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