What is Tree Topping?

Tree topping is a way may people use for pruning. Tree topping refers to cutting tree branches indiscriminately. Lateral branches of the trees that are not large enough are cut and got rid of. Basically, tree topping is cutting the branches back to stubs. Now that we know what tree topping is, let's discuss other aspects of tree topping and reasons behind tree topping.

Other names for tree topping

Other names for tree topping include:

• heading
• tipping
• hat-racking
• rounding over

What are the reasons for and purposes of tree topping?

The most common reason for tree topping is to reduce the size of the tree. When a tree is getting too large, tree topping is done to the tree to prevent leaves from falling all over the place. Tree topping is done to a tree in an effort to stop its growth, trimming its size and keeping the tree small. What people often overlook is that tree topping often harms the tree leaving it hazardous more than before.

How tree topping works

Tree topping is harmful to a tree. When branches are removed indiscriminately, most leaf-bearing crown of the tree is also gone. Without leaves, trees lack food. The tree may die as a result of tree topping. If the tree survives, the tree would activate latent buds which stimulates the rapid growth of multiple shoots below each tree topping cut. With this emergency tree mechanism to create food source, the tree which has been tree topped often look disfigured and ugly, unlike the original tree.