Trees

What Is Topping?

Topping is the indiscriminate cutting back of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Other names for topping include "heading", "tipping", "hat-racking", and "rounding over".

Certain trees chronically experience problematic girdling roots and can be prone to girdling root syndrome. Topping the list are maples, expecially Norway, American beech, poplars and the small-leaf linden cultivar "Greenspire".