Weak regrowth failing in wind
Long-overdue regrowth is attached at the wound edge rather than sound wood, and heavy limbs can tear out under load.
Pollarding
Pollarding Across Surrey,Kent And Sussex:Size Under Control, Tree Kept Alive
Pollarding cuts a tree's main stems back to a permanent framework so it regrows on a managed cycle instead of outgrowing the space it is in. Done at the right points, on the right species, at the right time of year, it keeps a large tree in a small garden for decades rather than forcing you into a removal.
12 years in the canopy, 59+ five-star Google reviews, £10m employers' and £5m public liability cover.
12 yrs
Hands-on pruning and canopy management across the borders
£15m
Total insurance cover, £10m employers', £5m public and products
NPTC
City & Guilds certificates in climbing, aerial rescue and aerial cutting
7 days
Typical wait for a free site visit, with the written quote the same day
The service
What Pollarding Actually Involves, And When It Is The Right Call
Pollarding is a management system rather than a one-off tidy-up. The upper branches of a tree are cut back hard to a chosen height, and the tree responds by throwing out a dense flush of new shoots from those cut points. Over the years the cut points thicken into knuckles, known as pollard heads, and the regrowth is taken back to the same heads on a repeating cycle, commonly every two to five years depending on species and how much size you want to hold back.
It is the right answer where a vigorous tree is simply too big for where it stands: a willow or poplar overshadowing a small garden, limes along a boundary casting a whole rear garden into shade, a row of street-side trees where the crown cannot be allowed to grow into cables or a roofline. It is also the traditional way of managing willow, lime, London plane, ash, hornbeam and mulberry, all of which tolerate the treatment well and have been managed this way in Surrey, Kent and Sussex for generations.
It is not a treatment to apply casually. Pollarding a species that does not tolerate it, or starting a pollard on a tree far too old and large to respond, is closer to topping than to arboriculture and can leave a declining tree full of weak regrowth. Jack looks at the species, age, condition and the wound size involved before recommending it, and will say plainly when a crown reduction, a lateral reduction or a removal is the better outcome. The work carries £10m employers' liability and £5m public and products liability, and is carried out by an NPTC and City & Guilds certified crew.
Who it is for
Homeowners, landlords, estates and commercial sites with fast-growing trees that need permanent size control in a confined space.
When it is needed
Where a tree is outgrowing its position, casting heavy shade, nearing cables or a building, or where an existing pollard cycle is overdue.
What is included
Cutting back to sound framework or existing pollard heads, all arisings chipped and cleared, and the site raked and swept.
Paperwork handled
TPO applications and conservation-area notices submitted to the council on your behalf before any cutting takes place.
What happens if it's left
Leave A Pollard Too Long And The Job Gets Harder Every Year
An overdue pollard is a common sight around Oxted, Westerham and Edenbridge: a tree last cut eight or ten years ago, now carrying long, heavy regrowth on unions that were only ever meant to hold two or three seasons of growth. Those shoots are attached at the outer edge of an old wound, not deep in sound wood, so as they lengthen and thicken the attachment becomes the weak point. High winds find it before you do.
The shade problem compounds too. A vigorous willow, poplar or lime left unmanaged puts on serious height and spread each season, and by the time the neighbours are complaining about light or the gutters are filling every autumn, you are paying for a much larger job with more rigging and more waste than if the cycle had been kept.
The mistakes we are called out to correct are consistent: trees topped flat at a random height with no framework, leaving huge open wounds that never seal; species pollarded that do not tolerate it, such as most conifers, which simply die back from the cut; pollarding started on an old, over-mature tree that lacks the vigour to respond; and cuts made in the wrong season, so the tree loses its stored reserves at exactly the wrong point in the year.
Oversized wounds that never seal
Cutting into large-diameter old wood creates wounds the tree cannot compartmentalise, opening a route for decay into the stem.
Wrong species, permanent damage
Most conifers and many ornamentals do not regenerate from hard cuts and are left disfigured or dying by an inappropriate pollard.
Escalating cost each season
Every year a cycle is missed adds height, weight, rigging time and waste volume to the eventual job.
Legal exposure
Pollarding a protected tree without consent is prosecutable, and councils treat hard pruning of TPO trees seriously.
Nesting birds
Hard pruning between March and August risks disturbing an active nest, which is an offence, so the canopy is checked first.
How we do it
Our Pollarding Process
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01
Inspection
Jack visits, usually within 7 days, assesses species, age, vigour and existing pollard heads, and checks access for rigging.
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02
Diagnosis & quote
An honest answer on whether pollarding suits the tree, the sensible height and cycle, and a written itemised price the same day.
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03
Permissions & planning
TPO or conservation-area consent applied for on your behalf, plus a nesting-bird check if it falls in the season.
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04
Cutting & rigging
Stems taken back to the agreed framework or existing heads, sections rigged down safely clear of buildings, fences and planting.
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05
Clear, check & sign off
Arisings chipped, site raked and swept, and the next cycle date agreed with you before we leave.
What you get
The Difference It Makes On Site
Permanent size control
The tree is held at a height that suits the garden, the boundary and the building, year after year.
Keep the tree, not just the stump
Pollarding is frequently the alternative to removal where a tree has simply outgrown its position.
Light and views back
Heavy shade over lawns, patios and windows is lifted, and gutters stop filling every autumn.
Predictable maintenance
A set cycle of two to five years makes budgeting simple and keeps each visit smaller and cheaper.
Risk transferred properly
£10m employers' and £5m public and products liability cover, held by the crew doing the cutting.
No second bill
Chipping and clearance are part of the price, not an extra added once the brash is on your lawn.
Species, Cycles And Method: How Pollarding Differs Tree To Tree
Pollarding is a long-term commitment to a tree, so the detail matters: which species tolerate it, where the cuts go, how often you return, and when in the year the work is done.
Species that tolerate pollarding, and those that do not
Willow, poplar, lime, London plane, ash, hornbeam, oak, sweet chestnut, mulberry and eucalyptus all respond well to pollarding and are the species we most often manage this way across the borders. They regenerate strongly from dormant buds beneath the bark, so cut points reliably produce new shoots and the tree keeps its vigour through repeated cycles.
Most conifers, including leylandii, pine, spruce and cedar, do not regenerate from old wood and should never be pollarded, cut back beyond green growth and the branch simply dies. Birch, cherry and many ornamental species also react poorly to hard cuts, bleeding heavily or failing to callus. Where a client asks for pollarding on one of those species, we say so and offer a crown or lateral reduction instead.
Starting a new pollard versus maintaining an existing one
A new pollard is best started on a young or semi-mature tree while stems are still small enough that the wounds seal quickly, ideally where cut diameters stay modest rather than cutting through large old limbs. The initial cut sets the permanent height, so we agree that with you on site with the building line, boundary and sightlines in mind, because once the heads form, that height is effectively fixed.
Maintaining an existing pollard is a different job: regrowth is cut back to just above the old heads, never into them, so the knuckle stays intact and continues to produce shoots. Cutting into or through the head removes the tissue the tree relies on to regenerate and can kill that point permanently. Where a pollard has been left far too long, we sometimes stage the work over two visits to avoid removing the entire crown from an overloaded tree in one go.
Cycle length and how it is chosen
A typical maintenance cycle runs from two to five years. Vigorous species such as willow and poplar in good soil may need cutting every two to three years to stay in proportion, while limes, planes and hornbeams in tighter positions often hold for four or five. The right interval balances two things: leaving it long enough that the work is worth doing, and returning often enough that regrowth is still light and safely attached.
We record the height and date of every pollard we cut so the next visit reproduces the same framework rather than creeping upward each cycle, which is what causes an old pollard to gradually get taller and heavier than intended over decades.
Timing, wildlife and seasonal practicalities
Late winter into very early spring is generally the best window: the tree is dormant, its reserves are stored in the roots and stem, and the flush of regrowth arrives with the growing season. It is also when branch structure is fully visible with no leaf cover, which makes rigging safer and quicker in tight gardens.
Between March and August the canopy is checked for active nests before any cutting starts, as disturbing nesting birds is an offence under UK law and pollarding removes a great deal of habitat at once. Bats also roost in cavities in older pollards, and where features suggest that possibility we adjust the approach rather than cutting blind.
Protected trees, boundaries and neighbours
Trees with a Tree Preservation Order, and any tree within a conservation area, need written council consent before pollarding. Because pollarding is a significant intervention, councils scrutinise these applications closely, so the case has to be made properly. We submit applications across Tandridge, Sevenoaks, Reigate and Banstead, Wealden and the surrounding authorities on your behalf.
Where the tree sits on or near a boundary, we talk through access, overhanging limbs and neighbour agreement before booking the work in. Getting that settled at quote stage avoids the far more awkward conversation of stopping mid-job because access over the other side was never agreed.
Questions
Pollarding: Common Questions
- How much does pollarding cost?
- It depends on the tree's size and species, how much regrowth has to come off, how it needs rigging down and how much waste is generated. Quotes are free, the site visit is usually within 7 days, and the written itemised price is sent the same day we visit.
- What is the difference between pollarding and topping?
- Pollarding is a planned, repeating system: cuts are made at consistent points that develop into pollard heads, on species that regenerate well, and the tree is revisited on a cycle. Topping is cutting a tree off at a random height and walking away, leaving huge wounds and weak regrowth with no plan to manage it. We do not top trees.
- Will pollarding kill my tree?
- Not when it is done on a suitable species, at a sensible age and at the right time of year. Willow, poplar, lime, plane, ash, hornbeam, oak and mulberry all tolerate it well. Most conifers do not regenerate from old wood and should never be pollarded, and we will tell you if your tree is one of them.
- How often does a pollarded tree need cutting?
- Usually every two to five years. Fast growers such as willow and poplar sit at the shorter end, while limes, planes and hornbeams often hold for four or five years. We agree the cycle with you and note the height so each visit repeats the same framework.
- My tree was pollarded years ago and never touched since, can it still be cut?
- In most cases yes. The regrowth is taken back to just above the old heads, and where the tree is carrying a very heavy load we may stage the work over two visits so it is not stripped entirely in one go. We will assess the attachment points on the site visit.
- What time of year is best for pollarding?
- Late winter to very early spring, while the tree is dormant and the branch structure is clearly visible. Between March and August we check the canopy for active nests before starting, as disturbing nesting birds is an offence.
- Do you take the branches away?
- Yes. Arisings are chipped and cleared as part of the job and the site is raked and swept before we leave. Logs are available at £100 per tonne bag and woodchip at £50 per truck load, up to 3 tonne, if you would like to keep any of it.
- My tree has a TPO or is in a conservation area, can it be pollarded?
- Only with written council consent first, and councils look closely at pollarding applications because it is a significant intervention. We prepare and submit the application on your behalf and make the case for the work.
- Are you insured, and what qualifications does the crew hold?
- £10 million employers' liability and £5 million public and products liability. Jack holds NPTC and City & Guilds chainsaw certificates including tree climbing and aerial rescue, and aerial cutting with free-fall techniques.
- Do you cover my area?
- We work across the Surrey, Kent and Sussex borders from our base near Oxted, including Westerham, Edenbridge, Sevenoaks, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Tunbridge Wells, Redhill, Reigate, Caterham, Godstone and Lingfield. Jobs within a 10-mile radius are standard; further afield may carry a travel charge.
Related work
Often Booked Alongside This
Crown reduction
A crown that has outgrown its plot does not need the top taken off, it needs its branch length reduced back to sound growth points, in proportion, so the tree keeps its natural shape and stays healthy while it does the job of clearing a roofline, a boundary or a view.
Lateral reduction
When a tree is fine everywhere except one side, pressing on a wall, tangled in an overhead line, or crowding a boundary fence, a full crown reduction is more than the problem needs.
Tree removal
A tree that has outgrown its garden, died back, or started leaning over a roof does not get cheaper or safer to deal with.
We cover Oxted, Westerham, Edenbridge, Sevenoaks, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Tunbridge Wells, Redhill and the surrounding villages, see the towns our tree surgeons cover across Surrey and Kent, browse all tree surgery services, read about Jack and the crew, or go straight to the free tree surgery quote form.
Free quote
Get A Written Price For Pollarding This Week
Send the form or call and we will book a free site visit, usually within 7 days. You get an honest answer on whether pollarding suits your tree, the right height and cycle for it, and an itemised written quote the same day as the visit, with no obligation.
Call 07882 960462- £10m employers' and £5m public liability cover
- NPTC and City & Guilds qualified crew
- Site visit usually within 7 days, written quote the same day
- Guarantee available on request
Five Pebble Hill Cottages, Westerham Road, RH8 0EA · Mon–Sat 8am–9pm · Sunday closed