Split pecan tree

[BarbK]

We had a native pecan tree which formed a crotch about ten feet from the ground which we, unfortunately, didn't even notice until this past year. It had grown a plentiful crop of pecans, making the limbs heavy. In the summer during some high winds, the tree split, and one half blew down. When the pecans were almost ready to fall, the other half started to droop and would also have fallen. We cut it off instead, leaving a tall stump about five feet tall and about ten inches in diameter. I'm hoping it will sprout this spring and we can remove all but the choice limb to form a new center and grow into a tree again. My question is: Should we have cut this tree off at an angle (to help keep it dry in rain)? We cut it off flat to make the wound as small as possible, but now I worry that it won't "heal" properly.

[The Ent]

Tough call without actually seeing it.

Just keep an eye on it and hope for the best for now. If you notice any problems, tree trunk goop can be a good protective agent for a while.

[BarbK]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I sure don't want to lose the tree completely if I can keep from it.