Why Shouldn't I Top My Trees?
Unless you are a certified Arborist or have a pretty good understanding of trees and how to take care of them, you might have a first instinct to look at a tree that might be growing too tall and want to give it a trim, just on the top.
This is call tree topping and it is very unhealthy for the tree as a whole and can result in a number of issues. When a tree is topped, all the branches on the top of the tree are chopped off into a stump-resemblance.
Why is Tree Topping Bad?
The main food resource, the leaves of the tree are mainly found in the top, the crown of the tree. When a tree is topped, the majority of this food source is completely taken away resulting in a lack of basic nutrition.
Tree topping usually involves a number of improper pruning cuts, preventing the tree from being able to heal itself as well as opening it up for pests and decay to enter.
Response growth is initiated when a tree is topped. Response growth is a number of short, thin, weakened branches that grow out of the trees stumps that are easily broken and fragile.
Topping your tree is a highly dangerous procedure that is unfortunately performed by power companies and some tree services today, usually to trim them away from power lines.
This procedure will be much more costly in the long run as you will have to spend more to repair the tree than to just remove it altogether. If you have an overgrown tree in Watkinsville that needs attention, please give us a call to setup a free estimate by one of our certified arborist’s in Watkinsville today!
We will recommend and pruning treatment plan for your trees that will keep them healthy and will be very inexpensive in comparison to the removal of a topped tree later on.
