Topping Trees: The Practice of Non-Professionals
Yes, I'll probably get into trouble for this but it's true. Tree topping has been described by many authorities as , "rookie error" and I have to agree. A homeowner may wish to top a tree that has grown over the home's roof or into utitility wires. Consumers can be convinced by amateurs that topping causes no harm, and in fact will invigorate their tree. There is much evidence to the contrary and I cannot tell you how many trees I have had to remove because of pests and diseases which were encouraged by topping the tree.
Tree topping looks terrible too. It breaks my heart to see what was once a stately oak, reduced to mere stubs. This practice makes the entire neighborhood look bad.
A 25 year old tree has many years of root growth too. The tree's canopy supplies the food for it's large root system and once that canopy is removed, root growth suffers.
Additionally, topping exposes bark to the sun, often resulting in scalding.
The large cuts produced by topping do not heal properly and are ready ports of entry for pathogens and insects. I have seen many topped trees develop disease which entered the main trunk and resulted in the tree's demise.
The new flush of growth produced by a topped tree can be deceiving. This growth appears healthy and one might believe the tree to be invigorated by the procedure. But the new growth is weak, succulent, extremely attractive to insects, and very susceptible to wind damage.
If you have a large tree on your property and have considered having the tree topped, instead hire a licensed arborist who will judiciously and properly prune the tree. When pruned correctly, the tree will still retain it's natural shape and all wounds will heal nicely. I have included some excellent sites for finding more information on this topic:
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