Pollarding is a method of pruning trees and shrubs to keep them at a smaller height than they would normally grow.
In Medieval times, pollarding was practised as a means of producing kindling or fodder for livestock.
Today, annual pollarding of street trees is common to manage their size and to reduce the shadow cast by them.
Trees pollarded back to the knobbly stump. Early Spring.
The best time to pollard is late winter/early spring before growth starts.
A pollarded tree stands behind pleached trees.
Once the young tree reaches its required height, pollarding begins by dramatically cutting off all of the limbs. In time a knobbly stump forms, from which long straight sprouts emerge each spring. These sprouts should be removed every one or two years, cutting back to the knobbly stump.
It is a technique often used to create formality in a garden.
Clipped hedges, pollarded and pleached trees in a formal front garden.
I’m in two minds about it – it allows a large tree to be kept in check and fits in well with a formal layout, which I do admire.
A grove of pollarded trees awaiting their cut.
It’s very much the fashion in well-tended Flemish gardens.
Yet I sometimes long to see the tree breaking loose and growing with abandon… as Nature intended.
Jardin 
Although I understand the concept, it just seems too unnatural to me, I feel as you say in your last statement…
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I agree .. sometimes necessary to save a tree by reducing its size rather than getting rid of it, but the knobbly stumps are an odd look!
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This is very strange indeed, although I guess it’s a good idea with trees which might just take over a whole small garden.
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Yes, it has its practical aspects but the stumps do look odd at this time of year.
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I agree with your two minds on it. I like both. I am always hesitant to cut back because I feel like I am hurting the tree. But sometimes it just has to be done or lose the tree in the long run when it becomes to big for the space.
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Yes, pollarding is the more extreme form of “cutting back”, but necessary in streets etc.
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I’m for natural growth too, and I find some of this very weird and unnatural looking. 🙂
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Pollarding. pleaching etc very common in some parts of Belgium & France.
Strangely fascinating.
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We shave some espalier (is that right?) and topiary here, it all just looks strange to me. 🙂
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Yes, I like topiary and espalier is good for fruit trees.
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So that’s what they call it – pollarding. Thanks for this. I’ve seen it on some front yard trees (ornamental) and wondered why they do it.
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Glad to be of service!
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Q: How does pollarding differ from pleaching? What does pleaching look like, and why do it?
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Hope the post on pleaching was useful.
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I always learn so much from your posts. I loved the look of the pollarded trees in the Flemish garden, but I think basically, I am a little uncomfortable about it too.
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Thanks Karen. I agree. It’s fascinating being in gardens with such a distinctive style, and I’ve learnt such a lot, but at heart I prefer a more natural style.
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I am glad to read this post as I am very unfamiliar with pollarding. One of my clients has the landscaper do this to her trees because she is from England originally and I assume she had trees pollard when living there.
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Glad the post was interesting to you. I’m in Flemish Belgium at the moment where every second house seems to want pollarded trees.
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