Corona's Principles of Pruning

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TOPPING IS FOR ICE CREAM, NOT TREES!

Topping is not an acceptable practice.

Topping is when a tree is indiscrim-

inately cut back to stubs. Usually

topping is done to ﬂat-top the tree

or cut it back on all sides. The result

is unsightly. Topping is often sold as

a method to reduce tree size, however studies have

shown that a topped tree will actually grow larger

over a ﬁve-year period compared to an unpruned con-

trol tree. This occurs because the severe cuts cause

many weak, but fast-growing sprouts to shoot from

the stubs.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the appro-

priateness “tree topping,” a very controversial and

damaging tree care practice.

For the unfamiliar, tree topping is deﬁned as “the

removal of main tree branches to stubs in either a

straight-across hedge fashion - or a complete delimb-

ing of the tree, leaving only the main trunk or trunks

of a tree.”

Many homeowners - and even some arborists - con-

tend that tree topping is an effective way to stimulate

growth, manage the size of the tree, and avoid the

expenses of detailed pruning.

But how effective and safe is this practice, really? Is it

worth it to cut corners? We don’t think so!

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