Topping: An Old
Practice
is Killing Virginia Trees
BLACKSBURG, VA – It happens in the spring before the
trees start to bud. It happens in the fall, after the last
leaves have dropped and been raked. And it happens when a
sudden ice storm or hurricane hits. Virginia trees get
topped. And that is not good.
“Topping is the severe cutting of tree
limbs, usually from the top down is bad for trees,” said
Kathy Sevebeck, Past Executive Director of Trees Virginia. “No
good comes from it. It is ugly. And eventually it kills a
tree that someone really cared about in the first place.”
Tree topping is one of those myths
that someone thought was good for trees. In fact, tree
topping destroys a tree’s natural beauty and exposes it to
disease and decay, often causing early death. A topped tree
will ultimately cost more to maintain than a properly
pruned tree. Topping is so widely practiced that many
homeowners accept it as “the right thing to do” when they
perceive a need to prune trees or reduce homeowner
liability.
Topping looks like a bad haircut—and
it is. It is prevalent throughout Virginia. Most of the
time topping is done to make trees smaller and to confine
them to yards. Topping also occurs after a severe storm. A
homeowner may be worried that limbs will fall and make them
vulnerable to lawsuits. So they allow the first opportunist
who comes along with a chainsaw to cut back trees. The
concern is well-founded; the approach is all wrong.
Topping actually make trees weaker and
more hazardous. It opens trees to an invasion or rotting
organisms. It starves trees by inhibiting their ability to
utilize their food and water sources. The resulting new
growth produces limbs that are more likely to break in a
subsequent storm. Each time a branch is cut, numerous long
skinny shoots grow back rapidly as replacements. The tree’s
natural beauty is gone and can never be replaced. Every
homeowner should know that an ugly tree can severely reduce
their property value. There
are alternatives.
·
Plant the right tree in the right place.
There are numerous books and many free guides to help
homeowners.
·
Consider proximity to buildings, power lines,
and even neighbors. A fast-growing tree or even the most
popular in the nursery may be the wrong choice for the
property.
·
Soil type, water availability, and terrain
all must be considered.
·
Proper care and pruning of existing trees
also are important. Use a professional arborist.
For more information on “Experts Agree:
Don’t Top Trees” call 1-866-VATREES
A
program of the Trees Virginia, a program of the Virginia
Urban Forest Council, with support from the Virginia
Department of Forestry and the National Tree Trust and
patterned after one developed by Forest ReLeaf of Missouri
and the Missouri Urban and Community Forestry Advisory
Council.
900 Natural Resources Drive, Ste 800
