Bradford Pear Question

[treemandan]

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!

Come on now, how can you say that? They are beautiful in bloom, always need worked on and are easy and fun to feed through a chipper.

 

[ATH]

I heard the quote from a state forester in NE Ohio about the Callery Pear:
"They are the super model of trees. Beautiful to look at, but you wouldn't want to live with one and they are going to fall apart at some point" I asked for permission to add: "But, their usefulness can be extended with extensive cosmetic surgery".

 

[trees2]

Bradford Pear Trees

OKKKKKKKKKKKKKK !!

Here I go. I have a housing development that has 149 Bradfords. The developer got a great deal on them back in 1996. I cleared this project back then. Planted them , properly pruned them and maintained them since.In the past 15 years they have grown alot. Lost 2 to a car,1 to a snow plow , 1 from a mistake of a landscaper that thought he was a tree cutter, but then came hurricane Sandy Oct 28, 2012. I know what you are all thinking . SUPRISE , guess what, only lost 6 due to storm damage! Do I love this tree ? Yes I do .However, the nurserymen that grow them could cure the problem early on. This tree provides lots of oxygen to the air, serves it's purpose if maintained properly. By the way , if not pruned properly it would have been a disaster after Sandy. Bradford pears are a pita but also money makers. Every 2 years we prune them . The association pays. Do the math,139 trees x 45 min. each 3 man crew. PAYDAY !

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Zale]

If it takes a three man crew 45 minutes to prune a bradford pear that has been maintained, you might want to talk to your crew about picking up the pace.

 

[ATH]

....Bradford pears are a pita but also money makers. Every 2 years we prune them . The association pays. Do the math,139 trees x 45 min. each 3 man crew. PAYDAY !

Just my 2 cents.

I guess we have different business models. I try hard to do what is best for the client, and they appreciate that enough to hire me again...I don't need to look for reasons to take their money.

I have joked with many that I'll plant one for free if they'll sign an annual maintenance contract... If they still choose Callery pear after knowing all of its liabilities, I'll plant it and be glad to help maintain it. I haven't found one yet who still wanted it after I take the time to teach them. There are plenty of good alternatives out there.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

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.!

OK, you're right. Let's classify Bradford Pears in the same category as all Oaks and Elms. Sure, makes sense,------ maybe in Bizarro World! Yeah, I do think it's far more professional to let a client know that his/her lone tree is not worth saving and to suggest far better alternative plantings, after its removal. This presupposes that the pear is in a condition where saving it makes very little sense. Clients sometimes exaggerate the shape of a given tree, and we see things they don't when it comes to saving it.

 

[treeclimber101]

There is no denial , they are beautiful trees in the spring stretched out along drives . And there are no other type of pear that look as nice .