Topping: The Harmful Pruning Practice that Persists

You may have heard the term "topping" before, but what does it mean? Topping is a tree pruning practice that involves cutting off the top of a tree to "cure" it of problems. Unfortunately, this is one of the most harmful things you can do to a tree and often results in severe damage or even death.

Topping is an often used practice to reduce the size of a tree. Homeowners may feel a large tree poses a risk to their property; however, topping is not a viable method of height reduction and may increase risk in the long term.

When you top a tree, you cut off most of its canopy. Heavy pruning is incredibly damaging to the tree and often results in severe damage or even death. A topped tree often looks stark and ugly, with bare limbs sticking out in all directions. Here are a few reasons why topping is so harmful.

First, topping can cause the tree to become unstable and more prone to wind damage. The regrowth after topping is often poorly attached and can easily fall off in high winds. Topping can lead to dangerous situations for people and property below the tree.

Second, topping can severely reduce a tree's ability to photosynthesize. Reduced photosynthesis means the tree can't produce as much food and will be less healthy overall. When you cut off most of the canopy, you also cut off most of the leaves.

Third, topping can cause trees to become more susceptible to pests and diseases. The regrowth after topping is often weak and unhealthy, making the tree more susceptible to attack from insects and diseases.

Topped trees may pose an unacceptable level of risk. Because topping is considered an unacceptable pruning practice, any damage caused by branch failure of a topped tree may lead to a finding of negligence in a court of law.

In short, topping is a dangerous practice that can seriously damage or kill your trees and create a hazardous situation.

Tree topping should never be confused with proper pruning. A topped tree is easy to spot the tree's natural shape is severely altered, while a properly pruned tree often looks as if little work has been done. With proper pruning, an arborist will spend time carefully selecting and removing branches.

Please don't take chances with your trees; they deserve better!