WHY TO NOT TOP YOUR TREES
STOP! Before you Top
The “Topping” of trees is usually used to justify the shrinking of a tree, but the hidden dangers may not be shown right away.
Here are a few good reasons why to not top your trees
Structural integrity: after a tree has been topped the large stubs that are left behind leave the tree vulnerable to insects and disease. Also after the tree begins to regrow it produces what are called water sprouts, which are now going to be more weakly attached to the remaining stubs then a limb that developed normally especially if there is signs of decay. This can make a bad situation even worst creating a high tree risk failure.
Starvation: A tree needs leaves to produce its food , when a tree is topped it has lost its food source and now must solely rely on its stored carbohydrates to save its life.
3. Rapid new growth: The most common reason people want to top their trees is to reduce its size, but actually the opposite happens. The tree will produce water sprouts which actually grow faster and instead of one branch you now have multiple branches with weak attachment points.
4. Hidden costs: Some of these can be the cost of removal because it killed the tree or very time sensitive restoration pruning, to even reduced property value!
PALM TREES
Hurricane Cut
The over pruning of palms can be detrimental to the overall health of palm trees. Palm trees depend on the green fronds to produce starches the tree needs. Over pruning can lead to mineral deficiencies.
When pruning palms if green fronds must be taken it is best to not trim above the horizontal line.
Benefits of wood chips
Wood chips are a great way to help Maintain and regulate your soils moisture and temperature. Creates barriers from lawncare equipment along with weed suppression. As they break down they will add nutrients to your soil benefiting your plants.