Crown Reduction
In crown reduction pruning, generally not more than 1/3 of the total area is removed in a single operation. Crown reduction and deadwood removal have frequently been done in large Douglas Fir and Red Cedar pines close to building. This allows the winds to move through the tree, lessening chances of tree failure.
Also, because more light and air reach the inner portion of the branches, the trees experience less needle loss. Consequently, there is less mess below. We believe this also enhances the natural shape of the tree. Various pruning techniques such as skirting and thinning provide a healthy solution to conserving views without completely removing trees.
Crown Cleaning
Crown cleaning is the removal of dead, dying, diseased, crowded, weakly attached or low vigor branches from the tree's crown. This differs from crown reduction in that very little of the live crown is removed. On the west coast, we frequently use this procedure in Large Douglas Fir and Red Cedar that have become "high value" trees, for the cleaning or reduction may also be used when removal of the tree is not always an option.
