nepia

VID-20240722-WA0000.mp4

That's a relief! All the best 🤞

Very sorry to hear Mark; what a kicker. What does your future hold do you think? Jon

I wouldn't touch it with anything sharp; leave it. The roots and stem will strengthen themselves as long as the staking allows a little movement; flexing is crucial to strengthening. That is a seriously wispy specimen though; presumably you got it on the reduced?!

What should happen - and has to me - is that you inform your insurers who treat the matter as a claim at the time. Come renewal time you get hit with a higher premium because of that claim (unless your policy allows for a claim with no hurt to your premium as some do). When, after many moons, your insurers are satisfied that nobody - that's you and the other party - is actually making a claim against them - they'll reimburse all the extra cost. Too good to be true? Well I'm no fan of the insurance industry - it's morally bankrupt - but it has happened to me.

There is a member (that doesn't seem to post any more) who was interested in large pop stems for just that purpose! He is Southampton way I seem to remember Have just seen another thread with the guy's moniker - gensetsteve

We have had an exceptional many months of rain that has been the end of many plants so there may not be such a 'problem' with the laurels other than the weather. If you want to persist with what you have I agree with the suggestion of mulching. Otherwise perhaps replace them with something else - Lawsons Cypress maybe.

His family are billionaires (is that right?) and he doesn't come across as a megalomaniac; I don't get why he took the job in the first place. I guess he's tried it and is saying to himself '**** this for a game of soldiers - I'm off' but is too proud to resign so needs voting out. He's done that very, very well.

That's professional level stuff; is that what you do? It's brilliant

Well if leaves are looking darker than before I'd guess the thing's breathing a huge sigh of relief at being out of the nutrient-starved bucket and is about to burst into growth. I'd be worried if leaves were turning brown and dropping but it sounds like the reverse is true. I hope I'm right here as it would make a nice change from the usual vein of similar threads where the explanation to the poster's question is 'it's probably dying'! You seem to have done everything right; just look at that luuurvely mulch 😊

Lazy boi's Swedish candle!

Sorry to hear Eggs. Never had it myself thank goodness but seen it in others and the effects are obvious. I can only suggest as some of the above which are known to work often though probably not always: hard exercise definitely as it releases endorphins which are feelgood chemicals produced by your body. As an aside to that I used to run non-competitively but still pretty hard - 8 miles in 45-50 minutes for example. After cooling down and having a shower I felt on top of the world; my mind was buzzing in a good way and my body felt purged - refreshed. Diet also is a factor: alcohol; yeurgh! I can't say I know how you feel but I think you're going to have to take a deep breath and say **** it; I'm going dry for a bit, avoiding processed crap food and doing some hard exercise. Doesn't need to be running; anything that makes you sweat hard and leaves you puffing will do. Good step btw opening up about it; that has to help. All the best to you; it can't be nice Jon

Defo Euro hornet

That's what I thought but what look initially like an ovipositor is actually a leg when you compare to other pics. I think. Personally I'd say @peds suggestion was better