Guides & advice
Know your trees before you cut them.
Practical, jargon-free advice on the trees and grounds around your home — how to spot trouble, when to prune, what the rules mean, and when to call a professional. Written by Jordan and the JC Tree & Grounds Maintenance team.
Crown reduction vs topping: why the difference matters
They can look similar from the ground, but one keeps a tree healthy and the other slowly kills it. What crown reduction to BS3998 really involves, why topping causes weak regrowth, and how to ask for the right thing.
Guide · JC Tree & Grounds Maintenance
What a Tree Preservation Order actually means for you
A TPO doesn't mean you can never touch the tree — but it does mean you need the council's written consent first. How to check if your tree is protected, what you can and can't do, and how we handle the permit application with your Local Planning Authority.
When NOT to do your own tree work
Loppers on a low branch are fine. A chainsaw up a ladder, or anything involving a rope, a big limb over a fence, or a dead tree, is a different world. The honest guide to where DIY stops and a call to a qualified, insured arborist starts.
How to read a tree surgery quote (and spot a bad one)
Why is one quote half the price of another? Usually it's what's left out — insurance, disposal, stump grinding, TPO checks, making good. What a proper quote should spell out, and the red flags that mean 'walk away'.
When to cut your hedge — a simple seasonal guide
Cut at the wrong time and you'll disturb nesting birds or trigger a rush of weak growth. Our straightforward guide to trimming conifers, formal hedges and mixed native hedges through the year — and when to book a regular cut.
A tree's come down in the storm — what to do first
Stay clear of anything touching power lines, keep people and cars away, photograph the damage for your insurer — and then call. A calm checklist for the worst-weather moments, from a team that answers storm callouts.
Do I really need the stump ground out?
A felled tree leaves a stump that can regrow, trip you up and get in the way of a new lawn or patio. What stump grinding below ground level involves, when it's worth doing, and what the space looks like afterwards.
Weed control and spraying, done responsibly
Effective weed and invasive-plant control isn't about spraying everything in sight. Why PA1/PA6 certification matters, how targeted application protects the rest of your garden, and when to treat versus when to clear by hand.
Guides are published as our schedule allows — the topics above are what we're asked about most.
Common questions
Straight answers, before you call.
Do I need permission to work on a tree in my own garden?
Sometimes. If the tree has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on it, or your property is in a conservation area, you need written consent from the Local Planning Authority before most work can start — even if it's your tree. We check the status for you before quoting and, where consent is needed, we prepare the documentation and submit the permit application on your behalf, then carry out only the approved work. Working on a protected tree without consent can mean a substantial fine, so it's always worth checking first.
What is BS3998, and why does it matter?
BS3998 is the British Standard for tree work — the recognised benchmark for how pruning, reduction, felling and dismantling should be carried out. Working to it means cuts are made in the right places, the tree's health and structure are protected, and the work is safe and defensible. All of our tree work is carried out to BS3998, and our climbers are City & Guilds Level 3 qualified in forestry and arboriculture with NPTC certificates for climbing, aerial rescue and aerial cutting.
What's the difference between crown reduction, thinning and topping?
Crown reduction shortens the whole crown evenly to reduce a tree's size while keeping its natural shape and structural integrity. Thinning removes a proportion of the smaller branches throughout the crown to let more light and wind through, without changing the overall size. Topping — cutting the top off a tree to stubs — is different, and we avoid it: it stresses the tree and forces weak, dense regrowth. Where a tree genuinely needs its height managed, a proper reduction to BS3998 is almost always the right answer instead.
Will you take the wood and mess away, or can I keep it?
Whichever you prefer. As standard we chip the brash and take all arisings away, leaving the site clean and level — the point every one of our reviews mentions. And 100% of the green waste we remove is recycled rather than sent to landfill. If you'd like to keep the logs for firewood or the wood chip for beds and paths, just say and we'll stack it neatly for you instead.
How do you price a job — day rate or fixed quote?
A clear, fixed price for the specific work, not a vague day rate. We look at the tree, its condition and everything around it, then give you one straight, transparent price that covers the work, the clear-up and disposal. Our reviews repeatedly mention how competitive and honest that pricing is — 'best on price', and in one case half what competitors quoted. If a TPO application is needed, we'll tell you before anything starts.
Are you insured and certified?
Yes. JC Tree & Grounds Maintenance is fully insured, a Checkatrade-verified member, and our operatives hold City & Guilds Level 3 in Forestry and Arboriculture plus NPTC certificates in tree climbing, aerial rescue and aerial cutting. Our spraying is carried out by PA1- and PA6-certified operatives. Tree work is dangerous, and it's worth knowing exactly who's up the tree.
Do you offer regular grounds maintenance, or just one-off jobs?
Both. We handle one-off tree and hedge work, and we also provide flexible scheduled grounds maintenance — hedge cutting on a monthly or yearly basis, garden and vegetation clearance, weed control and general upkeep — for homeowners with larger gardens, estates, managing agents and commercial sites. Tell us what you need looking after and we'll put together a plan that fits your season and budget.
Do you cover emergencies and storm damage?
Yes. If a tree or large limb has come down, split, is hung up, or is blocking access after high winds, call and we'll come out to make it safe, then deal with it properly through corrective pruning or removal. We answer storm-damage emergencies outside our normal hours, and we'll advise on what to photograph for an insurance claim. See our Storm Damage page for what to do while you wait for us to arrive.
Still not sure?
There's no such thing as a silly tree question. Send Jordan a photo and he'll tell you what he'd do — and whether it even needs doing yet.