Topping Bradford Pears

There is absolutely no situation where i would top an otherwise healthy tree. To do so would be showing to the world that your skills, knowledge and foremost your ethics are highly questionable.

If i can't convince a tree owner to see that topping is bad, i don't do the job. I've many times wasted an hour of my life trying to convince someone that topping is useless. I don't think of it as preaching or being "all high and mighty", it's my responsibility as a professional.

In my neck of the woods when i started offering tree care, many people topped trees. Ten years of public education, doing proper work and enlightening tree owners has reduced the practice of topping in my market to a rarity and an obscenity.

vince
 
That is all good and that is the way it should be.. when enough arbs walk, rather than perform improper pruning, the world will be a better place for trees..

AND

WHAT IS TOPPING??? this practice that you would rather walk than perform....

What Guy said is this:
If you cut at nodes and with regard for health and structure it is NOT topping (even if it looks really extreme).

If you don't believe that, you have a lot to learn.. This is of course going to greatly depend on the species and condition of the tree.. If you hit a 150 year old white oak too hard, you'll kill it, no matter how much attention you pay to "nodes and structure".. on the other hand, I'd like to hear you convince someone that's been running apple orchards for 40 years, that he's had it wrong the whole time..

Unfortunately it seems like there are a lot of very caring arborists that need education in this area.. It would be nice if they could get some here!
 
DANIEL,
JUST BECAUSE A TREE MAY TOLERATE BEING TOPPED DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS OK FOR THAT TREE . WE ARE NOT TALKING CUTTING AT NODES . WE ARE TALKING TOPPING . JUST BECAUSE YOU MAY DISAGREE WITH ME AND OTHERS ON HERE DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE LOUD MOUTHS . FACTS ARE NOT OPINIONS BY THE WAY ! MAYBE YOU SHOULD START TO TAKE NOTE .
 
I have never seen many Bradford pears here in my little town...(Washington State)

A couple years ago, I (properly) trimmed 26 young Brad P's. All the tree's had numerous (weakly attached) leaders and looked like poor nursery stock.
A few months later (winter storm) - 8 of the tree's broke out bad. 2 blew over whole (root fail). The Condo Assoc. had gotten advice from another local CArborist and then hired us to do the work.
In the end, everyone understood that the tree's were a diffulcult species and we had pruned them properly. I have always wondered if I could have done something better...
 
[ QUOTE ]

DANIEL,
JUST BECAUSE A TREE MAY TOLERATE BEING TOPPED DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS OK FOR THAT TREE . WE ARE NOT TALKING CUTTING AT NODES . WE ARE TALKING TOPPING . JUST BECAUSE YOU MAY DISAGREE WITH ME AND OTHERS ON HERE DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE LOUD MOUTHS . FACTS ARE NOT OPINIONS BY THE WAY ! MAYBE YOU SHOULD START TO TAKE NOTE .

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya,
I'd have to consider you another loud mouth after that post.. and not too bright either.. not surprising coming from Pittsburgh. LOL.. neither open nor minded = stupid forever..

Do you know who Guy is? DO a little homework before you come on this site and start disrespecting one of the most knowledgeable arborists in the world on such matters. He tried to give you a nudge in the right direction, and you go off screaming on some temper tantrum, like you have a clue..
 
We seem to have a failure to communicate here.. specifically in regards to the OP's reference to "rounding over like a bush" and his later calling that topping... Making reduction cuts on every branch on a tree is not topping. We need to define topping, especially since it is such an emotionally charged subject.

SO maybe the OP would provide some more info, such as the height and size of the trees, the space they grow in, their structural integrity (ie large leads with included bark), and the amount the client wants taken off??? Pics would be nice

Then maybe we could have an intelligent conversation on the matter... but probably not, though it would be nice...

Ask yourself this Macro.. Given that the client is going to have someone reduce (not top) these trees to his specifications, would it be better for the trees if you did it to the best of your ability making the best cuts possible, or would it better for the trees to allow those cuts to be made by someone else?
 
another unorthodox treatment that I use on Bradfords with a lot of large leads with included bark is to support the weak structure with a 1/2" line laced around the top of the canopy, through each of the leads, and tied off to itself.. I have yet to see one of those fail.. Some of these tress would need 6 or more cables if you were to follow standard protocols.. that would be cost prohibitive.. My way is fast, effective, and cheap, as the rope is always a retired line.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Money talks and bullsh!t walks. I'm not out to save every tree on this planet, from being "mistreated". I do tree work to make a living, I don't know about you. Around here, if the customer asks for our opinion on what they should do, I give them a prognosis on what I feel is correct (i.e, NOT topping). If the customer tell me they want their tree topped, sure I'll do it; I won't like it, but I'll do it.

Gotta be flexible in this business, getting all high and mighty with someone who asks you to do a job for them won't pay the bills in my neck of the woods.

Opinions are like A holes, everyone's got one and they all stink.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you can't talk your client out of topping than you're a terrible salesman and if you do the topping you're an even worse arborist.

That's not an opinion. It's fact fella. Keep up the stellar work
 
[ QUOTE ]


If you can't talk your client out of topping than you're a terrible salesman and if you do the topping you're an even worse arborist.

That's not an opinion. It's fact fella. Keep up the stellar work

[/ QUOTE ]

How is that not an opinion?

Like I said I am not "topping" I am basically doing as Guy stated earlier: reducing by cutting back to live nodes or healthy growth. A lot of yall need to get off your high horse. I have yet to kill a tree, and all the ones I have pruned/reduced/cleaned up have done beautifully. Everyone is so quick to point the finger, and they don't even know who or what they are talking to/about.......jesus!

Enjoy the bickering ladies.....
 
[ QUOTE ]
another unorthodox treatment that I use on Bradfords with a lot of large leads with included bark is to support the weak structure with a 1/2" line laced around the top of the canopy, through each of the leads, and tied off to itself.. I have yet to see one of those fail.. Some of these tress would need 6 or more cables if you were to follow standard protocols.. that would be cost prohibitive.. My way is fast, effective, and cheap, as the rope is always a retired line.

[/ QUOTE ]

This method requires occasional adjustment to avoid damage, but works well to preserve contributions due to size. Another cheap and more permanent solution is through-cabling with aircraft cable and swages--see March AUFs journal for details.
 
I must admit, there is a condo association behind me that tops their bradfords every 3 years (rounds them over in a perfect ball basically just like shearing a bush using a bucket truck). They do fine and temporarily reduce size and as much as I hate to admit it, it also drastically reduces the chance of splitting.

In the past I have charged people a decent price to spend an hour in a bradford thinning, cleaning, reducing weight, tuck in to laterals, only to get a call 1 year later about how it split. Then I look like an a$$ when the neighbors topped bradfords are still standing and just fine.

So when reducing the crown of a bradford back to proper nodes, are we talking about the 1/3 rule, or just back to lateral buds? (I realize I have much to learn) The 1/3 rule would not reduce size enough or be uniform enough for most homeowners when they see the neighbors bradfords rounded over and doing well.

I think bradfords contradict the topping battle that we have all fought tooth and nail. For this reason, I am genetically engineering a blight that will destroy every last bradford in existence. Availible in Dec 2012 just before Christmas (great stocking stuffer!). $275.00/16 oz vial. Each unit treats 388DBH IN. Can be applied via trunk spray (no need for pentra bark). 1 treatment spreads to a 6 mile radius within 3 years after initial application, dispersed by wind, bird and squirrel. I have pending negotiation with treestuff.
 
daniel,
no need for the insults . sounds like you are twelve . cant we just agree to disagree . in your post you keep bringing up guy . well lets ask guy himself . hey guy should we top trees and cut them in half ? when i talk topping i am reminded of all the f*cked up trees i see around here with no tops . grow up daniel !
 
You need to make a distinction between topping shade trees, and reducing fruit trees.. Apparently there is a need for education in this area.. They may look like similar practices, but have far different outcomes for the trees..
 
If you really want to educate your client, you should be telling them to remove the tree. In our area they are considered invasive. If you drive along the roads, all you see are wild bradfords. The genie is out of the bottle. The only good bradford is a dead bradford!
 
[ QUOTE ]
In our area they are considered invasive. If you drive along the roads, all you see are wild bradfords.

[/ QUOTE ]

This I totally agree with. Around here, most of the ones that are growing wild are the ones that have the thorns. Callary maybe? They have been added to the invasive list in NC as well.

Something that I have noticed about Bradfords as well, is that there are different growth structures. Some are more upright, some more spreading, some a mixture of both. The upright ones don't seem to split out as bad, but IMO are ugly trees. These trees are I guess what you would call high maintenance. When they are neglected, and a few years after being "tipped" is when I see them all busted up after storms and such. Nevertheless, I despise these fricken trees.
 
Daniel,
I have refrained from commenting on your posts because i am not into mud slinging....one observation....Read and live your own tag line "If you want to learn something, start by thinking you know nothing and take it from there."
i have noticed that it sounds very profound,yet you spend most of your time on here dictating....it may be time for some self evaluation and reflection??...or i suppose you could just change your tag line?
just sayin.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom