famartin, about 25 years ago I was at a local nursery and was given 4 Bradford whips that I took to be one year from cuttings. I planted them in different places with NO pruning. All grew exactly like Bradfords do, with a congested bunch of limbs at about 3 feet. Interestingly once they initially branched, they then grew straight up. I still have 3 in good shape after all those years. The nurseries don't have to 'prune' Bradfords' to get that green lollipop, they do it all by themselves!

I had a huge, standard apple hit with fire blight around ten years ago. I know for a fact it was, because our extension agent was on our property with a group of M.G.s in training and he concurred with my conclusion. It was too large to prune out the affected branches, and I wasn't about to treat it with antibiotic (yes, it can be done). The tree has been free of it every year since. As the last post suggests, there is no way to tell how long or when your trees will decline or just fail, especially from one picture and a description. Yes, taking them all down is a big undertaking and expensive in some localities and our thoughts on it should be just that. Our general opinion on those trees in general. I have seen an ancient one (as far as callery pear goes) what had been standing many years and always enjoyed it in bloom as I drove past the farm on which it was planted. But is was sure shag nasty when it finally did shatter.........and I can't think of a better word to use.........after a storm. If you have doubts before you undertake removal, consult an arborist or your extension agent. If you do decide to remove them, get several quotes. There can be a wide range in fees for tree removal.

I would pinch them off the flowers and allow whatever energy left from the cutting to go toward rooting. Cross your finger and hope the cutting will root before all the store energy used up and the cutting dry up and die. Tony

Yea that smell is plenty bad. Here is something else I noticed. The newest McMansions which are spaced out with identical roofs in one of the most expensive looking gated communities and which is still growing as new houses are added has Callery Pears neatly spaced perfectly along every single street and lined up all along the outer edge of the wall that surrounds the G. C.. On the inner streets are lines of them perfectly spaced, its as if the whole place is done up in them. The only other trees you see are pines. Visually you see this landscaped version and right next to it in the wild part is a thicker than what you would think possible Callery forest, its like a story unfolding showing a timeline of events. Unbelievable. I checked our states list and Callery Pear is on the invasive list but not the banned list. Purple loosestrife is on the banned list, illegal to grow or sell here.