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Heard a guy at the supply yard talking about tree topping

I was at Ewing Outdoor Supply in Phoenix last Tuesday picking up some gear and overheard a landscaper telling a homeowner they should 'just top that oak' to keep it small. I pulled the guy aside and explained that topping will wreck that tree's structure for good and cost them triple in removal later down the road. Has anyone else run into this kind of bad advice getting passed around?

3 comments

3 Comments

sam_cooper13d agoMost Upvoted

@webb.hannah's story is exactly why I tell people that topping is just setting the tree up to rot from the inside. Once those big stubs start decaying, the whole thing becomes a ticking time bomb especially here in Phoenix with the monsoon winds. If you catch someone about to do it, tell them to look into a proper reduction cut instead - take it back to a lateral branch that's at least a third the size of the trunk. That way the tree keeps its structure and doesn't shoot up a bunch of weak, suckering branches that'll snap off in five years.

anthonyrivera12d ago

People rush to the quick fix for everything these days, whether it's trees or relationships, and then wonder why things fall apart later. A little patience up front saves a whole lot of trouble down the road.

webb.hannah13d ago

Ngl, my buddy topped his maple five years ago and now it's a 40-foot hazard leaning over his house.