Autumn is an important time of year for trees. As temperatures begin to fall, leaves are shed and gardens prepare for winter, it becomes much easier to take stock of the condition of established trees and identify any work that may be required.
Healthy, well-maintained trees can provide decades of enjoyment, shade, privacy and character, but trees are living structures and their condition can change over time. Age, weather, disease, previous damage and the location in which a tree is growing can all affect the way it develops.
Taking a little time to assess your trees during autumn can therefore help identify potential problems before the harsher winter weather arrives.
At Chartfords Trees, our experienced arborists provide professional tree care for domestic and commercial customers, with work tailored to the species, age, condition and location of individual trees.
Inspect Trees Before Winter Arrives
Autumn provides a useful opportunity to look closely at trees around your property.
Some potential problems are relatively easy to spot from ground level. These might include branches that appear dead, damaged or unusually weak, limbs hanging over buildings and access routes, or noticeable changes to the overall shape of a tree.
Other issues can be much harder to identify without professional knowledge.
Trees naturally lose branches throughout their lifetime, and the presence of deadwood does not automatically mean the entire tree is unhealthy. However, dead or failing branches situated above driveways, paths, gardens, buildings or other frequently used areas may present an unnecessary risk.
Professional safety work can include the removal of dead, diseased or failing branches where they could affect people or property.
Look for Dead or Damaged Branches
Once deciduous trees begin losing their leaves, their branch structure becomes increasingly visible.
This can make autumn and winter useful periods for assessing the shape and structure of a tree.
Look for obvious signs such as:
- Broken or hanging branches
- Large dead branches within the crown
- Limbs rubbing against one another
- Branches growing towards roofs or buildings
- Significant changes in the shape of the canopy
- Recently damaged limbs
Avoid attempting to inspect trees by climbing them yourself. Tree work at height requires appropriate training, equipment and risk management.
If you are unsure whether a branch represents a problem, arranging an assessment by an experienced tree surgeon is the safer approach.
Does Your Tree Need Pruning?
Tree pruning can be carried out for many different reasons.
Sometimes the aim is to manage the size or spread of a tree. In other situations, pruning may improve clearance around buildings, roads, paths or other structures.
Different pruning techniques are used depending on what needs to be achieved.
For example, crown lifting involves removing or pruning lower branches to increase clearance beneath the canopy. Crown thinning involves selectively removing smaller branches throughout the crown, while crown reduction reduces the height or spread of the canopy while retaining its main framework.
The right approach depends on the individual tree. Not every species responds equally well to every pruning technique, which is why professional assessment is important.
You can find more information about professional tree pruning and the wider range of tree surgery services available from Chartfords Trees.
Check Branches Growing Close to Buildings
Trees and buildings frequently exist happily alongside one another, but growth should be monitored where branches are becoming particularly close to roofs, windows, guttering or other parts of a property.
Selected branches can sometimes be reduced away from a building to prevent direct contact and provide better clearance.
Simply removing large sections of a tree without considering how it will respond is rarely the best approach. Professional tree surgery aims to achieve the required outcome while minimising unnecessary stress to the tree.
Prepare for Strong Winds
Autumn and winter can bring periods of stronger winds, making the condition of mature trees particularly important.
Large branches that have already been weakened through damage or decay may be more vulnerable during poor weather.
In some circumstances, a valuable tree containing particularly large or heavy limbs may benefit from additional structural support. Cable bracing is one specialist technique that can sometimes be used to support significant limbs and reduce movement.
Where a tree has deteriorated to the point that it cannot reasonably be retained, professional tree felling or removal may need to be considered. Tree removal should be properly assessed rather than assumed to be necessary simply because a tree is large.
Don’t Forget Your Hedges
Autumn tree care is also a useful reminder to look at the condition of established hedges and shrubs.
Regular maintenance can help keep established hedges dense, manageable and attractive. However, different hedge species have different pruning requirements, so the timing and amount of cutting should be appropriate for the plants involved.
Chartfords Trees provides professional hedge cutting alongside its wider arboricultural services.
Wildlife should also always be considered before hedge or tree work begins, particularly where nesting birds or other wildlife could be affected.
Check Whether Your Trees Are Protected
Before arranging significant pruning or tree removal, it is important to establish whether the tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order or located within a Conservation Area.
Permission or notification requirements may apply before work can legally proceed.
Chartfords Trees checks for these restrictions as part of the quotation process and can assist with TPO and Conservation Area applications where necessary.
This is especially important with mature trees, where carrying out unauthorised work could have serious consequences.
Autumn Is Also the Start of the Planting Season
Preparing your garden for winter does not only involve existing trees.
Autumn marks the beginning of an excellent period for introducing many new trees and hedges. Chartfords Trees generally recommends October to March as the optimum planting period, subject to the species and individual conditions.
Planting during this period gives new trees the opportunity to establish within their new surroundings before the demands of warmer weather and active growth return.
Professional tree planting can include advice on suitable trees and hedging, sourcing plants and carrying out the planting itself.
Professional Tree Care from Chartfords Trees
Every tree is different, which means there is no single autumn maintenance routine that will suit every garden.
The species, age, size, health and location of the tree all need to be considered before deciding whether work is necessary and what form that work should take.
Chartfords Trees is an established tree surgery company based in Oxted and providing professional arboricultural services across the surrounding areas. Our trained team works with both domestic and commercial customers and can advise on everything from routine pruning and safety work to planting, stump grinding and complete tree removal.
If you have concerns about a tree before winter, autumn is an ideal time to arrange an assessment.
Call 01883 460 160 or visit our contact page to arrange a free, no-obligation quotation.
