Any good tree service company will tell you that tree topping isn’t a good practice. Topping consists of drastically cutting back or removing large branches on mature trees. Not only does this leave the tree looking ugly, but it also causes severe damage to the tree’s health. Often times, homeowners feel their tree has grown too large for the space, or they fear their large tree could become a hazard during a strong storm. Tree topping is NOT the solution for several reasons.
1. Starvation. Leaves produce starches during photosynthesis. The tree then moves these starches to the roots for storage and conversion into the much needed nutrients for the tree to grow and 
thrive. Tree topping, however, removes so much of the leafy crown that the tree may be unable to produce enough starch to properly nourish itself, leaving the tree to starve.
2. Shock. The crown of the tree acts as a barrier between the hot summer sun and the bark of the tree. Removing a large portion of the crown exposes the bark to sun scald, shocking the tree with direct sunlight. This can result in poor health and even the death of your tree.
3. Insect and Disease. Tree topping cuts can produce large wounds that are difficult to heal because of the location and size of the cuts. These open wounds on the stubs of the tree are a welcome mat to insect infestation and the spread of disease and decay fungi.
4. Weak Limbs. New limbs that develop from the cuts grow only from that point on and are not an extension of the parent branch. Many times these new limbs are weakly attached to their parentlimb, with not more than an inch of wood.
5. Rapid New Growth. Instead of controlling the height and spread of the tree, topping actually encourages rapid new growth. Trees respond to the cuts by sprouting many long limbs resulting in a taller and bushier tree.
6. Death. Some tree species do not tolerate tree topping. They sprout only a few new limbs and therefore lack the leaves necessary to capture sunlight to produce glucose. Without this much needed nutrient, the tree simply dies.
7. Appearance. Plain and simple, a topped tree is ugly. Even with the new growth, the tree will never regain its original beauty. It will no longer be a valuable asset to the surrounding landscape.
8. Price. You need more than a ladder and a chain saw to properly prune a tree. Tree topping may be cheaper to accomplish, but the overall higher price will be reflected in the lowered property value, removal and replacement cost when the tree dies, declining health of nearby trees and shrubs reacting to the change in sunlight, liability risks from weak branches, and higher costs for future trimmings.
Want alternatives to Tree Topping? Check back for our next blog coming soon.
This post first appeared on https://pingstreeservice.com