GET QUOTESTree Topping: Replaced by Crown Reduction and Pollarding
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Edited by Ali Lijee Edited by Ali LijeeBefore calling a local tree surgeon or arborist near you, you may want to reconsider the service you’re after. Tree topping is an outdated technique and one that could end up giving you more problems than anticipated.
Do you want to know why tree topping is bad and what you should consider instead? This guide aims to inform you about tree topping, explain why it’s no longer practised, and highlight the tree care services you should consider instead.
Table of contents
- What is tree topping?
- Why is tree topping not a good idea?
- Alternatives to tree topping
- When is tree topping appropriate?
- Professional tree topping vs DIY: how to decide
- How to get tree care services near you
- Tree topping in the UK: frequently asked questions
- Get a tree surgery quote today
What is tree topping?
Tree topping refers to the removal of large sections of a tree’s upper crown, specifically horizontal cuts along the top-most parts of the crown and at times the trunk itself. Topping was widely used before the 1990s, but it has fallen out of fashion since then and is widely considered a crude, outdated method of tree care.
Any reputable tree surgeon in the UK will not provide tree topping due to the harm it causes to the tree. With very few exceptions, tree topping should never be a consideration from a qualified tree surgeon in the UK.
Rather than tree topping, which can sometimes remove more than 50% of the crown and the trunk, reputable tree surgeons should recommend alternatives such as crown reduction or tree pollarding as appropriate.
Tree lopping is essentially the same as tree topping, except it refers to indiscriminate vertical cuts along side branches of the crown. Both lopping and topping have the same detrimental effects on the tree’s health, to safety, and to aesthetics.
Is tree topping the same as tree pruning?
Tree topping is a form of tree pruning, if we use the word pruning very liberally. Pruning refers to paring back limbs and branches in order to promote healthy growth, remove deadwood, and many other important reasons - but always for the benefit of the tree and for safety. Lopping is at best dangerous to the tree and at worst will kill the tree.
Whereas pruning promotes good health by using selective pruning cuts and leaving small wounds which have a minimal likelihood of introducing pests and diseases, topping tends to leave large, blunt wounds which can attract all sorts of pests and diseases and permanently harm or kill the tree.
Why is tree topping not a good idea?
Topping a tree has practically no benefit to the tree itself or for safety; in many cases, the inverse is true. Here’s why topping a tree is a bad idea:
- Can partially or completely kill photosynthesis: removing a large portion of the tree’s upper crown will remove substantial foliage which is needed for the tree to produce energy and sustain itself.
- Exposes the remaining crown to severe shock: sometimes, topping removes 50% or even all of a tree’s crown, which of course puts it under immense shock which may kill the tree.
- Leaves behind large wounds: large upper branches and the trunk, if topped, may have wounds so large that they cannot properly heal and these may attract pests and diseases to accelerate the tree’s death and decay.
- Higher long-term costs: while many property owners incorrectly assume that tree topping is a cheap way to make their tree smaller, it often leads to much more expensive crown restoration needed later on, which costs more than just pruning it properly to begin with.
- Terrible aesthetics: a tree missing a large portion of its upper crown, or all of its crown, will look terrible and unnatural.
Tree topping can be dangerous or fatal for trees and lead to many unforeseen problems
Alternatives to tree topping
Although tree topping is no longer practised in the UK by responsible tree surgeons, there are many other methods of achieving similar results which are healthier for the tree, safer, and cheaper in the long term.
Some of these services include:
Crown reduction
Perhaps the most common alternative to tree topping is crown reduction, a selective method of pruning away dead, diseased, or decaying branches which preserves and even encourages the healthy regrowth of pruned limbs.
Crown reduction can be done for many different purposes, such as reducing wind resistance and increasing light penetration (crown thinning), reducing the overall weight of the crown and restoring balance and managing size (crown reduction), or creating clearance along the lowest part of the canopy (crown lifting/raising).
Crown thinning and reduction can target the uppermost branches of the crown, but should never involve pruning away parts of the trunk (exceptions may be made for codominant stems).
Another specific form of crown reduction known as retrenchment pruning is sometimes used as mature trees approach the end of their lives. It involves pruning away the uppermost parts of the crown whilst selectively pruning low branches, mimicking what ageing trees tend to do as they lose vitality and seek to reconfigure themselves.
Tree pollarding
While seemingly the same as topping, tree pollarding is commonly used by tree surgeons for urban trees to keep them manageably small. This can be important for trees on public roads which may interfere with overhead utilities, for example.
Tree pollarding is like topping in that it involves heavy horizontal cuts to the top of the tree’s crown and trunk. Where they differ is that pollarding cuts are carefully chosen, whereas topping is reckless cutting. In both cases, the tree will form numerous shoots called watersprouts from the wound area. In the case of pollarding, these watersprouts are seasonally pruned back, leaving ‘knuckles’ or knobs which make pollarded trees have a characteristic appearance.
Pollarding, unlike topping, can be a great way to direct the upward growth of a tree and to manage that growth. It’s not suitable for all tree species and is generally best done on young trees, which have a much better tolerance to shock and a higher likelihood of survival.
Tree crown reduction, retrenchment pruning, and tree pollarding are all preferable alternatives to tree topping
When is tree topping appropriate?
There are practically no situations where tree topping should be considered appropriate for a tree, because it always leads to harm or death of the tree, it can lead to further hazards to people or property underneath, and it will always leave the tree looking awful and unnatural.
That being said, tree topping may be a necessary alternative to tree felling or tree removal when the tree has sustained severe storm damage, for example. Emergency tree care services require immediate solutions to problems, and at times, this may require large sections of the top of a tree’s crown to be topped off for safety reasons.
In the case of certain fruit trees, topping and other hard pruning may sometimes benefit the tree by promoting vigorous regrowth, although it’s always best to confirm with a qualified arborist near you for your specific tree.
Topping is only really appropriate as an emergency solution such as removing dangerous top sections of the crown or trunk after a severe storm
Professional tree topping vs DIY: how to decide
Professional tree surgeons and arborists in the UK have stopped tree topping many decades ago, with the rare exception of having to cut off dangerous top sections of a tree’s crown and/or trunk after a severe storm or after sustaining a heavy impact. While not ideal, it’s still better than leaving a hazardous, cracked branch or split trunk dangling precariously overhead.
Since tree surgeons and arborists no longer perform tree topping, homeowners shouldn’t attempt it, either. Even if it’s believed to be effective at reducing the height of a tree (it isn’t over the long term), it involves climbing up the tree and removing large portions of it. This is hazardous work and only qualified tree surgeons should be climbing up trees.
In brief, tree topping should neither be performed by reputable tree surgeons or arborists nor by homeowners. Seek alternatives instead.
Neither professional tree surgeons nor homeowners should attempt to top a tree
How to get tree care services near you
Don’t make the same mistake that many homeowners have made and assume that tree topping is a good way to reduce a tree’s height. Instead, consider your alternatives like tree pruning and crown reduction, as well as tree pollarding if the tree’s young enough.
When you need professional tree care in the UK, either for one tree on your property or for multiple trees spread across one or more properties, make TreeMend your number one choice. We’ve got qualified tree surgeons and arborists near you ready to assist.
Make TreeMend your first choice for competitively priced tree surgery in the UK
Tree topping in the UK: frequently asked questions
What does topping do to a tree?
Topping removes the uppermost part of a tree’s crown or the entire crown, including the trunk. It places the tree into a state of extreme shock and causes rapid growth of shoots called watersprouts, which are weak and brittle, at the wound area(s). Topping also starves the tree because foliage that would otherwise produce photosynthesis is removed, further harming or even killing the tree.
Is tree topping recommended?
No. Professional arborists in the UK no longer perform tree topping and it has not been standard practice since the early 1990s. A reputable tree surgeon should always recommend alternative solutions to tree topping to customers who enquire.
Can you cut the top of a tree without killing it?
Yes. The top of a tree can be cut off without killing it, depending on the species and its tolerance to hard pruning, as well as the amount cut off. Careful and selective hard pruning such as tree pollarding can be managed and keep the tree alive and healthy, and normal pruning methods can also be used to remove small branches along the top of the tree.
What is the point of tree topping?
The purpose of tree topping is to reduce the tree’s overall height, but ironically, it often results in the tree growing taller than it would have before. By removing large portions of the tree’s top crown and trunk, brittle watersprouts will emerge and the tree’s state of shock will promote these to grow at a rapid pace.
What are the effects of topping?
The effects of topping may include serious harm or death of the tree, pests or diseases infecting the wound areas, vigorous and uncontrolled regrowth of brittle and weak shoots, risks of branches falling, weight imbalances, and an uglier tree overall.
What are the alternatives to tree topping?
Some of the most common alternatives to tree topping include selective tree pruning such as crown reduction, crown raising/lifting, crown thinning, or tree pollarding. Depending on the needs of the tree’s owner, some of these methods may be more appropriate than others.
Can a tree survive being topped?
Yes, trees can survive being topped. If the tree is young, and depending on its species and tolerance to hard pruning, it may have a better chance of surviving the shock of being topped. Most trees, however, will be seriously harmed or have a high likelihood of dying if topped too aggressively.
When can trees be topped?
Trees can be topped at any time, but there is never a good time to top a tree unless it is an emergency and parts of the tree’s crown pose an immediate hazard. In these circumstances, the best time is naturally as soon as possible to minimise the hazard.
What does topping a tree look like?
A topped tree will look completely unnatural because it has lost part or all of its crown. Depending on how much was topped, the tree’s appearance may appear somewhat like it did before or it could be just a tall stump. Areas of the crown will likely have multiple shoots emerging, and fruit may no longer be produced in large parts of the crown.
Can fir trees be topped?
Yes. Evergreen trees such as firs can be topped, however, it isn’t typically good for them. Firs tend to have one strong central trunk, so topping the fir will lead to multiple shoots competing, which gives the tree an unnatural shape.
Get a tree surgery quote today
If you're looking for a reliable tree surgeon or arborist to handle crown reduction, tree pruning, or tree felling, TreeMend is your best choice. We collaborate with hundreds of skilled tree surgeons and arborists across the UK who offer competitive prices, no-obligation quotes, and a comprehensive selection of tree care services.