In this article, we’ll explain the answer to the question ‘what is a tree surgeon?’ and the work they do. It’s more than pruning a few branches; a professional tree surgeon will provide all manner of tree care services to improve the health and look of your trees and your garden.
What is a tree surgeon? What is an arborist?
Often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between a tree surgeon and an arborist. While both professions involve working with trees, their roles vary slightly.
A tree surgeon focuses more on the practical side of tree care, such as pruning, shaping, and removing unhealthy or dead branches. On the other hand, an arborist (or arboriculturalist) has a broader skill set that includes diagnosing tree diseases, recommending treatments, and overall tree management. Though it’s often typical for an arborist to be an experienced tree surgeon as well.
Both professions play a crucial role in keeping our green spaces healthy and safe. At Woodfelder Tree Care, we fit both briefs, offering tree surgery services that are informed by a high level of skills and knowledge around tree growth and health.
What Does a Tree Surgeon Do?
Most people think tree surgeons just climb trees and chop off branches.
We do; but there’s a lot more to it than that.
A tree surgeon is a trained professional who looks after trees, including planting, pruning, maintenance, and removal when needed. Tree surgeons deal with everything from dangerous trees to overgrown hedges, neighbour disputes to emergency call-outs after storms. It’s a skilled job that involves physical graft, technical know-how, and a strong focus on safety. We’re responsible for the safety, health, and appearance of trees in public and private spaces.
Tree Care Services: What does a tree surgeon actually do? Tree surgeons get called out for all sorts of reasons, including:
- Dead or dangerous branches at risk of falling
- Tree roots damaging driveways or underground pipes
- Old or unstable trees that could topple in strong winds
- Overgrown trees blocking light from gardens or windows
- Stumps getting in the way of new building work
- Emergency tree care especially after storms
Before anything happens, we carry out a risk assessment. We look at the health of the tree, the surrounding environment, and whether it’s safe to carry out the tree work. We offer many aspects of tree surgery depending on your requirements, including;
- Crown reduction
- Crown Lifting
- Crown Thining
- Hedge Trimming
In many cases, we can make a tree safe and keep it standing. But sometimes, tree removal is the only option.
If the tree’s protected (under a Tree Preservation Order), we’ll also check with the council before doing any work. Cutting down a protected tree without permission can land you with an unlimited fine.
Tools of the tree surgery trade
Tree surgery involves specialist kit: saws, chainsaws, wood chippers, ropes, climbing spikes, ladders and harnesses; the lot. We work at height with heavy equipment, often in tight spaces, so proper training and teamwork are essential.
The skill set
A good tree surgeon is:
- Trained to work safely at height
- Experienced with power tools and machinery
- Aware of local tree laws and permissions
- Skilled in identifying tree health issues
- Used to working in all weathers, often in tricky environments
It’s not all chainsaws: Tree Planting, Branch Pruning & Tree Removal
Tree surgery also covers:
- Tree planting advice – suggesting the right tree for the right place
- Hedge trimming – shaping and reducing hedges (big or small)
- Stump removal – grinding down or digging out what’s left of felled trees
Tree stumps might not look like much, but they can cause problems underground or trip people up above them. We assess the best way to deal with each one, whether that’s grinding, removing, or treating with specialist methods.
How do you become a tree surgeon?
A career in tree surgery isn’t something you can just fall into; it takes proper training, physical fitness, and a head for heights.
Most qualified tree surgeons start out with a combination of college courses and on-the-job training/apprenticeships. You’ll usually need qualifications in arboriculture, forestry, or countryside management. Courses like the Level 2 Certificate or Diploma in Arboriculture are common starting points.
Alternatively, instead of completing a full college course, many aspiring tree surgeons take industry-recognised NPTC/LANTRA qualifications such as CS30 and CS31 (chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting, and felling small trees) and CS38 and CS39 (tree climbing, aerial rescue, and use of a chainsaw from a rope and harness). These provide the essential minimum training needed to work safely with chainsaws and at height.
From there, new tree surgeons build their skills through hands-on experience and on-the-job mentoring, learning the finer points of tree work under the guidance of more experienced climbers and ground staff. You learn how to climb safely, use chainsaws and equipment, identify tree species, assess risks, and work as part of a team. Most people start as a groundworker before moving into climbing roles.
Health and safety is a big part of the job, so you’ll also need to pass regular checks and keep your certifications up to date, especially for climbing, first aid, and using machinery. Expect further training to keep your skills sharp..
If you’re not afraid of hard work, love the outdoors, and like the idea of doing something different every day, it can be a really rewarding career.
Need a tree surgeon now?
At Woodfelder Tree Care, our team of highly trained tree surgeons provide a wide range of tree care and maintenance services, including crown reduction, pruning and tree and stump removal. No matter the type of tree or challenges your garden is facing, we can guide you through the process and provide a quality tree surgery service. Get in touch to request a free quote today.