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Topping White Pines

Started by Karl_N., April 30, 2007, 10:31:50 PM

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Karl_N.

Hello,

I was out giving an estimate for a couple good sized white pines that needed to be brought down carefully and the customer asked me what would happen if I took off the top third or more and just left the rest. It's the top he's worried about snapping off and hitting the house in a big wind or bringing the rest of the tree with it. There are a number of good looking cedars blocking what would be left of the pines so they wouldn't be too unsightly. I wonder if they would survive with the vigorous growth removed. Anybody ever just cut the top off and if so -what happened?

Dodgy Loner

If the trees are healthy, they'll probably survive.  If they undergo any kind of stress this summer, though--particularly drought or insects--they'll be much less likely to be able to cope with it.  I would strongly recommend that you remove the whole trees.
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Gary_C

I could not tell you if the tree would survive, but if it did not, you would have a mess very quickly as white pine will decay very rapidly after it dies.

The last job I cut, there was a very large white pine not scheduled to be cut, that was damaged in a storm. Within about a year, the bugs and woodpeckers were feasting on that tree, the bark was mostly off, and the remaining tree was rotten and ready to fall. The top that had been broke off was beyond any good use.

I would not advise leaving it for the bugs to take down. Why waste that good wood.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Phorester

If there have been other tall white pine in his area that have snapped off, then I might be concerned.   But I suspect his concern is unfounded.  They probably just "look" like they would break in a wind, so he thinks they need to be topped or removed.  But you probably couuldn't convince him they will be all right.

But I would recommend against topping them.  Taking the top 1/3 out of a pine would greatly stress the tree.  If he is dead set in his fear of them breaking off, How about pruning out some of the top limbs instead?  With white pine, maybe take out every other whorl or every 3rd whorl of branches on the top 2/3 of the tree. Taking out some of the limbs would reduce the surface area the wind has to push against, making the tree "safer" (again, I suspect there is really no problem).  But you gotta leave that terminal leader intact.

If you opt for pruning, take out no more than 1/4 of the total crown in any one year.  Removing any more of a tree's crown will be a stress.  If you wanted to take just 1 out of every 3 whorls of branches, that will be no problem for the tree.  If you wanted to take 1 out of every 2 whorls of branches, this should be a 2 year operation.

If he is not satisfied with pruning, I'd remove the entire tree instead of topping them.

Pilot

I agree with Phorester.  Just a couple more comments.

If you top the tree, cut the top at a slant, preferably with the surface facing the south so it will dry out and rain will run off.  This will reduce the chance of decay.

Leave at least 1/3 of the existing height in green crown.

After topping, will the remining tree be shaded by neighboring trees?  If so, don't bother topping, the trees will be shaded out.

If he wants to leave the trees for aesthetics, he might want to think again.  How pretty is a topped tree?

Kevin

Topping is bad, it will create a weak spot and then the multiple leaders will come down on the house.
I would advise against it.

thecfarm

If you're calling white pine the same white pine I have,I would want them down too.I have seen white pine in my woods broke off for no reason accept for a wind storm.I had one that went 2 feet through,broke off 20 feet high,no crotch,just a nice straight tree with no rot.They was others too,some good ones,some I could see why it felled.I have seen many more around people homes that have been broke off too.Some guy at work was bragging about his nice white pines by his house.I told him I wouldn't have then there,they might fall on your house.About a year later he came in after a wind storm and told me they are all coming down.One just missed his house.I had a good size one here that could of fell on top of the house.I cut it down before we started to build.I do not trust white pines at all.I would not want it topped off.I would want the whole thing removed.Maybe he trying to save a buck,by not having the whole tree removed.Could you just cut the tree down  and contact someone with a sawmill to haul it away for nothing?
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Karl_N.

Thanks for all the replies,

We got a lot of wind in our area during that last Nor'easter and business has picked up as a result of it. I did tell the guy that judging from the way the trees were leaning and the apparent health of them that I didn't think they needed to come down but people get spooked and perhaps rightly so like thecfarm said you never really know.

I think I can confidently go back to him now and say that topping them is not a good idea, it sounds like it's going to invite a bunch of other problems. There are a couple of good sawlogs in there and I have a mill, access is a bit of a problem to be worked out. I could see taking out every other whorl but one of the benefits of having them removed is they no longer shade out his pool.

It's funny in a way, I don't know how common this is with all you other woodchucks but I try to convince people they don't need to hire me more often than trying to convince them that they do. weird.

Thanks for the interest.

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