Question
The heavy snows have caused an old scots pine(planted 1983'ish# to drop a 9 inch diameter, high limb #some 10 feet of the ground# and this has pulled a concave cavity out of the bole, with the central branch core going back possibly half way into the diameter of the trunk. The Tree has a private garden wall some 6 feet behind it #now the heavier side# and a drive and parking space in front of it. Is it safe to leave the weakened tree because it is a resinous wood which will resist rot, Can you practically cavity fill to help slow rot and keep the fine specimen for a while longer, or must Health and Safety #and probably common sense# win the day.

Answer
Pines exude a sap that will heal over wounds and not allow decay fungi to enter. To allow the wound to heal faster and cleaner I would remove any broken part of the limb and try cut the stubs of the wound smooth where it meets the trunk. This will allow the tree to heal over the wound are. Even if decay fungi gets into the wound the decay process is very slow and the over all health of the tree will not be greatly effected by the fungi. Over many years the trunk could become hollow and lose some of its strength. To off set this I would fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rat of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in goo. If you fertilize just before a rain storm you will not need to water. I feel the tree will be there for many many years to come.