To top or Not

[BCbound]

Well this week I kindly declined 3 jobs to top some spruce and pine. The jobs would have came out to be a about 1200.00. I did my best to educate the HO on topping and they said If I don't someone will. So someone did and made 1540.00(i know the guy and he told me). Since I live in a small town jobs are sparse so I can't blame him.

What would you guys do? Educate the HO till your blue in the face and then make a living or walk away.

 

[Groundman One]

Well this week I kindly declined 3 jobs to top some spruce and pine. The jobs would have came out to be a about 1200.00. I did my best to educate the HO on topping and they said If I don't someone will. So someone did and made 1540.00(i know the guy and he told me). Since I live in a small town jobs are sparse so I can't blame him.

What would you guys do? Educate the HO till your blue in the face and then make a living or walk away.

A little bit of Column A and little bit of Column B.

I'm willing to do something stupid on behalf of the owner, but not actually "immoral".

One dork-master wanted us to cut down a National Geographic-quality cedar because it denied him a perfect 180 degree view of the lake. We said no, get someone else. On the other hand, one lady wanted her cedar hedge cut way down, and even though we told her it would look horrible(!), she said, do it, and we did it, and it looked horrible(!), but she was happy, we got paid, and there you have it.

 

[capetrees]

Question them a bit and give them alternatives to doing something rash. If they still want it gone, do what they want and take their money. If you don't, as you mentioned, someone else will. Don't try to save the world. It's too big.

 

[BCbound]

All good points.

 

[CNBTreeTrimming]

I walk away. I try my best to offer an alternative, but if they decline I do as well. Rather have a good rep than the small check from the job.

 

[treeseer]

I've reduced white pine hard for vista; no crime. Needs to be done every few years. do it right and (and get a little lucky) it's sustainable and lasts indefinitely. do it wrong and it's topping and the tree rots before its time.

 

[sgreanbeans]

No topping here, never have, never will

 

[RedlineIt]

I have a client with a 50-year-old, 10-11" Dbh Douglas Fir that is about 12' tall by 16' across. As a single stemmed hedge, it suits her purposes perfectly, a screen from traffic and a visual barrier.

It has never been given a chance to be what a Douglas Fir can be. As a Douglas Fir, it is an aberant mess. But if it had been left to grow tall and straight, it would not suit her landscape, nor perform the function she wants.

In these situations, I consider whether I would do what the client wants, if it were my property.

Would I top that White Pine before it gets into the powerlines and becomes a candidate for Utility trimming? Heck yeah, I get more time with the tree than the utility boys are allowed.

I dumped some trees for my brother on an in-fill lot to clear the building footprint. After the foundation went in, I created specific view corridors of a salt water inlet and Mount Moriarty. 2 more Fir went, 2 Arbutus got windowed back to laterals, 2 Fir got topped at about 4" diameter.

Took a $500,000 property to $700,000. Would I do that if it were my property? Heck yeah, are you kidding me?

Top a Skyrocket Juniper to keep it out of the soffits? Heck yeah.

Top and shear a Holly to create separation and space for more valuable trees? Heck yeah.

There is some topping I resist, but if I inform and educate the client, I have no ethical problem in making urban trees fit the needs of the landscape.

Just consider if you would do it if it were your own tree.

RedlineIt

 

[Bermie]

I'm going to top a Norfolk Pine next week, its off to the side of the garden, a little lean towards the house...shallow soil.
All the branches blew off in the last big Hurricane in '03...it looks like crap with the scraggy regrowth of limbs.
They want it cut in half, tried to get them to take it out completely...no, they'd rather just have it cut in half...

Now the rest of the trees on the property, proper reductions and pruning on Golden Shower, Poinciana, Maho...probably two days more work, so yes I will top the crappy norfolk pine

 

[treesquirrel]

Educate them, try to offer an alternative if there is one, warn them of the resulting unnatural growth from topping some trees, then if they still insist, take the money and do the job.

I've tried to talk owners out of stupid stuff and sometimes it works, and sometimes I still end up doing the job.

 

[kkottemann]

i get aggravated with customers all the time.....some people just don't know what they have and don't appreciate it! Educate them.....try and do the right thing and if they still don't care...get them to sign a paper stating that you do not recommend what they want and will not hold you or your company liable if something happens and do what they want.

 

[treeclimber101]

I get maybe 15calls a year for it , mostly by older couples who have had it done in the past with good result , I try to talk them into removal plain and simple but if that doesn't fly than I walk away .. I think that younger HO 's have a much more open appreciation for the attempt to properly prune a tree , old people just want instant piece of mind and are very hard to educate ..

 

[treemandan]

I'm proud to say I would and have walked away from ignorant tree owners and their money. If I were hungry it may well be a different story.

" If I don't someone will"

Never forget from whence thou came. Its good to see you are coming around. And its also good to be able to choose what you will do cause among other things topping trees is just a down right pain in the ass.

 

[treemandan]

I get maybe 15calls a year for it , mostly by older couples who have had it done in the past with good result , I try to talk them into removal plain and simple but if that doesn't fly than I walk away .. I think that younger HO 's have a much more open appreciation for the attempt to properly prune a tree , old people just want instant piece of mind and are very hard to educate ..

Man, what happens when you get old? It seems to me like those old people really appreciate being completely ####ed up.Is that gonna happen to me? My brother used to say " by the time you are 37 you are as crazy as you are gonna get". I kinda believe that myself but I amend that statement with " but it might be a few more years til you actually admit it and let it all hang out".
I too find it easier to talk younger people out a of a tree topping. Once you explain how screwed up it will get they understand and the cost of options, though still steep, aren't too hard to bear when something absolutely has to be done.
There a few tree I will top without batting an eyelash: Mullberry, bradford pear, and maybe even a willow if it feels right.
I did some pines today... with clippers.

 

[ozzy42]

I figure I am there to give advise ,not mandates.
If it's legal to do so to the type of tree in question ,in their local municipality,and they are insisting on having 1/2 of a tree. Then so be it.

Lots of seasoned citizens down here.A lot of them have lived all of their lives thinking it's ok to just ''Cut it back some''

To quote some old JC "I don't like it but,I guess thing happen that way"

 

[treeclimber101]

Man, what happens when you get old? It seems to me like those old people really appreciate being completely ####ed up.Is that gonna happen to me? My brother used to say " by the time you are 37 you are as crazy as you are gonna get". I kinda believe that myself but I amend that statement with " but it might be a few more years til you actually admit it and let it all hang out".
I too find it easier to talk younger people out a of a tree topping. Once you explain how screwed up it will get they understand and the cost of options, though still steep, aren't too hard to bear when something absolutely has to be done.
There a few tree I will top without batting an eyelash: Mullberry, bradford pear, and maybe even a willow if it feels right.
I did some pines today... with clippers.

Basically you just spiced up my reply alittle , I don't want to get old but hopefully completely senile , walk around with my zipper down and fart up steps ....

 

[Adkpk]

Well this week I kindly declined 3 jobs to top some spruce and pine. The jobs would have came out to be a about 1200.00. I did my best to educate the HO on topping and they said If I don't someone will. So someone did and made 1540.00(i know the guy and he told me). Since I live in a small town jobs are sparse so I can't blame him.

What would you guys do? Educate the HO till your blue in the face and then make a living or walk away.

I say good for you. You went for the rep not the doe. Kinda sucks you knew the guy who made the money on it and found out what he got.

There a few tree I will top without batting an eyelash: Mullberry, bradford pear, and maybe even a willow if it feels right.
I did some pines today... with clippers.

How do you top a bradford pear? I might step out into traffic before I got in one those things. I think willows should be topped. Below the bottom branches. They respond well to that treatment. I'm watching one down the street in the park that was cut like that. It's coming back real nice. Will the branches be weaker than the originals?

 

[Bermie]

I've said this before on topping threads...

When asked to top a multileader tree that obviously would be the wrong thing to do, I'll sometimes say 'sure' and then actually do a proper reduction, if a little hard (species dependant) more times than not, they love the result...and we have a bit of a conversation about structure, branch taper, watersprouts...

I'm still going to cut that crappy Norfolk in half though...mind you I bet they end up felling it once its not so tall and the landscapers can get to it!

Here are a couple of pictures of a topping job I turned down, even tried the educate route...someone did it...

First pic is just after it was done, in April
Second pic was about two weeks ago

 

[pdqdl]

Cool! I see that you achieved that highly sought-after "umbrella shape" that is the hallmark of an experienced tree topper.


Not to worry, I'm just funnin' you. As toppings go, that does look like a fine job.

 

[ozzy42]

I've said this before on topping threads...

When asked to top a multileader tree that obviously would be the wrong thing to do, I'll sometimes say 'sure' and then actually do a proper reduction, if a little hard (species dependant) more times than not, they love the result...and we have a bit of a conversation about structure, branch taper, watersprouts...

I'm still going to cut that crappy Norfolk in half though...mind you I bet they end up felling it once its not so tall and the landscapers can get to it!

Here are a couple of pictures of a topping job I turned down, even tried the educate route...someone did it...

First pic is just after it was done, in April
Second pic was about two weeks ago

We get a lot of request to top N.I. pines here also.
Funny thing is,,,,, I have never seen one blow over ,or have a broken top.

Most of the time they just lose all the limbs on one side during hurricanes and severe storms]

They are usually harder to top then they are to remove[trying to get thru the lower branches without breaking any,on your way to the top ,can be challenging .]
When removing ,just cut or snap them off on the way up.

Anyway ,I say if you're not on Nofolk Island ,,,They're not a real tree.

BTW, I'm just posting from the sidelines.
Spending the night at the Ramada,then getting on the boat for the Bahamas tomorrow.
I have quit the tree business.






























Well,until 7-26-10

I gotta pay for this crap somehow. everybody