Just by taking a walk outside, it's easy to spot epicormic growth on trees. What is epicormic growth, it's cause and can it be harmful to a tree. If so, what could be done to prevent damage?
For years, tree topping was considered the easiest and cheapest way to make mature trees safer and reduce their size. Modern tree researchers have proven that both of these assumptions are false. “Millions of trees have been hacked with little or no consideration to their health and structural integrity,” says Bob Rouse, the Tree Care Industry Association’s (TCIA) director of Accreditation. According to TCIA, many of these trees eventually die as a result of the damage. Others eventually become unsafe, leading to dangerous limb breakage or whole tree failure years after the topping was done.
The Tree Care Industry Association and the American National Standards Institute consider topping to be an unacceptable pruning practice as noted in the ANSI A300 Pruning standards. “Tree service companies that follow industry standards will refuse to top your tree,” notes Rouse.
What is topping?
Topping is a non-standard pruning procedure where larger trees are severely cut back to a pre-determined size. It is also know as hat-racking or de-horning. Topping was a traditional pruning method that was considered an acceptable method long ago. TCIA provides consumers with the following up-to-date information about topping. 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; and,
destroys the tree’s appearance and value.
Why trees are topped?
Some consumers top trees out of tradition, since that is the way it was done in the past. Other consumers mistakenly believe that topping a tree reduces its size and lowers the maintenance cost. However, published research has proven that topped trees actually grow more over a five-year period when compared to trees that were pruned correctly. As a result, there is no savings for the consumer. Rouse adds, “Topping a tree often results in greater expense for the consumer over the long run; for this reason, tree care professionals consider topping a form of consumer fraud.”
What actually happens when trees are topped?
Trees try to maintain a delicate foliage-to-root ratio and they have to guard against wood-eating insects and decay organisms that can quickly destroy a tree once they get a foothold. Topping removes too much of the foliage, upsetting this ratio. This limits the tree’s ability to sustain its own roots. The large cuts on the limbs are made at locations where the tree has no natural defense against pests. This makes them more susceptible to insects, disease and decay. Limbs weakened by decay cannot handle the weight of rapid regrowth. In a few years, if the tree survives, it may become a bigger safety hazard than it was prior to topping. The regrown branches break and fall. The tree itself may fall due to root dieback.
What is the alternative?
Tree care companies and tree services have the ability to make your tree look more attractive, safer and, yes, even somewhat smaller using appropriate corrective pruning in accordance with ANSI A300 standards.
What can you do?
Ask that your tree service to state on a written proposal: “All work done according to ANSI A300 standards.” Ask that pruning specifications, written according to ANSI A300 standards, be provided on the proposal. Specifications are details that tell you exactly what work the tree company plans to do so that there are no misunderstandings.
Homeowners who would like a professional arborist to assess their trees should contact the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), a public and professional resource on trees and arboriculture that was establish in 1938. It has more than 2,000 member companies who recognize stringent safety and performance standards, and are required to carry liability insurance. TCIA also has an Accreditation program that requires companies to meet industry standards and qualifications, including ANSI A300 pruning standards.
Information provided above comes from TCIA and for more information contact TCIA or visit: www.treecaretips.org
