Someone without knowledge of tree health might just assume that when a tree gets too tall, it’s time to chop down the top of it. While this might sound like an easy, quick fix to taking care of your trees, tree topping is actually harmful to the overall health of any type of tree.

When you cut the top of a tree off, you end up with weak limbs that are much more prone to breaking. This could be a safety hazard, especially for trees that are close to your home, parking areas, outdoor living areas, and more.

Sometimes a tree is topped because trees are starting to get close to overhead electrical wires or branches seem to large to be safe. While this may be true, if you top a tree you’re actually hurting the tree.

Tree topping results in the loss of many leaves, which ends up strapping away the tree’s food source. The tree is also unnaturally forced to quickly grow new limbs, which end up being too weak, which can be very dangerous during high winds, strong storms or snowfall. Instead, you should trim a tree regularly or call a tree specialist to help you identify which branches should be removed, and when. This is also a good idea before planting any new trees. You’ll want to make sure the varietal of tree you’ve selected is well suited for the space to be planted in.