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Don't Top the Trees, Please!

For Immediate Release
For Further Information Contact Sonia Garth:
(217) 355-9411 Ext 217

Don't Top the Trees, Please!

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A tree sometimes needs to be pruned to avoid interference with utility lines, buildings, or parts of the surrounding environment. Whenever pruning is required, it is important to avoid the practice of topping-the removal of all parts of a tree above a certain height with no consideration for its structure or health.

While long thought to reduce a hazard, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) warns that topping is a temporary and ineffective solution that actually makes a tree more hazardous in the long run.

  • Topping "starves" trees by robbing them of their food-creating leaves.

  • Topped trees create shoots in an act of defense, which grow quickly (up to 20 feet in one year) and are prone to breaking.

  • Topping makes trees more susceptible to insects and disease.

  • Topping creates "high maintenance trees" that are expensive to treat, repair, and care for.

Tree-trimming basics

  • Reduction pruning is an effective alternative to topping. It reduces the size of longer branches by cutting back lateral ones. Some branches are removed at their point of origin.

  • Avoid excessive thinning of interior branches. It can lead to rapid growth of upright interior shoots and limb breakage.

  • The best way to learn to manage tree growth and maintain tree health is to consult an ISA Certified Arborist. These tree care professionals know how to safely prune trees, and they can teach homeowners how to best maintain and care for them. Find one in your area at www.treesaregood.org.

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), headquartered in Champaign, Ill., is a nonprofit organization supporting tree care research and education around the world. As part of ISA's dedication to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees, it offers the only internationally-recognized certification program in the industry. For more information, or to find a local ISA Certified Arborist, visit www.isa-arbor.com.
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"Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel." - Aldo Leopold

Resources

Pruning Young Trees Brochure

Pruning Mature Trees Brochure

Introduction to Arboriculture: Pruning DVD

Available through the ISA Web store
© International Society of Arboriculture 2009
P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826
Email comments & questions to isa@isa-arbor.com