effects of topping trees

[miko0618]

i removed this silver maple a few months ago. i came across this piece while splitting wood today. its a great illustration of the dangers of topping a tree. the sprout is 5 years old. Its difficult to explain to homeowners without a picture.

 

[CanopyGorilla]

Great illustration of how weak an attachment point it actually creates.

 

[stltreedr]

good stuff. I have always refused to 'top' people's trees, and try to educate the owners. Illustrations definitely help. Some people, especially old dudes, just won't listen. An arborist, in my opinion, should always walk walk away.

 

[miko0618]

what you can see when you remove the tree is just how deep the decay goes. i often find water and ants inside the limbs and trunk. these are yard trees over houses. topping is irresponsible in my opinion. its very common in my area.

 

[miko0618]

this is a silver maple we did in the same neighborhood. likely done by the same tree service. you can see in the pic of me that this tree was topped twice. both within 12 years. some of the original sprouts are very large. had they been left to grow unchecked, you would have had a very dangerous tree.

 

[imagineero]

It's probably worth adding those pics to this thread;

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/where-would-you-cut-this-branch.252484/

I've got some to throw in there also

 

[climbhightree]

here are the pieces I use.

 

[old_soul]

i removed this silver maple a few months ago. i came across this piece while splitting wood today. its a great illustration of the dangers of topping a tree. the sprout is 5 years old. Its difficult to explain to homeowners without a picture.

preach on brother, preach on!

Good pics and thanks for sharing.

Every house has a tree like that around here. even more fun after the "sprouts" grow for 10 years. 30 foot long and 10 inch diameter...........all weakly attached like that......and there's 50 sprouts to rig down on each tree

 

[ShaneLogs]

Never hire a tree service that advertises topping trees...it's just bad news -_- Topping trees is bad bad bad!

 

[miko0618]

I feel like I can actually reduce more by trimming than by topping. because once the tree sprouts, its going to be way more than whats left from a good trim. I try to explain to homeowners that they will have more yearly clean-up with a topped tree as well. my local "pro's" still explain to me how spiking a trim is safe for the tree. as long as they don't "dig in" they say it wont penetrate the bark. that's just craziness. but it reflects the mentality of the tree service.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...IaWzvU9BtNH3B3TWg&sig2=JpaZDW2ZgLtVWGchUb9-fA

What do you guys think?

 

[Hoowasat]

What do you guys think?

I'm thinking the utility company will top that birch again since it's approaching the power lines overhead. You can see a transformer on a pole in the background.

 

[Pelorus]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CD4QtwIwBQ&url=http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QAP6AT2Adgo&ei=_NIUU7C_HsWFqgGn4IGADg&usg=AFQjCNFJm-0_kvd3tIaWzvU9BtNH3B3TWg&sig2=JpaZDW2ZgLtVWGchUb9-fA

What do you guys think?

I know a pulmonary embolism can be bad news to an animal, but this is the first time I ever heard of tree terminology like "the loss of photosynthetic prime" and "catastrophic emboli"

 

[NCTREE]

I know a pulmonary embolism can be bad news to an animal, but this is the first time I ever heard of tree terminology like "the loss of photosynthetic prime" and "catastrophic emboli"

I was thinking the same thing. I had to look that one up, it's the same thing as hydraulic failure of the xylem. Really though did that cut cause the death of that tree or just plain old drought stress.

 

[Pelorus]

?..did that cut cause the death of that tree or just plain old drought stress.

Could very well have been drought stress that finished it off, or bb borers, or who knows what.
This whole business of "gasp of air getting in the end grain of the vascular system" sounds like vacuum cleaner salesman doublespeak to me. Any pruning cut will allow that damn "gasp of air"! I don't buy that orange oil beeswax theory to remedy gasping either! A lot of that damn gasping went on before the beeswax treatment. Even the premise that root damage killed the trees sounds suspect given the stump's proximity to the wires.

 

[climbhightree]

How is the beeswax any different then the black paint people used to use (which doesn't work)? Is it actual bees wax, I would think that would invite a lot of bugs to the wound site?

 

[Pelorus]

This kinda made the hair on the back of my neck stand up....
From his website:

TreeCare has developed revolutionary new products to help your tree heal wounds that in the past could have been fatal.

Tree Guard and Tree Heal, our unique formulas of orange oil and orange oil/beeswax kill potentially hazardous organisms before they can penetrate the tree’s defense sys-tem, and seal the wound against water, which might otherwise provide an environment for decay, and air, which can kill the tree if it enters the vascular system. Unlike tar based sealants of the past, Knowlton’s TreeHeal treatments allow the wound to breathe, which is critical to good healing.

After years of testing in the field, we believe Knowlton’s TreeHeal products are the only reliable way to protect your trees’ wounds. When you watch this demonstration, we think you’ll agree, there is no better way to send your trees into the future.

 

[miko0618]

I didnt see enough decay to kill the tree. And i dont know his other reasonings so i cant comment. I've seen decay from topping reach the trunk. The tree is still alive, its just dangerous.

 

[climbhightree]

So it seals the wound against air, but allows it to breathe??? Alrighty then

 

[NCTREE]

Yeah Man! it's like gortex, water proof but breathable