- Location
- central texas
Im looking for 10 reasons why you shouldnt top trees.
Name 10 reasons why you shouldnt top
- Thread starter jodystreeserv3
- Start date
matdand
Participating member
- Location
- Montreal, Qc
Waldo
Participating member
- Location
- Portland, OR
introduces exsesive decay into the tree.
leads to unsafe branch connections that are prone to breaking.
there is two. every topped tree i have had to try and retrain into a good canopy has been a struggle and never does end up looking like a strong and healthy tree.
leads to unsafe branch connections that are prone to breaking.
there is two. every topped tree i have had to try and retrain into a good canopy has been a struggle and never does end up looking like a strong and healthy tree.
tomthetreeman
Participating member
- Location
- Rhode Island
There are six reasons listed in the ISA/Trees are good document. These are a great resource for arborists to communicate with clients and the public. There is an entire collection of different documents covering everything from 'Why hire and arborist' to 'Why topping hurts trees.' Check it out:
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/topping.aspx
-Tom
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/topping.aspx
-Tom
- Location
- Springfield MO
They look like crap ! That alone should be enough.
Tree-Taylor
Branched out member
- Location
- Canada
Why top when you can bottom?
In homeowner language -
A topped tree is like a car that's been in a bad accident. You can try and fix it up but it will cost a heap of money and never be the same again. Would you buy a car that was repaired after a bad accident?
A topped tree is like a car that's been in a bad accident. You can try and fix it up but it will cost a heap of money and never be the same again. Would you buy a car that was repaired after a bad accident?
classictruckman
Participating member
- Location
- Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada
That has to be the best example I've ever heard
Tr33Climb3r
Participating member
- Location
- Wisconsin
[ QUOTE ]
That has to be the best example I've ever heard
[/ QUOTE ]
second that
That has to be the best example I've ever heard
[/ QUOTE ]
guymayor
Branched out member
- Location
- East US, Earth
Good analogy with the car.
Biggest reason is losing contributions. Shorter trees give less shade etc.
Biggest reason is losing contributions. Shorter trees give less shade etc.
- Location
- Phoenix Arizona
Because I dont want to tie into or rig from those watersprouts 15 years later when the thing starts falling apart.
robinia
Participating member
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
I once had to talk a woman out of topping who ran a day care. She wanted the trees topped so there "wouldn't be as many branches hanging over the kids in the yard." I gave her all the usual reasons and then got snarky when she wouldn't listen. The final reason I gave for why she shouldn't do it:
"Sunburns and skin cancer."
That worked.
"Sunburns and skin cancer."
That worked.
- Location
- Bay Area, California
[ QUOTE ]
They look like crap ! That alone should be enough.
[/ QUOTE ]
I second that
They look like crap ! That alone should be enough.
[/ QUOTE ]
I second that
1.Topping Stresses the trees health.
2.Topping looks ugly. Possibly bringing down property value.
3. Topping can kill a tree quickly depending on the severity, specie and time of year.
4.Topping can create sun-scalding and therefore create wounds and decay in the tree. Also the improper stub cuts almost always decay and often hollow out the limbs in the tree.
5. Topping will often cost the owner more in the long run with frequent maintenance intervals.
6. Topping will often create a very hazardous tree in the future with weak material that grows back. Damaging property, harming or killing someone or something.
7. Topping can cause the root system to die back and the tree to go over in a windstorm.
8. If the tree does not die following the topping, often the tree grows back thicker and fuller than ever before, subjecting the tree to greater wind damage.
9. If you pay someone to top your tree and your state has regulations for proper tree trimming, you and/or the tree service could be fined, especially if it was a “roadside tree”.
10. When a topped tree has to eventually be taken down. The arborist that takes it down might be working in a hazardous tree due to how it grew back after the topping from years earlier. The original topping may be the event in history that lead to an arborist getting hurt or lose their life.
2.Topping looks ugly. Possibly bringing down property value.
3. Topping can kill a tree quickly depending on the severity, specie and time of year.
4.Topping can create sun-scalding and therefore create wounds and decay in the tree. Also the improper stub cuts almost always decay and often hollow out the limbs in the tree.
5. Topping will often cost the owner more in the long run with frequent maintenance intervals.
6. Topping will often create a very hazardous tree in the future with weak material that grows back. Damaging property, harming or killing someone or something.
7. Topping can cause the root system to die back and the tree to go over in a windstorm.
8. If the tree does not die following the topping, often the tree grows back thicker and fuller than ever before, subjecting the tree to greater wind damage.
9. If you pay someone to top your tree and your state has regulations for proper tree trimming, you and/or the tree service could be fined, especially if it was a “roadside tree”.
10. When a topped tree has to eventually be taken down. The arborist that takes it down might be working in a hazardous tree due to how it grew back after the topping from years earlier. The original topping may be the event in history that lead to an arborist getting hurt or lose their life.
Here are the things that I find that works to stop even the toughest customer that wants the tree topped no matter what.
1. Topping it will create a more frequent trim schedule and cost you more in the end. Topping that tree will put that tree in stress mode. In no time (2 to 3 years) it will be as tall as it is now, if not taller, but thicker and weaker than ever before.
Topping it will create a frequent maintenance interval. You are going to want it trimmed every 3 or 4 years if you have it topped.
If you let me properly trim it with a mild crown reduction, thinning and dead wooding, the tree won't "notice" that it was trimmed and it will stay in the new relative shape MUCH longer. You will likely get 7 years out of it before it might need a trimming again.
The more drastic the trimming, the worse the tree will react.
2. I'm an ISA Certified Arborist and a MD Licensed Tree Expert. I can't be seen doing improper trimming. We only do trimming that will keep the trees healthy and safe. I can't do something that will likely cause an unsafe or unhealthy tree and that's what topping does; create an unsafe or unhealthy tree.
3. And I often give this analogy of mine. You can use it if you like it. It really seems to work. Just remember you got it from the Xman:
I can't top that tree, topping is wrong.
It's like this, let’s say you went to a medical doctor and said, "Doctor, I don't like how long my fingernails are, I want you to cut my fingers off half way".
A good Doctor would explain; NO, do NOT DO THAT! There is a proper location of where you should trim the fingernails. Cutting the fingers off half way would be very unhealthy and ridiculous. Please, let me just trim the fingernails at the proper location.
A bad Doctor would say, sure, you pay me and I'll cut them fingers off anywhere you want me to. If that doctor did this, they should be sued for malpractice.
I am the Certified Arborist; I am like the good doctor. I am telling you how your tree should be trimmed. I refuse to be the bad doctor.
1. Topping it will create a more frequent trim schedule and cost you more in the end. Topping that tree will put that tree in stress mode. In no time (2 to 3 years) it will be as tall as it is now, if not taller, but thicker and weaker than ever before.
Topping it will create a frequent maintenance interval. You are going to want it trimmed every 3 or 4 years if you have it topped.
If you let me properly trim it with a mild crown reduction, thinning and dead wooding, the tree won't "notice" that it was trimmed and it will stay in the new relative shape MUCH longer. You will likely get 7 years out of it before it might need a trimming again.
The more drastic the trimming, the worse the tree will react.
2. I'm an ISA Certified Arborist and a MD Licensed Tree Expert. I can't be seen doing improper trimming. We only do trimming that will keep the trees healthy and safe. I can't do something that will likely cause an unsafe or unhealthy tree and that's what topping does; create an unsafe or unhealthy tree.
3. And I often give this analogy of mine. You can use it if you like it. It really seems to work. Just remember you got it from the Xman:
I can't top that tree, topping is wrong.
It's like this, let’s say you went to a medical doctor and said, "Doctor, I don't like how long my fingernails are, I want you to cut my fingers off half way".
A good Doctor would explain; NO, do NOT DO THAT! There is a proper location of where you should trim the fingernails. Cutting the fingers off half way would be very unhealthy and ridiculous. Please, let me just trim the fingernails at the proper location.
A bad Doctor would say, sure, you pay me and I'll cut them fingers off anywhere you want me to. If that doctor did this, they should be sued for malpractice.
I am the Certified Arborist; I am like the good doctor. I am telling you how your tree should be trimmed. I refuse to be the bad doctor.
classictruckman
Participating member
- Location
- Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada
Do people get paid royalty checks for good analogies? If so your going to be raking it in Xman
Treespotter
New member
- Location
- Houten, The Netherlands
[ QUOTE ]
In homeowner language -
A topped tree is like a car that's been in a bad accident. You can try and fix it up but it will cost a heap of money and never be the same again. Would you buy a car that was repaired after a bad accident?
[/ QUOTE ]WOW. That's the best one ever... Can we all use that one EdenT?
In homeowner language -
A topped tree is like a car that's been in a bad accident. You can try and fix it up but it will cost a heap of money and never be the same again. Would you buy a car that was repaired after a bad accident?
[/ QUOTE ]WOW. That's the best one ever... Can we all use that one EdenT?
mdvaden
Participating member
- Location
- Beaverton. Oregon
[ QUOTE ]
They look like crap ! That alone should be enough.
[/ QUOTE ]
In general I agree for urban trees.
But its probably fair to point out that some topped trees which have recovered and been pruned properly years later, have character unmatched by many other trees which were never topped. Especially evident in forests. Some of the most remarkable forest trees include stems topped by wind, breakage and die-back.
Nat Geo Redwood Photo
The National Geographic October 2009 Magazine redwood would be one of the more evident examples.
We probably need to carefully distinguish between "reasons" and "arguments".
They look like crap ! That alone should be enough.
[/ QUOTE ]
In general I agree for urban trees.
But its probably fair to point out that some topped trees which have recovered and been pruned properly years later, have character unmatched by many other trees which were never topped. Especially evident in forests. Some of the most remarkable forest trees include stems topped by wind, breakage and die-back.
Nat Geo Redwood Photo
The National Geographic October 2009 Magazine redwood would be one of the more evident examples.
We probably need to carefully distinguish between "reasons" and "arguments".
- Location
- San Diego, Ca. North county
I refer to topping as, "Late Term Abortion", oh well.
Jeff Lovstrom
Jeff Lovstrom
