I thought topping trees was fine until a job in Tacoma last month

A homeowner insisted we top his big maple, said his old guy did it every few years. We did it, charged $800, and I felt weird about it. Two weeks later I saw the same tree, and the new growth looked so weak and spindly. Has anyone else had a client push for topping and how do you talk them out of it?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah91420d ago

Honestly, that gut feeling you had is spot on. I've been there, and seeing those weak, skinny shoots come in is the worst part. It feels like you set the tree up to fail, even if the client asked for it.

kim_martin20d ago

Man, I used to think topping was just a normal part of the job too. I saw other crews doing it and figured it was fine. But then I watched a row of topped trees in my own neighborhood, and the new branches kept breaking in every windstorm. It just looks so bad and stressed after a while. Now I try to show people pictures of topped trees a few years later compared to ones that were pruned right.