Hot take: I used to think topping trees was fine until I saw the aftermath up close

Honestly, I was that guy who thought cutting a tree down to a stump was no big deal. Last summer, I took a job trimming a big oak in a backyard near Austin, and the owner insisted on topping it. I did it, and six months later, the whole thing rotted from the inside out. The bark peeled off, and I had to take it down completely for $400 less than I charged. Ngl, that moment convinced me to never top a tree again. Has anyone else had a job go bad from following a client's bad idea?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnson.faith10d ago

Respectfully disagree, I've seen plenty of topped trees bounce back fine if you do it at the right time of year. Maybe the heat down in Texas just cooked the stub before it could heal.

sanchez.pat9d ago

Haha, "cooked the stub" is gonna stick in my head now. Honestly, I'd probably mess up the timing so bad my tree would file a formal complaint with the HOA. I'm the kind of person who tries to prune in a blizzard and wonders why everything looks sad. You're right though, down here in the south that Texas heat is no joke, a fresh cut is basically asking for trouble. I'll take your word for it on the timing, my yard is proof I shouldn't be trusted with sharp objects.

rowanharris8d ago

So you think timing actually fixes the damage from topping?