Tree Huggers

Please point to research or other evidence that “skeleton pruning” (again, not a term I’ve ever heard in numerous conversations with many extremely experienced arborists and arboricultural researchers) reduces risk of branch drop or has any other meaningful benefits over conventional, evidence-based pruning practices. The difference from topping seems minute. How will you remove all of the leaves and branches without removing the top of the tree?

The tree in the picture has had its top removed. It’s been topped. Will it recover? Most likely. Was this good for the tree as you’ve claimed? Certainly not. Could there be situations where other management goals outweigh the health impacts on the tree? Maybe. But is this the best way to meet those goals while minimizing the impacts to health and increased future maintenance that topping causes? Doubtful.

I’ve linked to research, you have not. So it’s pretty weird to harp about my experience, which again is only one small part of the knowledge I’m drawing from here, when you’ve backed up with absolutely nothing besides some unrelated flex about a database you helped build.