topping trees good?

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At least this guy at amarillo tree didn't waste too much money on his web site. He couldn't afford to put in his area code or location! Who the heck would contact him if they don't know where he works? Maybe that's a good thing! :p

Good to see that he has 'BIG TREE' experience, too! :laugh:
 
Topping

While working on trees in Winston/Salem, NC recently, I was shown house after house after house with topped trees in the FRONT yards!! I couldn't believe it?!? I mean, it was like people thought it was a right of passage or something to just crop a full-sized oak or maple right down to the first crotch!

I was told it was the thing to do up there. And the trees that had regrown their canopies had the shape of cotton candy on a stick. Ugly! Like they were trying to copy Bradford Pears.
And the guy I was with refused to do it even though everbody was paying for it.

I will say one thing though, I have read that for VERY young trees (2-4 years), one topping (count it...1) can actually be good for them.
I would like to hear opinions on that if you have any.
 
I find that quite interesting about 1 top. I`ve never heard that before but I imagine if you were planning to keep the tree to a small size, and reduced the top back lightly to a nice strong growth point, I dont think you would do a young tree much harm, although I would say definetly not conifers.
 
I think topping is a control mindset thing. People feel in control of that big thing in the yard. In my opinion the only difference between a stump & a topped tree is about 10 feet. If you're gonna kill it do it right the first time. Topping is big business for some companies here in New Mexico. Obviously they can't be bothererd to read a modern tree book or attend a course.....they just "know" whats right. Topping is an archaic practice right up there with leeching to remove bad humors from humans or binding feet to get those cute little deformed things. I turn down work if they insist on topping & give out info on why it sucks every chance I get. The only way to stop it is for the good treefolks to educate.
 
Improper practices

Darin et al,

I have a started to contact as many of the site owners as I could from you "Bad" list. I have been as polite as I could be. If there were no email address for the company, I would contact the web designer to let them know that they had designed a page that was showing Z133.1 and A300 violations.

Brian, I was the one who wrote you back about the site that was against topping, did someone from the ISA write to you to?

This is a personal campaign of mine so I am not involving any of the associations that I belong to.

Keep sending us the 'bad' sites.

Thanks,

TMW
 
I think what you refer to as topping a yuon tree is called crown shaping. Where all the terminals are cut back to an even balled shape. I've seen the results and you get alot of tight branch angles and parallel branching. You do end up with a pretty uniform shape though. Shigo spend about half a page on it in Mod.Arb.
 
We do a lot of crown shaping in the UK on street trees and in gardens, as a big problem here is people and councils always planting trees that eventually outgrow their intended space. Not the nicest of jobs, as the trees never look the same again, but at least its not topping, and if you take your time, you can sometimes make a poorly shaped tree a lot more aesthectically pleasing.
 
Looks like our buddy McPeak has had at least a couple run-ins:D
Check this link http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/dtcs/co...are,+and+tree+service)&detail=Y#legend_place2
Too bad it wasn't for shoddy work or improper pruning, I checked a bunch of the other ones, not a single complaint for improper work , but I did see a few co.'s that I know are hacks;)
Amazingly most of the tree complaints are for companies at least 30+ miles from our county, now who would hire an out of town co. like that?Oh yeah........:angry:
 
Will,

No pollardy is the cyclycal removal of sprouts from a head or knob which was developed by making a heading cut.

the shaping concept is to make cuts at the small end of a branch so that a very even form is acheived. But it is not done on a regular basis. Usualy it is a once off thing. Not exactly an A300 job.
 
Pollarding

JPS -
Gotcha.
Well, I've seen people do it with Sycamores before and I've always wondered: does the first cut of pollarding have to be made 'mid-branch' (between the nodes - is this what you mean by 'heading cut'?) or can it be made at a growth tip?
I done it before on a Crape Myrtle by cutting back to an existing crotch for maybe three prunings, then cutting back to the next NEW crotch for two consecutive prunings, the next crotch for one, and then letting it grow on its own. It produces a nice branch structure but I've always wondered whether or not it's healthy. I know that in true pollarding, you cut back to the same node every time.
I'll bet that only certain trees can handle it well?

By the way, I've got Shigo's, "Tree Pruning" on order, which I'm sure will answer a lot of my questions.

Thanks -
Will
 
willclimb- Crepe Myrtles are the only tree I know of that I would use pollarding on. I'd not recommend trying it with Sycamores. If you don't want a big tree, don't plant a Sycamore! :blob2:
 
Actualy sycamor is a rather comon pollard.

The few times I have done it I had free reign. There was nosize requirements.

I have always cut back to a node less then 1 inch dia. Since the node is where a majority of latent buds are suposed to be I think it is the best place to cut.

I heading cut is one that is technicaly unable to suport the branch, weather mid stem or to a branch less then 1/3 the diamiter of the cut. Otherwise it is refered to as a thinning cut.

I have found that trees that do not compartmentalize well may not adapt to pallardy. I had som aspen that made it only 3 years. Though I did find out that the customer was hacking them in the summer. Added stress to the plant.

I have read that willow is a very comon pollard in the Netherlands. That does not compartmeentalize well at all. I want to try a white oak some day. Maybe a bur since they sprout readily (another criteria for pollarding).
 
Bet you never even thought about it

Did ya ever notice that when lets say that whenever something is invented its great, but then someone else has an idea so the the original plan is wrong then? Huh?
Have you ever noticed that if ya trim a tree and it lives for another 50 or 60 years and you used spikes over and over again through the years and the tree kept living, that it may be wrong to use spikes because the tree could have lived the same amount of time if you had used a ladder or lets say a bucket truck? Have you, honestly have you ever once seen a tree die from spiking. Well I'd like to answer that before I go on. I've been doing this a long time people and I have yet to see one tree die from spiking or become unhealthy from spiking. I have yet to see any tree I've topped die from spiking and Topping at the same time. Let me explain something and see if you (whoever) reads this can undersatnd it. People go to school and college to learn things and most are just dumb as bricks when it comes to common sense they have to be taught how to live. The point here is the most of you men read a book, took a course or was told about treework before you actually started doing it for yourself. So just because of how you were taught to do things that certain way, you all think that is the right way, but my friends trees (nature) will take care of themselves if not (scalped). Oh real quick I take trees (down) in maryland can't get me for that and thats another reason why alot of you don't spike its against the law where you work and/or you just take the easy way with a bucket. Oh I give treetrimmers bad names just because I don't follow your closely knit groups rules. I am my own person i don't need fellow so-called treemen to make me feel important. I do good work and I get paid for it and I get called back to do more work not because the trees have died from spiking or topping because the trees are living, looking good and healthy. I never pointed a finger at anyone and said they were drunk and doing treework I said most climbers are drinkers maybe not on the job but if they get drunk the night before they aren't steady the next day. Unnecessary expenses like $350,000 worth of equipment just so you can have your buddies in awe, and alot of you know what i'm talking about. In all honesty I have nothing against any of you as a person, but there is more than one way to skin a cat (fish) and not the only way you've learned. Happy Tree Trimming.
(HAROLD MCPEAK)
 
Pollarding

The London plane, Platanus x hispanica, and common lime, Tilia x europaea are well known to be tolerant of pollarding. Other trees which respond to this treatment include some species of Acer, Alnus, Fraxinus, Liriodendron, Morus, Quercus, Ulmus.
When growing up along the coast, south of San Francisco, we kept a Platanus x acerifolia, a variety of London Plane tree, pollarded for many years. This method of pruning was used in the bay area extensively and is probably still a regularly used method. Our tree was maintained into a relatively small, ball shaped crown. This method can also be used on female Ginkgoes to reduce fruit.
 
Okay, for fun, you ever tried a page like this...

Link Checker > stage one to trace a site

Now, enter the letter code.

Then when and if results come up, click on the NUMBER under the name of a search engine or directory like Alta Vist, Yahoo, whatever, and it will show if a site is listed with anyone, maybe even personal sites. The number is in the table - likely a bit bolder.

You will even see this forum topic on Alta Vistas second page.

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT.....WHOOO...WHO.... WHO LET THE DOG'S OUT...WHOOO....WHO
 

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