Titles aren't important; knowledge is.
If the customer wanted another kind of gratification, would you give it if the money was right?:jawdrop:
Ho ho ho. :greenchainsaw:
Toppers
- Thread starter Jlarnard
- Start date
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If the customer wanted another kind of gratification, would you give it if the money was right?:jawdrop:
Ho ho ho. :greenchainsaw:
clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
I guess if she looked ok and was paying well.......
Blakesmaster
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm not going to read through the doctor's posts again but I think one of his "regulations" to do tree work was one must be certified, despite the knowledge. We all get the fact that topping is bad but when push comes to shove, it's really only a tree, and there's plenty more.
1. If everyone knows that indiscriminate topping is bad, then why is this type of tree care still practiced?
2. It may be “only a tree” but why ruin it? Is it because there are many more? That a pretty lame excuse!
3. I am not a Doctor, and never said that someone must be a Certified Arborist to perform tree work. Go back and check my post if you will.
I can see clearly now that there are some on this forum that will continue to “butcher” trees with little to no regard for proper tree care. I also see that by some, education and credentials are frowned upon.
There may be some young and new arborist that are lurking and that have recently entered this career field. The field of arboriculture is a wonderful and exciting career. It has been a tremendous experience work with people and trees for the past 23 years. Let me encourage you as you progress in this profession to apply yourself in education about trees and proper tree care. The Certified Arborist program is not perfect, but is a good place to start.
If you are on the fence about this subject, please do not listen to these hacks. What they are doing, and what they promote is not right. There is more to our profession that just making a buck. These guys could care less about what they are doing…”They are just trees”.
ANSI A300 (Part 1)- 2008 Pruning Standards,
4.51 Topping: Reduction of tree size using internodal cuts without regard to tree health or structural integrity. Topping is not an acceptable pruning practice.
6.1.7 Topping and lion’s tailing shall be considered unacceptable pruning practices for trees.
http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/forestry/urban/treetopping.htm
Tree topping is expensive, mutilating and obsolete. Yet it still occurs widely throughout the Midwest.
WHY?
Myth and lack of public understanding about proper tree care are two major reasons why people pay to have their trees destroyed each year.
What is Tree Topping?
Tree topping is the drastic removal, or cutting back, of large branches in mature trees, leaving large, open wounds which subject the tree to disease and decay. Topping causes immediate injury to the tree and ultimately results in early failure or death of the tree.
Other names for this malpractice include stubbing, heading, heading-back, stubbing-off, tipping hatracking, topping off, dehorning, lopping, or roundover.
In short, topping - by any name - is the worst thing to do to the health of a tree.
Tree Topping vs. Tree Pruning: No Contest
Tree topping should never be confused with proper pruning. A topped tree is easy to spot - the tree's natural shape has been destroyed, while a properly pruned tree often looks as if no work has been done at all. With proper pruning, an arborist will spend time carefully selecting and removing branches. Careful selective pruning retains the tree's natural shape and beauty.
Proper pruning is an important part of caring for - and protecting - the health of your trees. In fact, many tree care professionals recommend that homeowners start early and continue proper pruning throughout the life of a tree.
Year 1: The topped tree (left) is an ugly stub. The pruned tree's (right) size was reduced, but its form and beauty retained. Year 3: Fast growing sprouts have sprung from the topped tree (left) in large numbers. The pruned tree (right) adds growth more slowly and naturally. Year 6: The topped tree (left) is taller and bushier than ever. The properly pruned tree (right) is safer, more beautiful and its size is better contolled.
Tree Topping Myths
People top trees for many reasons, all of them connected to falsehoods and misconceptions.
Myth: Topping a tree will reduce storm damage and make the tree easier to maintain.
Truth: Topped trees can regain their original height in as fast as 2 years. The fast growing, extremely long and loosely attached shoots caused by topping may be more susceptible to breakage and storm damage. Ultimately, a topped tree requires more attention in the future than a properly pruned tree.
Myth: Topping invigorates a tree.
Truth: Topping immediately injures a tree and starts it on a downward spiral. Topping wounds expose a tree to decay and invasion from insects and disease. Also, the loss of foliage starves the tree, which weakens the roots, reducing the tree's structural strength. While a tree may survive topping, its life span will be significantly reduced.
Myth: Topped trees will add value to your property.
Truth: Topped trees lack natural beauty and may reduce your property values. Also, a topped tree can become hazardous and cause property damage, making it a liability.
There Is a Better Way: Alternatives to Topping
As a homeowner, you must educate yourself and make wise choices to protect your home and property - including your trees. A tree is a valuable asset. As a long-term investment, trees require careful decisions and the occasional advice and service of a professional. Here's what you can do to protect your trees:
Hire only competent, insured and certified tree care professionals.
When seeking a tree service, check the company's topping policy. If they say top, don't let them near your trees.
Find out if the individual or company carries professional certification, particularly through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The ISA conducts extensive course and certifies those that pass an industry-based exam.
Most importantly, never let yourself be pressured by bargains. The old saying, "you get what you pay for" truly applies here.
An Ounce of Prevention: Right Tree, Right Place
Every species of tree has different height, width and spacing needs in order to grown into a healthy mature tree. Carefully matching your tree selection with site conditions - proximity to other trees, buildings or above ground utilities - can prevent problems before they occur and will eliminate the need to take harmful, drastic measures. Many utility companies and forestry agencies provide guidelines for planting trees and recommendations of tree species to fit your needs. Trees are a long-term investment. You have the ability - and the responsibility - to prevent future problems by applying the practice of "the right tree in the right place."
Information Resources
For more information about caring for your trees, and brochures that explain in greater detail about proper tree pruning and tree selection, contact the organizations below.
National Arbor Day Foundation can provide information about tree planting and proper pruning:
100 Arbor Avenue
Nebraska City, NE 68410
(402) 474-5655
http://www.arborday.org
International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) can provide information about professional certification and standards:
http://www.isa-arbor.com
Email: [email protected]
Additional Information:
Breaking Down Two Myths About Tree Topping
Tips to Avoid [Tree] Topping
Tree topping is expensive, mutilating and obsolete. Yet it still occurs widely throughout the Midwest.
WHY?
Myth and lack of public understanding about proper tree care are two major reasons why people pay to have their trees destroyed each year.
What is Tree Topping?
Tree topping is the drastic removal, or cutting back, of large branches in mature trees, leaving large, open wounds which subject the tree to disease and decay. Topping causes immediate injury to the tree and ultimately results in early failure or death of the tree.
Other names for this malpractice include stubbing, heading, heading-back, stubbing-off, tipping hatracking, topping off, dehorning, lopping, or roundover.
In short, topping - by any name - is the worst thing to do to the health of a tree.
Tree Topping vs. Tree Pruning: No Contest
Tree topping should never be confused with proper pruning. A topped tree is easy to spot - the tree's natural shape has been destroyed, while a properly pruned tree often looks as if no work has been done at all. With proper pruning, an arborist will spend time carefully selecting and removing branches. Careful selective pruning retains the tree's natural shape and beauty.
Proper pruning is an important part of caring for - and protecting - the health of your trees. In fact, many tree care professionals recommend that homeowners start early and continue proper pruning throughout the life of a tree.
Year 1: The topped tree (left) is an ugly stub. The pruned tree's (right) size was reduced, but its form and beauty retained. Year 3: Fast growing sprouts have sprung from the topped tree (left) in large numbers. The pruned tree (right) adds growth more slowly and naturally. Year 6: The topped tree (left) is taller and bushier than ever. The properly pruned tree (right) is safer, more beautiful and its size is better contolled.
Tree Topping Myths
People top trees for many reasons, all of them connected to falsehoods and misconceptions.
Myth: Topping a tree will reduce storm damage and make the tree easier to maintain.
Truth: Topped trees can regain their original height in as fast as 2 years. The fast growing, extremely long and loosely attached shoots caused by topping may be more susceptible to breakage and storm damage. Ultimately, a topped tree requires more attention in the future than a properly pruned tree.
Myth: Topping invigorates a tree.
Truth: Topping immediately injures a tree and starts it on a downward spiral. Topping wounds expose a tree to decay and invasion from insects and disease. Also, the loss of foliage starves the tree, which weakens the roots, reducing the tree's structural strength. While a tree may survive topping, its life span will be significantly reduced.
Myth: Topped trees will add value to your property.
Truth: Topped trees lack natural beauty and may reduce your property values. Also, a topped tree can become hazardous and cause property damage, making it a liability.
There Is a Better Way: Alternatives to Topping
As a homeowner, you must educate yourself and make wise choices to protect your home and property - including your trees. A tree is a valuable asset. As a long-term investment, trees require careful decisions and the occasional advice and service of a professional. Here's what you can do to protect your trees:
Hire only competent, insured and certified tree care professionals.
When seeking a tree service, check the company's topping policy. If they say top, don't let them near your trees.
Find out if the individual or company carries professional certification, particularly through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The ISA conducts extensive course and certifies those that pass an industry-based exam.
Most importantly, never let yourself be pressured by bargains. The old saying, "you get what you pay for" truly applies here.
An Ounce of Prevention: Right Tree, Right Place
Every species of tree has different height, width and spacing needs in order to grown into a healthy mature tree. Carefully matching your tree selection with site conditions - proximity to other trees, buildings or above ground utilities - can prevent problems before they occur and will eliminate the need to take harmful, drastic measures. Many utility companies and forestry agencies provide guidelines for planting trees and recommendations of tree species to fit your needs. Trees are a long-term investment. You have the ability - and the responsibility - to prevent future problems by applying the practice of "the right tree in the right place."
Information Resources
For more information about caring for your trees, and brochures that explain in greater detail about proper tree pruning and tree selection, contact the organizations below.
National Arbor Day Foundation can provide information about tree planting and proper pruning:
100 Arbor Avenue
Nebraska City, NE 68410
(402) 474-5655
http://www.arborday.org
International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) can provide information about professional certification and standards:
http://www.isa-arbor.com
Email: [email protected]
Additional Information:
Breaking Down Two Myths About Tree Topping
Tips to Avoid [Tree] Topping
5 REASONS TO STOP TOPPING TREES
By Cass Turnbull
What's wrong with topping?
The misguided practice of tree topping (also referred to as stubbing, dehorning, pollarding, heading, and by several other euphemisms) has risen to crisis proportions nationally over the last decade. Topping has become the urban forest's major threat, dramatically shortening the lifespan of trees and creating hazardous trees in high-traffic areas.
The importance of trees to the urban and global ecology is only now becoming fully known and appreciated. This dawning has not yet been accompanied by adequate public education and sound public policy to ensure tree survival and our own safety.
DON'T TURN YOUR VALUABLE COMMUNITY ASSETS INTO LEGAL, AESTHETIC AND ECONOMIC LIABILITIES! PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING.
1. IT WON'T WORK.
Topping won't work to keep trees small. After a deciduous tree is topped, its growth rate increases. It grows back rapidly in an attempt to replace its missing leaf area. It needs all of its leaves so that it can manufacture food for the trunk and roots. It won't slow down until it reaches about the same size it was before it was topped. It takes at maximum a few years before your tree returns to near its original size.
An exception to the grow-back-to-size rule comes if you damage a tree's health so it hasn't the strength to re-establish itself. It is, in effect, dying and will continue on a downward spiral for years. Topping can't make a significant size difference-not for long. The species or type of tree you have determines its size. A dogwood or Japanese maple may grow from 10 to 30 feet in its life, an oak or an ash from 10 to 90 feet. You can't "stop" trees with topping. If you succeed, you have killed them.
2. IT'S EXPENSIVE.
A topped tree must be done and re-done every few years-and eventually must be removed when it it dies or the owner gives up. Each time a branch is cut, numerous long, skinny young shoots (called suckers or watersprouts) grow rapidly back to replace it. They must be cut and recut, but they always regrow the next year making the job exponentially more difficult. Much like the many-headed Hydra snake that Hercules battled, people create maintenence monsters in their back yards. A properly pruned tree stays "done" longer, since the work does not stimulate an upsurge of regrowth. Proper pruning actually improves the health and beauty of a tree, costing you less in the long run.
Topping also reduces the appraised value of your tree. A tree, like any landscape amenity, adds to the value of your property. Appraisers subtract hundreds of dollars from the value of a tree when it's been topped (using the International Society of Arboriculture's guidelines for evaluation). You can even sue a tree company for wrongfully topping a tree.
3. IT'S UGLY.
The sight of a topped tree is offensive to many people. The freshly sawed-off tree limbs are reminiscent of arm or leg amputations. And the freshly-sawed look is just the beginning of the eyesore; the worst is yet to come, as the tree regrows a witch's broom of ugly, straight suckers and sprouts.
The natural beauty of the tree's crown is a function of the uninterrupted taper from the trunk to ever finer and more delicate branches, and the regular division of the branches. Arborists consider the topping of some trees a criminal act, since a tree's 90-year achievement of natural beauty can be destroyed in a couple of hours.
Topping destroys the winter silhouette of a tree. The regrowth of suckers or shoots will bloom poorly, if at all. Some trees will reestablish themselves after many years-but by then they will be the same size as before. Many topped trees are considered a total loss.
4. IT'S DANGEROUS.
According to Dr. Alex Shigo, world renowned scientist and author on the subject of arboriculture (trees), topping is the most serious injury you can inflict upon your tree. Severe topping and repeat topping can set up internal columns of rotten wood, the ill effect of which may show up years later in conjunction with a drought or other stress.
Ironically, many people top their trees because they think it will make them safer. Topping creates hazardous trees. In many cities, topping is banned because of the public safety factor and the potential for lawsuits.
Topping creates a hazardous tree in four ways:
IT ROTS. Topping opens the tree up to an invasion of rotting organisms. A tree can defend itself from rot when side branches are removed, but it has a hard time walling off the pervasive rot to which a topping cut subjects it. Rotted individual limbs-or the entire tree-may fail as a result, often years later.
IT STARVES. Very simply, a tree's leaves manufacture its food. Repeated removal of the tree's leaves-its food source-literally starves the tree. This makes it susceptible to secondary diseases such as root rot---a common cause of failing trees.
WEAK LIMBS. New limbs made from the sucker or shoot regrowth are weakly attached and break easily in wind or snow storms-even many years later when they are large and heavy. A regrown limb never has the structural integrity of the original.
INCREASED WIND RESISTANCE. The thick regrowth of suckers or sprouts resulting from topping make the tree top-heavy and more likely to catch the wind. This increases the chance of blow-down in a storm. Selectively-thinned trees allow the wind to pass through the branches. It's called "taking the sail out" of a tree.
5. MAKES YOU LOOK BAD.
Topping makes you appear to be a cruel or foolish person. Your friends know you better. But the more your neighbors come to understand topping for what it is, the lower you will fall in their esteem. You may top a tree to create a water view, but you should know that you have some friends and neighbors-who probably won't say so because they are being tactful-who see a view of a butchered tree with water in the background.
Still not convinced? Here are even more reasons:
"How to Avoid Being Clipped by a Tree Trimmer", Steve Sandfort and Edwin C. Butcher, Flower and Garden Magazine, April 1988
"Topping – the Most Expensive Part of Pruning", Alden Kelley, Arbor Age, November 1985
"Warning – Topping is Hazardous to Your Tree's Health", C.A. Kalser et al, Journal of Arboriculture, February 1986
"Are you a Candidate for a Lawsuit?", Randall S. Stamen, Arbor Age, July 1994 (do not include ads or significant new case law)
Letter to PlantAmnesty from Jon Krupnick, Attorney At Law, December 26, 1989, Barcia case
"The Myth of Tree Topping", Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association B&B Newsletter, Sept. 2003
"Saving Trees and Views", Sunset Magazine, May 1989
"Conifer Topping – It May be Common, But is it Right?", John Hushagen, Tree Care Industry Magazine, July 1992
By Cass Turnbull
What's wrong with topping?
The misguided practice of tree topping (also referred to as stubbing, dehorning, pollarding, heading, and by several other euphemisms) has risen to crisis proportions nationally over the last decade. Topping has become the urban forest's major threat, dramatically shortening the lifespan of trees and creating hazardous trees in high-traffic areas.
The importance of trees to the urban and global ecology is only now becoming fully known and appreciated. This dawning has not yet been accompanied by adequate public education and sound public policy to ensure tree survival and our own safety.
DON'T TURN YOUR VALUABLE COMMUNITY ASSETS INTO LEGAL, AESTHETIC AND ECONOMIC LIABILITIES! PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING.
1. IT WON'T WORK.
Topping won't work to keep trees small. After a deciduous tree is topped, its growth rate increases. It grows back rapidly in an attempt to replace its missing leaf area. It needs all of its leaves so that it can manufacture food for the trunk and roots. It won't slow down until it reaches about the same size it was before it was topped. It takes at maximum a few years before your tree returns to near its original size.
An exception to the grow-back-to-size rule comes if you damage a tree's health so it hasn't the strength to re-establish itself. It is, in effect, dying and will continue on a downward spiral for years. Topping can't make a significant size difference-not for long. The species or type of tree you have determines its size. A dogwood or Japanese maple may grow from 10 to 30 feet in its life, an oak or an ash from 10 to 90 feet. You can't "stop" trees with topping. If you succeed, you have killed them.
2. IT'S EXPENSIVE.
A topped tree must be done and re-done every few years-and eventually must be removed when it it dies or the owner gives up. Each time a branch is cut, numerous long, skinny young shoots (called suckers or watersprouts) grow rapidly back to replace it. They must be cut and recut, but they always regrow the next year making the job exponentially more difficult. Much like the many-headed Hydra snake that Hercules battled, people create maintenence monsters in their back yards. A properly pruned tree stays "done" longer, since the work does not stimulate an upsurge of regrowth. Proper pruning actually improves the health and beauty of a tree, costing you less in the long run.
Topping also reduces the appraised value of your tree. A tree, like any landscape amenity, adds to the value of your property. Appraisers subtract hundreds of dollars from the value of a tree when it's been topped (using the International Society of Arboriculture's guidelines for evaluation). You can even sue a tree company for wrongfully topping a tree.
3. IT'S UGLY.
The sight of a topped tree is offensive to many people. The freshly sawed-off tree limbs are reminiscent of arm or leg amputations. And the freshly-sawed look is just the beginning of the eyesore; the worst is yet to come, as the tree regrows a witch's broom of ugly, straight suckers and sprouts.
The natural beauty of the tree's crown is a function of the uninterrupted taper from the trunk to ever finer and more delicate branches, and the regular division of the branches. Arborists consider the topping of some trees a criminal act, since a tree's 90-year achievement of natural beauty can be destroyed in a couple of hours.
Topping destroys the winter silhouette of a tree. The regrowth of suckers or shoots will bloom poorly, if at all. Some trees will reestablish themselves after many years-but by then they will be the same size as before. Many topped trees are considered a total loss.
4. IT'S DANGEROUS.
According to Dr. Alex Shigo, world renowned scientist and author on the subject of arboriculture (trees), topping is the most serious injury you can inflict upon your tree. Severe topping and repeat topping can set up internal columns of rotten wood, the ill effect of which may show up years later in conjunction with a drought or other stress.
Ironically, many people top their trees because they think it will make them safer. Topping creates hazardous trees. In many cities, topping is banned because of the public safety factor and the potential for lawsuits.
Topping creates a hazardous tree in four ways:
IT ROTS. Topping opens the tree up to an invasion of rotting organisms. A tree can defend itself from rot when side branches are removed, but it has a hard time walling off the pervasive rot to which a topping cut subjects it. Rotted individual limbs-or the entire tree-may fail as a result, often years later.
IT STARVES. Very simply, a tree's leaves manufacture its food. Repeated removal of the tree's leaves-its food source-literally starves the tree. This makes it susceptible to secondary diseases such as root rot---a common cause of failing trees.
WEAK LIMBS. New limbs made from the sucker or shoot regrowth are weakly attached and break easily in wind or snow storms-even many years later when they are large and heavy. A regrown limb never has the structural integrity of the original.
INCREASED WIND RESISTANCE. The thick regrowth of suckers or sprouts resulting from topping make the tree top-heavy and more likely to catch the wind. This increases the chance of blow-down in a storm. Selectively-thinned trees allow the wind to pass through the branches. It's called "taking the sail out" of a tree.
5. MAKES YOU LOOK BAD.
Topping makes you appear to be a cruel or foolish person. Your friends know you better. But the more your neighbors come to understand topping for what it is, the lower you will fall in their esteem. You may top a tree to create a water view, but you should know that you have some friends and neighbors-who probably won't say so because they are being tactful-who see a view of a butchered tree with water in the background.
Still not convinced? Here are even more reasons:
"How to Avoid Being Clipped by a Tree Trimmer", Steve Sandfort and Edwin C. Butcher, Flower and Garden Magazine, April 1988
"Topping – the Most Expensive Part of Pruning", Alden Kelley, Arbor Age, November 1985
"Warning – Topping is Hazardous to Your Tree's Health", C.A. Kalser et al, Journal of Arboriculture, February 1986
"Are you a Candidate for a Lawsuit?", Randall S. Stamen, Arbor Age, July 1994 (do not include ads or significant new case law)
Letter to PlantAmnesty from Jon Krupnick, Attorney At Law, December 26, 1989, Barcia case
"The Myth of Tree Topping", Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association B&B Newsletter, Sept. 2003
"Saving Trees and Views", Sunset Magazine, May 1989
"Conifer Topping – It May be Common, But is it Right?", John Hushagen, Tree Care Industry Magazine, July 1992
The practice of topping is so widespread that many people believe it is the proper way to prune trees. However, topping causes a variety of problems in trees that create future maintenance and growth dilemmas for homeowners.
What is Topping?
Topping is the excessive and arbitrary removal of all parts of the tree above and beyond a certain height with no regard for the structure or growth of the tree. The vertical stem or main leader and the upper primary limbs on trees are cut back to stubs at a uniform height. As opposed to topping, pruning is the selective removal of certain limbs based on the structure, crown form and
growth of the tree.
2
Tree Problems Caused by Topping
¬ The balance between the roots and crown is altered.
Removal of too many branches and leaves reduces
photosynthesis or the food-making potential of the tree
and depletes the treeÕs stored reserves needed for
maintenance and growth. An arbitrary and excessive
removal of crown will (a) cause a like reduction of roots
because there is not enough leaf area or food-making
capacity to sustain the amount of roots present and (b) a
proliferation of sprout growth at the wounded or cut area
in an attempt to gain more leaf area to balance the amount
of roots. Both results are undesirable for the long-term
health and maintenance of the tree.
¬ New sprout growth is weak. The new watersprout
shoots are attached to the surface of the stubs, rather than
anchored from within the former limbs.
¬ Topping can create a hazard. New shoots from the
branch stubs are inherently weak and highly susceptible
to breakage from wind and ice storms or weight from
excessive growth.
¬ Large stubs will not heal. Trees compartmentalize
wounds, some species more poorly than others. Large
branch wounds (those greater than 2 inches in diameter)
are slow to heal, if they heal at all, increasing the chance of
insect attacks and fungal decay entering the wound and
spreading throughout the tree.
¬ Sunscald can occur. Bark tissues suddenly exposed
to full sun may be burned, damaged, killed or develop
disease cankers. Trees with thin bark such as maples,
yellow-poplar, flowering cherries, flowering pears and
crabapples are especially susceptible to sunscald.
¬ Topping disfigures trees. The natural form and
structure of the crown is altered. Unsightly branch stubs,
large pruning scars and undesirable, vigorous branch
growth (watersprouts) interfere or upset the trees natural
beauty and form. Topping drastically shortens the life of a
tree. Topped trees are an eyesore in the landscape and will
continue to be an eyesore as trees slowly decline.
¬ Topping is only temporary. A topped tree will grow
back to its original height, but its natural form is lost.
Weak branches will promote additional maintenance costs.
Proper Pruning
The light colored limbs represent branches that have been
removed. The crown has been thinned to reduce wind resistance
and improve tree health without leaving stubs or changing the
natural shape.
Myths About Tree Topping
Since tree topping is so deleterious to the health of a
tree, why is it practiced? Trees are often topped to reduce
their size. This can be the result of poor species selection,
improper tree placement or fear that a tall tree or its
branches might be dangerous and fall on people or
structures. This fear is one of the tree myths that lead to
topping. Rarely does a healthy tree suddenly fall over or
break, even in wind storms. Those trees that usually do
are of advanced age, low vigor or unhealthy from mechanical
injuries, insect attacks or fungal decay.
Another myth is that topping reduces the risk of
storm damage. Actually, the opposite effect occurs.
Topping accelerates shoot growth and promotes branches
that are attached weakly to the tree. Those branches are
more prone to breakage during storm events.
Lastly, trees are topped because they interfere with
utility lines, buildings or produce too much shade for
sunny areas. These conflicts may be resolved by proper
species selection, better placement or correct pruning
techniques. If a tree must be pruned every five years, the
tree is too large for the site and should be replaced with a
smaller tree.
Alternatives to Topping
Select the right tree and plant it in the right place. If
the tree is too large for the area where it occurs, remove
the tree and replace it with a species that is a smaller size.
Refer to UT Agricultural Extension Service publication
SP 511,
Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place, for
guidelines on selecting a tree of the correct size. Avoid
site obstructions both above and below ground, including
utility lines.
Prune the tree properly. Correct pruning procedures
remove branches and thin the crown to reduce wind
resistance and improve tree health without leaving branch
stubs or changing the natural shape and balance of the
tree. Refer to UT Agricultural Extension Service publication
PB 1619,
Summary
The practice of topping is not recommended. Topping
can lead to decay, storm damage and disfigured trees.
Proper pruning that thins the crown with cuts made at
branch collars is the best practice for the long-term health
of trees. Topping is considered an unacceptable practice
by professional organizations such as the International
Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the National Arborist
Association (NAA).
Unfortunately, many tree services still top trees and
homeowners allow them to continue. Investigate a tree
service before hiring them. If a company advocates tree
topping, use a different tree service. Look for membership
in professional organizations (ISA or NAA). Membership
does not guarantee quality, but does indicate a commitment
to the profession.
What is Topping?
Topping is the excessive and arbitrary removal of all parts of the tree above and beyond a certain height with no regard for the structure or growth of the tree. The vertical stem or main leader and the upper primary limbs on trees are cut back to stubs at a uniform height. As opposed to topping, pruning is the selective removal of certain limbs based on the structure, crown form and
growth of the tree.
2
Tree Problems Caused by Topping
¬ The balance between the roots and crown is altered.
Removal of too many branches and leaves reduces
photosynthesis or the food-making potential of the tree
and depletes the treeÕs stored reserves needed for
maintenance and growth. An arbitrary and excessive
removal of crown will (a) cause a like reduction of roots
because there is not enough leaf area or food-making
capacity to sustain the amount of roots present and (b) a
proliferation of sprout growth at the wounded or cut area
in an attempt to gain more leaf area to balance the amount
of roots. Both results are undesirable for the long-term
health and maintenance of the tree.
¬ New sprout growth is weak. The new watersprout
shoots are attached to the surface of the stubs, rather than
anchored from within the former limbs.
¬ Topping can create a hazard. New shoots from the
branch stubs are inherently weak and highly susceptible
to breakage from wind and ice storms or weight from
excessive growth.
¬ Large stubs will not heal. Trees compartmentalize
wounds, some species more poorly than others. Large
branch wounds (those greater than 2 inches in diameter)
are slow to heal, if they heal at all, increasing the chance of
insect attacks and fungal decay entering the wound and
spreading throughout the tree.
¬ Sunscald can occur. Bark tissues suddenly exposed
to full sun may be burned, damaged, killed or develop
disease cankers. Trees with thin bark such as maples,
yellow-poplar, flowering cherries, flowering pears and
crabapples are especially susceptible to sunscald.
¬ Topping disfigures trees. The natural form and
structure of the crown is altered. Unsightly branch stubs,
large pruning scars and undesirable, vigorous branch
growth (watersprouts) interfere or upset the trees natural
beauty and form. Topping drastically shortens the life of a
tree. Topped trees are an eyesore in the landscape and will
continue to be an eyesore as trees slowly decline.
¬ Topping is only temporary. A topped tree will grow
back to its original height, but its natural form is lost.
Weak branches will promote additional maintenance costs.
Proper Pruning
The light colored limbs represent branches that have been
removed. The crown has been thinned to reduce wind resistance
and improve tree health without leaving stubs or changing the
natural shape.
Myths About Tree Topping
Since tree topping is so deleterious to the health of a
tree, why is it practiced? Trees are often topped to reduce
their size. This can be the result of poor species selection,
improper tree placement or fear that a tall tree or its
branches might be dangerous and fall on people or
structures. This fear is one of the tree myths that lead to
topping. Rarely does a healthy tree suddenly fall over or
break, even in wind storms. Those trees that usually do
are of advanced age, low vigor or unhealthy from mechanical
injuries, insect attacks or fungal decay.
Another myth is that topping reduces the risk of
storm damage. Actually, the opposite effect occurs.
Topping accelerates shoot growth and promotes branches
that are attached weakly to the tree. Those branches are
more prone to breakage during storm events.
Lastly, trees are topped because they interfere with
utility lines, buildings or produce too much shade for
sunny areas. These conflicts may be resolved by proper
species selection, better placement or correct pruning
techniques. If a tree must be pruned every five years, the
tree is too large for the site and should be replaced with a
smaller tree.
Alternatives to Topping
Select the right tree and plant it in the right place. If
the tree is too large for the area where it occurs, remove
the tree and replace it with a species that is a smaller size.
Refer to UT Agricultural Extension Service publication
SP 511,
Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place, for
guidelines on selecting a tree of the correct size. Avoid
site obstructions both above and below ground, including
utility lines.
Prune the tree properly. Correct pruning procedures
remove branches and thin the crown to reduce wind
resistance and improve tree health without leaving branch
stubs or changing the natural shape and balance of the
tree. Refer to UT Agricultural Extension Service publication
PB 1619,
Summary
The practice of topping is not recommended. Topping
can lead to decay, storm damage and disfigured trees.
Proper pruning that thins the crown with cuts made at
branch collars is the best practice for the long-term health
of trees. Topping is considered an unacceptable practice
by professional organizations such as the International
Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the National Arborist
Association (NAA).
Unfortunately, many tree services still top trees and
homeowners allow them to continue. Investigate a tree
service before hiring them. If a company advocates tree
topping, use a different tree service. Look for membership
in professional organizations (ISA or NAA). Membership
does not guarantee quality, but does indicate a commitment
to the profession.
Why Topping Hurts Trees
Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet, despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. This brochure explains why topping is not an acceptable pruning technique and offers better alternatives.
What is Topping?
Topping is the indiscriminate cutting of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.”
The most common reason given for topping is to reduce the size of a tree. Home owners often feel that their trees have become too large for their property. People fear that tall trees may pose a hazard. Topping, however, is not a viable method of height reduction and certainly does not reduce the hazard. In fact, topping will make a tree more hazardous in the long term.
Topping Stresses Trees
Topping often removes 50 to 100 percent of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Because leaves are the food factories of a tree, removing them can temporarily starve a tree. The severity of the pruning triggers a sort of survival mechanism. The tree activates latent buds, forcing the rapid growth of multiple shoots below each cut. The tree needs to put out a new crop of leaves as soon as possible. If a tree does not have the stored energy reserves to do so, it will be seriously weakened and may die.
A stressed tree is more vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. Large, open pruning wounds expose the sapwood and heartwood to attacks. The tree may lack sufficient energy to chemically defend the wounds against invasion, and some insects are actually attracted to the chemical signals trees release.
Topping Causes Decay
The preferred location to make a pruning cut is just beyond the branch collar at the branch’s point of attachment. The tree is biologically equipped to close such a wound, provided the tree is healthy enough and the wound is not too large. Cuts made along a limb between lateral branches create stubs with wounds that the tree may not be able to close. The exposed wood tissues begin to decay. Normally, a tree will “wall off,” or compartmentalize, the decaying tissues, but few trees can defend the multiple severe wounds caused by topping. The decay organisms are given a free path to move down through the branches.
Topping Can Lead to Sunburn
Branches within a tree’s crown produce thousands of leaves to absorb sunlight. When the leaves are removed, the remaining branches and trunk are suddenly exposed to high levels of light and heat. The result may be sunburn of the tissues beneath the bark, which can lead to cankers, bark splitting, and death of some branches.
Topping Creates Hazards
The survival mechanism that causes a tree to produce multiple shoots below each topping cut comes at great expense to the tree. These shoots develop from buds near the surface of the old branches. Unlike normal branches that develop in a socket of overlapping wood tissues, these new shoots are anchored only in the outermost layers of the parent branches.
The new shoots grow quickly, as much as 20 feet in one year, in some species. Unfortunately, the shoots are prone to breaking, especially during windy conditions. The irony is that while the goal was to reduce the tree’s height to make it safer, it has been made more hazardous than before.
Topping Makes Trees Ugly
The natural branching structure of a tree is a biological wonder. Trees form a variety of shapes and growth habits, all with the same goal of presenting their leaves to the sun. Topping removes the ends of the branches, often leaving ugly stubs. Topping destroys the natural form of a tree.
Without leaves (up to 6 months of the year in temperate climates), a topped tree appears disfigured and mutilated. With leaves, it is a dense ball of foliage, lacking its simple grace. A tree that has been topped can never fully regain its natural form.
Topping Is Expensive
The cost of topping a tree is not limited to what the perpetrator is paid. If the tree survives, it will require pruning again within a few years. It will either need to be reduced again or storm damage will have to be cleaned up. If the tree dies, it will have to be removed.
Topping is a high-maintenance pruning practice, with some hidden costs. One is the reduction in property value. Healthy, well-maintained trees can add 10 to 20 percent to the value of a property. Disfigured, topped trees are considered an impending expense.
Another possible cost of topped trees is potential liability. Topped trees are prone to breaking and can be hazardous. Because topping is considered an unacceptable pruning practice, any damage caused by branch failure of a topped tree may lead to a finding of negligence in a court of law.
Alternatives to Topping
Sometimes a tree must be reduced in height or spread. Providing clearance for utility lines is an example. There are recommended techniques for doing so. If practical, branches should be removed back to their point of origin. If a branch must be shortened, it should be cut back to a lateral that is large enough to assume the terminal role. A rule of thumb is to cut back to a lateral that is at least one-third the diameter of the limb being removed.
This method of branch reduction helps to preserve the natural form of the tree. However, if large cuts are involved, the tree may not be able to close over and compartmentalize the wounds. Sometimes the best solution is to remove the tree and replace it with a species that is more appropriate for the site.
Hiring an Arborist
Pruning large trees can be dangerous. If pruning involves working above the ground or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist can determine the type of pruning that is necessary to improve the health, appearance, and safety of your trees. A professional arborist can provide the services of a trained crew, with all of the required safety equipment and liability insurance.
When selecting an arborist,
check for membership in professional organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), or the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). Such membership demonstrates a willingness on the part of the arborist to stay up to date on the latest techniques and information. Check for ISA arborist certification. Certified Arborists are experienced professionals who have passed an extensive examination covering all aspects of tree care.
ask for proof of insurance. Ask for a list of references, and don’t hesitate to check them. Avoid using the services of any tree company that
advertises topping as a service provided. Knowledgeable arborists know that topping is harmful to trees and is not an accepted practice. Uses tree climbing spikes to climb trees that are being pruned. Climbing spikes can damage trees, and their use should be limited to trees that are being removed.
This brochure is one in a series published by the International Society of Arboriculture as part of its Consumer Information Program. You may have additional interest in the following titles currently in the series:
E-mail inquiries: [email protected]
(c) 1998, 2004 International Society of Arboriculture.
UPDATED JULY 2005
Developed by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a non-profit organization supporting tree care research around the world and is dedicated to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees. For further information, contact:
ISA, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129, USA.
E-mail inquires: [email protected]
© 2007 International Society of Arboriculture.
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2005
Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet, despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. This brochure explains why topping is not an acceptable pruning technique and offers better alternatives.
What is Topping?
Topping is the indiscriminate cutting of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.”
The most common reason given for topping is to reduce the size of a tree. Home owners often feel that their trees have become too large for their property. People fear that tall trees may pose a hazard. Topping, however, is not a viable method of height reduction and certainly does not reduce the hazard. In fact, topping will make a tree more hazardous in the long term.
Topping Stresses Trees
Topping often removes 50 to 100 percent of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Because leaves are the food factories of a tree, removing them can temporarily starve a tree. The severity of the pruning triggers a sort of survival mechanism. The tree activates latent buds, forcing the rapid growth of multiple shoots below each cut. The tree needs to put out a new crop of leaves as soon as possible. If a tree does not have the stored energy reserves to do so, it will be seriously weakened and may die.
A stressed tree is more vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. Large, open pruning wounds expose the sapwood and heartwood to attacks. The tree may lack sufficient energy to chemically defend the wounds against invasion, and some insects are actually attracted to the chemical signals trees release.
Topping Causes Decay
The preferred location to make a pruning cut is just beyond the branch collar at the branch’s point of attachment. The tree is biologically equipped to close such a wound, provided the tree is healthy enough and the wound is not too large. Cuts made along a limb between lateral branches create stubs with wounds that the tree may not be able to close. The exposed wood tissues begin to decay. Normally, a tree will “wall off,” or compartmentalize, the decaying tissues, but few trees can defend the multiple severe wounds caused by topping. The decay organisms are given a free path to move down through the branches.
Topping Can Lead to Sunburn
Branches within a tree’s crown produce thousands of leaves to absorb sunlight. When the leaves are removed, the remaining branches and trunk are suddenly exposed to high levels of light and heat. The result may be sunburn of the tissues beneath the bark, which can lead to cankers, bark splitting, and death of some branches.
Topping Creates Hazards
The survival mechanism that causes a tree to produce multiple shoots below each topping cut comes at great expense to the tree. These shoots develop from buds near the surface of the old branches. Unlike normal branches that develop in a socket of overlapping wood tissues, these new shoots are anchored only in the outermost layers of the parent branches.
The new shoots grow quickly, as much as 20 feet in one year, in some species. Unfortunately, the shoots are prone to breaking, especially during windy conditions. The irony is that while the goal was to reduce the tree’s height to make it safer, it has been made more hazardous than before.
Topping Makes Trees Ugly
The natural branching structure of a tree is a biological wonder. Trees form a variety of shapes and growth habits, all with the same goal of presenting their leaves to the sun. Topping removes the ends of the branches, often leaving ugly stubs. Topping destroys the natural form of a tree.
Without leaves (up to 6 months of the year in temperate climates), a topped tree appears disfigured and mutilated. With leaves, it is a dense ball of foliage, lacking its simple grace. A tree that has been topped can never fully regain its natural form.
Topping Is Expensive
The cost of topping a tree is not limited to what the perpetrator is paid. If the tree survives, it will require pruning again within a few years. It will either need to be reduced again or storm damage will have to be cleaned up. If the tree dies, it will have to be removed.
Topping is a high-maintenance pruning practice, with some hidden costs. One is the reduction in property value. Healthy, well-maintained trees can add 10 to 20 percent to the value of a property. Disfigured, topped trees are considered an impending expense.
Another possible cost of topped trees is potential liability. Topped trees are prone to breaking and can be hazardous. Because topping is considered an unacceptable pruning practice, any damage caused by branch failure of a topped tree may lead to a finding of negligence in a court of law.
Alternatives to Topping
Sometimes a tree must be reduced in height or spread. Providing clearance for utility lines is an example. There are recommended techniques for doing so. If practical, branches should be removed back to their point of origin. If a branch must be shortened, it should be cut back to a lateral that is large enough to assume the terminal role. A rule of thumb is to cut back to a lateral that is at least one-third the diameter of the limb being removed.
This method of branch reduction helps to preserve the natural form of the tree. However, if large cuts are involved, the tree may not be able to close over and compartmentalize the wounds. Sometimes the best solution is to remove the tree and replace it with a species that is more appropriate for the site.
Hiring an Arborist
Pruning large trees can be dangerous. If pruning involves working above the ground or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist can determine the type of pruning that is necessary to improve the health, appearance, and safety of your trees. A professional arborist can provide the services of a trained crew, with all of the required safety equipment and liability insurance.
When selecting an arborist,
check for membership in professional organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), or the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). Such membership demonstrates a willingness on the part of the arborist to stay up to date on the latest techniques and information. Check for ISA arborist certification. Certified Arborists are experienced professionals who have passed an extensive examination covering all aspects of tree care.
ask for proof of insurance. Ask for a list of references, and don’t hesitate to check them. Avoid using the services of any tree company that
advertises topping as a service provided. Knowledgeable arborists know that topping is harmful to trees and is not an accepted practice. Uses tree climbing spikes to climb trees that are being pruned. Climbing spikes can damage trees, and their use should be limited to trees that are being removed.
This brochure is one in a series published by the International Society of Arboriculture as part of its Consumer Information Program. You may have additional interest in the following titles currently in the series:
E-mail inquiries: [email protected]
(c) 1998, 2004 International Society of Arboriculture.
UPDATED JULY 2005
Developed by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a non-profit organization supporting tree care research around the world and is dedicated to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees. For further information, contact:
ISA, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129, USA.
E-mail inquires: [email protected]
© 2007 International Society of Arboriculture.
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2005
Dr. Kim D. Coder, associate professor, University of Georgia, (Athens, Ga.)
Do you know what tree topping is? If not, are you the problem? Would you allow an old maintenance practice that decreases tree asset values, destroys future value appreciation and increases liability risks? Would you allow a structurally and biologically abusive practice to damage trees for life?
Are you tree-illiterate? Would you clearly demonstrate to other landscape managers-and the public alike-that you have failed to comply with national tree-pruning standards (ANSI-A300) and with professional tree-pruning guidelines (International Society of Arboriculture pruning guidelines)?
Can you afford to show people how professionally ignorant and antiquated you and your landscape-management program are? Can you afford to pay tripled, quadrupled or more maintenance costs to recover from reactions and injuries you have initiated-year after year?
Tree topping is a plague on the landscape that damages trees, tree owners and landscape professionals (both literally and figuratively). For decades, many have fought to educate the uninformed, to protect tree resources and to chastise the guilty. And yet our landscapes abound with permanently, seriously injured trees standing as tall banners to "management-by-myth" ways.
How many generations must endure these aesthetic abominations, safety risks and maintenance nightmares before we actually change how we do our jobs-both as professional practitioners and as advocates for modern tree care? If you think this is about you, maybe it is!
Bert L. Latran Jr., owner, Bert's Prettywork Trimming Services, (Oberlin, Ohio)
Yes, there are benefits to tree topping if done by a skilled professional. In most cases that I have experienced, customers would rather not lose a living tree if it has a problem that you can remedy. Simply stated, most trees grow too slowly for the average homeowner to be able to enjoy the replacement tree.
The most frequent reason for topping a tree is to reduce the potential for storm damage. The overall height of the tree and length of the limbs equate to leverage that (mixed with flaws in the tree that are frequently unnoticed) strong winds can bend with disastrous result. Skillful topping (I employ the drop-crotch method in most instances) removes most of the potential for such an occurrence.
Another common reason for topping a tree is to reduce interference with something else (for example, power lines or a larger tree) without losing the tree. Surprisingly, it is this kind of trimming (especially under power lines) that can require the most skill on the part of arborists. It can be difficult to accomplish the objective without detracting too much from the natural aesthetics of the tree.
A third category of topping (although rare) has to do with changing the center of gravity of a tree to correct a leaning condition. Basically, you are trying to reduce the overall height of the tree (via leverage and selectively removing limbs from the downhill side of the tree) to coax the tree to achieve nearly perpendicular status again, thereby helping to assure its longevity and the safety of residents and the property underneath.
Taking off a lot of the tree, which it needs to maintain its health, opens the tree up to a lot of wounds and makes it susceptible to disease. You're setting yourself up for failure, and you're opening up the tree to death. Plus, aesthetically, it looks bad. People [perform tree topping], and then they wonder why so many trees die.-Leah S. Burow, owner, Blackhawk Lawn Care Co. (Fort Atkinson, Wis.)
I call this technique arbor-icide. Tree topping is the brutalization of a tree. There are no benefits to it. But, if a tree is damaged, you may have to top it if you want to save it. There are occasions when it has to be done, but that's only to repair damage. It doesn't make it safer, although many people cite that as a reason for performing it. Tree topping actually makes the tree more dangerous.-Lew Bloch, consulting arborist/landscape architect (Potomac, Md.)
I can't think of any benefits. If you have to top trees to accommodate power lines, then I guess we have to. But the artistic side of me says there's got to be a better way. The only benefit may be to the tree companies that are receiving higher revenues from performing this practice. But when I drive around in the winter and see topped trees, it just makes me feel sick.-Martin J. Grunder Jr., founder and president, Grunder Landscaping Co. (Miamisburg, Ohio)
My working definition of pruning is, "The removal of plant parts to benefit the remaining parts." The practice of topping just does not fulfill this goal. Topping actually promotes decay or death of remaining branch stubs and production of weakly attached water sprouts. Most importantly, topping destroys the individual tree's natural shape and beauty.-Larry Stouse, president, Horticulture Solutions, Consulting & Seminars (Shawnee, Kan.)
Do you know what tree topping is? If not, are you the problem? Would you allow an old maintenance practice that decreases tree asset values, destroys future value appreciation and increases liability risks? Would you allow a structurally and biologically abusive practice to damage trees for life?
Are you tree-illiterate? Would you clearly demonstrate to other landscape managers-and the public alike-that you have failed to comply with national tree-pruning standards (ANSI-A300) and with professional tree-pruning guidelines (International Society of Arboriculture pruning guidelines)?
Can you afford to show people how professionally ignorant and antiquated you and your landscape-management program are? Can you afford to pay tripled, quadrupled or more maintenance costs to recover from reactions and injuries you have initiated-year after year?
Tree topping is a plague on the landscape that damages trees, tree owners and landscape professionals (both literally and figuratively). For decades, many have fought to educate the uninformed, to protect tree resources and to chastise the guilty. And yet our landscapes abound with permanently, seriously injured trees standing as tall banners to "management-by-myth" ways.
How many generations must endure these aesthetic abominations, safety risks and maintenance nightmares before we actually change how we do our jobs-both as professional practitioners and as advocates for modern tree care? If you think this is about you, maybe it is!
Bert L. Latran Jr., owner, Bert's Prettywork Trimming Services, (Oberlin, Ohio)
Yes, there are benefits to tree topping if done by a skilled professional. In most cases that I have experienced, customers would rather not lose a living tree if it has a problem that you can remedy. Simply stated, most trees grow too slowly for the average homeowner to be able to enjoy the replacement tree.
The most frequent reason for topping a tree is to reduce the potential for storm damage. The overall height of the tree and length of the limbs equate to leverage that (mixed with flaws in the tree that are frequently unnoticed) strong winds can bend with disastrous result. Skillful topping (I employ the drop-crotch method in most instances) removes most of the potential for such an occurrence.
Another common reason for topping a tree is to reduce interference with something else (for example, power lines or a larger tree) without losing the tree. Surprisingly, it is this kind of trimming (especially under power lines) that can require the most skill on the part of arborists. It can be difficult to accomplish the objective without detracting too much from the natural aesthetics of the tree.
A third category of topping (although rare) has to do with changing the center of gravity of a tree to correct a leaning condition. Basically, you are trying to reduce the overall height of the tree (via leverage and selectively removing limbs from the downhill side of the tree) to coax the tree to achieve nearly perpendicular status again, thereby helping to assure its longevity and the safety of residents and the property underneath.
Taking off a lot of the tree, which it needs to maintain its health, opens the tree up to a lot of wounds and makes it susceptible to disease. You're setting yourself up for failure, and you're opening up the tree to death. Plus, aesthetically, it looks bad. People [perform tree topping], and then they wonder why so many trees die.-Leah S. Burow, owner, Blackhawk Lawn Care Co. (Fort Atkinson, Wis.)
I call this technique arbor-icide. Tree topping is the brutalization of a tree. There are no benefits to it. But, if a tree is damaged, you may have to top it if you want to save it. There are occasions when it has to be done, but that's only to repair damage. It doesn't make it safer, although many people cite that as a reason for performing it. Tree topping actually makes the tree more dangerous.-Lew Bloch, consulting arborist/landscape architect (Potomac, Md.)
I can't think of any benefits. If you have to top trees to accommodate power lines, then I guess we have to. But the artistic side of me says there's got to be a better way. The only benefit may be to the tree companies that are receiving higher revenues from performing this practice. But when I drive around in the winter and see topped trees, it just makes me feel sick.-Martin J. Grunder Jr., founder and president, Grunder Landscaping Co. (Miamisburg, Ohio)
My working definition of pruning is, "The removal of plant parts to benefit the remaining parts." The practice of topping just does not fulfill this goal. Topping actually promotes decay or death of remaining branch stubs and production of weakly attached water sprouts. Most importantly, topping destroys the individual tree's natural shape and beauty.-Larry Stouse, president, Horticulture Solutions, Consulting & Seminars (Shawnee, Kan.)
Anti Tree-Topping Sites
http://www.steamboats.com/hobbies/treetoppinglinks.html
See a tree topping incident in progress - photos and description posted at Steamboats.com
See another before-and-after case
Instructions for proper pruning - Steamboats.com
"No Topping" Sign Developed The Father of Arboriculture, John Davey, called them "Tree Fools", those who top their trees, and those who allow their trees to be topped . . . A company has taken steps to permanently educate communities with the message "Tree Topping Hurts". A sign that when placed in a community gives a daily reminder that tree topping is not a welcomed or desirable practice.
Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known - City of Walnut Creek
Proper Tree Pruning Does Not Include Topping Your Trees, by Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Denver County
Selecting a tree trimmer (arborist) by Colorado State University Cooperative
Don't Destroy Your Large Trees by Topping More info. from Colorad State University Cooperative Extension
Why Topping Hurts Trees Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. . . .
Tree Topping Hurts Info. from the Tree Doctor
Topping is the worst thing you can do to your trees more info. from the Tree Doctor
Topping a tree is NOT recommended - from Horticulture Solutions Series, University of Illinois
What's bad about tree topping Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Two Myths About Tree Topping Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Please don't top your trees . . . from the International Society of Arboriculture, Pacific Northwest Chapter
Download a PDF file: Tree Topping Hurts Trees
Tree topping is bad for your trees - Gardening Information from Oregon State University Extension
The Anti Tree-Topping Page Don't let this happen to your trees!
The National Arbor Day Foundation
ArborCare Library Eight good reasons why not to "top" trees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Should it be illegal?
A law against tree topping
City of Redding Comprehensive Tree Plan calls tree topping inappropriate
Homeowners, tree toppers sued The city settled a civil lawsuit Tuesday for $170,000 against five homeowners and three tree-trimmers who allegedly hacked off the tops of 59 trees at La Costa Canyon Park . . . The city sought a minimum of $134,495 in damages, based on an estimate by a city arborist, and city officials also wanted to include punitive civil measures.
Guidelines for Developing and Evaluating Tree Ordinances
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professor's Message, by Jeff Iles, Iowa State University, published in City Trees, The Journal of The Society of Municipal Arborists
Tree topping hurts - info. from Cortese Tree Specialists, Knoxville, Tennessee
Tree topping - info. from John A. Keslick Jr., Tree Biologist, Tree Anatomist & Professional Modern Arborist
Tree Topping Hurts Trees Forestry-Sales.Com, Inc., Member of Ohio Forestry Association
Tree Tooping, or How to Create a Disaster, by Paul Hetzler, Community Forestry Program, Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County
Urban Forest Tree Foundation of Kern: . . . a bizarre and disturbing practice known as tree topping is devaluing Bakersfield trees and neighborhoods at an alarming rate.
Experts Agree Don't Top Your Tree
No Tree Topping Download this PDF file from Spokane Universtiy
Tree Topping a few words from Cuivre River Electric Cooperative, Troy, Missouri
NeighborWoods training spotlights do's and don'ts of tree care, Olympia, Washington
The Dark Side of Urban Tree Topping, by John Tasan and Zakariya Abdullah, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Don't Top Trees - City of Greensboro, Urban Forestry Program
California Forest Stewardship Program California State Government tips on proper pruning
TreeLink.org
ufei.org Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute - urban wood, information and links to everything trees.
Tree Doctors if you live in the Phoenix area, here are some good tree trimmers who respect the trees and trim correctly
http://www.steamboats.com/hobbies/treetoppinglinks.html
See a tree topping incident in progress - photos and description posted at Steamboats.com
See another before-and-after case
Instructions for proper pruning - Steamboats.com
"No Topping" Sign Developed The Father of Arboriculture, John Davey, called them "Tree Fools", those who top their trees, and those who allow their trees to be topped . . . A company has taken steps to permanently educate communities with the message "Tree Topping Hurts". A sign that when placed in a community gives a daily reminder that tree topping is not a welcomed or desirable practice.
Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known - City of Walnut Creek
Proper Tree Pruning Does Not Include Topping Your Trees, by Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Denver County
Selecting a tree trimmer (arborist) by Colorado State University Cooperative
Don't Destroy Your Large Trees by Topping More info. from Colorad State University Cooperative Extension
Why Topping Hurts Trees Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. . . .
Tree Topping Hurts Info. from the Tree Doctor
Topping is the worst thing you can do to your trees more info. from the Tree Doctor
Topping a tree is NOT recommended - from Horticulture Solutions Series, University of Illinois
What's bad about tree topping Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Two Myths About Tree Topping Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Please don't top your trees . . . from the International Society of Arboriculture, Pacific Northwest Chapter
Download a PDF file: Tree Topping Hurts Trees
Tree topping is bad for your trees - Gardening Information from Oregon State University Extension
The Anti Tree-Topping Page Don't let this happen to your trees!
The National Arbor Day Foundation
ArborCare Library Eight good reasons why not to "top" trees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Should it be illegal?
A law against tree topping
City of Redding Comprehensive Tree Plan calls tree topping inappropriate
Homeowners, tree toppers sued The city settled a civil lawsuit Tuesday for $170,000 against five homeowners and three tree-trimmers who allegedly hacked off the tops of 59 trees at La Costa Canyon Park . . . The city sought a minimum of $134,495 in damages, based on an estimate by a city arborist, and city officials also wanted to include punitive civil measures.
Guidelines for Developing and Evaluating Tree Ordinances
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professor's Message, by Jeff Iles, Iowa State University, published in City Trees, The Journal of The Society of Municipal Arborists
Tree topping hurts - info. from Cortese Tree Specialists, Knoxville, Tennessee
Tree topping - info. from John A. Keslick Jr., Tree Biologist, Tree Anatomist & Professional Modern Arborist
Tree Topping Hurts Trees Forestry-Sales.Com, Inc., Member of Ohio Forestry Association
Tree Tooping, or How to Create a Disaster, by Paul Hetzler, Community Forestry Program, Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County
Urban Forest Tree Foundation of Kern: . . . a bizarre and disturbing practice known as tree topping is devaluing Bakersfield trees and neighborhoods at an alarming rate.
Experts Agree Don't Top Your Tree
No Tree Topping Download this PDF file from Spokane Universtiy
Tree Topping a few words from Cuivre River Electric Cooperative, Troy, Missouri
NeighborWoods training spotlights do's and don'ts of tree care, Olympia, Washington
The Dark Side of Urban Tree Topping, by John Tasan and Zakariya Abdullah, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Don't Top Trees - City of Greensboro, Urban Forestry Program
California Forest Stewardship Program California State Government tips on proper pruning
TreeLink.org
ufei.org Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute - urban wood, information and links to everything trees.
Tree Doctors if you live in the Phoenix area, here are some good tree trimmers who respect the trees and trim correctly
Don't Top Trees!
Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. This brochure explains why topping is not an acceptable pruning technique and offers some better alternatives.
What Is Topping?
Topping is the indiscriminate cutting back of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include "heading", "tipping", "hat-racking", and "rounding over".
The most common reason given for topping is to reduce the size of a tree. Often homeowners feel that their trees have become too large for their property. People fear that tall trees may pose a hazard. Topping, however, is not a viable method of height reduction, and certainly does not reduce the hazard. In fact, topping will make a tree more hazardous in the long term.
Topping Stresses Trees
Topping often removes 50-100% of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Since the leaves are the "food factories" of a tree, this can temporarily "starve" a tree. The severity of the pruning triggers a sort of survival mechanism. The tree activates latent buds, forcing the rapid growth of multiple shoots below each cut. The tree needs to put out a new crop of leaves as soon as possible. If a tree does not have the stored energy reserves to do this, it will be seriously weakened and may die. A stressed tree is more vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. Large, open pruning wounds expose the sapwood and heartwood to attack. The tree may lack sufficient energy to chemically "defend" the wounds against invasion. Some insects are actually attracted to stressed trees by chemical signals.
Topping Causes Decay
The preferred location to make a pruning cut is just beyond the branch collar at the branch's point of attachment. The tree is biologically equipped to close such a wound provided the tree is healthy enough and the wound is not too large. Cuts made along a limb, between lateral branches, create stubs with wounds that the tree may not be able to close. The exposed wood tissues begin to decay. Normally a tree will "wall off" or compartmentalize the decaying tissues. But few trees can defend the multiple severe wounds caused by topping. The decay organisms are given a free path to move down through the branches.
Topping Creates Hazards
The survival mechanism that causes a tree to produce multiple shoots below each topping cut comes at great expense to the tree. These shoots develop from buds near the surface of the old branches. Unlike normal branches that develop in a "socket" of overlapping wood tissues, these new shoots are only anchored in the outermost layers of the parent branches. The new shoots grow very quickly, as much as 20 feet in one year, in some species. Unfortunately, the shoots are very prone to breaking, especially during windy conditions. The irony is that while the goal was to reduce the tree's height to make it safer, it has been made more hazardous than before.
Topping Makes Trees Ugly
The natural branching structure of a tree is a biological wonder. Trees form a variety of shapes and growth habits, all with the same goal of presenting their leaves to the sun. Topping removes the ends of the branches, often leaving ugly stubs. Topping destroys the natural form of a tree. Without the leaves (up to six months of the year in temperate climates) a topped tree appears disfigured and mutilated. With the leaves, it is a dense ball of foliage, lacking its simple grace. A tree that has been topped can never fully regain its natural form.
Topping Is Expensive
The cost of topping a tree is not limited to what the perpetrator is paid. If the tree survives, it will require pruning again within a few years. It will either need to be reduced again, or storm damage will have to be cleaned up. If the tree dies it will have to be removed. Topping is a high maintenance pruning practice. There are some hidden costs of topping. One is the reduction in property value. Healthy, well maintained trees can add 10-20% to the value of a property. Disfigured, topped trees are considered an impending expense. Another potential cost of topped trees is the potential liability. Topped trees are prone to breaking and can be hazardous. Since topping is considered to be an unacceptable pruning practice, any damage caused by branch failure of a topped tree may lead to a finding of negligence in a court of law.
Alternatives To Topping
There are times when a tree must be reduced in height or spread. Providing clearance for utility lines is an example. There are recommended techniques for doing this. If practical, branches should be removed back to their point of origin. If a branch must be shortened, it should be cut back to a lateral that is large enough to assume the terminal role. A rule of thumb for this is to cut back to a lateral that is at least 1/3 the diameter of the limb being removed. This method of branch reduction helps to preserve the natural form of the tree. However, if large cuts are involved, the tree may not be able to close over and compartmentalize the wounds. Sometimes the best solution is to remove the tree and replace it with a species that is more appropriate for the site.
Hiring An Arborist
Pruning large trees can be dangerous. If pruning involves working above the ground, or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist can determine what type of pruning is necessary to improve the health, appearance and safety of your trees. A professional arborist can provide the services of a trained crew, with all of the required safety equipment and liability insurance.
There are a variety of things to consider when selecting an arborist:
Membership in professional organizations such the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the National Arborist Association (NAA) or the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA)
Certification through the ISA Certified Arborist program
Proof of insurance
A list of references (Don't hesitate to check)
Avoid using the services of any tree company that:
Advertises topping as a service provided. Knowledgeable arborists know that topping is harmful to trees and is not an accepted practice.
Uses tree climbing spikes to climb trees that are being pruned. Climbing spikes can damage trees, and their use should be limited to trees that are being removed.
Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. This brochure explains why topping is not an acceptable pruning technique and offers some better alternatives.
What Is Topping?
Topping is the indiscriminate cutting back of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include "heading", "tipping", "hat-racking", and "rounding over".
The most common reason given for topping is to reduce the size of a tree. Often homeowners feel that their trees have become too large for their property. People fear that tall trees may pose a hazard. Topping, however, is not a viable method of height reduction, and certainly does not reduce the hazard. In fact, topping will make a tree more hazardous in the long term.
Topping Stresses Trees
Topping often removes 50-100% of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Since the leaves are the "food factories" of a tree, this can temporarily "starve" a tree. The severity of the pruning triggers a sort of survival mechanism. The tree activates latent buds, forcing the rapid growth of multiple shoots below each cut. The tree needs to put out a new crop of leaves as soon as possible. If a tree does not have the stored energy reserves to do this, it will be seriously weakened and may die. A stressed tree is more vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. Large, open pruning wounds expose the sapwood and heartwood to attack. The tree may lack sufficient energy to chemically "defend" the wounds against invasion. Some insects are actually attracted to stressed trees by chemical signals.
Topping Causes Decay
The preferred location to make a pruning cut is just beyond the branch collar at the branch's point of attachment. The tree is biologically equipped to close such a wound provided the tree is healthy enough and the wound is not too large. Cuts made along a limb, between lateral branches, create stubs with wounds that the tree may not be able to close. The exposed wood tissues begin to decay. Normally a tree will "wall off" or compartmentalize the decaying tissues. But few trees can defend the multiple severe wounds caused by topping. The decay organisms are given a free path to move down through the branches.
Topping Creates Hazards
The survival mechanism that causes a tree to produce multiple shoots below each topping cut comes at great expense to the tree. These shoots develop from buds near the surface of the old branches. Unlike normal branches that develop in a "socket" of overlapping wood tissues, these new shoots are only anchored in the outermost layers of the parent branches. The new shoots grow very quickly, as much as 20 feet in one year, in some species. Unfortunately, the shoots are very prone to breaking, especially during windy conditions. The irony is that while the goal was to reduce the tree's height to make it safer, it has been made more hazardous than before.
Topping Makes Trees Ugly
The natural branching structure of a tree is a biological wonder. Trees form a variety of shapes and growth habits, all with the same goal of presenting their leaves to the sun. Topping removes the ends of the branches, often leaving ugly stubs. Topping destroys the natural form of a tree. Without the leaves (up to six months of the year in temperate climates) a topped tree appears disfigured and mutilated. With the leaves, it is a dense ball of foliage, lacking its simple grace. A tree that has been topped can never fully regain its natural form.
Topping Is Expensive
The cost of topping a tree is not limited to what the perpetrator is paid. If the tree survives, it will require pruning again within a few years. It will either need to be reduced again, or storm damage will have to be cleaned up. If the tree dies it will have to be removed. Topping is a high maintenance pruning practice. There are some hidden costs of topping. One is the reduction in property value. Healthy, well maintained trees can add 10-20% to the value of a property. Disfigured, topped trees are considered an impending expense. Another potential cost of topped trees is the potential liability. Topped trees are prone to breaking and can be hazardous. Since topping is considered to be an unacceptable pruning practice, any damage caused by branch failure of a topped tree may lead to a finding of negligence in a court of law.
Alternatives To Topping
There are times when a tree must be reduced in height or spread. Providing clearance for utility lines is an example. There are recommended techniques for doing this. If practical, branches should be removed back to their point of origin. If a branch must be shortened, it should be cut back to a lateral that is large enough to assume the terminal role. A rule of thumb for this is to cut back to a lateral that is at least 1/3 the diameter of the limb being removed. This method of branch reduction helps to preserve the natural form of the tree. However, if large cuts are involved, the tree may not be able to close over and compartmentalize the wounds. Sometimes the best solution is to remove the tree and replace it with a species that is more appropriate for the site.
Hiring An Arborist
Pruning large trees can be dangerous. If pruning involves working above the ground, or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist can determine what type of pruning is necessary to improve the health, appearance and safety of your trees. A professional arborist can provide the services of a trained crew, with all of the required safety equipment and liability insurance.
There are a variety of things to consider when selecting an arborist:
Membership in professional organizations such the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the National Arborist Association (NAA) or the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA)
Certification through the ISA Certified Arborist program
Proof of insurance
A list of references (Don't hesitate to check)
Avoid using the services of any tree company that:
Advertises topping as a service provided. Knowledgeable arborists know that topping is harmful to trees and is not an accepted practice.
Uses tree climbing spikes to climb trees that are being pruned. Climbing spikes can damage trees, and their use should be limited to trees that are being removed.
Tree topping
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tree topping is the practice of removing large branches and/or trunks from the top of a tree's canopy. Topping is often harmful for the tree. Large pruning wounds often fail to heal and become entry points for disease and pests, undermining the long term health of the tree. Aesthetic appeal is compromised as the natural shape of the tree is lost. Trunks grow at the topping location and as these weakly attached trunks increase in size, they often fall during windstorms.
Previously topped trees are often dangerous and should be inspected by a qualified tree surgeon who can recommend possible solutions: removal, cabling/bracing, or ongoing inspection. Better alternatives to tree topping, based on scientific research, are replacing the practice of tree topping.[1] Spiral thinning (canopy thinning) decreases wind resistance and allows the wind to pass through the trees, decreasing the likelihood that the tree will fall due to wind-throw. It also allows more light penetration and air circulation, both important for the tree’s health.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tree topping is the practice of removing large branches and/or trunks from the top of a tree's canopy. Topping is often harmful for the tree. Large pruning wounds often fail to heal and become entry points for disease and pests, undermining the long term health of the tree. Aesthetic appeal is compromised as the natural shape of the tree is lost. Trunks grow at the topping location and as these weakly attached trunks increase in size, they often fall during windstorms.
Previously topped trees are often dangerous and should be inspected by a qualified tree surgeon who can recommend possible solutions: removal, cabling/bracing, or ongoing inspection. Better alternatives to tree topping, based on scientific research, are replacing the practice of tree topping.[1] Spiral thinning (canopy thinning) decreases wind resistance and allows the wind to pass through the trees, decreasing the likelihood that the tree will fall due to wind-throw. It also allows more light penetration and air circulation, both important for the tree’s health.
Nailsbeats
Addicted to ArboristSite
opcorn:
Nailsbeats
Addicted to ArboristSite
TREE TOPPING, OR, HOW TO CREATE A DISASTER
Paul Hetzler, Community Forestry Program, Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County
Tree topping is one subject I can really get worked up about. Topping is unprofessional, unsightly, outrageous, immoral, unethical, and possibly contributes to rainy weekends, bad breath, parking tickets, baldness and tooth decay. It is unthinkable, unbelievable, wrong, horrible, awful, bad, yucko, blecch! Any questions? Oh, exactly what is topping? Just a minute. Mmph- there, that’s better. Had to wipe the foam off my mouth.
OK, tree topping is the cutting back of large portions of a tree’s canopy to stubs or inappropriately small branches. Variably known as heading, dehorning, hat racking and tipping, it has not been an accepted practice for at least 25 years. It is the most harmful practice visited on living trees by human beings. (All right, besides cutting the whole thing down). Topping is believed to have started as a method of clearing utility lines. This practice was perceived by some as an appropriate way to reduce a tree’s height. (Possibly this was encouraged by line clearing employees who went on to become "tree experts" willing to do topping.) Thus topping jumped from industrial clearing to residential "care".
Topping shortens a tree temporarily, but does not alter those pesky DNA strands which just insist the tree grow to its normal height. So, the tree re- grows as programmed, but for various reasons the new top or branch that develops is much weaker, and is more weakly attached to the parent wood than the original part was. Then the tree that’s left standing (the "remnant tree") begins to decay from the topping cut down. A column of decay develops in the center of the tree which will eventually become as wide as the cut was. Imagine slicing a building in half, destabilizing the bottom part, then rebuilding the top with vastly inferior materials. Recipe for disaster? You bet! As the cheap imitation (re- grown) parts get bigger, the point at which they are attached becomes increasingly decayed. It may take as many as forty or fifty years, or as few as five or ten, but as the bumper sticker says, "failure happens". Once the disastrous long term effects (including long term liability) of topping became widely known, it was abandoned by tree care professionals.
Not only does topping create weak new growth, it also severely weakens the remnant tree. The tree has to take "money out of the bank" (starch out of storage) to re- grow at a time when much of its stored starches have been lost by topping. Trees normally spend their energy reserves on things like making defensive chemicals to protect themselves from diseases and pests. When they are too energy deficient to do this, the result is a tree which is more vulnerable to decay, disease, and insects.
The difference between looking at a naturally formed tree and a topped tree is like the difference between looking at classic architecture and a pile of construction rubble. Trees generally add to property value, up to about twenty percent. But a tree that is disfigured from topping can actually decrease property value, and possibly the value of neighboring properties as well.
If a short tree is desired, a short species must be planted. However, there is an acceptable practice called crown reduction pruning which can reduce the height of most trees in a way that does not harm them. Crown reduction takes a lot more skill than topping, and can reduce a tree’s height by a maximum of about twenty five percent. Of course, the tree will eventually grow back to original height, but it will not be the hulking wretch that topping would produce. Crown reduction works best on deciduous trees.
To address concerns about a tall tree blowing over, there is a practice which can lessen that risk. Crown thinning is the selective pruning of branches throughout the canopy to reduce wind resistance. Again, this takes more skill and judgement than topping. A tree company that tops trees probably lacks the expertise to perform the correct procedures, and should be avoided. In fact, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a research and education association of tree care professionals, advises the public that a tree company which advertises topping should NOT be hired, for any work, period.
Tree topping is probably the best way to turn a normally docile, peace- loving tree into a snarling killer, or at the very least a snarling unsightly nuisance and potential legal liability. Tree topping is, however, recommended for those who enjoy forty- foot hat racks, and liability lawsuits.
Now are there any questions?
Paul Hetzler, Community Forestry Program, Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County
Tree topping is one subject I can really get worked up about. Topping is unprofessional, unsightly, outrageous, immoral, unethical, and possibly contributes to rainy weekends, bad breath, parking tickets, baldness and tooth decay. It is unthinkable, unbelievable, wrong, horrible, awful, bad, yucko, blecch! Any questions? Oh, exactly what is topping? Just a minute. Mmph- there, that’s better. Had to wipe the foam off my mouth.
OK, tree topping is the cutting back of large portions of a tree’s canopy to stubs or inappropriately small branches. Variably known as heading, dehorning, hat racking and tipping, it has not been an accepted practice for at least 25 years. It is the most harmful practice visited on living trees by human beings. (All right, besides cutting the whole thing down). Topping is believed to have started as a method of clearing utility lines. This practice was perceived by some as an appropriate way to reduce a tree’s height. (Possibly this was encouraged by line clearing employees who went on to become "tree experts" willing to do topping.) Thus topping jumped from industrial clearing to residential "care".
Topping shortens a tree temporarily, but does not alter those pesky DNA strands which just insist the tree grow to its normal height. So, the tree re- grows as programmed, but for various reasons the new top or branch that develops is much weaker, and is more weakly attached to the parent wood than the original part was. Then the tree that’s left standing (the "remnant tree") begins to decay from the topping cut down. A column of decay develops in the center of the tree which will eventually become as wide as the cut was. Imagine slicing a building in half, destabilizing the bottom part, then rebuilding the top with vastly inferior materials. Recipe for disaster? You bet! As the cheap imitation (re- grown) parts get bigger, the point at which they are attached becomes increasingly decayed. It may take as many as forty or fifty years, or as few as five or ten, but as the bumper sticker says, "failure happens". Once the disastrous long term effects (including long term liability) of topping became widely known, it was abandoned by tree care professionals.
Not only does topping create weak new growth, it also severely weakens the remnant tree. The tree has to take "money out of the bank" (starch out of storage) to re- grow at a time when much of its stored starches have been lost by topping. Trees normally spend their energy reserves on things like making defensive chemicals to protect themselves from diseases and pests. When they are too energy deficient to do this, the result is a tree which is more vulnerable to decay, disease, and insects.
The difference between looking at a naturally formed tree and a topped tree is like the difference between looking at classic architecture and a pile of construction rubble. Trees generally add to property value, up to about twenty percent. But a tree that is disfigured from topping can actually decrease property value, and possibly the value of neighboring properties as well.
If a short tree is desired, a short species must be planted. However, there is an acceptable practice called crown reduction pruning which can reduce the height of most trees in a way that does not harm them. Crown reduction takes a lot more skill than topping, and can reduce a tree’s height by a maximum of about twenty five percent. Of course, the tree will eventually grow back to original height, but it will not be the hulking wretch that topping would produce. Crown reduction works best on deciduous trees.
To address concerns about a tall tree blowing over, there is a practice which can lessen that risk. Crown thinning is the selective pruning of branches throughout the canopy to reduce wind resistance. Again, this takes more skill and judgement than topping. A tree company that tops trees probably lacks the expertise to perform the correct procedures, and should be avoided. In fact, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a research and education association of tree care professionals, advises the public that a tree company which advertises topping should NOT be hired, for any work, period.
Tree topping is probably the best way to turn a normally docile, peace- loving tree into a snarling killer, or at the very least a snarling unsightly nuisance and potential legal liability. Tree topping is, however, recommended for those who enjoy forty- foot hat racks, and liability lawsuits.
Now are there any questions?
Nailsbeats
Addicted to ArboristSite
Just warming up my saw for tommorow and having a cold one. 
What do you think, should I heavily reduce the crown, or remove it, nice maple?A Guide to Successful Pruning: Stop Topping Trees!
Authors: Susan C. French, Extension Technician and Bonnie Lee Appleton, Extension Horticulturist, Virginia Tech
Publication Number 430-458, posted April 1999
What is "topping"?
Topping occurs when the vertical stem (leader) and upper primary limbs (scaffold branches) on mature trees are cut back to stubs at uniform height. Topping is also referred to as heading, stubbing, or dehorning.
How does topping damage trees?
1) Topping reduces food-making capacity. Trees require a large leaf surface area to provide food for maintenance and growth. Topping cuts off a major portion of the tree's foodmaking potential and depletes the tree's stored reserves.
2) Topping stimulates undesirable "water sprout" growth. While removing most of the buds that would form a normal branch system, topping often stimulates the regrowth of dense, unattractive, upright branches (water sprouts) just below the pruning cut. Water sprout regrowth is vigorous. A topped tree will rapidly return to its original height, but will lack its original form.
3) Topping leaves large wounds. The branch wounds left from topping are slow to close, therefore more vulnerable to insect attacks and fungal decay. An invasion by either pest can spread into the trunk, killing the tree.
4) Topping creates a hazard. Weakened stubs are more prone to wind and storm breakage because they generally begin to die back or decay.
S) Topping injures bark. Increased sun exposure on trunk and branches can lead to severe bark damage.
6) Topping disfigures trees. Ugly branch stubs, conspicuous pruning cuts, and a broom-like branch growth replace natural beauty and form. Topping reduces the real estate value of trees by 20 - 100 percent. A correctly trimmed tree increases in value at each pruning.
Why are trees topped?
Some homeowners and unprofessional tree pruners practice topping whenever trees reach an undesirable height. They mistakenly believe that topping will reduce the storm hazard of falling branches, when in fact, topping has the opposite effect. People also top trees when they interfere with utility wires, buildings, solar collectors, or sunny garden areas.
Selection of trees that only reach desired maximum heights eliminates severe pruning later. If you must prune a tree heavily every five to seven years, the tree is too large for the site. Replace it with a smaller species. The National Arborist Association considers topping an unacceptable practice and advises against it. Unfortunately, even some legitimate tree service companies indiscriminately top trees. Before selecting a tree service, find out which companies advocate topping and avoid patronizing them.
What are the alternatives?
In order to avoid topping, newly planted trees should be properly pruned to develop a good branch structure as they grow. When a mature tree's height must be reduced, an alternative to topping is drop-crotching.
Drop-crotching is a type of thinning cut that reduces a tree's size while preserving its natural shape. To drop-crotch, select and cut higher branches back to laterals at least one-third the diameter of the limbs being removed. Cut outside the branch collar at a 45 to 60 degree angle to the branch bark ridge. Leave the branch collar intact to help prevent decay from entering the trunk. This type of thinning cut will stimulate growth throughout the tree and discourage water sprout development.
Drop crotching
Lateral limbs are pruned where they join large diameter side branches.
The center leader is cut back to a large diameter secondary branch so that a modified leader remains.
This does not change the direction of growth. It encourages stimulation of the apical growth point.
Whenever removing limbs greater than 1 inch in diameter, use the three-cut method to avoid tearing bark. First, about 12 inches from the trunk, cut halfway through the limb from the underside. Second, about 1 inch past the first cut, cut through the limb from the top side. The limb's weight will cause it to break between the two cuts. Make the third cut outside the branch collar, as described earlier. Use a handsaw to provide greater control.
Don't coat pruning cuts with tree paint or wound dressing, except for control of certain disease-carrying insects. These materials won't prevent decay or promote wound closure.
Can topping be corrected?
A professional arborist can improve the condition of a tree, even after it's been severely topped and shows heavy water sprout regrowth. As the water sprouts begin to gain caliper, they can be selectively "thinned out" using properly placed branch collar cuts. New growth can be directed outward to expand and round out the crown. This process will need repeating for a few years. The scars, both physical and visual, will never completely disappear.
A wiser alternative to topping is careful selection and training of your young trees. Avoid topping altogether. Allow your trees to realize their full potential for health and beauty in the landscape.
Authors: Susan C. French, Extension Technician and Bonnie Lee Appleton, Extension Horticulturist, Virginia Tech
Publication Number 430-458, posted April 1999
What is "topping"?
Topping occurs when the vertical stem (leader) and upper primary limbs (scaffold branches) on mature trees are cut back to stubs at uniform height. Topping is also referred to as heading, stubbing, or dehorning.
How does topping damage trees?
1) Topping reduces food-making capacity. Trees require a large leaf surface area to provide food for maintenance and growth. Topping cuts off a major portion of the tree's foodmaking potential and depletes the tree's stored reserves.
2) Topping stimulates undesirable "water sprout" growth. While removing most of the buds that would form a normal branch system, topping often stimulates the regrowth of dense, unattractive, upright branches (water sprouts) just below the pruning cut. Water sprout regrowth is vigorous. A topped tree will rapidly return to its original height, but will lack its original form.
3) Topping leaves large wounds. The branch wounds left from topping are slow to close, therefore more vulnerable to insect attacks and fungal decay. An invasion by either pest can spread into the trunk, killing the tree.
4) Topping creates a hazard. Weakened stubs are more prone to wind and storm breakage because they generally begin to die back or decay.
S) Topping injures bark. Increased sun exposure on trunk and branches can lead to severe bark damage.
6) Topping disfigures trees. Ugly branch stubs, conspicuous pruning cuts, and a broom-like branch growth replace natural beauty and form. Topping reduces the real estate value of trees by 20 - 100 percent. A correctly trimmed tree increases in value at each pruning.
Why are trees topped?
Some homeowners and unprofessional tree pruners practice topping whenever trees reach an undesirable height. They mistakenly believe that topping will reduce the storm hazard of falling branches, when in fact, topping has the opposite effect. People also top trees when they interfere with utility wires, buildings, solar collectors, or sunny garden areas.
Selection of trees that only reach desired maximum heights eliminates severe pruning later. If you must prune a tree heavily every five to seven years, the tree is too large for the site. Replace it with a smaller species. The National Arborist Association considers topping an unacceptable practice and advises against it. Unfortunately, even some legitimate tree service companies indiscriminately top trees. Before selecting a tree service, find out which companies advocate topping and avoid patronizing them.
What are the alternatives?
In order to avoid topping, newly planted trees should be properly pruned to develop a good branch structure as they grow. When a mature tree's height must be reduced, an alternative to topping is drop-crotching.
Drop-crotching is a type of thinning cut that reduces a tree's size while preserving its natural shape. To drop-crotch, select and cut higher branches back to laterals at least one-third the diameter of the limbs being removed. Cut outside the branch collar at a 45 to 60 degree angle to the branch bark ridge. Leave the branch collar intact to help prevent decay from entering the trunk. This type of thinning cut will stimulate growth throughout the tree and discourage water sprout development.
Drop crotching
Lateral limbs are pruned where they join large diameter side branches.
The center leader is cut back to a large diameter secondary branch so that a modified leader remains.
This does not change the direction of growth. It encourages stimulation of the apical growth point.
Whenever removing limbs greater than 1 inch in diameter, use the three-cut method to avoid tearing bark. First, about 12 inches from the trunk, cut halfway through the limb from the underside. Second, about 1 inch past the first cut, cut through the limb from the top side. The limb's weight will cause it to break between the two cuts. Make the third cut outside the branch collar, as described earlier. Use a handsaw to provide greater control.
Don't coat pruning cuts with tree paint or wound dressing, except for control of certain disease-carrying insects. These materials won't prevent decay or promote wound closure.
Can topping be corrected?
A professional arborist can improve the condition of a tree, even after it's been severely topped and shows heavy water sprout regrowth. As the water sprouts begin to gain caliper, they can be selectively "thinned out" using properly placed branch collar cuts. New growth can be directed outward to expand and round out the crown. This process will need repeating for a few years. The scars, both physical and visual, will never completely disappear.
A wiser alternative to topping is careful selection and training of your young trees. Avoid topping altogether. Allow your trees to realize their full potential for health and beauty in the landscape.
Nailsbeats
Addicted to ArboristSite
You sure do like hearing yourself speak.opcorn:
opcorn:
Have at it. Everyone including yourself nows knows clearly that you support and practice unprofessional tree care.
