Is Topping Tree Care or Tree Abuse?
Topping is often done as an easy way out for a tree company to decrease the overall size or height of a tree. Just to be clear from the forefront, it’s one of the worst possible things you can do to a tree. Since leaves are potential food factories for trees, topping will actually remover nearly 50 to 100% of a tree’s leaf bearing crown. This will temporarily starve a tree activating survival mechanisms that shouldn’t be in place.
The severe larger cuts performed during a topping job lead to decay. When normal pruning is done, a good arborist will only make select cuts in which the tree will be able to heal normally and not attract pests or disease. Cutting directly into the top of the tree creates a wound so large, the tree may be unable to heal.
