My name is Giovanni,
I write just to khow how often in your city
the topping practice is used?
I make this question because in Italian cities
this practice is the most used and
i would like to khow if only in my country this
sort of trees mutilation is still very often.

Reply to post by Giovanni, on April 26, 2001 at 16:12:29:

That may depend on how they do it. If they just hack the tops off every five to ten years that is topping.

If they are removing sprouts from scaffold limbs on a set cycle, usualy 1-3 years, it is called pollarding. That is proper prunning cuts that remove all the leaf bearing wood.

Pollarding is an aquired taste, but sometimes it is nessesary if a large tree is kept in a small space.

True topping is all to frequent in the states, sold as legitamate tree work.

Reply to post by Giovanni, on April 26, 2001 at 16:12:29:

Dear Giovanni

Pollarding in it's true form is the removal of all scaffold branches to form a 'pollard head' and at an extremely early age. Re-pollarding focuses on the removal of re-growth (every 1-3 years depending on specific species) to just above the previous pollarded points in order to avoid breaching the previous woundwood development. Many a 'Tree Surgeon' (sorry, I shall go and be sick for a moment), would have the general public believe that a major reduction in crown height and spread is termed 'pollarding', it is not. To carry out extreme reduction in any form to a tree of early maturity and beyond should be termed as 'topping' or lopping.' BAD! Pollarding in it's true sense is extremely rare (young trees only), we simply use it's term as an excuse for good arboriculture!!

Contact the Italian Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture for more details.

Anon...

Paul H.

Reply to post by Paul H, on April 26, 2001 at 16:12:29:

When pollarding leaving scafold branches is common.

What is very young? Shigo says up to 15 years. I have seen some rather large true pollards. What is rather large?

Reply to post by John Paul Sanborn, on April 30, 2001 at 18:31:06:

Dear John

In reply to your comments..

"When pollarding leaving scaffold branches is common."

Not where I come from - pollarding requires the removal of branch and epicormic (street tree). A vertical stump as it where, otherwise, we would call that crown reduction!

"What is very young? Shigo says up to 15 years.

With a potential of 150 years+ Young it is. By the way, do not always believe everything you read! And at least R&D your own stuff!

"I have seen some rather large true pollards. What is rather large?"

Where they true pollards and managed from an early age or could you have mistaken them for "topped" trees some fifty years ago - the signs will tell you which is which!

Paul H.

Reply to post by Paul H, on May 01, 2001 at 18:18:26:

Well, what I refer in my beggining mail is topping and not pollardy.
I khow that pollardy is a practice which is used with young trees to
give them a particular shape and is different from topping.
If you want to see topping and tipping practice, come to Italy and you
will see it very often in our cities.

Reply to post by Giovanni, on May 01, 2001 at 19:16:40:

We tend to run with particular phrases in the arboricultural industry, in order to bring about an understanding of common terms, the following may be of use:

Topping - Bad.
Lopping - Bad.
Tipping - Reasonable - Good - given extreme limitations and requirements/justification.
Root Pruning - I'm not sure on this, I don't think many are, more R&D on this one.
Crown reduction - Bad.
Crown thinning - Reasonable if wounds are kept extremly minimal and allocated to the crown periphery - when considering reducing wind resistance, popping a hole or two in the periphery, will give you all you need (RVT - Reduction Via Thinning - David Lloyd-Jones).
Cleaning out - Weak and crossing, no bid deal.
Dead Wood - Leave it in if there are no significant targets (general ecological requirements).
Crown lifting/raising - Bad. The removal of the lowest branches will create the largest wounds, all open to pathogenic initiation. In crown lifting, consider the removal of secondary branches, which extend from the lower primary branch. Often required for statutory clearance.
Formative Pruning - Good - To encourage a structured frame work for future growth - generally young and semi-mature trees, but can apply to older specimens, please keep wounds as small as possible.

Overall - pruning harms trees, if in doubt, do not prune for pruning sake!

Paul H.