Ask any certified arborist throughout the country, and they will tell you that topping a tree is a bad idea. While some homeowners or landscaping service companies practice this method of pruning trees, Grass Valley tree care professionals know that tree topping is a hazardous way of pruning a tree.
While it may seem like a quick, easy method of dealing with a large, overgrown tree, topping is a practice that causes a lot of damage and problems down the road. That’s why the certified arborist at Westcoast Tree Experts would like to provide you with the following reasons why topping is a poor tree care practice.
Grass Valley Tree Care: Tree Topping
When a tree is topped, a desired height is chosen, and the trunk of a tree and its branches above that height or cut off in a rough, straight, horizontal line. When this happens, no regard is given to the tree’s function below the area being cut, or how it will affect the growth of a tree afterward.
How Topping Harms A Tree
Topping a tree comes with a wide variety of drawbacks that affect a tree’s health, integrity, and aesthetic appeal. These include:
- Topping removes all or part of a tree’s canopy. In turn, this greatly affects its ability to absorb sunlight and create nutrients necessary for survival.
- Topping causes stress to a tree while creating lasting wounds that make it extremely susceptible to disease and insect infestation.
- When a tree is topped, it will begin to sprout new foliage from the areas cut. Rather than a single, neat canopy, these new sprouts will form unattractive new shapes.
- Damage caused by topping combined with the risk of rot and disease will increase the chances of a tree becoming hazardous as more branches will die and break off. This makes it extremely dangerous to be around due to the harm it can cause people and property below.
Tree Topping Alternatives
Although the best way to avoid dealing with an overgrown tree is planting a species with a maximum growth height of less than the space available, mistakes are often made. If a tree must be cut to prevent it from reaching overhead power lines or prevent it from rubbing your roof, etc., there are plenty of other tree care options to choose from. A certified arborist can help rectify the situation without topping with professional tree pruning, crown thinning, windsail reduction, and removal services. As experts in the industry, Westcoast Tree Experts can assess and handle the job properly in a way that allows a tree to grow healthy.
Can A Topped Tree Recover?
If a tree on your property has been topped, it’s best to consult a certified arborist. With proper care and pruning, it may be possible to reshape it over the course of several years. However, it may never recover fully.
Westcoast Tree Experts
In conclusion, tree topping is a dangerous, unhealthy form of pruning. For safe, sustainable, and healthy alternatives, contact the Grass Valley tree care professionals at Westcoast Tree Experts by filling out our online form or give us a call at 1.800.767.8733. Our certified arborist can provide you with a no-cost, no-obligation quote and do what is best for you and your trees.
