Tree Topping

Tree topping is very commonly done as a way of pruning. However, tree topping actually harms trees. Nowadays, tree topping is an unacceptable pruning technique. There are many alternative ways to pruning other than tree topping. Research has shown many harmful effects of tree topping to trees. In many areas, topping a pine tree, topping a white pine tree or topping Queen palm trees are very common practices. Let's discuss tree topping, how tree topping works, and the harmful effects of tree topping.

Topping a tree has many harmful effects. Firstly, leaves are sources of food of trees. Without enough branches and therefore leaves, trees are vulnerable to starvation, attack by insects and other diseases. Some trees die after tree topping. Others kick in survival mechanism to quickly grow more branches. These emergency branches after tree topping make the trees look disfigured and unnatural.

• What is Tree Topping?

Why is tree topping hazardous?

Tree topping is hazardous, not only to the tree but also to humans. For trees, tree topping leaves them weak and prone to diseases, infections, and decays. Topping a tree is like inflicting wounds on a healthy tree, leaving it to bleed and vulnerable to any attacks that comes its way.

To humans, trees that underwent topping and survive grow emergency branches in order to provide food for survival. These branches are grown so fast that they are not the strongest. Most of the emergency branches will break off in high wind or rain. While normal tree branches develop in sockets of overlapping wood tissues, new emergency tree branches are anchored only in the outermost layers of the parent branches. This make them easy to break off and could injure anyone nearby.