Topping
/TOP-ing/🌲 Arboriculture● Basic
Also known as: heading, hat-racking, rounding over, tipping
Topping is the drastic removal of large branches or trunk leaders back to stubs, sometimes called heading, hat-racking, or rounding over. It is universally condemned by professional arborists because it removes a large percentage of the leaf area, starving the tree; triggers dense, weakly attached epicormic sprout growth; creates large wounds vulnerable to decay; destroys the tree's natural form; and increases long-term hazard.
Etymology
From Old English top (summit) + -ing (action suffix)
Example
“Despite being harmful and condemned by industry standards, topping remains the most common form of tree abuse.”