Bradford Pear Question

[treeseer]

email says: "View attachment 268219View attachment 268220I have newly moved and am looking for someone who is certified and with experience. While it is "only" a flowering pear tree too thickly populated with branches for winds to get through, I don't want someone who will be hacking without real knowledge."

how should this tree be managed, using A300 standards? this is a free estimate.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I would make one trim cut and that would be about 1" off the ground.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I would make one trim cut and that would be about 1" off the ground.

Exactly!

To the homeowner: Bradford Pears are undesirable trees. They became the darlings of developers, over the last twenty years, because they are the ideal lollipop tree, in appearance. Trouble is, they have some of the weakest branch attachments in the tree world and their form makes them not amenable to professional pruning. Get rid of the trees and plant some long-lived, hardy species that are suited for the planting zone you live in.

 

[teamtree]

I have successfully thinned many Bradford Pear trees. Having said that, I tell all clients they are a tree with a limited life span (10-20years). I tell them to prune the tree for clearance and thin and cross your fingers. If you get 20 years out of them, great. If not....I told you so. It is really a crap shoot with this tree. Once you top them, they are shot...like any other tree. Cabling and bracing is not a good idea either.

 

[treemandan]

I have successfully thinned many Bradford Pear trees. Having said that, I tell all clients they are a tree with a limited life span (10-20years). I tell them to prune the tree for clearance and thin and cross your fingers. If you get 20 years out of them, great. If not....I told you so. It is really a crap shoot with this tree. Once you top them, they are shot...like any other tree. Cabling and bracing is not a good idea either.

I've topped quite a few and they seem do well. Its one of the trees I have no problem hacking as you can't really #### it up more than it allready is. They do look " spectacular " after one of my buzzcuts but they come back just fine. I have one about 10 years old and top it every year. its about a foot and half tall and sits in a pot on my deck.

 

[sgreanbeans]

I would just prune to standards, get them to have you back on a set schedule to maintain it, but u know dis maayan.

 

[Ed Roland]

Using the A300, part 1, I would first visit 2.2 to define goals. 6.1.4 for dose and section 7 for method. You know all this. Perhaps, you are pointing out how outdated these Standards are?

< emphasis on reducing the crown and more emphasis on the interface w/ soil and roots.

I see the opportunity to make easy $ while doing a world of good for this tree.

 

[Grouchy old man]

Actually I'm amazed it got to be as big as it is. Guess you don't get much ice and snow there. Around here it would be lucky to get to around 3-4 inches before being destroyed.

 

[stltreedr]

Clean the crown of interfering and redundant limbs and allow for some air passage through the canopy. Do everything in accordance with ansi standards. I dont really understand why cabling wouldn't be a good idea, it works great if done properly, and is a huge money maker. Go to a homeowner with the attitude that you arent going to work on their pear tree unless its to be removed, and lose a customer for life. However, i do agree that the risks should be explained to the owner.

 

[treeclimber101]

Why not like this ?

 

[KenJax Tree]

I got a call today for an estimate to trim 8 trees and when i got there the HO wanted me to pollard all 8 Bradford Pear trees as soon as i pulled up i saw what they were and i should've just kept driving but told him he's gonna have to call someone else because i don't pollard trees, i won't even waste my time on them if I'm gonna cut it its gonna be at the ground.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Clean the crown of interfering and redundant limbs and allow for some air passage through the canopy. Do everything in accordance with ansi standards. I dont really understand why cabling wouldn't be a good idea, it works great if done properly, and is a huge money maker. Go to a homeowner with the attitude that you arent going to work on their pear tree unless its to be removed, and lose a customer for life. However, i do agree that the risks should be explained to the owner.

You don't understand why cabling wouldn't be a good idea??? OK, you're goofing around here, obviously. Got me! If not-------eh, I can't even go there.

 

[stltreedr]

You are right. From now on if a customer is searching for an experienced, certified, professional to do everything he can to try and save a pear tree because its the only tree in their yard; i think i will tell them them that my precious time cannot be wasted on such trash. Come to think of it, Elms get DED, oaks get wilt, SOD, walnuts are getting TCD, ashes all dying from EAB ; maples ALB guess I wont mess with any of these anymore either cuz there all just gonna die anyway. Lets cut em all down and save the trouble.!

 

[treeclimber101]

That's funny right there , cut em all let god sort em out ! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[treeclimber101]

We grew that trash tree in the nursery couldn't dig enough of them , then we realized shoulda focused more on chanticleer and Cleveland because Bradford's are garbage !

 

[Zale]

In our area, Bradfords are considered an invasive species along with all the other stated problems. The only good bradford is a dead bradford. Having said that, just follow the standards and don't waste your time trying to cable them.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Put a large metal hoop up around the crown to keep it from splittiin. Up really high on three posts should do it. I luvs the sound Bradfords make hitting the back of the chip dump...

ALB isn't just for Maples...

 

[stltreedr]

You guys win, but the last time I checked, if I'm getting paid, it's exactly the opposite of wasting my time.

 

[treebilly]

bradford pear suck cleveland pear is better but in the situation that either were planted, they probably want them small. It takes a lot of time to m,ake t5hem look good and to the costomer that means a lot of money no matter how you look at it they are a pain in the arse

 

[NCTREE]

Have a big nasty one to take down tomorrow, 22" trunk, topped, lines running all through it, all kinds of landscape plants underneath not to mention the winds are gonna be howling tomorrow. I ####ing hate bradfords!