I have around 6 trees, roughly 4-8" diameter, that I’ve cut down, and bucked the larger parts into firewood. These were a mix of crab apple, bradford pear, and crepe myrtle.
I now have the branches (mostly 1.5" or smaller) in a big pile in the back yard.
I’m also considering cutting down the two 8" dia bradford pears in my front and bucking them into firewood as well.
I’m hoping to either find a reasonably priced rental for a wood chipper. I don’t think those 110V chippers you can sometimes find at Lowes will do it, but I also don’t have room between my detached garage and house to back the truck with one of the large tow-behind types.
Anyone have any suggestions? I can’t fathom needing anything but the smaller gas powered chippers, 5-6hp. But the only rentals I can find are over $100 for 4 hours, and they’re all tow-behind models rather than portable.
Also bear with me, this is the first yard I’ve ever owned so I’m a bit out of my salsa in finding the appropriate size chipper. I’ve basically clearcut what few “weed” trees were here (bad locations, or ugly trees) and will replant with stuff that will earn it’s keep (fruit trees, grape vines, and of course, catalpa).
Why not just pile them up and burn them?
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
do you need the mulch? Otherwise, can’t you just drag them out to the street and leave them for the county to pick up?
Crab apple and pear wood is good for using in smokers. Branches are perfect for chunking up to smoke with.
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quote:
Originally posted by Cracker Larry
Why not just pile them up and burn them?
Both yards are too small to do this safely, at least with my burning experience.
quote:
Originally posted by sea tonic
do you need the mulch? Otherwise, can’t you just drag them out to the street and leave them for the county to pick up?
Yes, the mulch will be put to good use. That, and mulching it in the back yard will take far less effort than dragging them around the house, I have a narrow space between the detached garage and house to drag them through, and the truck won’t fit… I might (maybe) be able to drag them through with the lawn tractor without goring up the front of the garage lol.
This is plan B.
quote:
Originally posted by bmarvil
Crab apple and pear wood is good for using in smokers. Branches are perfect for chunking up to smoke with.
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Yes it is indeed. I have a good bit of the hardwood bucked for this (at least, the crabapple). I was going to chip up the apple first (the bigger sticks) and save those chips for smoking smaller things like leg quarters.
I’ve not read good reports online of using bradford pear for smoking. Have you tried this?
… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.
I have used bradford pear but you need to pair it with some maple or some other “sweet” wood. Straight pear wood will have a bit of an unpleasant tartness. You can also do pear soaked in 100% apple juice or diluted maple syrup. I have heard watered down molasses will also do the trick but I have not tried it.
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I saved a lot of the crabapple, I’m going to pass on the bradford. In fact I’m not even sure what variety “bradford” this was, it was loaded with 1-3" long thorns. I’m 100% sure that the bark, leaves, and tiny fruit were identical to the bradford pears in my front yard (not cut down…yet), but this one had freaking thorns in it.
I dug around online, and one explanation is that bradfords can sometimes cross-pollinate with other pears, and the resulting saplings often revert to having thorns. There are legit edible-pear type trees in my neighborhood, so perhaps there’s something to this.
… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.
Ive never heard or seen of a pear tree with thorns. I’ve got some Bradford pear trees, they are just decorative shade trees and don’t make pears, but they don’t have thorns. Got some other pears right beside them, Moon Glow I think they are called, good eating soft pears, no thorns. That’s weird. Grapefruit and lemons have some serious thorns though.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose