Tree topping – the controversial practice of drastically cutting back a tree’s canopy – continues to be an all-too-common sight in many neighborhoods. While some view tree topping as an easy fix for overgrown trees, the reality is that it does far more harm than good. Let’s take a closer look at what tree topping involves, the extensive damage it causes, and better alternatives for managing tree height.
What is Tree Topping?
Tree topping refers to the removal of a tree’s main upright branches, known as leaders. The most common version involves cutting the central leader and primary side branches back to stubs often several feet down from the original height.
This radical pruning leaves just a few branches with foliage at the very top of the tree creating a disfigured, mounded canopy reminiscent of a mushroom cap. The practice is also called “heading” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.”
Proponents of tree topping argue that it helps control a tree’s size without removing it completely. Some also believe it will make the tree safer by removing large branches that could potentially fall in storms. However research clearly shows that the drawbacks of tree topping far outweigh any perceived benefits.
The Damage Done By Tree Topping
While tree topping may seem to “reset” an overgrown tree back to a smaller size, the opposite is actually true. The tree responds to the trauma by rapidly shooting up numerous tall, weakly attached branches called watersprouts.
This uncontrolled re-growth can make the tree even taller and more unruly than it was originally. Topped trees often end up 20-50 feet taller just a few years after the drastic pruning. The ugly knob that’s left also expands with age.
Rather than reducing safety hazards, topping creates a danger zone. The crooked, loosely attached shoots that replace the topped branches are far more likely to break off than the tree’s original limbs.
Topping severely stresses trees by removing too much leaf surface at once. It starves the roots of needed nutrients and exposes the remaining branches to sunburn. Topped trees tend to go into shock and decline. Many eventually die back or have to be removed.
Before and After Photos of Tree Topping
Seeing images of tree topping before and after clearly illustrates the damage it causes:
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Before topping, the tree has a full, rounded canopy and intact central leader. It appears healthy and structurally sound.
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Right after topping, the tree is left with just a few branches poking out of a blunt, flat-topped cut. The tree looks disfigured.
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Just a year or two later, a flush of thin, vertical watersprouts shoots up from the topping cut, dwarfing nearby trees.
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Eventually the topped tree grows into a misshapen giant far larger than the original, with a thick knob of scarred wood and hazardous branches.
Better Alternatives to Tree Topping
For managing the height and spread of mature trees, there are much better options than tree topping:
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Crown thinning – Selectively removing small branches to thin out the canopy, allowing more light penetration and air flow.
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Crown raising – Removing lower branches to elevate the canopy off the ground. Improves clearance without sacrificing the tree’s form.
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Crown reduction – Shortening limbs back to appropriate lateral branches to reduce height and spread. Avoids removing the main leader.
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Vine or shrub removal – Eliminating competing vines or nearby shrubs to reduce stress on tree.
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Rejuvenation pruning – Gradually trimming back leaders over several years for controlled reduction in size.
While more complex than indiscriminate topping, proper pruning performed by a certified arborist can selectively shape trees without causing permanent damage. Taking the time to prune trees properly ensures their long-term health, beauty and safety.
Don’t Top Your Trees!
If a once-small tree has grown too large for its space, there’s understandably an urge to “fix” it as quickly and easily as possible. However, tree topping should never be the solution.
This misguided practice destroys natural form, creates safety issues, and ultimately diminishes the tree’s health. Allowing topped trees to regrow for years does not undo the damage. The only way to avoid problems is to not top trees in the first place!
For mature trees that need size reduction, proper pruning methods will accomplish the goal safely. And for overgrown saplings or ornamentals, opt for removing and replacing with a tree suited to the site. This spares them from being subjected to harmful topping later on.
Your trees provide immense value to your landscape. Rather than inflicting damage through radical topping, give them the care they deserve!
This is why structural pruning is so important.
It is essential to prune regularly, ideally starting when the tree is young. Trying to correct structural issues in large, established trees can take years, but it can be done. Structural pruning helps trees establish a strong central trunk, balances the crown, and prevents splitting.
How do we decide what to prune? We have three main goals when we are pruning. We want to:
- Establish a strong, singular trunk
- Reduce over-extended or over-sized branches
- Ensure there is proper branch spacing
Structural pruning may look different than what you expect, but it helps ensure your trees’ long-term health and safety.
Think back to 3rd grade… your teacher asks you to draw a picture of a tree. What does it look like?
It probably looked somewhat like a lollipop, right? A straight trunk with a round blob of leaves on top and maybe a few well-placed apples?
While this drawing may not be completely accurate, there is one feature that is key: the single, straight trunk. In the forest, trees have competition so they naturally grow straight and strong.
However, in the urban setting, trees have lots of room to grow and lots of access to sunlight without competition from other trees. Because of this, they often have multiple trunks and large, over-extended branches. Over-extended or oversized branches and forked trunks can weaken the strength of a tree. This can cause health issues and can even cause the tree to become a hazard to your property.
What is tree topping?
FAQ
Is topping a tree a good idea?
Tree topping significantly impacts tree health, often leading to detrimental consequences. This practice reduces a tree’s ability to produce food via photosynthesis, placing it under considerable stress. Such stress increases the tree’s vulnerability to diseases, decay, and pests.
Can trees recover from topping?
After a tree is topped, it grows back rapidly in an attempt to replace its missing leaves. Leaves are needed to manufacture food for the tree.
How much does it cost to have a tree topped?
| Service | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Topping a tree | $150 – $500 |
| Tree crown reduction | $250 – $1,300 |
What is the difference between tree topping and crown reduction?
While Tree Topping is a practice that involves removing large sections of a tree’s upper branches, Crown Reduction Trees focus on selectively trimming branches to maintain structural integrity. The wrong method can harm a tree’s health, making it more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and storm damage.
What is “topping” a tree?
An unsatisfactory approach to tree maintenance or pruning is “topping” it. Topping is the indiscriminant removal of branches of a tree above an arbitrary height, leaving unnatural, grotesque stubs and misshapen tree forms. In addition, increased risk tree conditions are introduced with development of decay, weak branch attachments and poor health.
When should a tree be topped?
It should only be used if you are planning to remove an unwanted tree. Since the tree is left with lateral branches and stubs that are still too small to take the role of producing and delivering food throughout the entire tree, topping provides numerous problems to the tree.
Is tree topping a good idea?
Proponents of tree topping argue that it helps control a tree’s size without removing it completely. Some also believe it will make the tree safer by removing large branches that could potentially fall in storms. However research clearly shows that the drawbacks of tree topping far outweigh any perceived benefits.
What does it mean if a tree is topped?
Topping is the practice of drastically cutting back all of a tree’s larger branches at a random point to make them shorter. The result is a tree with large, stubby branches sticking out in all directions. Topping a tree is often sold to the homeowner as a way to reduce the size of the tree, open up the view, and make it safer.
What is tree topping & how does it work?
This radical pruning leaves just a few branches with foliage at the very top of the tree, creating a disfigured, mounded canopy reminiscent of a mushroom cap. The practice is also called “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.” Proponents of tree topping argue that it helps control a tree’s size without removing it completely.
How long do topped trees last?
Furthermore, a study by the Arboricultural Journal indicated that topped trees have a significantly shortened lifespan, with over 50% of topped trees requiring removal within five years due to health deterioration. These figures underscore a critical reassessment of tree topping practices in modern arboriculture. What Is Tree Topping?