My old boss in Sacramento always told me to never top a valley oak, but I saw a crew doing it last week.

He said it would just cause a ton of weak, fast-growing water sprouts and could actually kill the tree over time. I watched a company near Folsom cut the main leaders back by about eight feet on a big one, and it looked awful. Has anyone else had to explain to a client why topping is a bad idea after they saw someone else do it?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin_jones1017h ago

Took a client to see a topped tree from two years ago. Showed them the crowded, brittle sprouts that had grown back and explained how each cut was now a potential rot entry point. They changed their mind once they saw the long term damage up close.

the_cora1d ago

Honestly, topping is called crown reduction now to make it sound better. It still creates those weak sprouts and stresses the tree like your boss said.