The effects of topping include: the decay of large unhealed wounds, insect infestation, sun scald to the bark, and in some cases, death of the tree. Those that do survive return to their original size but have more and smaller limbs with weaker branch attachment, resulting in increased leaf and twig production.

The proper procedure to reduce leaf and twig production, as well as to restrict a tree's size is to thin it with proper pruning techniques, such as drop crotching, but never to exceed 25% of the tree's food producing mass. A large overhanging limb can be cabled and save the owner the expense of someone else's return to remove the diseased or infested tree. And, of course, the real beauty is in subtlety. A trained arborist will leave an old tree looking like it had a healthy manicure, not its hands removed.

Ever wonder about the weight of different species of trees. Click here to see a comparison chart illustrating green log weights.