Tree and Hedge Work in Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil is a green town for somewhere with such an industrial past. The hillsides above the terraces are wooded in places, gardens back onto banks of self-sown trees, and Cyfarthfa Park shows how well big trees grow here given room. In a private garden, though, a tree that was a sapling twenty summers ago can now block the light, lift a wall or hang over a neighbour’s roof.

This guide looks at the tree and hedge work people in Merthyr Tydfil most often ask us about, what the local conditions mean for it, and what to check before any cutting starts. Our tree surgery and hedge care page lists everything we do.

What the valley does to trees

Three things set Merthyr Tydfil trees apart from those in a sheltered lowland garden. The first is wind. Weather funnels up the Taff valley, and trees on exposed plots grow lopsided, lose limbs in gales or rock loose in wet ground. The second is slope. A tree on a bank often leans towards the light and the drop, putting weight on one side of its roots. The third is water. Soil that stays wet for months gives roots a weaker grip than firm, dry ground.

None of that means a tree has to go. It means we look at the whole situation, not just the branches, before recommending anything.

After a stormy spell it is worth walking round your trees. Look for a crack where a big limb joins the trunk, a branch hanging broken in the crown, fungus at the base, or soil heaving up on one side of the roots. Any of those is a reason to get the tree looked at before the next gale rather than after it. Heavy pruning to make a tree 'safer' can backfire, though; stripping out too much at once leaves it top-heavy with fresh growth and more exposed to wind, so a measured reduction is usually the better route.

The jobs we are asked for most

Most requests in Merthyr Tydfil fall into a handful of types:

• Letting light into a terrace garden. Narrow gardens behind tall houses lose a lot of sun already. Crown lifting or thinning a tree at the top of the garden can make a real difference to a lawn or patio below.
• Cutting back from buildings and wires. Branches rubbing on a roof or gutter, or growing towards overhead lines, need attention. Anything near power lines is a job for the network operator, so we will tell you if that applies.
• Dealing with self-sown trees. Sycamore, ash and birch seed freely on the valley sides and can grow quickly at the edge of a garden or right against a wall.
• Taking down a tree that has become unsafe or too big. On steep ground this is usually done in sections, lowered with care.
• Hedge trimming and reshaping. Overgrown boundary hedges that have been left for years and now take up half the garden.

For how the different pruning cuts work, see crown lifting, thinning and reduction explained.

Working safely on a slope

Tree work on flat ground is straightforward to set up. On a Merthyr Tydfil hillside plot it takes more planning. Footing is uneven and often wet, there may be a drop to a lane or a neighbour’s garden below, and branches have to be controlled all the way down rather than left to fall.

We plan the order of cuts, where each piece will land and how it will be carried away before we start. Where there is no rear access, cut timber and brash are bagged and taken out through the property or down the steps. What happens on the day a tree surgeon visits gives a clear picture of the process.

Before you cut: permission and wildlife

Some trees are protected by tree preservation orders, and trees in conservation areas usually need notice to the council before work. We are not planners, so our advice is always the same: check with your local council before any significant tree work in Merthyr Tydfil. Our guide do you need permission to cut down a tree in Wales? explains the general rules.

Birds nest in hedges and trees, and it is an offence to damage an active nest. That is why we check before trimming in spring and summer and often suggest leaving major hedge work until autumn or winter. Where a tree overhangs from next door, talk to your neighbour first; you can usually cut back to the boundary but not beyond it.

Hedges that stand up to the weather

A good hedge makes a better windbreak than most fences in an exposed Merthyr Tydfil garden, because it filters the wind rather than blocking it. Beech, hornbeam, hawthorn and mixed native hedging all cope with upland weather when looked after.

Regular trimming keeps a hedge dense and manageable. A hedge left for years can often be brought back by cutting it hard over one or two seasons, rather than ripping it out. Hedge trimming: how often and when has the timings. If you are weighing up a fence instead, read strong fencing for windy Merthyr Tydfil gardens.

Trees, walls and drains

On steep ground, a tree close to a retaining wall is worth watching. Roots can push at the wall and, as the tree sways in the wind, loosen the ground behind it. If you have a tree and a leaning wall together, it is sensible to look at both at once. Our article on retaining and boundary walls in Merthyr Tydfil covers the wall side.

Removing a big tree also changes how a garden handles water, because the tree was drinking some of the rain. That rarely causes problems, but it is one more reason to plan tree work as part of the garden as a whole. The Merthyr Tydfil landscaping page shows how the pieces fit together.

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