A landscaper told me he 'topped' a client's oak to keep it off the roof

I was at a hardware store yesterday and overheard a landscaper bragging to the cashier. He said he just finished a job where he cut all the main branches straight across on a big oak because the homeowner was worried about leaves. I kept my mouth shut, but it made me realize how many people still think that's proper tree care. How do you guys handle clients who ask for topping because they heard it from their neighbor or a handyman?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_campbell1mo ago

I mean, I've definitely had to talk a client down from that ledge before. It's like trying to explain why you shouldn't cut your own hair with hedge clippers.

piper_reed1mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, I feel that. You gotta be straight with them. I tell people to grab a big bowl of soapy water and just set it under the light at night. They'll see all the bugs that fall in by morning. Shows them the real problem without the zap and mess. Sometimes seeing is believing.

grace_knight701mo ago

Yeah, I had a client last year who was dead set on it because his buddy said it worked great. I pulled up some photos on my phone of topped trees that got all weak and spindly, then showed him what a proper crown reduction looks like. Told him it's like giving the tree a bad haircut that never grows back right. He changed his mind pretty quick once he saw the difference.