Bunzena

I think the bacteria lives in the salivary gland of the tick - not it's gut. This is why it's vital to remove the head. If that is still attached then the bacteria can migrate into the wound and cause the infection. But, agreed, it has to be done properly and as soon as. I've got a 'tick-key' bought online that has instructions engraved on it - so even a numpty like me can't forget. And - as many people have said, you need a GP that's aware and prepared to prescribe the antibiotic. Alternatively - just insist. Just another thing to be vigilant about - along with scammers and stealth taxes.....

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Smart meters. Then tax the electricity specifically used to charge vehicles.

One of the very last, great, radio DJs.

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Long shot - but California Bay? Umbellularis californica.

Cage traps all day long. Round here squirrels seem most active just after dawn and in the late afternoon and a trap is never off duty. Catching 30-40+ a year and this does make a dent in the local population. I will also shoot using an air rifle [.22] but they are quite wary and hard to get close to. Takes a lot of time and trouble and it's not many added to the total. Like GarethM have tried the CO2 cartridge traps and had absolutely no luck with them

Thanks Nepia - drilling a hole to drain the water is a really great idea. Thank you.

Thanks Peds - more pictures attached. Reassuring that Apples are tough!

"Inherited" and old apple tree that's had a major branch cut off a while ago. The junction has now rotted back to create a significant hole just above (and now into) the main trunk. The hole fills up with rainwater and is rotting further - causing a black 'dead' track on the trunk itself. Doesn't look good. Tree is around 4 meters high, trunk is only 20 cm in diameter - hole is around 8-10 cm deep. We'd like to try and preserve the tree for as long as possible (has sentimental value) - so wondering what - if anything - could be done to help. Fill the hole? Cover the hole? Further surgery? Any ideas - gratefully received. Thanks.

I've got a pair of Timberland branded AV gloves - had them about 10 years. Still available online. They're padded and weighted and assume they work on a similar principle to the handlebar grips and weights that motorcycle handlebars use. Do they work? Yes - sort of. They seem to reduce some of the higher frequency vibration but it's not night and day. As an absolute guess it feels as if it's down by 25-30%. They are thick, they are hot - so only get used very occasionally with machinery that vibrates a lot. Mainly a two-wheeled tractor that's got a large, 'vibratey' single cylinder engine. If you've got £70-80 to blow - might be worth a try. If I lost mine - would I buy again? Not really sure.

So what do I mean by TLC at the start? That mulching - needs to be nice and deep. Maybe deeper than I can see on the photo. Keep it away from the base/union - and top-up regularly. Keep it well watered. In the summer - depending on conditions - at least once a week or more often. A thorough soak of the root-ball and the soil around and further out to encourage the roots to spread. If it's in scorching hot sun - consider some shading for the first year or so. This can be a real faff - but it's something we do if we start to see leaf-tips browning. We erect a bit of shade fabric on some stakes to give that shade. I would also keep it staked. I know you've removed the stake - but it's a tall tree with [what looks like] a small root-ball. It needs enough support in the short-term for those roots to bed-in. I'd drive a short, stout stake in at 45 degrees near the base and then tie/strap it in there. This will leave the majority of the stem to whip around in the wind - and the base nice and anchored. The trunk will then stiffen and grow properly - and the roots will be able to do their stuff.

To be really pernickety - this is not a Japanese Maple [japonicum, dissectum, palmatum, etc.] - it's Acer rubrum 'Redpointe'. In my experience, it's a good deal more robust than most true Japanese Maples. So you could deal with the roots as you see fit - and it should cope okay. However - I'd just leave it. There's a lot of misinformation about Acers and problems with girdling. Almost all Japanese Maples sold in retail are in pots that are too small. As Stubby points out - they are typically very pot bound. So this sort of root issue is very common. None of the ones I've bought that have root systems like yours have succumbed. They may need a little more TLC at the start - but that's all. Instead, make sure it is well staked and well mulched up to the edge of the ring of stones you've planted it in. That way any new fibrous roots will spread out and the tree should be fine. It should go on to make a beautiful specimen.

We use Eufy. No subscription and easy setup and to use. We have the older 2K system and it's been pretty faultless over the past 3/4 years. Cameras, indoor movement sensors and window/door monitors - all good. Phone app is easy to use and allows a good deal of clever customisation. The base station comes with [I think] 32GB of storage [enough for tons of clips] and has good wireless range. Often deals available on Am4zon

Our local church uses four legged mowers covered in wool....

That'll be a Euro 5 Diesel then 😉

98% of cars compliant now - but tighter restrictions will be introduced in waves in due course. The aim is to 'nudge' everyone into electric vehicles or public transport across London ASAP. And that's why those cameras aren't seen as a waste of money. Won't be too long before anything Euro 4 will be 'outlawed'.

Just following up on your questions: How deep to dig? As said - probably 18 - 30 inches. Acer roots are pretty fibrous so you can be fairly brutal. Prune the day before? That would work. Whether you need to prune or not is debatable. Personally I would, just to lessen the stress on the tree once it comes into leaf. The tree looks like Acer palmatum dissectum Seiryu to me - and they are pretty robust in my experience and relatively fast growing. It will probably stall for a year or two and then [hopefully] grow back rapidly. One alternative to heavy pruning we've used in the past is to erect a wooden 'cage' around a tree and use shade netting to reduce wind and sun-stress. That time last year it already had buds which started to open. Would that still be okay or too late? It needs to be moved before bud-break. Two weeks before would be about right. If we have a wet and cold spring, then delay a bit - if it's mild and dry - I'd move early. So your local ground/soil conditions matter most. Watering? It may rain a lot where you are but it will still need to be kept moist. Especially in summer. As already said - make sure it's in a rich loamy soil with plenty of drainage. Worth bearing in mind that a containerised tree this size from a nursery would cost a pretty packet so it's worth a bit of TLC. 😉

We've moved some of our Japanese maples nearly, but not quite as big as this with a reasonable success rate. I'd agree with Dan - aiming for a root ball of 4-5 feet should be okay. They are usually pretty shallow rooted - so that should help. I'd also prune it back [fairly hard] before you start - reducing the canopy is important. 50% is what I'd aim for. I'd certainly move it when it's dormant - but I'd probably leave it until later February or even early March. We've found the real risk is moving large Acers when the ground is wet and cold. They pick up fungal infections [Phytophthora] and then they die. So moving it when the weather is improving - but a few weeks before leaf-break is important. Make sure the new spot has some good compost and drainage added - then keep it well watered for at least the next 12 months. Then cross your fingers. 😉

Love the expressions! Great work!

Wow. There really are some scum out there.

Thanks tree beard! Never knew that! Guess the particular rootstock used for this tree was one of those. Every day is a school day....

We bought and planted a range of Apple, Pear and Plum trees around 12 years ago. All came from a well-know UK nursery as 2-3 year old maidens and bushes. We had a lot of issues with the order and would never use that particular nursery ever again. Just one of the problems is that most of the trees were supplied on the wrong rootstocks - something we only discovered after a few years and they started exceeding their maximum sizes. I have just got around to removing some suckers from the base of one of the Pears. I have left this late [my fault] - and some of the suckers are 1-2 feet high. But what amazed me is that on one particular Pear is that the suckers are covered in thorns. Long - like a Hawthorn or Blackthorn. Does anyone have an idea on why this might be? The suckers are unquestionably coming from the rootstock - below the graft union - but above the level of the soil. Thanks in advance.