Here is a picture of a topped maple tree I took down this morning. The home owner wondered why his tree was dying. He was also wondering why the side of the trunk was rotten and the root system was dying. I explained it to him and I don't think he got it till I removed a bunch of the canopy. This is what I showed him and he now realizes that he should not of topped his tree. This kind of crap runs ramped here where I live. Slowly but surely I am changing peoples minds on why not to top trees. I would have to say that a potential customer that wants his tree topped, I am able to change his or her minds about 98% of the time when I explain how harmful it is to the trees health. If they want it topped I tell them I will not do it.
Topped Maple
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Kneejerk Bombas
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That looks like a Silver Maple.
What if it were planted next to a house? It could get too tall, fall, and kill the homeowner.
Suppose it was previously topped. Couldn't the leads become long and weakly attached, precluding failure?
Then, consider the pollarded trees in Europe. They survive generations... tens of generations of cutting. How does that play into your advice against topping?
For every picture of a poorly preforming, topped tree, I might be able to come up with ten pictures of overgrown, untopped trees, growing around small buildings, posing great risk.
What if it were planted next to a house? It could get too tall, fall, and kill the homeowner.
Suppose it was previously topped. Couldn't the leads become long and weakly attached, precluding failure?
Then, consider the pollarded trees in Europe. They survive generations... tens of generations of cutting. How does that play into your advice against topping?
For every picture of a poorly preforming, topped tree, I might be able to come up with ten pictures of overgrown, untopped trees, growing around small buildings, posing great risk.
That maybe true about the over grown, untrimmed, mature trees. But that tree properly trimmed right will be much healthier, safer and sustain a better life than a poorly topped tree. I remove a very large amount of diseased, rotten and dangerous trees a year that were topped and try and salvage many more that were topped in the past. To each his own I always say, if you want to top your tree go ahead I won't be the one to do it. I've seen way more bad than good to justify doing that to a tree. Oh the one good thing about a topped tree is, they sure provide a lot of homes for nesting birds, weather it be in the clusters of newly sprouted and poorly attached limbs or the rotten tops that they burrow holes in to nest. And I almost forgot about the squirrel's nests too. I think it's just as senseless to not trim a mature tree, I see a lot of beautiful trees that just need that extra little touch to shape them up. Like I say if you like it then do it. I just can't bring myself to so it.
Ekka
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Hey Log hog.
Ole Mike Maas he just likes to stir the pot up, one of those individualist types that likes to go against the tide. I bet he's trolling.
Pollarded trees have continual care, they're not left to grow for 10 years or more then get cut back, they're cut every year and usually a species that can take it. Usually done from a young age.
Topping is not pollarding. BIG DIFFERENCE.
And the old time saying of right size/type of tree for the spot should be 1st consideration.
I'm with you mate, I run this ad, and every time I see a thread on this topic I'm gonna stick this ad in it.
Ole Mike Maas he just likes to stir the pot up, one of those individualist types that likes to go against the tide. I bet he's trolling.
Pollarded trees have continual care, they're not left to grow for 10 years or more then get cut back, they're cut every year and usually a species that can take it. Usually done from a young age.
Topping is not pollarding. BIG DIFFERENCE.
And the old time saying of right size/type of tree for the spot should be 1st consideration.
I'm with you mate, I run this ad, and every time I see a thread on this topic I'm gonna stick this ad in it.
