The Pacific Northwest is an area characterized by, and famed for its gigantic trees. The weekend hikers to the full-time tree enthusiasts are captivated by the West Coast giants such as Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar; and rightly so. These giants though, are standing on the shoulders of an altogether more unassuming and inconspicuous hero of the tree world. The Red Alder.

Forestry and Arboriculture, both industries manage trees, but the management plans are very different. While foresters sustainably manage forests for timber harvest the practices that are used for retaining trees left in a recently cleared area should never be used on your property. Topping and Spiral Pruning are used to minimize windthrow in trees that use to be surrounded by a forest and now on the edge of one. Topping may seem like a solution for a tree blocking out light or getting too big but topping creates a bigger problem than what you had.