What is Tree Topping

It’s a quick fix to a tree that may be growing close to utility lines, lights or other outdoor fixture: tree topping. The practice involves cutting tree branches or even the trunk below a level that is healthy, leaving the tree vulnerable and often without the natural resources it needs to live.

From the top down, every part of a tree serves has a purpose. The broad expanse of leafy limbs doesn’t just provide shade to your yard, it shades the tree itself, protecting tree tissue from heat and sunburn. Each branch is part of a delicate balance of nutrients and energy stores. Cutting too many branches with improper pruning cuts creates a stressed tree that may not be able to recover because all it’s resources were removed.

Tree Topping is not a Way to Get a Compact Version of the Tree

Many people who top are hoping for a more compact version of their tree that still features branches full of leaves. The problem is that once a tree is topped, a series of natural reactions occur. Instead of strong branches miraculously emerging, the tree sends out multiple spindly shoots below each improper cut. The shoots access all available nutrients, but because there are so many, no one shoot develops into a viable branch. The result is an unattractive tree that may never develop an adequate amount of leaves again.

Trees cover wounds, but those wounds never truly heal. Tree topping is the tree equivalent of a human sustaining several critical wounds. The difference is that a human has a chance to heal. A tree may never recover from the trauma and shock it sustained when being topped and improper cuts that don’t grow closed leave a tree vulnerable to decay.

The International Society of Arboriculture considers tree topping one of the most harmful tree pruning practices. One quick and easy phone call to an arborist, a YouTube search or a trip to a garden center can help owners properly prune their trees that must have their height reduced. The time spent researching pays off ten-fold when a pruning session has positive results.

If you have questions about tree care, contact SprayTech at 720.248.0000.  Our tree services include tree spraying, tree fertilizing, tree deep root watering and many others.