Suitable for: Most on London plane and common lime Timing: Late winter except acers Difficulty: Moderate but usually requires a professional because of working at heights and with chainsaws.
Jump to Suitable for When to pollard How to pollard Problems. Suitable for Why not consider the following before pollarding: Plant a tree small enough to fit its allotted space.
This will only need minimal pruning Try other pruning options suitable for large trees, such as crown thinning or crown reduction ask your arborist. When to pollard The best time for pollarding many trees and shrubs is in late winter or early spring. However, bear in mind the following: Avoid pruning Acer species in spring when they are prone to bleeding sap. Summer can be a suitable time to pollard.
However, the new growth may be poor as a result of the scorch, drought or heavy shade cast by neighbouring trees The least favourable time for pollarding is the autumn, as decay fungi may enter the pruning cuts. How to pollard Young trees Once young trees or shrubs have reached the desired height, you can begin to pollard them. Maintaining a pollard Once a tree or shrub is pollarded, continue the annual cycle of cutting.
Branches should be pruned just above the previous pollarding cuts In some cases, such as where some leaf cover is required, leave some branches intact or cut back to a side branch Rejuvenating an overgrown pollarded tree Seek advice from an arborist before doing any work. Try the following to rejuvenate an overgrown pollarded tree or shrub: Remove any spindly and weakly-attached branches Consider whether the branches can be thinned out, and reduced in length, to create a tree-like framework, effectively restoring the pollard to a tree It may be possible to remove all the branches that have grown from the stumps of the old pollards.
This avoids exposing large amounts of old wood, but creates a second set of pollard heads In some cases, such as with hornbeam Carpinus betulus and ash Fraxinus excelsior , it is beneficial to retain some of the branches. Likewise, some oak trees, such as Quercus robur and Q. Problems Trees with weaker wood prone to producing multiple shoots, such as poplar Populus and willow Salix can become hazardous. See also Whilst it does cost to pollard a tree annually it may work out more expensive to have to revive a tree which has been neglected for a number of years.
The tree surgeons will need to remove more branches from potentially a much greater height. Consult an arborist for advice on whether a tree needs remedial pollarding. Of course there are always exceptions and Walnut trees are best pruned in July. A qualified arborist can advise you on all aspects of tree pruning and tree care. If you live in, or near, a conservation area, you should check with your local authority before performing any work on trees.
Many mature trees are listed for conservation reasons and you may need to get planning permission for planned works. Seek advice from an arborist before doing any work. Although having a tree pollarded regularly is expensive, an overgrown pollard may require more surgery to remove larger parts of the tree at a greater height. Trees with weaker wood prone to producing multiple shoots, such as poplar Populus and willow Salix can become hazardous.
Some of the weakly-attached branches can break off and fall to the ground. Ideally, try to return to a frequent cutting cycle and have an arborist carry out a safety check regularly.
A similar problem can occur with trees such as beech Fagus sylvatica , oak Quercus robur and sweet chestnut Castanea sativa. This specialized method of pruning must be started while a tree is of a young age.
The first step of pollarding is to apply heavy intermodal heading cuts on the subject. The natural response of the tree is to produce many watersprouts at the site of the cut. Subsequently, one must remove the sprouts annually or every other year. These areas will begin to develop knobs or knuckles where the sprouts continue to originate and year after year you must continue removing the sprouts. The placement of the cut is very important for this technique to be successful.
It is important to always cut at the branch collar taking care to not leave a stub but also not cut into the knuckle. Another important factor that is crucial for the trees survival is the timing of the pruning. It is VERY important that sprouts are removed during the dormant season. This is important because the tree requires its leaves to produce energy so it can resprout after pollarding.
If sprouts are removed to early the tree may die due to lack of energy and inability to re-sprout. Pollarding is a technique that originated in Europe centuries ago. Traditionally this method was used to produce a large amount of small diameter branches, which could be used for fuel or crafts, from a consistent source. By cutting branches back year after year and harvesting the long slender watersprouts, farmers had a good source of food for livestock, fuel for the fire, and building material for baskets, fences and structures.
Today we primarily see pollarded trees in Urban Landscapes. These vigorous growths are sometimes produced spontaneously, but are instigated into mass production by pruning back the upper growth. Dormant buds lower down the stems are triggered into producing vigorous stems as energy stored in the roots is re-directed.
Most conifers do not possess this ability and are therefore unsuitable. Maples Fagus sylvatica Beech , Catalpa bignoides Indian bean tree.
Caroline Wright Caroline brings decades of horticultural experience, both practical and theoretical. Ornamental crab apple trees.
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