Topping or chopping off the top of the tree to reduce height is not a good idea for a variety of reasons and any arborist worth his/her salt will discourage you from doing so. They will go in and thin out the canopy, which can increase light (reduce the amount of shade they cast) and this is often a good practice for the trees.

The cost will vary widely according to location and on who you ask. For trees of any significant size, you'd want to contact a qualified arborist. These are often listed in the yellow pages and will have the initials CA (Certified Arborist) or ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) after their company name. They are well-trained, licensed and insured - all of which are really important qualifications to protect you and your property. Don't go with some cheap fly-by-night operation.

Most arborists will provide you with free estimates for their services - get a number of these and pick who you like in the middle range. And they will let you know the proper time for your specific trees, but late winter is often an ideal time.

google link below ....

if you find one article in the 995,000 links.. that recommends this procedure .... i will send you a dollar ...

DONT DO IT ...

removal is the recommendation .. no one says they all have to go ... how about just one of them???

otherwise.. the gal said it all ....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I don't think there is any reason to jump to the conclusion that Margaret wanted to ruin her trees! Lowering the height of a tree does not require the tree to be topped (chopping large limbs out and leaving stubs). Crown reduction is frequently employed by arborists to reduce the height of trees. This procedure is completely legitimate and will not necessarily hurt the health of the tree. Also, thinning can be used to let some light in.

Margaret, get in contact with a certified arborist, and they can take a look at your trees and give you their opinion about how best to accomplish your goals. You can probably get a free estimate. If not, the small amount you'll have to pay will be well worth it. Now or anytime before budbreak in the spring is probably the best time to do the work, but a professional can confirm whether that's the case in your particular case.

Here is a link that might be useful: International Society of Arboriculture Link

brandon .. yes or no ..

crown reduction would involve continuous maintenance for the remainder of her .. and the trees life ..

reduction of the canopy ... without interference to the roots.. is going to trigger explosive growth ...

what is taken off might grow back in 3 or 4 years ...

i personally.. would NOT be willing to invest REPEATEDLY in buying some tree trimmer his boat or sending his kids to college ...

though it MIGHT be an option ... it might not be the most economical option ...

if it were me ... i would invest in removal.. before i would sign up for a lifetime of payments ...

she asked for alternatives ... and boy are we giving them to her.. lol ..

ken

Margaret,

Do you have a photo of the trees, what species, and an estimate of the height? If the trees are too tall, removal might be the best option verses pruning every few years (unless itÂs in your budget). The removed trees can then be replaced with a smaller species.

My neighbor had two 105 foot tulip poplars growing side by side, one was leaning toward my house, so he opted on removal. The lowest estimate was $4,000. He bought the professional equipment for $1,400 and we removed the trees ourselves. I performed the climbing while he and another neighbor did the ground work; the trees were brought down in sections. However this is very dangerous work.

Thank you all for your advise. I will seek out a few certified arborists as they are really tall trees. I would love to take a picture or two but by the time I figure it out, it would probably be summer...
I kinda of thought that if I have the trees trimmed, they would grow much faster. Wouldn't that also make the roots grow longer, (it could do damage to my inground pool, maybe). removing and replanting sounds great but I have to get the estimates. These trees aren't thick, they are tall, would that save on the price of removal?

Ken,
You are somewhat correct. Crown reduction does require maintenance. However, the maintenance is less than that required to "maintain" topped trees. The frequency of required attention will depend on the specifics of this case. That's why I recommended an arborist. There is some possibility that the trees could be maintained for a reasonable cost, especially if you consider that the trees may make a valuable contribution to the landscape.

Margaret,
Pruning will not cause root growth; in fact, at least to some degree, it will slow root growth. The arborist should be able to give you some advice about the roots concerning your pool when he's there.

On site advice from a reputable person would be the best approach.

On golf courses (just for example), tall trees are limbed UP to expose that precious turf to more sunlight, not topped.

Just a thought.

I am an arborist and can recommend that a combination of strategies will probably work best. Have a certified arborist inspect the trees for species and condition. Weak species or trees in poor condition can be removed now in winter, to save money. The other trees, to be preserved, can be crown reduced, elevated, thinned, directionally pruned, and encouraged to a productive form that will not ruin their shape. And in regards to " a lifetime of payments": typical tree life in urban/ suburban environments is 40 years... may we all live longer than that!

Hmmmm, six years later........................probably time to thin out the crowns and prune again.

erwinotterloop, why do you end every one of your posts with those links to various arborists and landscape companies? Is that your way of posting SPAM? If so, I can tell you that it kind of makes these businesses look bad. It appears that you may be their representative and that the companies are SPAMming our forum!

As does insinuating that topping these or any other trees is a legitimate practice. Good thing here that most likely, the damage has already been done.....or not!

+oM