Trees are an invaluable part of our environment, providing various benefits such as clean air, shade, and beauty. As guardians of our planet, it is crucial to understand the importance of proper tree care. Unfortunately, an Edmonton tree topping service is a destructive method that often leads to their demise. We will explore why this harmful tree pruning practice can damage its structural integrity and the surrounding ecosystem.
Our expert Edmonton arborists at Trusty Tree Services are ISA certified and highly trained in maintaining healthy trees. We have put together this blog to inform property owners about the potential risks of tree toppings in Edmonton.
Before we explore the detrimental effects of tree topping, we must grasp some fundamental aspects of their biology. They rely on their larger branches with various amounts of leaves to manufacture a food source through photosynthesis. The foliage acts as "solar panels," absorbing sunlight and converting it into vital nutrients. When topping trees, a significant portion of its canopy (the upper part) is removed, severely limiting its ability to photosynthesize and generate food.
Tree topping refers to the indiscriminate cutting of a significant portion of the leafy crown or canopy, often leaving behind stubs or branches much smaller than the original limbs. Other names for topping include heading, pollarding, tipping, hat-racking, and rounding over. While topping trees is sometimes used to reduce the size, it is not a recommended method for addressing concerns about the potential risk to property due to the dangers it poses to it.
Topping trees removes a significant portion of their crown, leaving severe wounds where the branches were cut. These exposed wounds expose the specimen to various threats, making it vulnerable to attacks by insects, disease infestations, and decay. Furthermore, its natural defense is compromised, making it more susceptible to infections that can spread throughout its system. Over time, this can lead to the decay of the trunk and branches, making it structurally weak and prone to rot, failure, and death.
With its food production significantly reduced, a topped tree becomes starved of the essential nutrients to thrive. In response to this stress, it may undergo a survival mechanism and deplete its stored energy reserves to regenerate its canopy by producing numerous shoots, known as suckers and water sprouts. These living plant organisms need an adequate leaf surface area to make enough food to sustain themselves. Topping trees forces them to decline due to reduced photosynthesis, increased vulnerability to pests and diseases, weakened structure, and limited nutrient availability. Over time, this nutritional deficiency weakens the specimen, leading to stunted growth and decay. As its health continues to deteriorate, it becomes increasingly susceptible to secondary issues, such as infestations of insects or pathogens. In severe cases, it may not recover from the stresses imposed by topping and eventually succumb to death.
Did you know plants can get sunburnt just like people? It's true! Bark and upright branches protect against intense sunlight, helping to regulate temperature and prevent sunburn. When tree topping occurs, removing the protective canopy exposes the remaining branches and trunk to direct sunlight. This sudden exposure to intense light can cause sunburn damage to the bark tissues, leading to cracking, scorching, cankers, bark splitting, and blistering. Moreover, the damaged bark inhibits the flow of nutrients and water through its vascular system, further compromising its health and putting it at risk of developing long-term health issues.
Tree topping initiates a survival response to compensate for the lost foliage and canopy by producing numerous shoots, known as suckers or water sprouts. These fast-growing shoots are an attempt to regain their lost foliage. While these shoots may seem like a sign of recovery, the excessive growth of these shoots comes at a cost. They are weakly attached and are more likely to break off during storms or high winds. Additionally, the rapid growth of suckers diverts energy away from essential functions, such as root growth and defense against insect invasion and diseases, further weakening and inhibiting its natural growth pattern.
All plants play a critical role in maintaining a healthy environment. They provide shade, filter air pollutants, mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide, and create habitats for numerous species. Topping trees disrupts the ecosystem's delicate balance, affecting wildlife habitat, reducing shade, and altering microclimates.
Along with negatively impacting the environment, topping trees leaves behind ugly aesthetics. These beautiful specimens grow in diverse patterns and structures to maximize sunlight exposure through their leaves. Tree topping removes the upper branches, resulting in ugly stubs and no foliage for a considerable duration in a temperate climate like Edmonton. Topping trees disrupt their natural shape, making them disfigured and unattractive, compromising their natural form. Consequently, once it has been topped, it can never fully restore its original natural form. This impacts the overall aesthetic appeal of the landscape and reduces your property value.
Tree topping incurs more than just the initial job cost. There are additional hidden costs to consider:
It is sometimes necessary to reduce the height or spread of a woody plant, especially when it poses a challenge to utility lines. Instead of tree topping, however, employing alternative practices, such as proper pruning techniques by qualified arborists, is recommended. Proper pruning cuts that focus on selective branch removal, maintaining the specimen's natural form, and preserving its health are more beneficial in the long run. When dealing with smaller branches, removing them from their point of origin is advised. In the case of larger limbs requiring shortening, they should be pruned back to a lateral branch that is sufficiently large (one-third the diameter of the limb being removed) to take over as the end branch. Reducing branches helps maintain the natural shape, form, and health.
A certified arborist will perform a proper method of pruning on a mature tree by:
These pruning cuts promote healthy growth and minimize potential damage. In certain situations, the optimal solution may involve the drastic removal of tall trees and replacing them with a more suitable species.
By understanding the destructive practice and negative consequences associated with tree topping, we can make informed decisions about their care and take steps to preserve their well-being while keeping our city of Edmonton beautiful. By respecting and nurturing these species, we contribute to the well-being of our environment for future generations. Instead of topping trees, consult with certified experts who can provide appropriate pruning techniques that promote tree health and longevity and maintain their natural beauty.
ISA Certified Arborists® are tree care professionals certified through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a globally recognized organization that promotes proper care and management. An ISA Certified Arborist® is a professional arborist who has undergone extensive training, which usually includes education, practical experience, and passing an exam on tree care to demonstrate their expertise in arboriculture. The certification covers a wide range of topics related to tree care, such as biology, pruning techniques, risk assessment, health management, identification, and more.
ISA Certified Arborists® have the knowledge and skills to provide professional tree care services. They are trained in best practices for planting, pruning, maintenance, and preservation. They are familiar with different species of trees, especially around the Edmonton area, are aware of potential health issues, and can make informed decisions regarding management and preservation.
When seeking qualified arborist services, looking for the ISA Certified Arborist® credential is recommended to indicate their expertise and commitment to following the industry standards and practices.
With years of experience in the local industry and a team of skilled arborists, Trusty Tree Services provides high-quality service in Edmonton and surrounding areas. Our family-owned company in Sherwood Park prioritizes safety and compliance with provincial laws. We offer stump removal, trimming, cabling & bracing, landscape care, deep root fertilizing, and more. With affordable rates and a commitment to customer satisfaction, we are the top choice for residential and commercial customers. Our ISA-certified arborists ensure expert service and peace of mind. Call 780-860-5500 to book your free consultation in Edmonton, AB, today!
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star reviewContracted Trusty Tree Services to remove 6 tall Aspen Trees. Workmen arrived ahead of schedule and trees were taken down very quickly and site cleaned up all debris. Great job highly recommend.
Very efficient staff. The work was completed as expected and to our satisfaction. The clean-up was also very good.
We have engaged Trusty Tree to carry out a long-term plan to rehab and maintain our extensive tree inventory on our 6 acre site. They did a great mapping of all the trees using Google Maps, and proposed priorities. The first stage was completed yesterday - Keegan and Adrian did a 30 minute Q&A with interested owners first, and did a great job of explaining and giving some hints on things we could to. The pruning was well done, and they cleaned up carefully - we are pleased with the work. They had a great idea for how we could take advantage of the resulting mulch to rehab some areas that needed amendment under conifer trees. We are looking forward to moving ahead with that. So kudos to Keegan and Adrian.
Very pleased with the service from start to finish...from talking to Sarah at the onset who was very knowledgeable and pleasant to the quick efficient pleasant service by the 2 man crew..reasonable and fair pricing..thank you..will gladly recommend
I contacted 5 different tree removal companies, 1 did not get back to me and the other 3 were almost double in price. Kolton contacted me almost immediately after inquiring online, gave me a fair and honest quote, snuck me in right away and did an unbelievable job. I would highly recommend trusty tree! Save your self time and energy and go straight to these guy.
Wow! Both Chelsey and Jared were very helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, efficient and thorough. They were also very tolerant in answering all my questions. 🙂 All the work was completed on time and at a very reasonable price. Also, zero collateral damage from the removal of some pretty big and awkwardly located trees. Great job. I’ll be recommending you to my neighbors and colleagues 👍
Jared, Sarah, and Chelsea were extremely knowledgeable, professional, and hardworking, with an obvious love of trees, an amazing attention to detail, and an outstanding work ethic and desire to do the best job of pruning each tree, checking and double checking their work. Very friendly and personable, willing to share expertise and worked their butts off non-stop. Cleaned up thoroughly and left the yard like they’d never even been there. I highly recommend Sarah, who gave us a fair quote, and Jared and Chelsea, who thoroughly, quickly, and expertly completed the work!
Just had Keegan and Jared take down two trees in front of our house. They were very professional and did an amazing job. 10/10 would hire again.
I had a huge tree that split in half. The guys worked ALL day in 33 degree weather and never complained once!! They all were really nice guys!!
We are totally impressed with Trusty Tree from a business and professional perspective. We were in awe watching Matt and Keegan working hard and diligently (in the heat!) while keeping safe climbing in and removing our big tree! We highly recommend this company!
We had Keegan & Matt from Trusty Tree come and remove a couple of dead aspens and trim a maple for us. I was very impressed with safe handling of the work, friendly manner, and great cleanup of the space afterward. They were happy to answer all of my questions, and worked really hard on a very hot day. Thank you!
I needed their help as my tree seems to be sick and requiring some TLC. They came to check the tree and gave me suggestions on how to take care of it. Very honest business and very professinal staff. They are not only after your money. I will definitely sign up with their services in the future if my tree doesn’t get healthier. Thank you!
Had a spruce taken down by trusty trees, they were able to get me scheduled asap and took it down within 20 mins! Cleaning it all up too. Thank you to Sarah and the team for everything!
Excellent work by Keegan and Shay - tree removal went smoothly, they cleaned up well and were very friendly along the way
Excellent price, excellent service. Keegan was dispatched to our condo complex to trim some trees and remove others. Keegan and his partner were very knowledgeable, kind and patient. He made sure that I was happy with the trimming that was done and provided information regarding sick trees we found (aphid infestation) and what steps to take to get the tree healthy again. It was discovered that more work was required that was not on the original contract. Keegan was very patient, contacted his office for permission to do the ad-hoc work with no complaints. Keegan is a keeper for sure!
Highly recommend. We had an excellent experience with the crew from Trusty Tree…..they were efficient, professional and friendly. They even threw the frisbee for our dog !
We have used Trusty Tree a few times and are always happy with the service! Sarah came by to assess and give us an estimate, all reasonably priced, and Adrian and Keegan took great care of our yard... thanks a bunch!
Very efficient, safe and effective work. Met on site for the quote, then promptly came and completed the work a few days later.
They were absolutely wonderful! The arborist Sarah was friendly and professional, and showed up when she said she would. The three gentleman who came to cut down the trees were so efficient and knowledgeable. They had 4 trees down and cleaned up within an hour. We would recommend Trusty Tree Service to anyone!
Highly recommend Trusty Tree Services. Outstanding service! Kolton is extremely professional, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful with the advice he gave. Thank you! Will definitely use them again in the future!
I was very impressed with the service provided by Trusty Tree Service. The arborist did an excellent job balancing the tree with pruning and clearing out congested areas. He provided advice about tree care and his assistant cleared and disposed of the branches cut by putting them in the chipper. I strongly recommend this company.
We have used Trusty Tree services in the past and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with our arbor needs. Sarah (one of their arborists) gave us great recommendations and a fair quote and then Keegan & Shay did a fantastic job felling our diseased columnar poplars and cleaning up after themselves. You couldn’t tell they had even been here it was left so tidy and clean. Thanks so much!
The 2 man crew was awesome, yard was cleaned up afterwards and you couldn’t tell 2 large trees were taken down, will have them back soon, highly recommend this company
I have used Trust Tree Services a number of times and there work is excellent. The staff are very personable and I really appreciate how the work area is left spotless once finished. I wouldn't use anyone else!
Sarah did an amazing job of cleaning up and pruning our chokecherry tree. She is super friendly, informative and skilled in her job. I am very happy with the appearance of our tree now. Thanks so much Sarah.
I highly recommend this company. They are very organized and experienced at what they do.
Trusty Tree came highly recommended so I took a chance and called. In no time at all I had a quote, all questions answered, and the work was done quicker than I thought it would be. Mike, Keegan, and Shay were professional, friendly, and very hard working making the whole experience 'groovy' ;)
We needed a spruce tree trimmed back. Trusty tree was very easy to work with scheduling and planning. Jared and Keegan came and did an amazing job. Great to work with and very personable.
What a fantastic crew!!! Sarah & Shane came and trimmed my rather large tree. Such a professional, knowledgeable, caring, capable and courteous crew. Very well done from beginning to end.They did a fabulous job!
Trusty Trees did their magic at my Mothers house in Fort Saskatchewan. Mikex2 we’re on time, organized and knew their business. Gave the trees a good haircut as they had a lot of dead areas. Very pleased with their service, would definitely recommend them! Much thanks Mike and Mike.
We had a crew from Trusty tree services to come and remove 6, 40 foot aspen trees. They did an awesome job. They were very knowledgeable and very considerate of our property and our neighbours property. They had our yard and neighbours yards totally cleaned up when they were finished. I would highly recommend Trusty Tree Services
We had a crew from Trusty Tree Services trim three trees on our property a few weeks ago, sorry for the late review. Couldn't be happier with the whole process. From the estimate to the final clean up, everything went very well. I contacted other companies for estimates, didn't even get a call back. Thanks again Trusty Tree for a great job!
Trusty Tree Services came out and pruned our Amur Cherry tree in Fort Saskatchewan and did a great job. The technicians were knowledgeable and gave me tips on how to better take care of our tree. The technicians were friendly and polite and cleaned up before they left. I would definitely recommend Trusty Tree Service!
Excellent job! I highly recommend this company. I will be calling again this fall! I am very happy.
We had an amazing experience with Trusty Tree. They gave a prompt estimate for some very difficult trees in our campground. They arrived on time and began work immediately. Their expertise shone through as they brought down the trees on point! Friendly, informative, professional and outstanding workmanship. I would recommend them in a heartbeat. Shout out to Colton, Joe and Adrian - great work!
We had Trusty Tree out this year to shape and thin 4 trees and 3 Mugo Pine shrubs. I was impressed with a quick appt for the quote and then quick response for booking. Our trees were pruned earlier in the season as this was the recommended timeframe, and the Mugo Pine shrubs pruned later in the spring after the new growth appeared. I'm pleased with the crew that came out, they were polite, professional and experienced. We are happy with how our trees and shrubs look and feel the price was fair. We would definitely recommend Trusty Tree and will have them back in the future. Thanks for taking extra time with us to talk about proper pruning too!
Very professional and courteous crew. Difficult tree to cut down with bucket truck given clearances.
I am a new widow and my yard work is so overwhelming, I called Trusty tree to come over and give me a quote. Because my husband who has slways been in love with taking great care of our home,has passed I am here to do it alone.Trusty tree are the most professional people I dealt with..And they actually had the most professional quote,they took pictures of my Tree to elaborate on what needed to be done,and explained why everything had to be done in a certain way...after 3 other companies coming out I realized that Trusty Trees quote was extremely fair. So when the Trusty Tree crew arrived to prune my beloved tree, they were ready, and really understood the sentimental value of my tree that my late husband and I used to sit under every night. The crew members Joe and Shane collaborated beautifully brought down the required amount of my tree..They had a fantastic chipper on site and they also cleaned up the yard so beautifully after the cutting was done...If anyone reads this review,please understand how much that tree meant to me and my late husband. Joe and Shane gave it a loving and caring trim, and they where not only hard working but very informative of the process,and very just great guys,they included their sense of humor to make the trimming process easier on me. THEY were so compasionate and understanding . I thank them for that..... If you are thinking of pruning your gorgeous beloved tree, Trusty Tree has got be your only choice. THESE GUYS ARE THE BEST!!! My name is Christine and if anyone wants to contact me about what a great job this crew did..please do!!!
I highly recommend Trusty Tree Services! From start to finish everything was handled promptly, professionally and courteously! They are very knowledgeable and efficient. I really liked how they explained things. We will definitely have them back for some fall work. Thanks to everyone!
We were sad to see our tree go, but it wasn’t well and bigger and bigger branches were breaking off; however our Trusty Tree Arborists did a great job. Thanks to @Sarah and @Michael and thanks for the excellent service Trusty Tree.
Excellent, prompt, efficient and professional service. Team was very pleasant to work with. In and out in no time. Clean worksite. Would definitely recommend.
The services provided were both reasonably priced and work done was excellent!
Very fast professional and thorough work done on both my experiences with Trusty tree Service. Good cleanups and answered all questions. They made valid suggestions which I appreciated. Thank you.
Excellent experience. Very knowledgeable experienced crew. Safety is a priority .Highly recommend . Great Job!
Thanks to Mike and the crew for doing a great job on Grenfell Ave St Albert. Very professional service.