Prune a small garden tree

Prune a small garden tree safely and legally, checking for protection orders and nesting birds before making any cuts.

PT-01Check if the tree is protectedBefore you touch a branch, find out if the tree has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or sits in a conservation area. Ring your council's planning department or check their online TPO map. Working on a tree with a Tree Preservation Order without the council's consent is a criminal offence, and so is working on a tree in a conservation area without giving the council six weeks' written notice first, even for light pruning. See HomeGraft's "Can I cut down or prune a tree with a tree preservation order?" guide for how to check and apply.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

TPO trees need the council's consent, and trees in a conservation area need six weeks' written notice first. Skipping either is a criminal offence. Check with your council before cutting anything.

PT-02Check for nesting birdsLook carefully through the branches, including dense or hidden spots, for any nests before you start. It's an offence to damage or destroy an active bird's nest. The main nesting season runs roughly March to August, so avoid cutting then if you can, and always check first regardless of the month.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Damaging or destroying an active bird's nest is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Check thoroughly before cutting, and avoid March–August where possible.

PT-03Gather tools and check conditionsYou'll need clean, sharp secateurs for thin twigs, loppers for branches up to about 25mm thick, and a pruning saw for anything thicker, up to about forearm thickness. Wear gloves, eye protection and sturdy boots. Choose a dry, calm day — wet branches are slippery and wind makes falling cuttings unpredictable.

1 each · Secateurs

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1 each · Loppers

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1 each · Pruning saw

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1 pair · Gardening gloves

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1 each · Safety glasses

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PT-04Decide what's safe to do yourselfOnly cut what you can reach from the ground or a stable platform — never climb a ladder with a saw or trimmer in hand. Anything thicker than about a forearm, any growth above head height at the point you're cutting, or anything near power lines, a building or a road is a job for a qualified tree surgeon. If in doubt, leave it and get a quote.

PT-05Identify what to removeLook first for the three Ds: dead, damaged and diseased wood. Then check for branches crossing or rubbing each other, branches growing inward towards the centre of the tree, and thin whippy shoots growing straight up from older branches. Mark these mentally or with string before you start cutting so you have a plan.

PT-06Make the cut correctlyCut just outside the branch collar — the slightly swollen ring where the branch joins the trunk — never flush to the trunk and never leaving a long stub. For branches too thick to cut in one go, use three cuts: an undercut first, then a top cut further out, then a final clean cut at the collar, to stop the bark tearing as the branch falls.

PT-07Handle overhanging neighbour branches carefullyYou can cut branches overhanging from a neighbour's tree back to your boundary line, working from your own side, as long as you don't harm the tree's health. Never go onto their land without permission. Offer the cuttings back to them — they still legally belong to the tree's owner. If the problem is a neighbour's overgrown hedge rather than a tree, see HomeGraft's high hedge rules guide instead.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

You have a common law right to cut overhanging branches back to the boundary, but the cuttings remain the owner's property and must be offered back.

PT-08Step back and check the shapeAfter a few cuts, stand well back and look at the overall shape. Don't remove more than about a quarter to a third of the live canopy in one session — over-pruning stresses the tree and can trigger a mass of weak regrowth. Spread heavier work over two or three years if the tree needs a lot taken off.

PT-09Clear up the pruningsRake up all cuttings, twigs and leaf debris from the ground. Chop or snap thin green material small enough to compost at home. Bag thicker woody branches for your council's garden waste collection, or take them to the tip if you don't have a garden waste bin.

2 each · Garden waste bag

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PT-10Clean and store your toolsWipe sap and sawdust off all blades with a dry cloth, then a light oil to stop rust. Sharpen secateurs and loppers if the edge feels dull. Store tools somewhere dry and out of children's reach.

1 bottle · Tool oil

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KNOW THE RULES

Before you start: Can I cut down or prune a tree with a tree preservation order?

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