the work!
Just had Keegan and Jared take down two trees in front of our house. They were very professional and did an amazing job. 10/10 would hire again.
I had a huge tree that split in half. The guys worked ALL day in 33 degree weather and never complained once!! They all were really nice guys!!
We are totally impressed with Trusty Tree from a business and professional perspective. We were in awe watching Matt and Keegan working hard and diligently (in the heat!) while keeping safe climbing in and removing our big tree! We highly recommend this company!
We had Keegan & Matt from Trusty Tree come and remove a couple of dead aspens and trim a maple for us. I was very impressed with safe handling of the work, friendly manner, and great cleanup of the space afterward. They were happy to answer all of my questions, and worked really hard on a very hot day. Thank you!
I needed their help as my tree seems to be sick and requiring some TLC. They came to check the tree and gave me suggestions on how to take care of it. Very honest business and very professinal staff. They are not only after your money. I will definitely sign up with their services in the future if my tree doesn’t get healthier. Thank you!
Had a spruce taken down by trusty trees, they were able to get me scheduled asap and took it down within 20 mins! Cleaning it all up too. Thank you to Sarah and the team for everything!
Excellent work by Keegan and Shay - tree removal went smoothly, they cleaned up well and were very friendly along the way
Excellent price, excellent service. Keegan was dispatched to our condo complex to trim some trees and remove others. Keegan and his partner were very knowledgeable, kind and patient. He made sure that I was happy with the trimming that was done and provided information regarding sick trees we found (aphid infestation) and what steps to take to get the tree healthy again. It was discovered that more work was required that was not on the original contract. Keegan was very patient, contacted his office for permission to do the ad-hoc work with no complaints. Keegan is a keeper for sure!
Highly recommend. We had an excellent experience with the crew from Trusty Tree…..they were efficient, professional and friendly. They even threw the frisbee for our dog !
We have used Trusty Tree a few times and are always happy with the service! Sarah came by to assess and give us an estimate, all reasonably priced, and Adrian and Keegan took great care of our yard... thanks a bunch!
Very efficient, safe and effective work. Met on site for the quote, then promptly came and completed the work a few days later.
They were absolutely wonderful! The arborist Sarah was friendly and professional, and showed up when she said she would. The three gentleman who came to cut down the trees were so efficient and knowledgeable. They had 4 trees down and cleaned up within an hour. We would recommend Trusty Tree Service to anyone!
Highly recommend Trusty Tree Services. Outstanding service! Kolton is extremely professional, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful with the advice he gave. Thank you! Will definitely use them again in the future!
I was very impressed with the service provided by Trusty Tree Service. The arborist did an excellent job balancing the tree with pruning and clearing out congested areas. He provided advice about tree care and his assistant cleared and disposed of the branches cut by putting them in the chipper. I strongly recommend this company.
We have used Trusty Tree services in the past and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with our arbor needs. Sarah (one of their arborists) gave us great recommendations and a fair quote and then Keegan & Shay did a fantastic job felling our diseased columnar poplars and cleaning up after themselves. You couldn’t tell they had even been here it was left so tidy and clean. Thanks so much!
The 2 man crew was awesome, yard was cleaned up afterwards and you couldn’t tell 2 large trees were taken down, will have them back soon, highly recommend this company
I have used Trust Tree Services a number of times and there work is excellent. The staff are very personable and I really appreciate how the work area is left spotless once finished. I wouldn't use anyone else!
Sarah did an amazing job of cleaning up and pruning our chokecherry tree. She is super friendly, informative and skilled in her job. I am very happy with the appearance of our tree now. Thanks so much Sarah.
I highly recommend this company. They are very organized and experienced at what they do.
Trusty Tree came highly recommended so I took a chance and called. In no time at all I had a quote, all questions answered, and the work was done quicker than I thought it would be. Mike, Keegan, and Shay were professional, friendly, and very hard working making the whole experience 'groovy' ;)
We needed a spruce tree trimmed back. Trusty tree was very easy to work with scheduling and planning. Jared and Keegan came and did an amazing job. Great to work with and very personable.
What a fantastic crew!!! Sarah & Shane came and trimmed my rather large tree. Such a professional, knowledgeable, caring, capable and courteous crew. Very well done from beginning to end.They did a fabulous job!
Trusty Trees did their magic at my Mothers house in Fort Saskatchewan. Mikex2 we’re on time, organized and knew their business. Gave the trees a good haircut as they had a lot of dead areas. Very pleased with their service, would definitely recommend them! Much thanks Mike and Mike.
We had a crew from Trusty tree services to come and remove 6, 40 foot aspen trees. They did an awesome job. They were very knowledgeable and very considerate of our property and our neighbours property. They had our yard and neighbours yards totally cleaned up when they were finished. I would highly recommend Trusty Tree Services
We had a crew from Trusty Tree Services trim three trees on our property a few weeks ago, sorry for the late review. Couldn't be happier with the whole process. From the estimate to the final clean up, everything went very well. I contacted other companies for estimates, didn't even get a call back. Thanks again Trusty Tree for a great job!
Trusty Tree Services came out and pruned our Amur Cherry tree in Fort Saskatchewan and did a great job. The technicians were knowledgeable and gave me tips on how to better take care of our tree. The technicians were friendly and polite and cleaned up before they left. I would definitely recommend Trusty Tree Service!
Excellent job! I highly recommend this company. I will be calling again this fall! I am very happy.
We had an amazing experience with Trusty Tree. They gave a prompt estimate for some very difficult trees in our campground. They arrived on time and began work immediately. Their expertise shone through as they brought down the trees on point! Friendly, informative, professional and outstanding workmanship. I would recommend them in a heartbeat. Shout out to Colton, Joe and Adrian - great work!
We had Trusty Tree out this year to shape and thin 4 trees and 3 Mugo Pine shrubs. I was impressed with a quick appt for the quote and then quick response for booking. Our trees were pruned earlier in the season as this was the recommended timeframe, and the Mugo Pine shrubs pruned later in the spring after the new growth appeared. I'm pleased with the crew that came out, they were polite, professional and experienced. We are happy with how our trees and shrubs look and feel the price was fair. We would definitely recommend Trusty Tree and will have them back in the future. Thanks for taking extra time with us to talk about proper pruning too!
Very professional and courteous crew. Difficult tree to cut down with bucket truck given clearances.
I am a new widow and my yard work is so overwhelming, I called Trusty tree to come over and give me a quote. Because my husband who has slways been in love with taking great care of our home,has passed I am here to do it alone.Trusty tree are the most professional people I dealt with..And they actually had the most professional quote,they took pictures of my Tree to elaborate on what needed to be done,and explained why everything had to be done in a certain way...after 3 other companies coming out I realized that Trusty Trees quote was extremely fair. So when the Trusty Tree crew arrived to prune my beloved tree, they were ready, and really understood the sentimental value of my tree that my late husband and I used to sit under every night. The crew members Joe and Shane collaborated beautifully brought down the required amount of my tree..They had a fantastic chipper on site and they also cleaned up the yard so beautifully after the cutting was done...If anyone reads this review,please understand how much that tree meant to me and my late husband. Joe and Shane gave it a loving and caring trim, and they where not only hard working but very informative of the process,and very just great guys,they included their sense of humor to make the trimming process easier on me. THEY were so compasionate and understanding . I thank them for that..... If you are thinking of pruning your gorgeous beloved tree, Trusty Tree has got be your only choice. THESE GUYS ARE THE BEST!!! My name is Christine and if anyone wants to contact me about what a great job this crew did..please do!!!
I highly recommend Trusty Tree Services! From start to finish everything was handled promptly, professionally and courteously! They are very knowledgeable and efficient. I really liked how they explained things. We will definitely have them back for some fall work. Thanks to everyone!
We were sad to see our tree go, but it wasn’t well and bigger and bigger branches were breaking off; however our Trusty Tree Arborists did a great job. Thanks to @Sarah and @Michael and thanks for the excellent service Trusty Tree.
Excellent, prompt, efficient and professional service. Team was very pleasant to work with. In and out in no time. Clean worksite. Would definitely recommend.
The services provided were both reasonably priced and work done was excellent!
Very fast professional and thorough work done on both my experiences with Trusty tree Service. Good cleanups and answered all questions. They made valid suggestions which I appreciated. Thank you.
Excellent experience. Very knowledgeable experienced crew. Safety is a priority .Highly recommend . Great Job!
Thanks to Mike and the crew for doing a great job on Grenfell Ave St Albert. Very professional service.