Tree topping – when the entire top of a tree is cut off – seems to have become a preferred method of tree pruning. Beauty is certainly in the eyes of the beholder, but is it good or bad for the tree?

An unsatisfactory approach to tree maintenance or pruning is “topping” it. Topping is the indiscriminant removal of branches of a tree above an arbitrary height, leaving unnatural, grotesque stubs and ...

Q. Many times I have read, “Never top a tree!” I have also read that we should keep fruit trees at 8 feet for easy picking. And the avocado experts recommend keeping avocado trees at 11 feet. Either I ...

Winter snow and ice storms, even heavy rain, can cause columnar conifers such as arborvitae, Italian cypress and skyrocket juniper to splay at the top. Prevent this by wrapping the top of the tree ...

DES MOINES - Homeowners faced with large trees or large branches hanging over their home often consider "tree topping" to control size. But arborists and foresters agree that tree topping, which is ...