Misconceptions - Topping Trees

The practice of 'topping' trees is never practiced by tree care professionals. It is only practiced by amateurs who don't know any better.

Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet, despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice. This brochure explains why topping is not an acceptable pruning technique and offers better alternatives.

What is Topping?
Topping is the indiscriminate cutting of tree branches. Other names for this practice include “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.”

The most common reason given for topping is to reduce the size of a tree. Home owners may feel that their trees have become too large for their property. Or they might fear that tall trees may pose a hazard. The fact is that topping will make a tree more hazardous in the long term.

Topping often removes 50 to 100 percent of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Because leaves are the food factories of a tree, removing them can temporarily starve a tree. If the tree is healthy, it should survive. If it is not healthy, it may die. Here are more reasons you should never have a tree topped.

Topping Reduces Your Property Value

Topping Creates Potential Liability

Topping Is Expensive

Topping Makes a Tree More Vulnerable to Insects and Disease

Topping Causes Decay

Topping Can Lead to Sunburn

Topping Makes Trees Ugly

Alternatives to Topping
Sometimes a tree must be reduced in height or spread. Providing clearance for utility lines is an example. There are recommended techniques for doing so – topping is not a recommended practice.

In the end it is less expensive and better for the tree to simply call a certified arborist.

Hiring an Arborist
When selecting an arborist, check for membership in professional organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), or the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). Check for ISA arborist certification. Certified Arborists are experienced professionals who have passed an extensive examination covering all aspects of tree care. Ask for proof of insurance. Ask for a list of references, and don’t hesitate to check them.

Parts of this article have been taken from “Why Topping Hurts Trees” http://ow.ly/6INUD