Your garden trees - what you need to know before you book a tree surgeon or charge up your chainsaw

Your trees are one of your garden's major features. Pruning and trimming them correctly can transform your garden.
But different trees need a different approach to pruning. And if you don't start off with the right approach for the tree, you could make the tree grow even faster, ruin the shape or damage the tree.
Whether you're pruning trees yourself (which can be dangerous!) or looking for a good tree surgeon, don't miss this advice from tree surgeon Wayne Elwell of About Trees. It's what you need to know before you even charge up the chain saw!
00:00 Pruning a tree wrongly can have some unexpected results!
00:22 About Trees tree surgeons (Kent, UK) www.abouttrees.co.uk/
00:42 Disclosure: I engaged About Trees to do the trees in my garden. We agreed the full commercial price - no discounts for publicity, and I'm grateful to Wayne for taking the time to answer my questions.
00:55 When should you prune trees?
01:33 What to think about when assessing trees
01:45 How to prune a conifer
03:53 Other evergreen tree pruning tips - reducing the size of magnolia grandiflora
04:38 Can you topiarise Magnolia grandiflora?
05:24 What to consider when pruning young trees
05:38 Can you plant 3 or more trees very close together so they look multi-stemmed?
07:02 Pruning a 15 year old silver birch - a tree that is neither young nor fully mature
07:31 Can you have a creeper or ivy growing through the crown of a tree?
09:03 If a tree really isn't flourishing, remove it.
09:22 Pruning very young trees - the importance of formative pruning
10:21 The value of planting native trees for your area
11:10 What to think about before pruning a mature or specimen tree
12:00 What is an included union and why does it matter?
12:40 How do you find a good tree surgeon?
13:59 What if you've planted too many trees or planted the wrong tree?
15:34 Why pruning too much off a tree can be a big mistake
16:12 Pruning a mature silver birch
17:23 Pruning a very upright 'vase-shaped' tree
18:19 Restricting the height of a tree before it grows to its full size
19:47 How much does a tree surgeon cost?
21:20 Video on choosing trees for small gardens: • Trees for small garden...
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[@giennefarcais6834]

That was one of the most informative videos I've ever seen about trees. Thank you!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'm so glad you think so. I certainly wish I'd learned some it earlier before I mangled (or let other people mangle) my trees

[@kemifm]

Excellent episode- thank you. The journalistic mind asks all the right questions thereby exposing all the varied insights. You are great at this 👌🏽❤️

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@BeautifulOaks]

Good job having an arborist address the tree growth, future growth and safety. I’m saddened to see the black cherry tree go but I see that the space and mulch bins are better with its removal. I look forward to seeing your trees grow and compliment your garden. Hurray!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you! The black cherry was beginning to look very strangled.

[@drawyrral]

I have about 30 young trees in my garden and this information couldn't come at a better time. Thank you so much Alexandria.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@donaldauguston9740]

Thank you for talking about tree "cowboys". I've had the same sort of experience and some people do become belligerent toward me if I ask too many questions. When that happens, my wallet stays shut!!!!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I don't usually fall for it, but somehow I got sucked into the conversation and it can be really difficult to get out again!

[@mariehay6495]

Such a brilliant overview of many aspects of tree maintenance and great that you acknowledge the real value of trained professionals!

[@DownButNotOutYet]

Good afternoon Alexandra, today's topic is right on cue for me. I did mention in the past I wished to remove two trees, the Pom Pom which is suppose to be a middle size tree for a town garden. The mess this beauty causes is unreal and baby trees sprout all over the garden. I looked at these trees and thought, maybe I should just prune them back, on the side and top! Well I will have to ask my husband, he enjoys a challenge in the garden as well as removing plants :( regardless, as you said, it can be pricy to get the professional in, and a real good one will offer good advice before he starts, that is, in the quotation. I think cutting back will work well, as the Arborist said, depending on your tree, and if it does not go according to plan, just remove it. At least we tried. The most important thing to do when planning to plant, is do your research, it is vital and would spare yourself a tremendous headache later on. Happy gardening, I am sure your garden will look terrific in Spring, more light and air flow as well. Many blessings, kind regards, Elize.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you - I hope you get a good outcome with the Pom-pom tree.

[@juliabinford6500]

I love seeing trees well maintained. I have learned a lot about tree needs and anatomy from watching bonsai videos, but it only scratches the surface. This was helpful information. I’m sure you are enjoying the newly pruned landscape. 😊

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

We are - and thank you!

[@karlitobergkamp8082]

I’ve always told my clients if you want to have large species trees you’ll have to know a good arborist and be prepared to pay for the maintenance as I can’t do them. I’d still have a ton of trees in my garden and at for the right people to maintain them if I’m honest but I’d know that going into it.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I agree, I love having trees and they are so important for the environment and for wildlife, but you have to be prepared for the maintenance.

[@BeautifulOaks]

As for the cost, I have found that sometimes the cost per tree pruning is better when I have multiple trees pruned than a single tree. That way the job is worthwhile to both, myself and the arborist.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I agree, wish I'd made that point.

[@j.m.7056]

Yes, that has been my experience.

[@j.m.7056]

Thank you for educating us! I have a wonderful arborist who employs excellent tree surgeons. He also answers questions I have over the phone. Money well spent to care for my trees. Also, your caution about people knocking on the door is valuable. Here in the US most qualified arborists make appointments to come view your trees.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@musicalmarion]

Alexandra I feel you just touched the tip of a worrying iceberg because the subject is so vast. Thank you so much for such a very useful look at pruning trees and showing your own beautiful display. Your trees look so stunning and it's almost heart breaking to have to prune them when they are looking so colourful. What a great job your tree surgeons did and I relate only too well to fake ones knocking on the door and totally ruining a garden and being paid well for it. Great advice all round 🌳🌳🌳

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you so much!

[@silencedogood9747]

My grandma was conned like that and she paid a fortune to have a row of bushes hacked to bits. It's disgusting the way these people prey on the elderly especially.

[@KarinLowrie-vi9cv]

After I watched this I asked a professional pruner to come work on my newly planted trees this week. I have had arborists in the past come in to work on my 100+ year old madrone trees to help with a virus, so I thought having a pruner tend to my very young trees to get them off to a good start was smart. Thanks!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That's great to hear!

[@jennifersauer3257]

Wonderfully instructive, Alexandra. What is the gorgeous tree you are standing in front of. The autumn (I assume) color is beautiful!

[@maryanna6302]

What an Incredible transformation of your already lovely trees. Looking forward to seeing how everything looks in spring and summer once the leaves return; the increased sunlight could be a real boon to your borders and the views. 💚

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'm excited about all that too!

[@BeautifulOaks]

Good job asserting your knowledge of trees and personal boundaries with the yahoo tree cutter!

[@MichaelAyden]

A much needed video for many people. I always do my research before I put the cutters to any plant.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@kiwiopklompen]

This one was fabulous! So much info - super helpful. Thanks A

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NaturePondAdventure]

That was really informative, good questions and taking the time to explain. Thank you

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful! We were really pleased with what they did with our trees and the whole look of our garden has improved.

[@1Kent]

This is very timely. I just pruned my weeping plum.😅

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Hope it all turns out well!

[@JoannaLouise200]

Thank you Alexandra ~ this is such a useful video! You have a lovely collection of beautiful trees, and the Robinia is a star specimen. I had no idea tree surgeons were such databases of detailed information. I have a small/medium Leylandii in the front garden that's become a bit of a thug (its roots pushing up paving!), and now needs to be removed, so the video was very timely :)

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you, and those Leylandii did get planted in the wrong place so often.

[@jmeaton9538]

Really enjoyable and useful episode, great to see the before and after shots!

[@catpod3872]

I do have to say he’s done a great job. Before and after pics look amazing

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you, I agree

[@richarddear6623]

I'm an arborist based in Bristol and there are some genuinely good companies here that strive for tree vitality and balance it with the client's needs. There are also many examples of terrible arboreal practice and I'm forever having to work on trees that have been hampered and potentially ruined. It's refreshing to hear sound advice coming from Wayne and found myself agreeing with him, particularly on being very careful with any birch. I would be very interested to see how the Magnolia grandifolia responds to what appears to be a strong reduction in the video. Generally magnolias throw out a mass of epicormic growth when moderately pruned. Great video, Thanks!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you, I'm so glad you think so. The magnolia is somewhat in last chance saloon as we'd let it get to an impossible size - it was either a big reduction or out, so I'll be interested to see what happens too.

[@silencedogood9747]

Thank you for the video, Alexandra! I planted seven trees last spring, so I'm really glad to have this info now so I can take care of them while they're still young. ❤

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@debs-more-plants]

Fabulous! I never realized how many gorgeous trees you have. Very informative- once again! Thank you!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@BrettMcGregor]

Leylandii: We had a wall of 13 of these, some 60 feet high which towered over the garden - the growth for the first ten/twenty feet was very patchy, but nonetheless we hoped to reduce the height and turn it into a manageable hedge. We cut the tops down to about 12 feet high, and they looked very sorry for themselves. But in 3 years, with twice-yearly hedge trimming, they did indeed grow in to become dense hedge with growth right down to the bottom. The only down side was that it led to me getting urticaria from contact with the sap - a skin reaction which is still with me today, so wear protective clothing when cutting leylandii

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Interesting, there are a few conifers, such as thuja, which will regrow if cut into the mature wood.

[@simwest5813]

Thanks for this very useful episode. The information is will help tremendously!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@gardentours]

Very informative 👍 I still have to prune some trees so it was nice to watch this video.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@inspiringgardenkorner]

This was a fantastic video and just what I needed. I’m adding more trees into my garden and this have me reimagining how and what trees/shrubs to add to my garden

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

So glad you enjoyed it

[@adz5bneweng589]

Great video!

[@1tuinman]

Wayne did some beautiful and sensitive work !

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes it was!

[@lauravalenzuela2233]

Excellent conversation. Very helpful.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lorimiller623]

Tree trimming is not the time to go with the low bidder! Some of them will top your trees, which is the quickest way to ruin your trees' appearance forever and shorten their lifespan.

[@aalejardin]

So important to get someone who has the technical and horticultural knowledge to do a good (and safe) job.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Absolutely agree! It's so tempting to try to save money when something is really expensive, but it's almost worse to have bad tree pruning than no tree pruning at all.

[@lorimiller623]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden My house came with a silver maple that the previous owners had topped. The tree sent up lot of weak, fast-growing limbs that broke in every storm and blocked the sidewalk. I finally paid to have the tree removed. The sugar maple they topped is slowly dying and has another five years left.

[@dustyflats3832]

@@lorimiller623lol, I just commented on a neighbor that did the same thing. Maples should never be topped. Silver maples have invasive roots and probably best to have removed it next to a sidewalk.

[@rusticrye4676]

Very informative. Thank you!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sunitashastry5270]

This was an extraordinary video. It was very detailed about a topic me at people do not consider. I have a Liquidambar which is my best fall color tree - and mine is growing very columnar. I am considering putting in a River birch so the information on it was very timely for me. Thank you !

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@geraldinefields1730]

Thank you.

[@mariedeyo7399]

Hello , how nice to see you and what a good and informative video. I love trees and i have planted every year one or two, but it have been pillar or balkony trees. Mini trees that turn out not to be mini at all, like a cherry that I planted 2 years ago and I have to prune hard to keep it smal. Sometimes trees dont work out where they are but I find it so hard to take it out and toss a tree. It goes against every fiber in me and I hurt everytime a tree is cut down. So thank you so much for showing us how to work with the trees to keep them and us safe and healthy. ❤

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I know what you mean - I thought that black cherry plum would be small!

[@aalejardin]

Very informative video -- thanks!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@soapstuff6212]

Great video

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@wildchook745]

I inherited a Jacaranda tree and the only large tree in my yard. That made me happy because I had all kinds of trees in my last address that my father-in-law planted. In my new home, I only added fruit trees that I believe to be easy to maintain. My idea is to keep the heights down or shape it to my liking. I don't have the money to maintain more big trees so I settle with fruit trees only.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Fruit trees are very good option, I agree.

[@antonianovoa6416]

Great video! Thank you!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you liked it!

[@annashiegl]

So excited when I saw another video from you, very informative. I would love a video on shaping trees into pom poms etc pretty please 😊

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That would topiarising trees and shrubs - it's something I'd love to do, but am waiting on finding the right person to talk to about it.

[@annashiegl]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden that's great, thank you ☺

[@Lookup2Wakeup]

I heavily pruned my large apple tree last autumn. This year the foliage was very dense & I had few apples...... Now I know why it grew a lot with the dense foliage.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I've had that experience too. Lots of very upright, narrow shoots, all heading for the sky!

[@amyjones2490]

Very informative!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you liked it

[@samboana]

excellent

[@helenhawkins4054]

Really useful.👍

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@fleurbeckwith9280]

Fabulous episode. Maybe consider the size of a mature liquidambar. I have one in my garden that is enormous and creates so much shade it's really a bother and they are fast growing also.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, I'm going to keep a close eye on that, bringing it back to the same point about every five years, I hope.

[@michelez715]

Must have missed the bit about magnolia grandiflora. Mine is about 15 yrs old, and looks very stumpy, with a short stem, and also a top heavy crown.

[@joanofarc6402]

Alexandra, I was admiring the video short you posted featuring your backyard. You have several levels with built in wood retaining walls. I love this design feature! My 1 acre yard is slopes, mounds, and all different heights. Mostly because a pool, hidden side garden. My problem is in large areas, similar to your backyard, heights vary and make no sense. How did you divide up your yard and add low retaining walls? What materials did you use? How to determine what to plant around it and bed shapes? I know. Not easy questions. I love your channel and adore your eye for design. However I live in USA zone 5 outside Chicago. Maybe you can explain or show us how these low retaining walls are set up. Where to start retaining wall, stabilize it, and have a professional structure.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Interesting questions and I will think about that. We used professional landscapers and I think that's the only option for retaining walls. They brought a small digger in and flattened one area, taking off quite a bit of topsoil, which we added to our raised beds (it adds to the cost if they have to dispose of the soil). In terms of where the walls started, we drew out a shape and my husband turned it into a design, so not professionally designed. This video on garden design may help if you haven't seen it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqXWoot7gsqima8

[@dustyflats3832]

I grew up in a house heated with wood and coal and seemed like chainsaws were part of the seasons😂 I recently landscaped the front yard. Previous owner had a small circle of locust, cherry and shrubs which were willowy and too close to house and messy. I chose 15-20’ redbuds of two cultivars and some arborvitaes. I wanted shade on this north side and still be able to view the driveway. We are in the country with a few acres but it’s narrow. We have oaks and cedars and more recently black walnut that grow like weeds. Hoping neighbors take out black walnut trees as I had enough of those at my folks house. I took out an oak and cedar on south and left one oak because we need shade, but I added a couple maples and catalpa. The oak is not in the best location in the winter as it doesn’t lose its leaves and shades the house. I have to weigh not only that downfall, but also how long it takes a tree to grow and also my age. So it’s not always right tree in right place by choice. I see it as it will be someone else’s problem later and I enjoy the needed shade now. Later when the SW placed maples take over the oak could probably be removed. We have an arborist in the family and it is expensive to remove trees. We are still able to cut, but not many more years so it’s a gamble. Of course the smaller the tree the easier to cut.😊. We just took down a threatening cherry on property line and even though my husband knows what he’s doing it fell partly on our hog wire fence and on a fenced blueberry patch. He was trying to avoid hitting neighbors pines although it wouldn’t matter much because they are in bad shape. So yes, in a blank slate right tree in right place; however, we have to not only think of size of tree and time it takes to grow, but also our age and what we want to accomplish while we are living. We had a neighbor once that had their maples topped. They sprung suckers all over and didn’t survive long. I wouldn’t suggest it.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Interesting, thank you!

[@dustyflats3832]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden love your channel! It always gives us food for thought

[@desislavasalakirova146]

This video is one of my absolute favorites. It shows how each of your trees ages and, to me, should be looked at by anyone looking for a tree. I have a tiny garden (6 by 10m) with currently 4 small trees (I know - I love trees), one of each - in an urgent need of an arborist. Because of your earlier videos, I was planning to get a silver birch myself and plant it right in the middle. Yet, the more I was reading on birches, the more it looked like it will grow too big. Same with cherry trees. I ended up with a Rowan (my son got if from school, it is native for Europe, makes dappled shade and does not seem to grow humongous). What is your experience with your Rowan? Is there anything tricky about it? Your videos are still the best parts of my weekend 🤗

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

My rowan has been very undemanding and doesn't grow too tall. Very easy to grow and seems to stay in shape. Some of the cherry trees stay smaller too, such as Prunus 'Snow Goose'.

[@desislavasalakirova146]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Amazing! Thank you 😊 I am stuck with the Rowan and it is awesome to finally read a nice word about it since it is rather hard to find any small garden related feedback about it online. Thank you Alexandra! I love your work and am cherishing every video and advice 🥰🙏

[@Flower_hoarder]

🌴🌳🌲THANKS 🌲🌳🌴

[@beverleyfinn6778]

Enjoyed this and would love to know what you are stood in front of at the beginning and end of the video. ❤

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That's a large and very mature Cotinus coggyria 'Grace' aka Smokebush. And thank you.

[@beverleyfinn6778]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you so much for that and all you do. Merry Christmas to you and your family x

[@tyroneandrews]

Tyrone watching as usual 😅😅😅

[@stephenhaitako4665]

I have been toying with the idea of planting Robinia 'Friesia', yet I have read people in garden forums warning about, firstly, root runners being a major nuisance and, secondly, proneness to wind damage (which is one reason I have decided to get rid of Sophora Japonica). You seem to encounter no such problems?

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

We haven't had those problems, but that probably varies according to the soil type and how much wind you get.

[@bewoodford2807]

this vide\o has be\en really useful to me, s I have a really large old apple tree that needs to reduced in height and size. Fantastic to know how I contract a genuine, reputable and safe tree surgeon/arborist 😃

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@t_nik294]

It is not silver birch, it is Himalayan birch. Silver birth is a completely different type of tree.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Himalayan birch and silver birch are closely related, and 'silver birch' is the common name (as opposed to the strictly accurate botanic name) which covers all birches with white or pale stems. The pruning advice for all birches is the same.

[@joecity9]

Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest living tree species. It doesn't ask for anything.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

And it's very beautiful.

[@pansepot1490]

If it’s female the fruits stink a lot but you’ll know only too late because only mature trees produce fruits. Better get a grafted specimen that is male.