What We Do
Professional Tree Pruning for Kew Gardens
Kew has extensive Heritage Overlays particularly around Studley Park and the streets backing onto the Yarra River, with Vegetation Protection Overlays covering the river escarpment. Cotham Road, High Street and the leafy backstreets around Walpole Street are typical Kew tree work areas, with mature gardens hosting some of Boroondara's oldest trees. Tree pruning in Kew requires local knowledge: the tree species, the council requirements, and how to work around mature gardens. Every job is led by a Cert III qualified arborist, fully insured to $20 million, and finished with complete site clean-up.
Kew's established trees often include established oaks, elms, gums, claret ash, magnolias. Each species has its own pruning considerations, particularly when access is constrained by narrow side passages, overhead power lines, or neighbouring properties typical of Kew blocks. Our approach is methodical, safety-first, and tailored to each tree.
We prune to AS 4373-2007, the Australian Standard for the pruning of amenity trees. That means clean target cuts at branch unions, no flush cuts, no topping, and reductions kept within what the tree can recover from in a single operation. The result is a tree that looks better immediately and stays healthy for decades.
What We Prune
Common Pruning Jobs Across Melbourne's East
Crown Reduction
Reducing the overall height and spread of a tree while keeping its natural form. Typically 20 to 30 percent in one operation, staged over years if more is needed.
Clearance Pruning
Lifting branches off roofs, gutters, fences, driveways, paths and overhead lines. The most common pruning request we get.
Deadwood Removal
Removing dead branches that pose a falling hazard or look unsightly. Important on mature gums, oaks and elms.
Crown Thinning
Selective removal of branches to reduce density, improve light penetration and reduce wind sail in storm-prone gardens.
Formative Pruning
Shaping young and semi-mature trees to develop strong structure. Best done early to avoid bigger problems later.
Selective Limb Removal
Targeted removal of specific branches, such as those overhanging pools, neighbours' property, or growing toward structures.
How We Approach a Pruning Job
Good pruning starts with understanding what the tree is doing now and what it should be doing in five years. Our process:
- Assessment. We look at the tree's natural form, current condition, and the customer's actual goal. Often the request ("trim it back") needs a conversation about what the right outcome looks like.
- Written quote. Clear scope, including target reduction percentage or specific branches to remove, the standard we'll prune to, and what's included.
- Set-up. Drop sheets if needed, exclusion zones, traffic management on busier streets.
- Climbing arborist on the tree. Most pruning is done by a climber rather than from a ladder or platform. This allows for proper target cuts at branch unions, not stubs.
- Clean target cuts. Cuts placed just outside the branch collar, no flush cuts, no leaving stubs. This is what protects the tree from decay.
- Clean-up. All cuttings chipped on site or removed. Optional mulch left for the garden.
⚠️ Why We Don't Top Trees
Topping is the practice of cutting major branches back to stubs or cutting the main stem to a set height. It's still done by some operators because customers ask for it, but it permanently damages the tree. The result is heavy weak regrowth from the cut points, decay entering through the large wounds, and a tree that looks worse and is structurally compromised. AS 4373-2007 prohibits it. If a customer wants a tree dramatically shorter, the honest answers are either staged crown reduction over multiple years, or removal and replanting with something better suited to the desired height. We're happy to talk through both options.
What's Included
Every Pruning Job Includes
- Free written quote with clear scope, target reduction and pruning approach.
- $20M public liability insurance, certificate of currency on request.
- Cert III qualified arborists following AS 4373-2007.
- Climbing arborist on every job, not just chainsaw from a ladder.
- Council permit guidance for protected canopy trees.
- Full site clean-up, all cuttings chipped or removed.
- Mulch left on site if you'd like it, at no extra cost.
Tree Pruning Across Boroondara and Surrounds
While this page focuses on Kew, we provide the same tree pruning service across the surrounding area, including Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Balwyn, Canterbury, Richmond. For our general tree pruning information across all suburbs, see our Tree Pruning service page.
From the Field
Recent Pruning Work
Local Pages
Suburb-Specific Pages
We've written dedicated pages for the suburbs where we work most often, covering the local council rules, common tree species, and what makes each area different. Read the one closest to where your tree work is: Hawthorn · Camberwell.