Bellevue Landscaping

Topping your tree won’t improve the overall health of your tree. Topping a tree is the practice of indiscriminately cutting of a majority of a tree’s branches. Topping is not a traditional method of pruning, and actually violates most commonly accepted methods. There are several reasons you should not top your tree; topping creates hazardous trees, makes a tree more susceptible to storm damage, makes a tree more prone to insect and disease problems, and is a waste of money.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest you may have noticed your neighbor using the topping method to control tree growth. Kirkland landscaping practices have often included tree topping. There are other ways, however, to prune trees. First, make sure to plant your tree in the right place (not under a power line, or near a roof.) The soil around the tree should be packed firm around the trunk and the roots should be left alone. Finally, hire a professional arborist when the job is too big for you.