nepia

...but book your trip; they're not fond of people turning up out of the blue, unless things have changed recently.

Nice idea but he's in the wrong country!

Wrong winch entirely. We will be referring to a Tirfor winch or similar but don't buy one - they're hundreds of pounds. You can easily hire one. I'll send you a pm with my mobile so we can sort you in fell swoop! And you're not near East Surrey are you?!

I'm no hippy - waaay too old - but I like that a lot.

..completely agree. Forearms etc heal overnight. Man up!!

If you've got the patience, don't mind the work (which seems to be the case!) and there are stone/rock issues get yourself a mattock and keep the smaller cutting blade sharp. Use the wide hacking blade for stones and soil, the cutting blade for the roots. Remember that the further from the trunk you cut the roots the smaller they'll be. But a 30" tree is still a fair stump to dig out by hand: any chance of getting a winch onto it as well? If you can cut a big root a couple of feet from the trunk the stub could be your attachment point to get a bit of leverage. Every little helps... Where are you - nowhere near me I hope as I wouldn't want to get involved!

Give 'em my details for the hedge trimming year after next!

My cousin started with a 60 acre dairy farm near Tiverton that he bought fresh out of Uni in 1968. He's bought and rented land since so has 221 acres now. He's raised four kids, has eight grandchildren and has been virtually penniless the whole time: he would never have survived at all financially if it had't been for a large bequest from his late wife's father 20 odd years ago. Does this give an indication of the potential reward from conventional farming?! Jon

Have a look through http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/35225-fiskars-wood-splitting-axe-swansea.html?highlight=fiskars

...made my day that! Excellent...

Lovely couple of FBs on that one!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCmlxhVLtjY]Entec treebusta in action - YouTube[/ame]

That machine on ebay is a resprayed Entec Treebusta - a brilliant machine. I've got one (made 1997) as have several on here. Mine's the 13hp Kohler-engined one; there are some 15hp machines about. Weight; 218kg for mine. If you're planning to drag it across fields you may want two but better to have it on a small trailer behind a quad or similar. They are very simple machines that will easily handle a 3" log, can manage a 4" but 5"...? The chip gets thrown out of the side onto the ground. Have no doubt that it would be more than man enough for a few hedge prunings, small brush etc. Oh - it was designed to go through garden gates. Jon

Woodland..? Hamadryad..? Woodland..? Hamadryad..? There's only one way to find out...

Oil. Fraxinus is a genus in the Oleacae family, which also contains lilac and olive.

Hope the guys weren't fighting over it - or anything else:blushing: Be ready for all those black rubber bits to be gone by Friday but that's not a problem. Agreed re ATS (Horsham) Treedom; v helpful. Jon

The info I got from a local garden machinery specialist was that Mountfield on their own were great - rugged with metal bodies etc - but some years ago an Italian company bought them. Enter the age of plastic... not what they were I'm afraid. The same guy highly rates Honda.

Like it (but then I'm easily pleased)

Cousin Jack you have a very loud voice - either that or you're telepathic: I was at the place today and the decision has been made to stop spending £3k a year on annual seed :w00t:and to go native perennial! Well done mate - The Force is strong in this one!

I trimmed a leyland hedge a few years ago that, as told to the client, had brown patches afterwards due to the harshness with which I had been instructed to cut. Sure enough Halfords had the answer in aerosol form.

Alec The Apple - that's really helpful; thank you. I'm helped in this case by the fact that the tree has historically been well maintained so has a balanced and open structure; it's the mass of small stuff that was attached to it that was the problem I hope, caused by lack of management over the last 7 or 8 years I'd guess. I have probed a bit into the recent house occupancy but the place is split into flats so I think the tree's been lucky to have had any management. As far as you can age a garden apple by looking at it (!) I'd say it was 40-70 years old; mature but by no means past it, not in terms of pure age anyway. A-mulching I shall go. Thank you all. Jon

Yeah, that possibility had occurred to me Tony but the density of fruiting spurs could also explain that surely. I think the long and the short of it here is that I'm unlikely to do any harm giving it a go. I'm just glad you didn't come back with 'no way'! Thanks, Jon

Thought I had this brilliant idea (mulching) sorted as a no brainer for a struggling tree but now I'm so konfoosed. I have a mature but small apple in a lawn that's essentially come to a grinding halt: little new growth, stagnant existing growth, some deadwood (until 3 weeks ago) but still very much alive. As well as deadwooding it in mid Feb I quite severely spur-pruned it as the crown was a tangled mass of fruiting spurs - far too many for a less-than-vigorous root system to sustain and indeed I was told that last year the tree produced a huge crop of small fruit, many of which dropped prematurely. So I thought 'mulch it - can't go wrong'. But should I? I still think the tree stands to lose nothing by my doing it but how do I tell if it's the best thing? Does it make a difference what tree species of chip I use? I've got a supply of semi-composted mixed species chip waiting (I wouldn't use fresh chip after February) so I'm thinking I'm good to go. I'm itching to give it a go as I still marvel at that picture of David H's Hampstead Heath pear tree in flower; for me it's one of A/T's finest moments. Thanks, Jon

...saw a dead log...?

Many of the horsey set are dead keen on harrowing their leys; they don't seem to worry so much about hooves poaching the ground! Go to a stables and ask them who they use.