This can be done to trees between about 3 and 6 years old. Beyond that age the tree can look quite unattractive for some time if pollarded. It is commonly done to Eucalypts of the faster growing species to lower crown height and encourage branching at the top of the tree. The faster growing species will tend to make a single trunk, shed their lower branches and the crown advances up the tree. Cut off in March/April between 1.8 and 3 metres (6 and 10 ft) from the ground. Do not, in this case, remove any remaining side branches. The development of epicormic shoots is encouraged below the cut. The leaves that grow will usually be intermediate or adult or pass through the juvenile stage very quickly. These will develop vigorously at first restoring a more branching crown but eventually one branch may gain dominance and stability and it will suppress the other shoots. Thus pollarding is a temporary solution to a problem where a slower, smaller and more branching species should have been selected in the first place.
If you require a specimen tree with a single trunk for the first 2 metres do not prune away any lower branches until the tree has had two seasons growth in the case of the more branching species. Even after pruning they may have a tendency to grow new lower branches so remove these as well. However, the natural habit of these trees is multi-stemmed. No pruning should be necessary with the faster growing species because they will, as mentioned, shed their lower branches naturally.
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