We're finally getting around to this pile of Bradford pear we cut after Hurricane Helene last September. As I was moving logs to the splitter to be processed, I found this log buried under the pile. It had put out about 6 shoots with green leaves...no wonder it hard to un-alive...
Some trees are harder to kill than others for sure. Always amazes me how resilient nature can be at times.
Natures will to survive. Years back my brother did a tree job cutting some willow (we had no idea at the time it was lousy firewood as dad would burn anything) and once processed it was putting out shoots while in the stack. I've seen it on red oak too.
Had something like that happen to me when I cut up a Santa Rosa plum tree that got wiped out by a late summer wind storm. I cut it all up into small limbs and buried it in the bottom of a new raised bed that fall. I left it un-planted the next year so it could settle in and start decomposing. By the next fall it looked like an old fashioned willow tree duck blind from all the saplings that popped up and grew to about 6 ft. tall! I'll bet there were over a hundred sprouted saplings in that bed... Had to tear that out and start over...
Got all the pear cut up except this main trunk piece... Ready for Blue Samson to process it. Also had a small cherry tree in the mix.
To me it splits kinda of funky…. I got quite a bit of the smaller version while they were cleaning off an overgrown lot. And I kinda like the stuff….
I noticed the way it split when we cut a couple small logs that went in the pile for our cousin to burn. Hope we can get it split next week after work, if I can get lights set up.
I think I'm up to four bundles of pear for the year. Use the single wedge Jeff and try to "pizza slice" split it.
I dropped one in CT this year…right on our patio table! Anyways, made some decent kindling. Still need to split some of the rounds. Nice work as usual T. Jeff!
Years not over yet. Im having a cyber Monday sale on pear smoking wood! Im thinking mine may end up the same as much as I hate to do it. Im running out of dry bundle wood and may resort to mixing it in. I have some I cut in July that will suffice for the upcoming smoker season.
I got into a little bit of pear in my stacks over the past few weeks. It came out of my yard. The brush from the crown is miserable and isn't worth the time it takes, but the little bit of trunk burns fine.
After going stir- while on 6AM-6PM shift last week and doing saw/chain maintenance that I normally save for rainy days... Saturday was another rainy day, got bored sitting in the house tending the stove. Put on my rain coat and set up the umbrella on Blue Samson... Split the pile of 18" rounds, used the single and 4 way wedges. It made decent splits... Also had a pile of shorts and the pieces that didn't split clean, thrown on the pile for my cousin and another friend that needs short wood...
Bowl turners and carvers ask me for Bradford pear alot. I guess it stabilizes well? They are an invasive pest of a tree, I don't like pruning them but I have quite a gee to prune in the coming month or so. I hear they are good for cooking and smoking, but I have enough apple,.cherry, pecan and such that I don't bother with it.
I have it for sale for smoking and its the least popular seller of the seven species I offer. Mebbe I'll give apple chips a shot!
That split up pretty nice for you. Wish I got enough wood in quantity to produce as many TJV "Grade A" splits.
Does Bradford pear have thorns? Had two at home when I was young, but I don't remember then being thorny. There is some kind of tree behind the garage here...it was a sapling when we moved in and I cut it down. It resprouted and now is probably 15 ft tall. It has thorns, not as nasty/sharp as a locust but bad enough. I stepped on one in the dark last week out there checking electric fence. Dam thing went up through my walmart croc and into my toe. That SOB is gonna get cut down.....
