what is your tactic?

lonniels

lonniels

New member
Location
Manhattan MT
There might be another thread on this, but I would like to know what tactic everyone uses to talk customers out of topping trees.

I would love to put a big sign on the truck that says "We DONT top trees so please dont ask", but I am not the boss.

Anyway, let me know how you deal with it. Thanks, Lonnie
 
It's all a matter of why they want it topped. That's where I start.

I'm scared it's going to break? It's safer if we just prune it right
It's blocking the sun? Let's regularly thin it to allow some sunlight through, and if that's not enough, let's cut the tree down.
Too many leaves to rake up? You need to be realistic about what a tree is (I put it more tender than that)

It's just a matter of education.

Some people are just set in their ways. If they won't budge, I respectfully walk.

love
nick
 
Explain to them that there is a correct way to reduce the size of the canopy and tell them WHY topping is wrong and that their tree will not be healthy or attractive in any means. It will also be unsafe.

Drop crotch it, and if they want it topped, don't risk putting your name on a topped tree.

That's what I'd do.
 
I do some of the suggestions above, but I also tell them I'd be more than happy to meet with them to show them how (if it is totally necessary) a proper crown reduction is done. I have had great success with this too. I will also identify the species of tree and inform them that what they are worried about has no validity because a majority of the time they are worring about a juevinile tree that hasn't even reached its full potential. They see vigorous growth and panic.

I love it when people tell me their hybrid cottonwood is getting "too tall" and the thing is about the height of the chimney.
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Sometimes, if I'm not getting anwhere convincing them that the tree isn't dangerous, I mention the fact that there are trees that are 250'+ in height. Has anyone in their right mind told those tree that they are too tall, therefore, they must be topped?
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I find, if the customer can reason well, they will see that there isn't a need to worry...

I digress.
 
Sorry for the just say no advice. If you did this you'd for sure be kicked off the property. But that is the answer you must find the shortest route to. I get asked it every day, so to spend too much time explaining would add up to signifigant unpaid time.

I've siplified my answer to it's a certified arborists cardinal sin and it would ruin my reputation. My biological explanation is that the top is as important as the roots and then the decay/poor attachment angle. Then I hit them with, it's a quick solution creating a problem for the future.
 
I appreciate the feedback. Drop crotching is always the way we try to go, but people always want there tree brought down to unsuitable crotches. We spend a fair amount of time trying to "educate." I wish there was set in stone laws that we as an industry could point to and say "no." I always wonder if we as a company say no, which one of the competitors would happily do it.
 
Ditto to much of the above. first and foremost we are salespeople and as such we need to find out what the customer is looking for.

Often times someone will show up at a hardware store saying they need a drill when what they want is a hole in the material they are working with. They don't really want a drill but think that is the best way to achieve their goal of a hole.

Anyhow, if we find out what they are truly after then we can offer ways to reach that goal in the best manner.

When it comes to topping we just don't do it. There are some situations where a heading cut might work but not without the added responsibility of follow up care and work. And we explain this all to the customer, in plain english.

We just had a broken Betula populifolia from the snows. Keeping the tree versus "topping" it was a no-brainer. We performed a heading cut to a large lateral that will do just fine as the new leader.

However the customer wanted the remaining trees cut to the same height to "prevent" future breakage. We explained the trade offs and the inevitable problems the broken tree faces as a result of the repair work and asked why they would want to intentionally subject their other trees to the same when it is unnecessary.

Edification, explanation, exemplification... makes doing the right thing a whole lot easier.

just my two pennies worth.
 
Maybe ask what their maintenance budget is for dealing with the damage caused by topping, and if they want to keep it simple with a pre-paid maintenance program where you will come out biennially, triennially... or would they like it cared for properly.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Cutting a top down to an appropriate sized lateral/upright to reduce overall height of a limb, leader or tree.

[/ QUOTE ]

to elaborate a touch, contrast this to an internodal cut typical of topping.

The appropriate sized lateral/ upright is one that will likely assume dominant growth for the branch where it will remain reasonably vigorous.

The common guideline, species not specified, is a lateral branch to be 1/3 or greater in diameter as the parent branch.

Still trying to stick to a common guideline of 25% or less crown removal.
 
I find that people use the word 'topping', not knowing how to better phrase it. Generally what they mean is they want the crown reduced. Think about it, topping <u>is</u> a reduction of the crown, while not being a 'crown reduction'. They just may not know how to term it properly.

We (arborists) take topping to mean what it is, because we know the difference. The homeowner just wants to feel safe because their crown is really big, too much for their comfort.

The important thing after they say "I want my tree topped" is to ask them, "So what are your goals, what's your vision?" Nobody is going to answer, "I'd like a hat rack looking thing, ugly as sin with big, lopping cuts that will take a long time to recover, promise decay and offer me weakly attached regrowth."

Don't take to mean that exactly what they say ('topping') is really what they want. Ask more questions about the result they wish to see when you've completed the work. This really saves the time preaching against the ills of topping. I simply assume when someone says 'topping' that this is not actually what they want, but get clear with them on the goal because a proper crown reduction is far more involved than a topping.
 
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