Crown Thinning
The removal of foliage will reduce density throughout the whole crown by a percentage between 10%, 20% or 30%. Thinning selection will be carried out by the removal of weak, damaged, and crossing branches and pruning of such sound branches as needed to achieve the following:
• Safety
• To preserve balance or impose shape
• To admit more light and air to and through the crown
• To reduce weight, to lessen wind resistance
• To produce more flower or fruit
• To train and encourage good branch development in young trees.
Arboricultural good practice is such that 70% of the branches removed should be thinned in the last 30% of the outside canopy/crown, trees will be evenly thinned throughout the crown as set out in the guidelines of BS3998
It is essential that the practice of “Lion Tailing” is avoided at all costs.
Additional care must be considered when pruning thin barked trees such as Beech, to prevent sun damage..
