By Hollis Grant · September 16, 2026
Topping means cutting large branches back to stubs to reduce a tree's height. It is still common, and it is one of the most damaging things you can do to a tree.
The tree responds by pushing out fast, weakly attached sprouts from each cut. Within a few years it is as tall as before, with branches far more likely to break.
Large stub cuts also invite decay, which slowly hollows out the remaining limbs.
Crown reduction is the better tool: cutting back to a smaller branch that can take over, so the tree stays shaped and strong.
