Q: We have a redbud tree with an eight inch trunk that has split straight down the middle. Both sides are still very much alive but we are wondering if we should cut one side completely off or tie the two sides together to see if they will bond.

A: Use your ingenuity (and some strong neighbors) to pull the two tree halves back together again.

Wrap rope about the trunk temporarily while you go to the hardware store to purchase three one-half inch diameter bolts of an appropriate length plus six wide washers and six nuts.

Use a one-half inch electrician’s bit to drill three equally spaced holes through the tree trunk halves. Put a washer under the head of each bolt, push it through the tree, add another washer and secure two nuts onto it. When you have all three bolts tightened in place, remove the rope.

The two tree halves won’t graft back together but your redbud will probably live several more years just fine.