Arborist crown work from a cherry picker in North London

Pruning & Crown Work

Crown Reduction & Tree Pruning in North London

Crown reduction, thinning, lifting and pollarding by qualified arborists — controlled cuts that keep the tree healthy, safe and natural-looking. Free quotes across North London.

Not sure what the tree needs? Send photos — we'll tell you straight.

Call 07903 703475

Reply within 4 working hours (weekdays)

£10m Insured NPTC Certified Free Quotes North London

Fast quotes from a photo

WhatsApp a few photos to 07903 703475 — or fill in the 30-second quote form — and we can often give you a price without waiting for a site visit. Bigger or awkward jobs get a free site survey.

How it works

Three steps to a sorted tree.

Call or send photos

Ring 07903 703475 or use the quote form. Photos help us price most jobs straight away — reply within 4 working hours on weekdays.

Free quote, no obligation

A clear written price. Where the job needs eyes on it, we'll book a free site survey and tell you straight if it's not a job for us.

Work done, site left tidy

NPTC-qualified team, £10m insured. All waste chipped on site or removed — you keep the logs or woodchip if you want them.

Crown work

Pruning that respects the tree.

Crown reduction

The whole crown brought down and in by an agreed amount — less height, less sail, more light — while keeping a natural shape and healthy growth points. Never 'topped' or hacked flat.

Crown thinning & lifting

Thinning takes selected branches out to let light and wind through the canopy; lifting raises the lowest limbs clear of lawns, drives, sheds and pavements.

Pollarding

The traditional hard prune for the right species — limes, planes, willows — starting or continuing a pollard cycle correctly so the tree stays safe and manageable for decades.

Overhanging & neighbourly problems

Branches over your garden, next door's tree shading your greenhouse, growth into wires and gutters — trimmed back properly, with the boundary rules handled correctly.

Crown reduction and pruning work on a mature tree

Why Ferguson Forestry

The kit and qualifications most tree surgeons don't have.

We're a family-run forestry and arboriculture firm — so alongside qualified climbers, we run the heavy equipment that makes big, awkward or dangerous trees straightforward.

£10m public liability insurance — documentation with every quote
NPTC qualified, City & Guilds Level 3 for trees over 760mm
Crane-assist and MEWP access for confined or high-risk removals
Unimog & 12-inch chipper — waste chipped on site or taken away
FISA member — professional forestry safety standards

Crane lifting a cut stem section during a Ferguson Forestry tree removal

Ferguson Forestry Unimog, chipper and digger processing felled timber

Areas we cover

All of North London, and the Hertfordshire fringe.

From Hampstead to Enfield and Barnet to Islington — if you're in or around the N postcodes, you're covered. Not listed? Call us — we're rarely far away.

High Barnet New Barnet Whetstone Totteridge Mill Hill Edgware Finchley North Finchley East Finchley Golders Green Hendon Hampstead Highgate Muswell Hill Crouch End Alexandra Palace Wood Green Bounds Green Arnos Grove Southgate Cockfosters Oakwood Winchmore Hill Palmers Green Enfield Enfield Town Tottenham Islington Camden Potters Bar

Questions

Pruning questions, answered straight.

What's the difference between crown reduction and topping?

Topping cuts a tree flat regardless of structure — it stresses the tree, looks terrible and causes weak regrowth. A proper crown reduction takes each limb back to a suitable growth point so the tree stays healthy and keeps a natural shape. We don't top trees.

How much can you take off?

It depends on the species and condition — usually up to around 30% in one visit is sensible. We'll tell you what the tree can take and agree the finished height and spread before we start.

When is the best time of year to prune?

Most species can be pruned year-round with the right technique. Some (like cherries) are best in summer, and we work around nesting birds in spring — we'll advise per tree when we quote.

Can you cut back my neighbour's overhanging tree?

You're generally entitled to have growth over your boundary cut back to the line. We do it cleanly and correctly — and if the tree is protected we make sure the council consent is in place first.

My tree is in a conservation area — can it still be pruned?

Yes, with six weeks' notice to the council — we make sure that notice and any TPO consent are in place before the work is booked.