LETTERS:

PROPER TREE CARE GIVES BEST RESULTSByline:

To the editor:

Growing up in rural New York state, I learned to appreciate the beauty of trees. The bright autumn hues of maple, ash, birch and oak leaves make an inspiring annual display. Admiring the tree's ever-present beauty and strength, I would climb to sit among the great branches swaying in the wind or hid in the cool shadows beneath. To me, the trees stood for stability, endurance, protection and growth. I have grown to respect a grand tree in the same way a person would respect an elder of the community.

Trees are not only inspiring, but they benefit our environment in many ways. Trees improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, cool homes and buildings and prevent soil erosion. Healthy, mature trees add to a property's value, adding beauty to private and public landscapes. Trees provide an important habitat for wildlife that would otherwise be absent from urban areas. And consider how a walk through one of our wooded parks can provide us with a relaxed sense of well-being.

It wasn't until I moved to this area a few years ago that I became aware of a practice known as tree topping. Driving through town, I noticed some trees that looked like they had been amputated. Every leaf had been sheared off with the tops of the branches. The stubs had been left poking out of the trunk like arms cut off at the elbow. I was alarmed. I could think of no reason for this. These trees stood there in their newly grotesque forms and seemed to cry out in horror, "Look what's been done to me." The more I traveled the communities of the region, the more shocked I became by this all-too-common practice. Someone was purposely disfiguring the grand trees that had been standing strong for so many years.

I had little technical knowledge of the proper maintenance for a growing tree. So I decided to investigate a bit and seek out the advice of skilled experts who could give me the facts about tree care. I talked with some area master gardeners. I consulted a trained forester and a tree specialist. I received information from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri's Forestry Council and the Arbor Day Foundation. All of them agreed that topping is the worst thing to do for the health of a tree. It is expensive and mutilating and occurs widely throughout the Midwest. Most topping is done because people aren't aware of its consequences and the better alternatives for pruning. A lack of public understanding about proper tree care is the main reason why it continues. As a concerned citizen, land sharer and member of the community and this fragile web of life, I wish to share with you what I have learned.

Proper pruning is an important part of tree maintenance. It improves the health and strength of individual trees. Pruning is a means of preventing future problems and controlling the growth and shape of a developing tree. It is a means of removing dead limbs, obstructing limbs and utility-line hazards. When properly done by a skilled professional, pruning may reduce wind resistance and limb failure and improve a tree's overall appearance.

Thinning cuts will maintain the structural integrity and natural form of a tree and delay the time when it will need to be pruned again. An arborist will spend time carefully selecting and removing limbs. When a pruning cut is made, the branches are removed directly out the branch ridge (the point of attachment to the trunk) without leaving stubs. There are some fine examples of proper tree pruning in our own city park. A properly pruned tree often looks as if no work has been done at all.

Topping, on the other hand, is the drastic removal of large branches in mature trees, leaving large, open wounds which subject the tree to disease and decay. It causes immediate injury to the tree and ultimately results in early death. The topped tree is an ugly stub. The mutilated tree develops fast-growing, extremely long and loosely attached shoots. These weak shoots are more susceptible to breakage and storm damage then the slow, natural branch growth. In a few years, a topped tree can be taller and far more dangerous than it was to begin with. Also, the loss of foliage starves the tree, which weakens the roots and reduces the tree's structural strength. Its life span is significantly reduced. Instead of adding value to the property, it becomes a liability. Restoring the structure and appearance of such a tree would require several years.

A tree is a valuable asset. As homeowners, it is important to make wise choices to protect home and property. We must educate ourselves by getting the facts from those with knowledge about proper pruning and general tree care. Organization such as the Department of Conservation have a wealth of information to share. Hiring only competent, insured, certified tree-care professionals is a must. If a company recommends topping, don't let it near your trees. And beware of being pressured by bargains. As we apply the practice of planting the right tree in the right place, we may prevent the need for drastic pruning altogether.

As a Tree City USA, let's respect our community's beautiful trees by encouraging their health and longevity.

KELLY HUGHES

City Tree Board

Jackson