Above all, never top a tree when pruning! Never allow a contractor to top one of your trees. It is mutilation that can slowly kill a disfigured tree. The Arbor Day Foundation vi provides eight good reasons not to top a tree. It’s worth noting that the Maryland Licensed Tree Expert Law prohibits those with licenses from performing this technique.
Why you should NEVER top your trees. Starvation: Topping removes so much of the tree’s leafy crown that it dangerously reduces the tree’s food-making ability. Shock: By removing the protective cover of the tree’s canopy, bark tissue is exposed to the direct rays of the sun. The resultant scalding can cause the tree’s death. Insects and Disease: The exposed ends of topped limbs are highly vulnerable to insect invasion or decay fungi spores. Weak Limbs: New branches that grow from a stubbed limb are weakly attached and more liable to break from snow or ice weight. Rapid New Growth: Instead of controlling the height and spread of the tree, topping has the opposite effect. New branches are more numerous and often grow higher than before. Tree Death: Some tree species can’t tolerate major branch loss and still survive. At best, they remain weak and disease prone. Ugliness: A topped tree is a disfigured tree. Even with new growth it never regains the grace and character of its species. Cost: The true cost of topping is often hidden – lower property values, expense of removal and replacement if the tree dies. From the Arbor Day Foundation
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