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| July 29, 2010 |
Why not to "Top" - Eight good reasons |
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Why not to "Top"
This list provides several reasons why you should not "Top" your trees.
- Starvation: Good pruning practices rarely remove more than 1/4 to 1/3 of
the crown, which in turn does not seriously interfere with the ability of a tree’s
leafy crown to manufacture food. Topping removes so much of the crown that it upsets
an older tree’s well developed crown-to-root ration and temporarily cuts off its
food making ability.
- Shock: A tree’s crown is like an umbrella that shields much of the tree
from the direct rays of the sun. By suddenly removing this protection, the remaining
bark tissue is so exposed that scalding may result. There may also be a dramatic
effect on neighboring trees and shrubs. If these thrive in shade and the shade is
removed, poor health or death may result.
- Insects and Disease: The large stubs of a topped tree have a difficult
time forming callus. The terminal location of these cuts, as well as their large
diameter, prevent the tree’s chemically based natural defense system from doing
its job. The stubs are highly vulnerable to insect invasion and the spores of
decay fungi. If decay is already present in the limb, opening the limb will speed
the spread of the disease.
- Weak Limbs: At best, the wood of a new limb that sprouts after a larger
limb is truncated is more weakly attached than a limb that is develops more
normally. If rot exists or develops at the severed end of the limb, the weight of
the sprout makes a bad situation even worse.
- Rapid New Growth: The goal of topping is usually to control the height
and spread of a tree. Actually , it has just the opposite effect. The resulting
sprouts (often called water sprouts) are far more numerous than normal new growth
and they elongate so rapidly that the tree returns to its original height in a
very short time—and with a far more dense and dangerous crown.
- Tree Death: Some species of trees are less tolerant to topping than
others. Beeches, for example, do not sprout readily after sever pruning and the
reduced foliage most surely will lead to death of the trees.
- Ugliness: A topped tree is a disfigured tree. Even with its regrowth
it never regains the grace and character of its species. The landscape and the
community are robbed of a valuable asset.
- Cost: To a worker with a say, topping a tree is much easier than
applying the skill and judgement needed for good pruning. Therefore, topping
may cost less in the short run. However, the true costs of topping are hidden.
These include: reduced property value, the expense of removal and replacement
if the tree dies, the loss of other trees and shrubs if they succumb to changed
light conditions, the risk of liability from weakened branches, and increased
future maintenance.
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