Kidnocker: Tough tree-topping talk

Topping of trees doesn’t work to keep trees small. That sounds like a bold statement; however, after a deciduous tree is topped, its growth rate actually increases. It will grow back rapidly to attempt to replace the missing foliage which is its food source.

A tree needs all of its leaves to manufacture food for the trunk, branches, and roots. It will not slow its growth until it reaches about the same size it was before topping. This may take only a few years. Also a view as seen over a butchered, unhealthy tree may not be so picturesque.

After topping, often the tree’s health is damaged so much that it does not have the energy to re-establish itself. It then continues on a downward spiral for years, eventually dying. Horticulturists repeat that “if topping succeeds in stopping tree growth, the tree has been killed.”

Topping of a tree must be done and re-done every few years.

Eventually, the tree must be removed when it dies or the owner gives up. Topping is an on-going and expensive process.

Each time a branch is cut, many long skinny shoots grow rapidly to replace it. They are again cut, and regrow the following year, only to need cutting once more. Guess what…a maintenance monster has been created!

Proper pruning does not stimulate a surge of regrowth, and actually improves the health and beauty of the tree. Therefore, there is less long-run cost. A properly shaped tree adds to the value of property by hundreds of dollars. Appraisers have been known to deduct value for an obviously topped tree.

Freshly sawed-off tree limbs are offensive to many people. Later, the tree becomes even less attractive as it regrows a thicket of ugly, straight sprouts. A tree’s natural form is one of tapering from trunk to ever finer, regularly divided branches.

The winter silhouette of a tree is destroyed by topping. Furthermore, few of the regrowth branches will bloom in spring. After many years, trees may regain the same size as before, but the shape remains distorted. New limbs lack the structural integrity of the originals, are weakly attached, and break off easily.

Repeated removal of foliage, which is the tree’s food manufacturer, can cause the tree to starve. A stressed tree is susceptible to disease and the invasion of rot-causing organisms. Rotted limbs or entire trees may then fail. The thick regrowth resulting from topping, makes the canopy top-heavy increasing chances of its being blown down. Selectively-thinned trees allow the wind to pass through the branches.

Arborists often recommend that if a tree interrupts key parts of a view and pruning won’t help, it may be necessary to have the offending tree removed. This is always controversial and usually the last option. A view through trees, or between them, is almost always better than a view without them.

Framing the view is an alternative to topping. By careful and artful pruning and thinning, trees can be made part of the view. Nearby trees can establish a perspective for distant vistas by selective interior trimming. Another option is opening up a view by removing the lower limbs of a tree, or “skirting up.” By doing this, the canopy is raised above the view, which allows for both tree and view.

According to Dr. Alex Shigo, world renowned scientist and author on the subject of arboriculture (trees), “Topping is the most serious injury you can inflict upon your tree.” When in doubt, consult a certified arborist and find out what options are best for your specific situation.

Mary Kidnocker is a Master Gardener who writes frequently about the subject from a local perspective. Her columns are featured each Sunday.