Do you want to keep your trees looking beautiful and healthy? If you’re asking, “What is tree topping?” you may have had a tree company recommend the process.
As the trusted tree service in Nashville, Tree Care Inc. knows how to provide expert tree maintenance without using the harmful practice of tree topping. We can help you understand why you should never hire a company that advocates for this practice and offers viable alternative methods.
Defining Tree Topping
Tree topping occurs when you cut off the top of the tree. While many homeowners think it offers the same benefits as pruning or trimming the tree, arborists consider it improper pruning. If you hire an amateur, DIY the job, or the company doesn’t have the right experience or knowledge, they may suggest tree topping in the following situations:
- The tree encroaches on power lines
- A tall tree grows too close to a home
- The height of a tree puts it at risk of falling over in a storm
If a tree care company suggests tree topping, they likely don’t have the knowledge and experience to meet your expectations for quality and safe service.
How Tree Topping Harms Trees
What is tree topping? Now that you know the answer, you can begin to understand the devastating long-term impact it has on trees.
Reduces Photosynthesis
Tree topping usually results in a tree losing between 50% to 100% of its upper canopy, one of the most essential parts of a tree. These leaves have the best access to the sun and provide a large percentage of its photosynthesis. This process helps the tree convert sunlight into food.
At best, this lack of foliage significantly reduces the health of the tree, leaving it vulnerable to a variety of conditions. At worst, the tree slowly starves to death and you’ll soon remove it from your property.
Increases Disease Vulnerability
Tree topping exposes the inner bark of tree branches in a way that leaves them vulnerable to both pests and disease. In many cases, the tree can’t heal the wounds caused by tree topping.
The exposed limbs and lack of leaves provide the perfect entry point for insects. It also lowers its defense against pathogens that can destroy your tree. These infestations harm your tree, but they can also spread to other plants in your yard, causing widespread damage.
Harms Structural Integrity
Tree topping can leave your tree weak, brittle, and at risk of falling over. This can occur from the infestations and diseases it develops, which often leave the branches, bark, and trunk rotting and brittle.
What is tree topping? It’s a practice that throws the tree off balance. This means it can’t stand up to the high winds it encounters during severe weather. When a tree can’t produce enough food, its roots weaken, further increasing the chance it falls over.
When a tree falls over, it can cause damage to your property and endanger people and pets. If you find tree topping attractive because it costs less, consider the long-term expenses you’ll incur when it dies.
Reduces Beauty and Value
Whereas trimming a tree keeps it beautiful and pruning it keeps it healthy, tree topping does neither. It looks sloppy and rushed, which reduces the curb appeal of your property.
Healthy trees can add significant value to your home. However, a tree without its canopy isn’t healthy, it doesn’t provide shade, and it won’t provide a home for wildlife.
Lacks a Permanent Solution
Tree topping never offers a permanent solution because it only results in one of two options: either the tree dies or the branches grow back and you have to repeat the process. It never saves you money in the long term and usually ends up costing you more.
Viable Alternatives to Tree Topping
When you seek arborist advice about reducing the volume of a tree, you’ll find they have several viable solutions that don’t risk the tree’s health. Branch reduction remains the most common technique. Rather than carelessly chopping off the entire top of the tree, the certified arborist will closely examine the canopy and select the best branches to remove.
If you’re searching online for the answer to, “What is tree topping?” consider instead searching for tree pruning services near you. You’ll still achieve your goal of reducing the tree’s overall volume, but won’t risk harm to your property, family, or your wallet.
Signs You Need Reliable Tree Pruning
How do you know your tree needs pruning from a qualified expert? Look for these most common signs:
- Broken branches: While you shouldn’t worry about the occasional fallen branch, especially after a storm, if you notice larger branches falling, pruning could increase your tree’s overall health. It removes the problematic branches so the issue doesn’t spread to your healthy ones.
- Brittle sections: While you won’t heal a brittle trunk with pruning, if you notice your branches snapping easily, pruning will help. Brittleness often occurs from either lack of nutrition or disease, and an arborist can also help determine the cause.
- Encroaching growth: If your tree grows close to powerlines or another structure, pruning or trimming can prevent it from causing damage. You should always keep adequate clearance between your tree and other structures.
- Excessive density: You can tell your tree has an unusually dense canopy if it completely blocks the sunlight, you see branches overlapping, or you see too many leaves falling in spring or summer.
- Unusual shape: Your tree won’t look symmetrical but if you think something looks unusual in its shape, trust your intuition.
Tree Care Inc. Keeps Trees Healthy and Beautiful
Now that you know the answer to, “What is tree topping?” you can avoid any tree company that suggests it. At Tree Care Inc., we have all the knowledge, resources, and skills you need. We help you understand the potential consequences of bad tree pruning and recommend optimal care practices for your trees.
You can obtain a free estimate when you fill out our online form or call (615) 316-5166.
