Let's talk about my Bradford pear tree
 

I have a large Bradford pear tree. I noticed today that it has a big split, about 18' long going all the way through the main trunk. The tree shows no sign of failure, is growing as normal, but I'm sure it is only a matter of time. It is not endangering the house, or any overhead lines, but could do some damage to the car. How urgent is this? Something I need to take care of in a week or could I wait a while as long as I move the car during high winds?

More importantly, does anyone have any personal experience smoking meat using Bradford pear? I get conflicting reports from the BBQ sites.

I used to have a Bradford and then the wind blew. I no longer have a Bradford.

If it is split I would bet the next strong, windy storm we get it goes.

BBQ? I have no idea

http://msp153.photobucket.com/albums...95/lol_wut.jpg






Sorry, had to be done.

It's a mild flavor. I'm not passionate about the flavor either way. Might as well make use of it. BP's are very resilient. You might want to cut one side away and see if it recovers. Many BP's around here were split in half during severe ice-storms and have recovered nicely.

LMAO It did.

Screw large eye hooks into each half and chain the two halves together.

What did they do in the old days, before chains and hooks?

It has probably been split for a few weeks. I would have no idea which side to save, since the gap is only about an inch wide. Tree hasn't failed at all.

It would probably be a life time supply of smoking wood. A lifetime supply of an okay wood isn't necessarily a good thing. I guess I'll save some of it, but not all.

We used baling wire

I read somewhere about putting a large bolt through the tree. And how years later, when someone took a chainsaw to it, they would get a broken chain in the face.

If you mean to leave the chains on the outside, I don't thing the neighbors would appreciate the look.

:clap:

Last year a storm split a tree in the yard behind me in a similar fashion, then a squirrel fell into the split and couldn't get back out, and eventually died in there.

smoke that smokewagon.

Just a short length of chain between the two eye hooks.