Bunzena

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.

Perfect! Thank you.

Perfect - thank you. Any makes, brands that are any better? Are all they all much the same?

We run a couple of Shindaiwa strimmer/brushcutters. Both 10+ years old - but they just keep going on and on - so no plans to replace them soon. We've always used Shindaiwa OEM blades - but they are nearly impossible to find now. Looking for any recommendations on alternatives. We're normally dealing with grass and brambles - occasionally land with saplings. Thank you.

Couldn't agree more. Was at a Timber Merchants a few years back - making an order with one of 'the old boys' in the yard. He had a young trainee working with him. He offered the lad something "he'd grown in his garden" from a paper bag he was carrying. "What's this?" he said - wrinkling his nose suspiciously. "Never seen one of those before". "A plum" said the older guy. We're too worried about teaching kids it's okay to identify as a cat than the things that really matter in life. Now where's my soapbox? 🤐

I had a lot of Makita battery tools - so adding a few extra - like a chainsaw, brushcutter/strimmer and hedge trimmer - made sense. All are 2 x 18v versions. None are quite as powerful as their 'equivalent' Stihl 2-stroke products [which I also have] - but they do have other virtues. Lighter, low maintenance, quieter, cheaper to run. So get used for different jobs. Hedge trimmer much less pressure on the arms at height, brushcutter/strimmer quieter to use when close to neighbours, chainsaw quieter and easier for more people to use. In truth - they work for 90% of the jobs I do. Using two 5 ah batteries and they last almost as long as a tank of Aspen. Also in nearly 10 years of use - had to replace none of the batteries - yet. [I always keep them charged-up - never let them run completely flat]. On balance - I'm very happy. Likely that dedicated Stihl or Husky battery products are better [?] - but had already bought into the Makita system. Do I think that the difference between Makita and Stihl will be night and day? Doubtful. I also have a Makita mains electric chainsaw - and that never gets used anymore. It's more powerful [and really torquey] - but it's surprising heavy and I just hate the cord. I wouldn't bother with a Makita battery blower as it does eat batteries [when I borrowed one - this is what I found too]. Not convinced by any of the Makita battery mowers yet, either. But then I don't cut grass every week so my mowers have to tackle longer grass. But that may change in time. With the Makita brushcutter/strimmer I experimented with replacement heads and different grades and brands of cord until I found one that worked really well. That also makes a difference. I also noticed a difference between the brushed and brushless versions of the tools. So that's worth thinking about if buying and if have a choice - go brushless.

Wow.

Seem to have accumulated a 'fleet' of different sanders over the years. Half-sheet, detail, belt etc. Use a Bosch Orbital sander - GEX 150AC that is brilliant. Built like a tank. With Mirka sanding discs it's very effective. The GEX 125 might be a better bet for more detailed work?

A compressor was never top of my tool list - until I got one. Amazing how useful they are. Have a 'silent' one from Toolstation. They occasionally put them on offer at a price closer to £150. Not the cheapest out there - but genuinely very quiet. 24 litres is about as small as I would go - otherwise it's constantly re-filling. Budget for an in-line oiler if you plan to use it with air-tools that have moving parts. Einhell 24L 1hp Silent Upright Air Compressor 230V | Toolstation WWW.TOOLSTATION.COM • 1hp oil free silent motor • 24 litre air receiver • Air displacement: 4.8 cfm • Max operating pressure 8 bar • Includes: Carry handle The Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent compressor...

I think it's very difficult to get a hard and fast answer to this question. I recently saw a small test run by a UK motorcycle magazine, where they tested E5, E10 and 'no ethanol' fuels - with and without stabiliser. At the end they concluded that there was no clear differences in how the engines ran or started across the sample. I switched to Aspen a few years ago - and I had one piece of kit [a Stihl Auger] start third pull after sitting for three plus years with the same fuel in the tank. I did once use fuel stabiliser in a petrol mower over the winter and that was a *&%$£ to start in the spring. So who knows. I do wonder if there's a correlation between careful owners that are more likely to use a stabiliser - and it's that that gives a false impression?

Mick - that's a very good shout. Did wonder if it might be something else as the shape is a bit more 'irregular' and a bit more conical.

Hi Been lucky enough to spend a few days in the Italian Dolomites and came across this tree - planted in a town setting. About 12 metres tall, with a very slim conical habit. Anyone point me towards an ID? Thank you.

Thanks Nepia - very helpful. Which Maples?

Need some advice. There's a large Beech hedge [5-6 m tall] that I normally cut in August. The aim is to ensure it holds leaf throughout the winter. Is it too late to cut it now? [Top and sides]. Or will it simply drop it's leaves? Thank you.

That last offcut would grace the wall of a top London art gallery. It's beautiful.

Our 16 year old HRX Honda has a plastic/composite deck. No rust, no cracks - despite some real punishment throwing up hidden chunks of stone and gravel when mowing.

New or secondhand? Will it be garaged or have to live outside? I had a little play with a Yamaha XSR125 not long ago. It was a really nice bike - with a slightly retro feel. Not too heavy, could easily flat foot it at a standstill and handled pretty well too. Good dealer network and they seem to hold their value well secondhand as they are in demand. I got the equivalent of 130 to the gallon on a short test ride - but the engine was remarkably perky, given the low horsepower. Could definitely keep up with the traffic in town and not bad out of it. The Chinese 125s are getting better but I think they still have a little way to come. Lots of extras - but the durability of parts and fixings can be a problematic if the bike has to live outside and be used in all weathers. Keep in mind the cost of decent kit [helmet, jacket, boots, gloves] - as part of the costs - unless you already have them. And you'll definitely need a decent lock and/or security chain. That could easily add another few hundred pounds to the bill. Agree that the KTM Duke is a lovely bike - but the purchase price and smaller dealer network might count against it. Thing is to try a few - most dealers are pretty helpful.