Don’t Top Your Trees: Part 1 – Starvation

One of the worst things you can do is to “top” your trees. Tree topping is defined as the practice of removing the entire top, or whole top, of a tree. This includes the large branches and/or trunks from the top of the tree leaving the stubs or lateral branches that are too small to take on the role of a terminal leader.

Starvation

There are a number of conditions that will result in the topping of a tree. The first result is starvation. When you remove the tops of your trees, you take away any chance of your tree getting enough nutrition.

How To Prevent Starvation

Starvation can come in many ways on top of topping it. If you trees have fungus, attract insects, or are surrounded by pollution, these can all be causes of starvation.

What To Do If Your Tree Has Been Topped

The only way to repair a topped tree takes anywhere from 3-5 years to accomplish. It involves selective thinning of the sucker growth. For example: year one remove two suckers, year two remove two more suckers and so on. The finished product will have a thicker trunk with one large sucker growing from it.

If your tree has been topped, you should do everything you can to keep it from going into shock and to keep it from starving. Please call us to get a consultation since each tree is different and unique.

In Conclusion
Here at Top Tree LLC, we strive to be the best at what we do. In order to do that, we ensure that our practices are consistent with optimal tree care, our arborists are properly trained, and our customer service is top notch. If you are searching for a superior tree service company in Richland, we would like to earn your business.

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