Stop Tree Topping

Tree Murder

Tree topping consists of cutting the major limbs back to stubs. The stubs are like exposed wounds. Topping is also known as heading, tipping, stubbing, hat racking or lopping. Tree workers who top trees do it out of ignorance or misguided tradition, leaving you with a mutilated tree. Because topped trees are more likely to die, some say tree-topping is murder.

Why Topping is a Bad Idea

Tree-topping results in open wounds that never completely heal. This brings on disease and decay; it invites insects. Wispy water sprouts grow out of the stubs. These are weakly attached, making them more likely to break during storms or wind. If you had the tree work done to reduce the tree's height, you are out of luck. With the growth of the water sprouts, the tree exceeds it original height in several years. But the natural shape of the tree is destroyed.

Topping removes the crown of the tree and alters the crown-to-root ratio, decreasing the ability of the tree to make food. With the loss of foliage, the tree starves and the roots are weakened. This shortens the lifespan of the tree. The tree can become a hazard, making it a liability. Healthy trees increase property values, but topped trees lower property values.

A Topped Tree - Don't Do This

How to Do it Right

If you are looking for someone to prune your trees, stay far away from any person or company that says it tops trees. Only use International Society of Arboriculture-Certified Arborists to do your tree work. They can make your tree smaller with corrective pruning, along with making it more attractive and safer. Search for a Certified Arborist in your area. For more information on why tree topping is bad, visit the Virginia Cooperative Extension and International Society of Arboriculture websites.