Fielding Tree Care, LLC

Someone knocks on your door and offers to "cut your tree back so it
doesn't come down in a storm." Please say no. ✂️

Topping — cutting a tree's main branches straight across to reduce its
height — is one of the most damaging things you can do to a tree. And
people pay good money for it every day.

Here's what actually happens.

- IT MAKES THE TREE TALLER

This is the part that catches everyone out.

A topped tree doesn't stay short. It panics. Stripped of its leaves,
it floods energy into emergency growth called WATER SPROUTS — fast,
dense, upright shoots bursting from the cut ends.

Within two to three years, that tree is typically TALLER and bushier
than before you cut it.

Topping is the only pruning method that makes a tree bigger.

- AND FAR MORE DANGEROUS

Here's the cruel irony. People top trees because they're afraid of
storm damage.

Those water sprouts grow from just beneath the bark — not from the
branch core like normal limbs. They're weakly attached, they grow
fast and heavy, and they SNAP in high wind.

You haven't reduced your storm risk. You've manufactured it.

- THE WOUNDS NEVER CLOSE

Trees seal cuts made at a proper branch junction. A cut in the middle
of a branch has no sealing mechanism at all.

So the wound stays open. Decay moves in, works its way down the branch
and eventually into the trunk. From the outside, the tree looks like
it "recovered." Inside, it's rotting.

- AND IT STARVES THE TREE

Removing 50 to 100% of a tree's leaves in one cut removes its ability
to feed itself. It burns through stored reserves just to survive — and
bark that was shaded for decades is suddenly exposed to full sun,
which cracks and splits it.

- IT ALSO COSTS MORE, FOREVER

A topped tree needs re-topping every few years as the sprouts race
back. It becomes a permanent expense, on a tree that is permanently
disfigured — and a disfigured, hazardous tree lowers property value
rather than protecting it.

- SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO INSTEAD?

CROWN REDUCTION — shortening branches back to a living side branch.
The tree seals this properly, keeps its natural shape, and genuinely
gets smaller.

CROWN THINNING — removing selected branches so wind passes through
instead of pushing against a solid sail. Same height, far less storm
risk.

CROWN CLEANING — removing dead, damaged and crossing branches. Always
safe, always worthwhile.

And if a tree is simply too large for where it stands, the honest
answer is replacement with a smaller species — not annual
disfigurement.

- AND THE REAL FIX HAPPENS AT PLANTING:

Right tree, right place. A species that matures at 25 feet will never
need topping under a power line. A species that reaches 80 feet will
always be a problem there, no matter how often you cut it.

Trees are programmed to reach a certain height. You cannot cut that
out of them. All you can do is make them uglier, weaker, and more
likely to fall.

Have you seen a topped tree in your neighborhood? They're everywhere
once you know what you're looking at.

It's the first day of fall! 🍁🍂 That means gorgeous shades of red, orange, and yellow are just around the corner. 👀

Save this guide to fall foliage when you are out leaf peeping, or even better, plant a tree so you can enjoy vibrant autumn colors for years to come. 🌳

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If you’ve had a great experience with Fielding Tree Care, we’d love your vote. It only takes a moment, and your support means so much to our locally and veteran-owned business.

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Spring flowers are decided in fall. Spend one afternoon digging now,
and next March your garden wakes up while everyone else's is still
brown. 🌷

- FIRST — THE TIMING
Bulbs aren't just surviving winter. They NEED it. Most require 12 to
16 weeks below 45°F to trigger blooming — that cold period is what
tells them spring has come.

Plant when your soil temperature drops below about 55°F, roughly 6
weeks before the ground freezes. Too early and they may sprout in
fall; too late and roots don't establish.

- THE DEPTH RULE THAT DECIDES EVERYTHING
Plant 2 to 3 times the bulb's height deep. A 2-inch tulip bulb goes
about 6 inches down. A small crocus goes 3 inches.

Too shallow is the most common mistake — shallow bulbs freeze, heave
out of the ground, and get found by squirrels.

Pointy end UP. The flat end is where roots come from.

- AND PLANT IN CLUSTERS, NOT ROWS
This is the difference between a garden that looks designed and one
that looks planted by a machine. Groups of 7, 9, or more of the same
variety read as natural drifts. Single-file rows look like little
soldiers standing at attention.

- SKIP THE BONE MEAL
Almost everyone reaches for it out of habit. Two problems: phosphorus
barely moves through soil, so it rarely reaches the roots anyway — and
the smell is an open invitation to squirrels, dogs, and raccoons to
dig up everything you just planted.

- WHICH BULBS ACTUALLY COME BACK?

RELIABLE RETURNERS (they naturalize and multiply):
Daffodils, crocus, grape hyacinth (muscari), scilla, alliums, and
SPECIES tulips. Plant these once and they spread on their own for
decades.

ONE GOOD YEAR (usually):
Big hybrid tulips and large hyacinths. Spectacular the first spring,
then they weaken and shrink. Not your fault — they're bred for that
one dramatic display. Treat them as annuals, or plant species tulips
instead for the perennial version.

- AND IF YOU HAVE DEER OR SQUIRRELS:
Daffodils are your friend. They're toxic, so deer and squirrels won't
touch them. Same for alliums, fritillaria, muscari, and scilla.

Tulips and crocus, unfortunately, are candy to both. If that's your
battle, plant the resistant ones and enjoy the peace.

- THE PART MOST BULB GUIDES LEAVE OUT:
Early bulbs are the first food source of the year for pollinators.

Queen bumblebees emerge from hibernation in late winter, starving, at
a moment when almost nothing is blooming. Crocus, scilla, and winter
aconite are often the only meal available — and that queen is the
entire future of her colony.

Planting a patch of crocus isn't just pretty. It's a lifeline at the
hungriest moment of the year.

- AND THE ONE RULE FOR NEXT YEAR:
After they bloom, DO NOT cut the leaves off.

Those leaves are recharging the bulb for next spring. Cutting or
mowing them while they're still green starves it, and that's the
number one reason bulbs "don't come back."

Wait until the foliage yellows and flops — about 6 weeks. Plant bulbs
among perennials that leaf out later and they'll hide the dying
foliage for you.

One hour this month. Two months of color next spring. There's no
better return in gardening.

🍂 Here's where and when you can enjoy the incredible fall views of Colorado. 📸

Cutting a tree back aggressively may seem like an easy solution when it becomes too large, but topping can often lead to more concerns over time. Large, improper cuts can stress the tree and trigger rapid new growth that may not be as structurally sound as the original branches.

Proper pruning is about more than simply making a tree smaller. The right approach considers the tree’s species, natural growth habits, overall health, and the reason pruning is needed in the first place.

If you have a tree that has outgrown its space or you're concerned about its size, give our office a call at (860)-673-2564 to schedule an assessment with our licensed arborist and discuss the best options for your property! 🌿📞