Topping??? RIght or wrong

[Canyonbc]

TOPPING??

I am qutie new to the business...and wondering excatly what every one condiders toping, 2nd why is it so bad?

If topping is bad what "proper and right" procedures should be taken to do the the job right

thanks

mike

 

[clearance]

.

 

[Canyonbc]

clearance...

did you write anything...its not showing...atleast on my computer

 

[SRT-Tech]

i'm not even an aborist, but even i know that topping is bad.

here is an explanation:

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/topping.aspx

 

[Canyonbc]

No i knew it was bad...but i didnt no why..

thanks for the link

i will check it out

 

[Wismer]

Great link SRT

other than all of the botanical and horticultural discrepencies,

it

is

downright

UGGGGLY!

the school I attend has topped alot of their trees, and it just kills me to look at any tree that has been butchered like that.

Remember that one person in your life, the really unattractive one, who fell out of the ugly tree?

a topped tree IS the ugly tree

 

[l2edneck]

Appreciate you askin'

To me it depends on species,growth and reason.

I would rather Take down an oak then top it.......

some species,i would top........

if it was a safety hazard.......or poor planting......I would top(with the heavy recommdation for removal)

(insert flaming text here)

 

[OTG BOSTON]

Appreciate you askin'

To me it depends on species,growth and reason.

I would rather Take down an oak then top it.......

some species,i would top........

if it was a safety hazard.......or poor planting......I would top(with the heavy recommdation for removal)

(insert flaming text here)

Great Post!!! You summed it all up here Red. With all the anti-topping propaganda around we are bringing up a generation of future arborists who do not have "severe crown reduction" skills in their toolbox. It isn't often that this style of pruning is appropriate, but when it is it has to be done correctly............

 

[clearance]

I have topped many trees that were too close to powerlines, in fact, whole rows of trees that had been planted, like hemlock, cedar, fir, they are now big hedges. Only top if you have to, I advise spiral pruning of conifers.

 

[treebogan]

Evil,but some times needed

Round here we are doing a fair bit of topping,mostly older Trees that have had the Top lowered in the past and we are re-doing them for veiw enhancment.A lot of that goes on in Vancouver as well.Every now and again we get a client,mostly older folk who just can't be talked out of Topping their tree,hate doing it but,better done by some one who will look for a growth point to reduce to,rather than not.
I don't believe topping will ever cease to be practiced,as some times its the only option apart from removing the Tree.

 

[AlpineJesus]

If the price is right: top the tree

 

[BayouTree]

One thing about topping is that is assures that future work will need to be done to the tree for better or worse.

 

[begleytree]

around here, we don't top. no need, everything anywhere near a target has already been topped. so we re-top, or remove the big suckers and leave the small, crown reduction, call it whatever you will. I live in the topping capitol of the world I think sometimes. no where here is a tree allowed to actually grow, and all I hear are comments about it failing and killing them. hey, you try to talk to folks, learn them a few things, but at the end of the day, its their tree and their money. if you dont want it, your competitor will take it. I'm all for good tree care, but sometimes you have to give up, you can't win. their mind is made up. either do it or someone else will. so you try to do the best you can for the tree

imo, theres a lot of opinions out there. good/bad and indifferent. is it the worst thing you can do to a tree? prob not, but its not the best thing either.

throw the flame comments if you wish, last I looked, there was only one name on my bills, and that's mine, no one else pays them.
somedays this work is fun, when you're doing whats right and good, and other days its just another crap job removing 30 foot suckers from a 10X topped silver maple, spending the day making brush and chips. but they all pay, just that they all don't come with that feeling of satisfaction. maybe someday when I'm old and only climb and trim when I feel like it and my toys are paid off, then I can pick and choose. otherwise, the mortgage is due the first day of the month and I'm going to pay it.
-Ralph