(ANSI: New York) -- “Topping,” “hat-racking,” and “de-horning”—all names for a nonstandard pruning procedure that severely cuts back large trees—has long been considered an easy and inexpensive way to manage the size and improve the safety of mature trees. Researchers now caution that topping can increase safety risks and result in greater expense for consumers.

A recent statement issued by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), a professional resource on trees and arboriculture, identifies that topping trees:

• Leaves large exposed wounds that can become infested

• Ruins tree structure

• Removes too much foliage, disrupting the tree’s energy storage

• Stimulates vigorous new growth, which is prone to breakage

• Increases tree maintenance costs

• Destroys a tree’s appearance and value

Many trees die as a result of the damage caused by this drastic pruning technique; others eventually become unsafe due to dangerous limb breakage or whole tree failure that occurs years after the cuts were done. The risks arise because topping removes too much foliage, upsetting the delicate foliage-to-root ratio each tree tries to naturally maintain. The entire tree can fall due to root dieback.

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