Overheard a landscaper telling a client to just 'top' their oak tree to keep it small

I was grabbing lunch at a diner in Springfield yesterday and the guy in the next booth was giving tree advice. He told the homeowner that topping their mature pin oak was the best way to control its size and it would 'bush right out'. I almost choked on my sandwich. That tree is going to be a hazard factory in a few years, sending out all those weak, fast-growing watersprouts. It's a $3,000 removal job waiting to happen once those codominant stems start splitting. It just kills me that people still give this advice, and homeowners trust it because the guy has a truck and a chainsaw. How do you guys handle it when you see or hear bad advice being given out in your area? Do you ever step in?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_robin3mo ago

My cousin's insurance agent told me they see a huge spike in claims every spring from topped trees dropping limbs on cars and roofs. The real cost isn't just the removal, it's the deductible and the higher premiums after you file a claim. That landscaper is basically creating future business for roofers and insurance adjusters. It makes you wonder if some of these guys are just bad at their job or if they actually know the long term damage they're causing.

henderson.wesley3mo ago

Wow, that's exactly why I hired an arborist instead.

troy8322mo ago

Yeah, that deductible part hits home. My neighbor had a huge limb come down after a bad topping job a few years back. It smashed their shed and the insurance barely covered half after they paid out. Their premiums went up for years, like they were being punished for the tree guy's hack work. It really does feel like a hidden tax on people who don't know any better. You're right to question if it's just ignorance or something worse, because the fallout for the homeowner is brutal.