Topping is when you make large pruning cuts on your trees. Often this is done to reduce the canopys size or the height of a tree. We get people all the time, especially with spruce that want to reduce the height of their tree. To do this, we would have to make a topping cut. It sounds like a great option. But if you dive into what it does to the tree, it may not be the best option.
The tree is left with a large wound and grows new tops out of the side of the wound. These new tops are less secure as the original top. Meaning they are more likely to fall off. If you are wanting to top your tree because it is so big and you are worried about it breaking, think again! If you choose to top a tree, it will need to be monitored and maintained every few years to mitigate the risk of breakage.
FUN FACT: In some parts of the world topping is used as a method to harvest firewood without cutting all the trees down. In fast growing trees, they will top the tree every few years to use the wood while still allowing the tree to live and continue growing wood for the next harvest.
Comments