South Coast Tree Services

Vista pruning is worth asking us about. If a tree has grown right across the view you bought the place for, we can open that view back up without taking the tree out. South Coast Tree Services is owned and run by Ben Lawrence, a fully qualified and insured arborist with 20 years behind him, and Ben personally manages every job that goes out.

Directional and formative pruning is the structural end of the same work, shaping a young tree so it grows sound, or correcting one that has already gone the wrong way. Crown and canopy thinning is selective removal of branches right through the canopy, which lets more light down and lets the wind pass through, so there is less load on the tree in rough weather. Height and width are a separate question, and crown reduction and pollarding deals with those. Shape is vital to a tree's survival, and lopping the wrong sections off one that has passed its height limit can do real harm, hindering its growth or leaving it overbalanced.

Deadwooding and tree thinning comes down to stability and safety. Branches die back from light deficiency, pest and disease damage or damage to the root structure, and a dead branch will decay back to the parent stem and drop eventually, though high winds or extreme heat will bring that forward. Taking it out speeds up the tree's natural abscission process, sheds unwanted weight and wind resistance and helps the balance, and a crown clear of deadwood simply looks better. The trees that most need it are the ones hanging over a house, a carport, a shed or the outdoor living area. It can be done through most of the year, though not while the tree is coming into leaf.

Removal of trees and palms is sometimes the only option, when a tree has become a danger or is simply in the wrong place. We carry lowering ropes and the equipment to bring pieces down in very tight spots without damage to property, gardens or fences. Some trees are protected and we will tell you if yours is one of them. Where that happens we will speak to the council about removal, and if they refuse it, minimal pruning of up to 30 per cent is normally approved instead.

When a garden has got away from you, a garden overhaul brings it back: hedge trimming, taking out selected small shrubs and clearing the plant debris that is surplus to requirements. We can whipper snip the weeds off and arrange for mulch to be spread to keep them from coming back. Gutter cleaning is on the list too, and it is worth booking before the big winter rains arrive. We work out of Aldinga Beach and across Adelaide and the south coast. Quotes are free, so ring Ben on 0402 685 068 or send an email through.