Shredding is a traditional European method of tree pruning by which all side branches are removed repeatedly leaving the main trunk and top growth.
The purpose of shredding is to allow harvest of firewood and animal fodder while preserving a tall main trunk which may be harvested for timber at a later date.
[citation needed] It was formerly practiced in Britain although Oliver Rackham notes that "The medieval practice of shredding – cropping the side-branches of a tree leaving a tuft at the top – vanished from Britain long ago.
[1] Another name for cutting side branches off trees, used mainly in Northern England, is snagging.
[2] Other similar woodland management techniques include pollarding and coppicing.