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  • From: "Dan Clost" <dan.clost@sympatico.ca>
  • To: "gardenwriters-on-gardening" <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Pollarding vs topping
  • Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 19:02:54 -0500

We do what is called "topping" in the nursery typically to shade trees. There is a measurement transition when the tree changes from being sold as 300 cm plant to a 30mm plant- ( about 10 feet tall to about 1.25 inches calliper) At that point, we regularly cut back the main leader and trim back surrounding branches in proportion. Doing this properly requires skill and the ability to envision the future tree.  This buys time for both us and the tree as it changes from a sapling to a tree.
 
Just throwing this in so that if you hear "topping" in a nursery you wont automatically assume the worst.
Dan
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 12:06 PM
Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Pollarding vs topping

"topping" seems to be a practice done by uneducated and untrained 'arborists' to control the height of trees when they get too large.   We saw an example of this last year at a large condo complex where there were magnificent maples in front of the buildings and residents were complaining that their view was being restricted and there was too much shade in the summer.  The complex's managing agents solution was to hire an inexpensive tree company to simply top them.  What a disaster.  The natural shape of these trees has now been destroyed forever.
 
On the other hand we have some 75 year old crabapples along a formal driveway at work.  I think there are thirty in all that are about ten feet tall with a drip line circumference of about 15 feet.  The trunks are about 18 inches in diameter.   For the past 40-50 years these trees have been pollarded early every spring to retain a certain shape and effect...these particular trees are well suited to this type of 'artistic' treatment and there is a long history of trees that are well suited to the art of pollarding.
 
In general I consider topping as horticultural butchery.  Pollarding is a horticultural art with a long demonstrated history.

Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener
The Hampton Gardener is a Registered Trade Mark
(Published every Thursday in the Southampton Press)





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