Why Tree Topping Is Harmful, and What to Do Instead

Tree topping is harmful because it strips most of a tree's leaves at once. It also leaves big wounds the tree can't close. The International Society of Arboriculture says topping can strip 50 to 100% of the leaf-bearing crown. The tree then starves, decays at the cuts and sends up weak sprouts. Those sprouts break easily in storms.

You've probably seen the results. Crews cut trees back to thick stubs, and a few years later dense, upright regrowth covers them. People sell it as size control, storm safety or a way to let in light. Yet it makes things worse on every count it claims to fix.

What is tree topping?

Tree topping is cutting branches back to stubs. Sometimes the cuts go to side branches too small to become the new top. The International Society of Arboriculture's Why Topping Hurts Trees guide calls it "perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known."

It goes by other names, including heading, tipping, hat-racking and rounding over. The defining mark is the same, though. The crew cuts at random points and leaves no proper branch to take the lead.

Why does topping harm a tree?

Topping harms a tree in five main ways.

It starves the tree. Leaves make the tree's food. When topping strips most of them, the tree has to grow new leaves fast. If it lacks the stored energy, it weakens badly and may die.

It leaves wounds the tree can't close. Proper cuts sit just beyond the branch collar, where the tree can seal off a wound. Topping cuts land between branches instead. As a result, they leave stubs the tree often can't close.

It opens the door to decay. Normally a tree walls off decay around a wound. However, few trees can defend against the many severe wounds that topping causes. So decay moves freely through the branches, often unseen until something breaks.

It grows weak, fast sprouts. To replace its lost leaves, the tree pushes out clusters of shoots below each cut. These shoots anchor only in the outer layers of the old branch. Some species grow them "as much as 20 feet (6 m) in one year," according to the same guide. Because their hold is weak, they break easily in wind and ice.

It burns the bark. Inner branches that grew in shade suddenly face full sun and heat. That can sunburn the tissue under the bark. Then cankers, bark splitting and dead branches can follow.

What does a topped tree look like years later?

In the first year, a topped tree looks stark: a skeleton of stubs with a little regrowth. Within a few years, though, a thicket of upright sprouts usually covers it. Eventually it may stand as tall and dense as before.

The difference is underneath. Now the tree has decaying stems and weakly attached growth that's more likely to fail in a storm. So the goal of a smaller, safer tree backfires.

Worse, keeping that smaller size means topping again and again. And each round makes the structure weaker. The same guide warns that a topped tree "can never fully regain its natural form."

Topping costs more than it seems

The low price of topping hides other costs. The guide lists three:

• more upkeep later, such as corrective pruning or removal if the tree dies;
• lower property value, since a disfigured tree reads as an upcoming expense;
• more liability, because damage from a topped tree's failure may count as negligence.

What should you do instead of topping?

Use proper pruning cuts that match your goal. Each of these does what topping claims to do.

Crown reduction lowers a tree's height and spread. The crew cuts back to side branches big enough to take over as the new top. By the guide's rule, each such branch should measure at least one-third the diameter of the limb you remove. That leaves no stubs, and the tree keeps its natural shape at a smaller size. It takes more skill and time than topping, which partly explains why topping costs less upfront.

Crown thinning removes some branches at the edge of the crown to let wind and light through. If you worry the tree acts like a sail in storms, thinning is the right fix. See our guide to storm-prep pruning.

Crown raising removes lower limbs to clear roofs, driveways and walkways. Meanwhile, the upper crown stays untouched.

Removal is sometimes the honest answer. That applies when a tree is simply too big for its spot and no pruning plan can manage it. In fact, the guide itself says replacing the tree with a better-suited species is sometimes best. A clean removal beats a tree ruined by repeated topping. See our tree removal services.

How do you spot a contractor who tops trees?

The clearest sign is the recommendation itself. If a contractor suggests topping for size control, storm-proofing or "cleaning up" a big tree, look elsewhere.

Watch for these other warning signs:

• a big height cut in the proposal with no detail on where the cuts go;
• no mention of cutting back to side branches;
• a price far below other bids for "major pruning," since topping is fast and cheap;
• before-and-after photos with bare stubs in the "after" shots.

GXB Precision Tree Care uses crown reduction, thinning and raising to manage size, clearance and safety. Our tree trimming and pruning services cover all of Dutchess County.

Worried about a big tree on your property? Request an assessment and we'll walk you through the options.