Changed my mind about topping trees after a storm job in Nashville

I used to think topping was fine for reducing weight until I saw a 40 foot maple split right down the topped stubs during a windstorm last spring. We spent 8 hours cleaning up what could have been avoided with a proper crown reduction. Anyone else seen this kind of failure up close?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephl677d ago

Well, I have to say, I see it a little different. A bad cut doesn't just damage the branch, it leaves a wound that can't heal right and invites rot and insects into the whole tree. Over time, that weakens the structure so much that a storm can take the whole thing down. @jennysullivan, I've watched a maple fail years after a bad topping, not just overnight. It's a slow death sentence for the tree more often than not.

terry_lewis218d ago

Oh come on, is a bad cut really that big of a deal?

jennysullivan8d ago

Is a single bad cut really enough to wreck a whole tree that fast?