Kuhn says don’t top your trees
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Since becoming the city’s urban forester in 2000, Kuhn’s mantra has been to discourage drastic removal or cutting back of large tree limbs in mature trees. The message has received mixed reviews locally, but that probably won’t stop him from saying it.
“A tree, since all of its energy storage is in the wood, you’re hurting it if you top. You’re taking away its food reserves. So the next year, if there’s a drought or it’s attacked by insects, it has nothing to fall back on,” Kuhn said.
“That large wound from the cut also creates decay points. The decay will travel down that limb and then get into the main stem and then it becomes a hazard tree. It can now fall and hurt your property or you or your family.”
About three weeks ago, Kuhn was happy to see two billboards go up around town that discourage the practice. They are the result of a $4,000 federal matching grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Forest Service and the state’s Department of Agriculture – Division of Forestry.
Kuhn said he has run into three broad categories of people, all with different views on tree topping. Some only know topping. Some, after being informed of topping, change their minds about it. Some won’t budge on their views at all.
“A lot of people like the old way. They don’t want things to change and so I’m not going to be able to change everybody’s mind. I understand that,” Kuhn said. “But I’m educating some of the people who are tree owners now and I’ve also been making a big push to educate the younger people who are going to be the home and tree owners later and they’ve really responded pretty well.”
Kuhn said the billboards are expected to stay up for one year and the local match to the federal grant will be paid for with a combination of in-kind contributions and some cash.