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September 2017: Tree Topping Revisited – Part 3

Are you searching for a superior tree service company in Pasco? We are it. We are some of the Tri-Cities only certified arborists and would like the chance at earning your business.

Topping Can Lead to Sunburn
Branches within a tree’s crown produce thousands of leaves to absorb sunlight. When the leaves are removed, the remaining branches and trunk are suddenly exposed to high levels of light and heat. The result may be sunburn of the tissues beneath the bark, which can lead to cankers, bark splitting, and death of some branches.

Topping Can Lead to Unacceptable Risk
The survival mechanism that causes a tree to produce multiple shoots below each topping cut comes at great expense to the tree. These shoots develop from buds near the surface of the old branches. Unlike normal branches that develop in a socket of overlapping wood tissues, these new shoots are anchored only in the outermost layers of the parent branches and are weakly attached.

The new shoots grow quickly, as much as 20 feet (6 m)in one year in some species. Unfortunately, the shoots are prone to breaking, especially during windy or icy conditions. While the original goal was to reduce risk by reducing height, risk of limb failure has now increased.

Going Forward With Your Tree Care
We look forward to helping you with all of your tree care and tree trimming needs. When, and if, you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We look forward to hearing from you soon because we are your Tri-Cities tree care specialists.

September 2017: Tree Topping Revisited – Part 3 Read More »

September 2017: Tree Topping Revisited – Part 1

Are you searching for a superior tree service company in the Tri-Cities? We are it. We are some of the Tri-Cities only certified arborists and would like the chance at earning your business.

Why Topping Hurts Trees
Learn why topping is not an acceptable pruning technique and discover recommended alternatives.

Topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet, despite more than 25 years of literature and seminars explaining its harmful effects, topping remains a common practice.

What is Topping?
Topping is the indiscriminate cutting of tree branches to stubs or to lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.”

Topping is often used to reduce the size of a tree. A homeowner may feel that a tree has become too large for his or her property, or that tall trees may pose an unacceptable risk. Topping, however, is not a viable method of height reduction and certainly does not reduce future risk. In fact, topping will increase risk in the long term.

Going Forward With Your Tree Care
We look forward to helping you with all of your tree care and tree trimming needs. When, and if, you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We look forward to hearing from you soon because we are your Tri-Cities tree care specialists.

September 2017: Tree Topping Revisited – Part 1 Read More »

September 2017: Tree Topping Revisited – Part 4

Are you searching for a superior tree service company in Richland? We are it. We are some of the Tri-Cities only certified arborists and would like the chance at earning your business.

Topping Makes Trees Ugly
The natural branching structure of a tree is a biological wonder. Trees form a variety of shapes and growth habits, all with the same goal of presenting their leaves to the sun. Topping removes the ends of the branches, often leaving ugly stubs. Topping destroys the natural form of a tree.

Without leaves (for up to six months of the year in temperate climates), a topped tree appears disfigured and mutilated. With leaves, it is a dense ball of foliage, lacking its simple grace. A tree that has been topped can never fully regain its natural form.

Topping Is Expensive
The cost of topping a tree is not limited to only the job cost. Some hidden costs of topping include:

  • Increased maintenance costs. If the tree survives, it will likely require corrective pruning within a few years (e.g., crown reduction or storm damage repair). If the tree dies, it will have to be removed.
  • Reduced property value. Healthy, well-maintained trees can add 10 to 20 percent to the value of a property. Disfigured, topped trees are considered an impending expense.
  • Increased liability potential. Topped trees may pose an unacceptable level of risk. Because topping is considered an unacceptable pruning practice, any damage caused by branch failure of a topped tree may lead to a finding of negligence in a court of law.

Going Forward With Your Tree Care
We look forward to helping you with all of your tree care and tree trimming needs. When, and if, you have any questions about your trees, shrubs, or any other greenery on your property, we can help. We look forward to hearing from you soon because we are your Tri-Cities tree care specialists.

September 2017: Tree Topping Revisited – Part 4 Read More »

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