Pruning that keeps a tree healthy, keeps it off your roof, and lets light back into the garden underneath. Cut properly, timed to the species, and the prunings cleared as we go.
Send a photo of the tree and we will tell you what it needs.
The short answer
Tree pruning is the selective removal of branches to improve a tree’s health, shape, safety or the amount of light it lets through. It is not the same as lopping, which is cutting a tree back to stubs. Weeds n’ Wonders provides pruning and shaping of garden trees across Melbourne’s eastern and north eastern suburbs.
Good pruning considers where each cut is made, how much growth is removed and how the particular tree is likely to respond. Cuts are made back to the branch collar, the slightly swollen ring where a branch meets the trunk, because that is the point a tree seals a wound from. How much we remove depends on the tree and why it’s being pruned. Sometimes only a light prune is needed to improve its shape or remove unwanted growth, while an overgrown, damaged or affected tree may need a much harder cut back. We assess what the tree actually needs rather than applying the same approach to every prune.
Timing also matters, and the best time to prune depends on the type of tree and what we’re trying to achieve. Some trees are best pruned while dormant, while others are better pruned after flowering or at particular times of the year. We take the species, condition and reason for pruning into account rather than treating every tree the exact same.
The same tree before and after shaping. Lower limbs lifted, the canopy thinned to let light through, and the prunings cleared. Our work, our photo.
What you get
The first pass on any tree, and often the only one it needs.
No stubs left and no flush cuts into the trunk. Both stop a tree sealing properly.
Weight taken evenly rather than off one side, so the tree does not lean into the gap.
Branches taken off roofs, gutters, fences and paths.
Selective thinning where a tree has closed over the garden beneath it.
Your green bin first, then we bag and take the rest at $8 a bag.
Method
Garden tree pruning and arboriculture are different trades. We are clear about where the line sits, and we would rather tell you before the job than halfway through it.
| The tree | Who should do it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Garden trees within reach from the ground, ladders or extension equipment | Us | Standard garden pruning. Shaping, thinning, deadwood and clearance work. |
| Fruit trees, citrus and small ornamentals | Us | Routine seasonal pruning where timing and technique matter more than height. |
| Hedged or standard trained trees | Us | Shaping work, closer to hedge trimming than to tree surgery. |
| Anything requiring climbing, ropes or an elevated platform | Qualified arborist | Different equipment, different training and different insurance. We refer it on. |
| Trees near power lines | Qualified arborist, and often the electricity provider | Legal clearance distances apply and the work is genuinely dangerous. |
| Structural work on large established trees | Qualified arborist | Removing a major limb from a mature tree changes how the whole tree carries load. |
| Tree removal | Us for smaller trees, a qualified arborist for the rest | Smaller trees we can remove safely with our own equipment. Larger removals are a separate trade and often need approval before anything starts. |
| Any tree you are worried about | We assess it first, then refer if needed | We can look at the tree first and, if it needs a proper arborist assessment, refer it on. |
If your job sits on the arborist side of this line, we will tell you and point you in the right direction. We would rather lose a job than do one badly.
Local knowledge
The best time to prune a tree depends on the species and what you’re trying to achieve. Pruning at the wrong time can mean removing next season’s flowers or, with some trees, increasing the risk of disease.
| Tree | Common in | When to prune | Why then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese maple | Courtyards and shaded gardens across all six suburbs | Winter, before spring growth | The bare branches make shaping and structure easier to see. |
| Silver birch | Very common through Kew, Balwyn and Camberwell | Late summer to autumn where possible | Helps avoid heavier sap flow. |
| Ornamental pear | Street frontages and driveways everywhere in the east | Late winter, but generally flexible | Easy to shape before spring growth. |
| Crepe myrtle | Front gardens and courtyards | Late winter, but generally flexible | Shapes it before new growth and flowering. |
| Magnolia | Established period gardens in Kew, Hawthorn and Toorak | After flowering where possible | Helps preserve the current season’s flowers. |
| Ornamental cherry and flowering plum | Period gardens and nature strips | After flowering, ideally in dry weather | Helps preserve flowers and reduce disease risk. |
| Citrus, including lemon and lime | Almost every back garden in the east | Generally flexible, avoid harsh conditions | Can be pruned as needed for shape, more fruit and health, or common issues such as gall wasp. |
| Stone fruit, including plum, apricot and cherry | Established back gardens | After harvest in dry weather | Helps reduce disease risk such as fungal diseases and canker. |
| Apple and pear | Back gardens and old orchard blocks | Winter or summer, depending on the goal | Shapes the tree and encourages fruiting for the coming season. |
| Olive | Modern and Mediterranean style gardens | Late winter to spring, but generally flexible | Good timing before active growth. |
| Camellia grown as a tree | Shaded period gardens in Kew and Hawthorn | After flowering where possible | Helps preserve next season’s flowers. |
| Bottlebrush, tea tree and native shrubs | Native gardens across Ivanhoe and Balwyn North | Species dependent, often after flowering | Timing depends on the plant and purpose. |
| Eucalypts and large natives | Established blocks throughout the east | Assessment first | Larger work may require an arborist. |
Timing is species specific. If you are not sure what you have, send us a photo and we will tell you when it should be cut.
Melbourne’s eastern councils protect trees over certain sizes, and pruning as well as removal can require a permit. The six suburbs sit across three councils.
| Suburb | Council |
|---|---|
| Kew, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Balwyn | City of Boroondara |
| Ivanhoe | City of Banyule |
| Toorak | City of Stonnington |
Rules differ between these councils and they change, so we check before we start rather than after. If your tree is likely to be covered, we will tell you and you can apply before any work happens. It is a short conversation that avoids a serious fine.
The pattern
A tree that has been lopped does not go back to normal. It responds, and the response is the problem.
Cut a tree back to stubs and it throws out dozens of thin shoots from just below the cut. That growth is fast, weak and poorly attached. Within a few years the tree is bushier, heavier at the ends, and far more likely to shed a limb than before it was cut.
A tree seals wounds from the branch collar. Leave a stub and there is no collar to seal from, so the stub dies back and decay travels into the trunk.
Weak regrowth needs cutting again sooner, which produces more weak regrowth. It is a cycle, and it is why some trees seem to need constant work while others need almost none.
The fix for a lopped tree is patient corrective pruning across several seasons, selecting the strongest shoots and removing the rest. It is not something that can be undone in a single visit.
Rhythm
Most established garden trees need pruning every one to three years, not every visit. Trees are the part of a garden that suffers most from being fussed with.
Fruit trees are the exception and want annual attention, because pruning is what keeps them producing and keeps the fruit within reach.
Fast growing trees near a house need more frequent clearance work, usually annually, to keep branches off roofs and gutters.
Deadwood removal can happen any time of year and is worth doing whenever it appears, because dead branches do not get safer with time.
Pricing
Tree pruning is quoted per job rather than by the hour or by the tree. Height, access, species, what is underneath the tree and how much has to be taken away all change the work involved far more than the number of trees does.
We look at the tree, tell you what it needs and what it does not, and give you a price before anything starts. If part of the job belongs with an arborist, we will say so at that point rather than after.
Send us photos of the tree with your enquiry and we can usually give you a clear idea before we visit.
Before and after
Real garden trees we have pruned and shaped across Melbourne’s east. Every photo is our own work.
Overgrown garden opened up. Canopy thinned and deadwood taken out so light reaches the beds below.
Front fence cleared. Overgrown trees and shrubs cut back off the fence line and the path.
Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 on Google.
Service areas
Weeds n’ Wonders provides tree pruning and shaping in the following suburbs.
Tree pruning in Kew
Tree pruning in Camberwell
Tree pruning in Hawthorn
Tree pruning in Balwyn
Tree pruning in Ivanhoe
Tree pruning in Toorak
Nearby but not listed? Call us. If you are close we can usually help.
Related services
Different job, different technique. Hedges are cut to a line, trees are cut to a structure.
Tree work produces more waste than anything else in the garden. For a large prune, this is what clears it.
Deadwood and clearance handled as part of a regular visit, so it never builds up.
FAQ
It depends on the type of tree and what the pruning needs to achieve. Japanese maples and ornamental pears are often pruned while dormant, while flowering trees such as magnolias and camellias are commonly pruned after flowering to avoid removing developing buds. Stone fruit such as plum, apricot and cherry can benefit from pruning in dry weather to reduce disease risk, while trees such as citrus, olives and crepe myrtles can be more flexible depending on the type of pruning required. We consider the species, condition of the tree and reason for pruning rather than applying the same pruning season to every tree.
There isn’t one percentage that applies to every tree. How much can be safely removed depends on the species, age and condition of the tree, as well as why it’s being pruned. Some trees only need a light shape, while others can tolerate a much harder cut back when they’re overgrown, damaged or affected by a problem. We assess the tree first and prune according to what it actually needs.
Pruning selectively removes branches while considering the tree’s natural structure and how it will respond. Lopping cuts branches back indiscriminately, often leaving large stubs and removing significant parts of the canopy. This can trigger vigorous, poorly attached regrowth and leave the tree with weaker branch structure, increasing the risk of future branch failure during strong winds or storms.
Possibly. Councils across Melbourne’s east protect trees over certain sizes, and pruning as well as removal can require a permit. Kew, Camberwell, Hawthorn and Balwyn fall under the City of Boroondara, Ivanhoe under the City of Banyule, and Toorak under the City of Stonnington. Rules differ and change, so we check before starting work rather than afterwards.
Smaller trees we can remove safely with our own equipment. Larger removals are a separate trade requiring different equipment, training and insurance, and they often need a council permit, so we refer those to a qualified arborist.
No. We prune from the ground using ladders and extension equipment, which reaches well above head height, so higher hedges and trees are within scope. Climbing, ropes and elevated work platforms belong with a qualified arborist and we refer that on rather than take a risk with your property.
Often it can be improved, but not quickly. Corrective pruning across several seasons selects the strongest of the regrowth shoots and removes the rest, gradually rebuilding a better structure. If a tree has previously been heavily lopped or simply ‘hacked back’, fixing the resulting regrowth and structure cannot always be done in one visit, it can take time and may require several carefully planned prunes.
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons people book it. Selective thinning of a canopy lets light through to the garden underneath without changing the shape of the tree. It works far better than removing whole limbs, which leaves the tree unbalanced and the light patchy.
Yes. Tree work generates more waste than any other garden job. Your green bin gets used first, and everything beyond that we bag and take with us at $8 a bag, rather than leaving it for you to deal with.
Weeds n’ Wonders covers Melbourne’s eastern and north eastern suburbs, including Kew, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Balwyn, Ivanhoe and Toorak.
Booking
Get a call back or send us photos. We will tell you what the tree needs, when it should be done, and whether it is a job for us or for an arborist.
Send a photo of the tree and we will tell you what it needs.
