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And then there were these 3 ten foot tall Austrian pines close to the fence that were planted with the intent of being "bushes" - not tall trees.
So part of the job was to take the top growth off.
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Taking "top growth" off of a PINE TREE is TOPPING. Don't plant a tree with the intent of it being a bush! WTF? Plant a damn bush! I see topped pines around here all the time, they're ugly as hell, they look retarded.
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I say, "Michael, it might be hard to tell inside this mess, but what looks like me topping here is actually crown reduction, because I'm actually planning and thinking about what I'm doing" - as I chuckle and laugh.
Honestly, I don't really even like "crown reduction". Too bad it has to have it's place.
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So you're suggesting that taking the "top growth" from a pine, as long as you're thinking about what your doing, isn't topping?? What kind of bullshit is this? You can't go teaching your son that kind of stuff!
You're saying that topping is alright, as long as you're thinking about what you're doing, and just calling it "crown reduction" instead??? I can't beleive this!
What Arborist certification do you have that taught you this kind of practice as being okay?
This is HACK WORK.
True crown reduction has a definite place. To claim otherwise shows pure ignorance.
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Trees sometimes grow larger than desired for aesthetic or safety considerations. These trees may interfere with overhead utility wires, grow into buildings or other trees, or become hazardous because of their size, stems and branches.
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Reduction pruning performed after the tree has become too large could require the removal of large diameter stems. The resulting wounds can be accompanied by decay, cracks, and sprout development. Therefore, it is preferable to perform reduction before the tree has become too large for its environement. Proper reduction pruning reduces size while more-or-less maintaining a tree's natrual form and minimizes regrowth.
Objectives: There can be several objectives of reduction pruning 1) reduce tree size; 2) reduce a portion of the tree to provide clearance from a structure; 3) reduce a portion of the canopy to minimize risk of failure.
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Consideration must also be given to the ability of the species to sustain this type of pruning. Species that are known to decay quickly from these types of cuts should be reduction pruned more conservatively than more decay resistant species. Never reduce a landscape tree by topping it. Topping causes decay, numerous sprouts, cracks in limbs, root decline, bark defects, and other problems.- From "Reducing the Canopy" -Gilman
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Note: propper reduction pruning reduces size while more-or-less maintaining a trees natural form. TOPPING a pine completely slaughters it's natural form. The branches just underneath grow to a height higher than the topped section after several years, and the result is a dished-out looking top structure, looking NOTHING like a normal pine.
NEVER REDUCE A LANDSCAPE TREE BY TOPPING!
It causes decay, cracks in limbs, root decline, bark defects and other problems!
Telling your SON of all people, that what you are doing is alright merely because you're thinking about it and saying it out loud doesn't make it okay!
If someone asked me to "top those pines, because I'm using them for bushes" I'd try to explain they are TREES! not bushes! And then I'd try to educate them of what kind of harm they are intending to have done, and what the results could be instead of blindly just saying "gee, okay" and doing it.