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Last Updated on Monday, 01 April 2013 02:05

Tree topping was considered for years to be the easiest and cheapest way to make mature trees safer and reduce their size. Whether it's because of tradition or ignorance, millions of trees have been hacked with little or no consideration to their health and structural integrity. People who top trees have yet to recognize that following established industry standards of professionalism while pruning trees can improve the tree's health, growth, and appearance.

What happens when trees are topped?

Trees maintain a delicate crown-to-root ratio. Topping removes the crown, upsetting this ratio and limiting the tree's ability to sustain its own roots, thereby making them more susceptible to insects, disease, and decay. Limbs weakened by decay cannot handle the weight of rapid re-growth. In a few years, if the tree survives, it may become a bigger safety hazard than it was prior to topping. Consumers today are more knowledgeable and increasingly refuse to allow their trees to be topped. Topping should not be confused with proper crown reduction pruning, which will safely reduce a tree's size and redirect its growth.

"Lion's-tailing" is another practice that severely damages trees, where inner foliage, branches, and limbs of a tree are stripped bare. A lion-tailed tree has the unnatural form of a giant umbrella, with the remaining foliage limited to the ends of the branches. The limbs left on the tree are long and bare except for a characteristic "tuft" of foliage at the end, giving the appearance of a lion's tail. Lion's-tailing shouldn't be confused with proper thinning, which is the selective removal of branches to decrease weight and wind resistance.

Reasons to not top trees:

. Leaves large exposed wounds that can't readily close

. Ruins tree structure

. Removes too much foliage, disrupting the tree's energy reserve for future growth

. Stimulates vigorous, weakly attached new growth that is prone to breakage

. Increases tree maintenance costs

Reasons to not "lion's-tail" trees:

. Limbs become weak and prone to breakage

. Increased sunlight on the tree's interior can cause sunscald

. Removes too much foliage, disrupting the tree's energy reserve for future growth

. Stimulates vigorous, weakly attached new growth on the trees inner portion that is prone to breakage

What is the alternative?

Professional arborists can make a tree look more attractive while also making it safer and smaller with the appropriate corrective pruning. Pruning encourages growth, improves flower and fruit production, improves plant health, repairs damage, and helps add aesthetic appeal to a tree.

Information adapted from the Tree Care Industry Association. For more information, contact Arbor Tree Specialists, Inc. at 412-655-8424 or arbortree@gmail.com or visit www.arbortreespecialists.com

. Owner Patrick Tolan.