Crown-Raising Trees Lets More Light Into Your Landscape – Here's How to Do This Simple Pruning Job

As trees mature, their lower branches can start shading everything beneath them. Grass may thin out, flowerbeds can start to struggle, and the space under your trees becomes basically unusable. The canopy sits so low you can't walk under it comfortably or mow the lawn without ducking.

Crown-raising your trees fixes these issues by systematically removing the bottom branches. Understanding some basic pruning methods helps, including crown-raising. This process is actually simpler than many other pruning methods – you're just lifting the canopy gradually over time.

Unlike tree topping, which butchers a tree's natural shape, stimulates weak regrowth, and creates entry points for disease, crown-raising preserves your tree's health. It also opens up the area beneath the canopy allowing for easier access, more light, and the ability to grow plants underneath your tree. I’ll walk you through how to use this effective pruning technique on trees in your yard or garden.

Stop Topping Trees

Crown-raising trees is a better way to renovate trees through pruning instead of the more common practice of topping. Tree topping hacks branches right back to stubs, creating nasty wounds that hardly ever seal up right. The tree fights back by sprouting bunches of spindly shoots just below those cuts. Because they shoot up and regrow quickly, they are much more likely to snap like twigs in a storm.

Topped trees end up looking mangled and deformed for good and the health of the trees tend to fade away over time. Topping trees is never a good idea. Always consult a certified arborist before carrying out major pruning jobs like topping. They will ensure that you make the right kinds of cuts to actually help your tree rather than hurt it.

Benefits of Crown-Raising Trees

Instead of topping your trees, try crown-raising. Crown-raising works with how trees grow naturally, rather than fighting growth to keep trees small like topping does. Removing lower branches through the process of crown-raising leaves the main trunk and key framework of your tree untouched.

Your tree holds onto its natural shape and keeps reaching skyward, but opens up the canopy and the area below the tree for actual use. This allows more light to enter the landscape beneath the tree so plants can grow and gives you more space to walk and work underneath your tree's branches.

Best Time for Crown-Raising

Late winter to early spring pruning suits most trees when they’re still dormant, but gearing up for growth. No leaves means clear views of branches and wounds will naturally heal come spring.

Late fall pruning works as well after leaves drop, though healing may take until warmer weather returns. Skip summer pruning. Cuts can end up oozing sap and drawing pests. Early fall pruning also risks soft new growth freezing before it hardens.

How to Try Crown-Raising

There are a couple different ways you can try crown-raising the trees in your landscape. I'll walk you through the two main methods, step-by-step.

The Bottom-Up Method

This method keeps things orderly and safe for your tree. Start from the ground level and work around the trunk methodically, focusing on the scraggly lower growth first. Wear protective gloves, like these ones from Amazon, to make pruning easier on your hands.

1. Identify Problem Branches

Look for branches that sag, cross over others, or grow toward the ground rather than up towards the sky. These are the ones dragging the canopy low and blocking light.

Removing them opens up your tree without shocking its system too much. Pruning out dead or diseased limbs here also helps prevent those issues from spreading higher in the tree. Getting rid of these problem branches clears the way for healthier growth overall.

2. Work in a Circle

Go around the trunk evenly, taking off the entire lowest tier of branches before tackling the next lowest level. This prevents common pruning problems like lopsided growth and lets the tree adjust gradually.

Most trees need this done over a couple seasons to avoid stress. Balancing the removal keeps the tree symmetrical and reduces wind damage risks. It also makes future maintenance simpler since the structure stays even.

3. Reassess After Each Tier

After knocking out one layer of branches, wait a season and check how the tree responds. If it's thriving, go for another round. New bud formation indicates good recovery.

Spread out the crown-raising process over the course of two or three years until you get the clearance you want. Taking this process slowly avoids over-pruning that could weaken your tree long-term.

The Three-Cut Method

For branches thicker than a finger, the three-cut method prevents bark tears that could invite rot or common tree diseases. Thin branches only need a single snip with bypass pruners, like these ones from Fiskars, but thicker limbs need careful handling to prune cleanly.

1. The Under-Cut

To start, make a small notch on the underside of a branch about 6 inches (15 cm) from the trunk. This stops the branch from ripping downward when it falls. It's a quick step, but really crucial for clean limb removal. The notch should be about a quarter of the branch's thickness to work effectively. Doing this first controls the break point precisely.

2. The Main Cut

From the top of the branch, slice further out than the notch you made in the last step – about a foot (30 cm) or so beyond the first cut. This cut relieves weight before the final trim. In the next step, the branch should snap at the undercut and drops away without stripping any bark.

Position yourself safely to avoid falling debris as you proceed. And always use a sharp, clean pruning tool, like this saw from Amazon that handles the job smoothly.

3. The Final Cut

Trim the stub just outside the branch collar – that swollen spot where the branch meets the trunk. Leave the collar intact because it helps seal the wound properly.

Don't cut flush or healing will take much longer. Angling the cut slightly outward sheds water better. Proper finishing promotes faster callus formation over the wound, meaning less chance of disease.

Follow the One-Third Rule

Never remove more than one-third of the tree's branches in one go – this rule keeps the tree from starving or undergoing too much stress. For a 15-foot (4.5 m) tree, clear no more than 5 feet (1.5 m) of branches up the trunk. This ensures enough leaves remain for sufficient photosynthesis.

If you prune trees too much, they will enter panic mode and start pushing out suckers everywhere. Weak shoots will sprout to replace lost foliage, but ultimately, they drain energy. That's what happens when you top trees.

Instead, stick to the one-third limit to avoid that mess and maintain tree health. And as with any pruning job, always use sharp, clean tools to prevent spreading diseases of making jagged cuts that invite problems. These bypass loppers from Amazon cut branches up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) thick and have a long enough handle to reach low to medium height branches.

What Happens After Crown-Raising

After crown-raising a tree, it shifts energy to the upper branches and fills out the canopy naturally. Sun hits the ground again, reviving grass and letting plants growing beneath your tree thrive where shade once ruled.

Watch for stress signs like dieback or extra suckers. If these appear, ease up next time you prune. A healthy response means another tier of pruning later. Over the course of a few seasons, crown-raising turns dead space into a perfect spot for paths or beds without mangling your tree.