Well Looky here.....

[DDM]

5 topped oaks..... 5 Dead oaks...... :msp_mellow:

 

[climberjones]

Ive never seen a topped oak in my life ! Till now!

 

[DDM]

Ive never seen a topped oak in my life ! Till now!

This is how alot of the tree services around here trim them its a serious shame... I would have expected 3 out of 5 dead.. But all 5 geeez

 

[VA-Sawyer]

About three years ago a tree outfit ( NOT me ) topped half a dozen Oaks in a yard about two houses up the hill from me. Eighteen month later someone came along and cut them all down to short stumps and hauled off the logs. Maybe the plan was to let them dry on the stump ? Not sure, but they looked alot like the trees in your pictures.
Rick

 

[DDM]

there 70' tall im thinking the homeowner requested them to be trimmed and well..... they got a good trimming.

 

[sawinredneck]

HOGWASH! Topping trees makes them beautiful! I had this argument with a lady three weeks ago with her Maple trees. "But they look so pretty that way! Topping a tree doesn't hurt it, it makes it look better and grow more!"
I gave up and walked away!
Good luck David!

 

[NCTREE]

You should knock on the door and ask if they want you to finish removing the trees. looks like the other guys quit before the job was finished.

 

[sgreanbeans]

My cuz, who does my site, woke up to saws a while back, Landlord hired these hacks to top his trees, when asked what they are doing
"topping your trees!" in kinda a "duh" way, when asked why "because they need it"
I have to go over there from time to time to work on the website, kills me as I hope folks don't think I did it. Tried getting LL to let me finish the job, no chance.

 

[Natewood]

That's disgusting and sickening..... Uneducated bastards - both the HO and contractor. Almost impossible for an oak of that size and maturity to survive a butcher job like that. Especially in your frost region.

 

[DDM]

HOGWASH! Topping trees makes them beautiful! I had this argument with a lady three weeks ago with her Maple trees. "But they look so pretty that way! Topping a tree doesn't hurt it, it makes it look better and grow more!"
I gave up and walked away!
Good luck David!

You would actually be surprised many home owners call asking for there trees to be topped. When i get there and explain to them what topping is and what it will do to the tree they then ask well what needs to be done. Seems most have never heard of a beneficial prune and picked up the term top. I assume some tree guys just jump on the topping train because its easier.

The Pic below is at a local small town city hall.There are 10 of these beauties there.......

 

[sawinredneck]

No, I really wouldn't, unfortunately! The lady I was referring to lives right next door to a guy that had his Maples topped about five years ago, the bases are all rotting out and decaying, three of the six trees had already died, but she was insistent that wasn't caused by topping it!

 

[DDM]

Then again there is no hope for some people...lol. Then every 5 yrs there ready to have them topped again and get rid of all those unsightly suckers growing up the trunks.How Dare that tree put out those ugly suckers in a attempt to survive!

 

[treemandan]

there 70' tall im thinking the homeowner requested them to be trimmed and well..... they got a good trimming.

And sometimes they demand them to be topped. The old guys say, " I am NOT going to pay a lot to have these trees topped!! Used to do it myself!":msp_unsure:

 

[DDM]

And sometimes they demand them to be topped. The old guys say, " I am NOT going to pay a lot to have these trees topped!! Used to do it myself!":msp_unsure:

I agree...Most seniors seem to be afraid of tall trees near the house.I usually try to explain its not the height that is a issue its the weight and if pruned correctly it will decrease the risk and they will still have a happy tree.I also tell them if they top them and ruin the canopy there house will not be shaded as well and there power bill is going to increase in the summer.... lmao 1 fellow in his 80's told me he'd climb them himself if he hadnt fell last time he attempted it

 

[tree MDS]

What pisses me off more, is when people have that done to their trees and they don't die.

Had this cheap old greek bastard down by the shop here ask me to top some silver maples a few years ago. I tried to explain to him all the anti topping crap, but he didnt want to hear it. So I agreed to do it, and never showed up. I figured I'd give the trees a stay of execution. It's been at least three or four years sinse somebody finally removed like 3/4 of those trees. They're still looking strong. They haven't even really gone crazy with the sprouting either (last I looked)! Rat trees.. I'll get a pic maybe.

I can almost hear the cheap old bastard saying "I try and give work... he not want" ! lol.

 

[beastmaster]

Here in Calif. Oak trees(live oaks) are protected. (large fines for violators)Many cities have even stronger regulations concerning how and who can trim them. People would be in an up roar if someone topped even one oak out here in the more affluent neighborhoods. This doesn't seem to apply to the power company's or less affluent areas though. I hate Gov. regulation, but If thats the only way to protect our trees and weed out unethical tree companies, maybe thats what we need. Beastmaster

 

[imagineero]

in australia, when someone poisons a tree the council response is to typically prune it to stubs as per the original photos and then leave it there for as many years as possible. When it does get removed most councils replant 2 for 1. It's very hard to prove poisoning, so they try to make everyone suffer ;-)

I have mixed reactions to topping. Yeah it's wrong, except for hedging... but then who's to say? We have laws against it in most places in aus thankfully, but if the tree doesn't need a permit and the owner is insistent on topping, then I'll take the job. The outcome would be the same if I didn't take it except someone else would get the money.

I still try to explain (and I carry photos to show) what happens to topped trees. I try to push weight reductions or complete removals as an alternative to topping, but some people just don't want to know. The worst part of it all is that the council who administers the tree regulations do the worst cutting jobs of anyone. I've seen so many topped and valley pruned trees that were covered in suckers because they grew under a powerline it's not even funny. Apparently its ok for them to do that though.

Shaun

 

[fishercat]

Common practice here.

pretty sad. No one has asked me to do it yet. I won't when they do.