Tree cutting and stump removal for a tidy garden

Chopping down trees or removing stumps is usually best done by an expert, and whether you need a huge tree chopped down or you require tree stump removal - there are professionals who can help.

While trees are great for adding colour and shade to your landscape, they can be a particular problem when they need to be trimmed or removed. And the larger the tree, the bigger the problem and the greater the need for expert tree cutting services.

For smaller branches and general maintenance, giving your trees a regular trim with a pair of shears is easy enough for the average gardener to do. But if you're looking to get rid of larger branches, a whole tree or remove a tree stump from your property, the job is best done by a stump removal services professional, due to the safety issues involved.

What's involved in tree cutting?

When it comes to chopping down trees, the method most commonly used by tree-removal professionals is to remove it in pieces that are small enough to be dropped without risk of causing damage to anything on the ground.

According to Mark from The Tree Doctor, tree cutting and tree stump removal are complicated procedures that can often require three or four people. "One of them will be an arborist, who climbs the tree using a rope and harness," says Mark. "Once in position, he will make cuts to the tree."

How difficult the removal is will depend on how accessible it is, says Mark. "Taking down a 40-foot tree may require only five or 10 cuts, or it may require 500 or 600, depending on how confined the space is," he says. "Sometimes the guys may lower portions of the tree down with ropes, or if there's a large enough area they may be able to cut it down in two-foot sections."

The cost of cutting down a tree depends on many variables, including the size and access to it. "If it's in a front yard and you can get it down in two or three pieces, you might only be looking at less," says Mark. "If it's a horrible big tree in the backyard, it could be thousands more. It's a fairly broad range, and it's also based on how long the job is going to take and the degree of difficulty involved."

What's involved in tree stump removal?

While our grandparents probably did the job by hand, most stump removal today is done with a piece of equipment called a stump grinder. This is essentially a metal angle grinder with large teeth, and it takes the stump out in slivers. "What's left of the stump literally turns into mulch," says Mark. "The pulp rises out and the mulch is left behind, to be used in the garden."

If you're looking to tidy the trees in your garden, play it safe and contact a stump removal services expert in your area: