Topping Norway spruces?

[ElevatorGuy]

Did I mention I hate trees!? One on my house and the second in my pool this morning.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Not sure how I found this but a 6 month update, Those Leyland did $8,000 in damage. I’ll clear cut my next property, I’ll leave nothing standing. I hate trees.

 

[ClimberBusinessman]

Never top a spruce tree, or any other tree for that matter. The only trees I consider topping are small, overgrown ornamental trees where the only other option is removal (crown-reduction pruning isn't generally viable on small ornamental trees), or arborvitae (which are technically a shrub), and trees that have a lot of dead in the top section as a last-ditch attempt to rejuvenate the tree . Even in the limited subset of cases I will top a tree (except for arborvitae), I warn the customer that it may shorten the trees lifespan, that it tends to produce excessive, weak shoots that will break off in storms, and that it may lead to significant decay problems at the juncture where the topping was done. The only option I'd recommend for these trees would be to let them be, or remove them. Either way, it's the land-lady's decision, not yours.

 

[capetrees]

Not sure how I found this but a 6 month update, Those Leyland did $8,000 in damage. I’ll clear cut my next property, I’ll leave nothing standing. I hate trees.

Top out leylands anytime up to 1/3 of their height at one time. I've topped dozens of leylands and some I consistently top, they grow back rapidly. I have a few to do this week. Maybe I'll take some pics

 

[TonyGTrees]

Never top a spruce tree, or any other tree for that matter. The only trees I consider topping are small, overgrown ornamental trees where the only other option is removal (crown-reduction pruning isn't generally viable on small ornamental trees), or arborvitae (which are technically a shrub), and trees that have a lot of dead in the top section as a last-ditch attempt to rejuvenate the tree . Even in the limited subset of cases I will top a tree (except for arborvitae), I warn the customer that it may shorten the trees lifespan, that it tends to produce excessive, weak shoots that will break off in storms, and that it may lead to significant decay problems at the juncture where the topping was done. The only option I'd recommend for these trees would be to let them be, or remove them. Either way, it's the land-lady's decision, not yours.

Thank you for response, ClimberBusinessman

Clearly, the decision is hers, though I've been trying to make her understand that if she tops the giant spruce next to the house we rent from her, we wouldn't feel safe staying here.

But the main thing is she's a friend and elderly, and I hate to see her make decisions that are exactly opposite of what she's trying to achieve - making the trees safer. So I'm trying to educate her that topping - which apparently was considered an appropriate thing to do decades ago - will only hurt the trees, not to mention making them look ridiculous. (From what I can tell, these are the only topped spruces anywhere around the aoround here.) She has two topped huge spruces around her house and a third leaning toward her garage (toward the sun), where she keep an antique 33 Buick roadster. The branches of that last tree - topped many years ago - are all drooped, which is what I would expect based on researching what happens when you remove the top apical meristem from a conical evergreen.

I asked a certified arborist who was working across the street to look at the trees. He shook his head and said those trees have been "butchered" and should come down. The owner of her tree service, which doesn't have a certified arborist, told me he doesn't approve of topping trees but that's what she wants "and I have to keep my guys working." He fears she will stop using him if he doesn't make aggressive recommendations, including cutting down several trees every year on her 4.5 acre property, because that's what the previous owner used to do. She even complained to me that the new owner isn't aggressive enough.
I'm hoping my efforts to educate her are working, but I don't know. She's pretty set in her ways. Last year she had the tree service re-top two of the spruces around her house.
Thank you again for your response.