Bunzena

In my experience, Japanese Maples don't seem to like the soil piled-up against the main trunk. We have a collection of nearly a hundred in the ground that were all originally in pots. We took care to make sure that none were planted deeper in the soli than the level they were in those pots. However a few inevitably ended-up deeper and they did seem to struggle. If you had added too much mulch - that just might be an issue. As an aside - a small amount of pine bark is fine - and that Acers don't mind the minor acidity that brings. Just not loads. The colour change that occurs with fungal die-back is only evident to the bark before it thickens and becomes woody. New stem growth or last years stem growth that may well be green or light brown on the variety you have. So you'll have to get up into the tree or remove a section high up. It's not evident lower down on the old wood. Generally the branch starts to develop a brownish, reddish or yellowing tinge to the stem that then travels downwards as the infection is being fought by the tree over a period of a few weeks. Once you see it - you'll know it. If die-back is due to something more mechanical [such as frost damage or desiccation] then this colour seems to be absent. The tricky bit is that you have to catch the colour change as it happens. Once the branch is dead - it will all look brown. I've uploaded an example of a fungal problem, the indicative colour change and the dieback. Hope this helps.

I agree that it's not in the best position for a Japanese Maple. Although I can't be absolutely sure about the variety - it looks like an Amoenum group 'type'. In my experience these aren't the biggest fans of direct sun with their delicate leaves. Likewise, the planting medium/position looks pretty tough - set, as it is, in a block paving circle with a slightly raised soil level. However, this is a very mature tree and has clearly been happy enough to reach this size despite the exposure and any other factors. And the leaf tips don't show any signs of scorch or browning. The fist sign of sun/wind damage. Instead - it looks like 'die-back' - where whole branches just die-back to a point on the main stem. This isn't uncommon on Japanese Maples and could have a number of causes. Here in the UK where we live - this could be frost damage. Recently late and sharp frosts when our Acers are coming into leaf have had this affect on a small number of trees. Leaves are hit and then branches can die-back to the main stem. The second cause could be fungal/bacterial infection - which, again, is common in Acers that are under stress. Stress perhaps caused by a recent hot [and windy] summer, maybe pollutants running off from your drive into the soil, lack of water or a change in soil level around the tree. Ironically it also be caused by too much water. Many Acers are mountain trees and like moisture - but free draining soil too. Once stressed, the most likely culprit here would be Phytophthora or Verticillium. One way to check would be to look at one of the affected branches and see if there is a colour change of the younger bark, near the top and near the die-back. If so this is a good indication of fungal infection. If that is the case then the best approach is to remove the branch right back to the main stem. I will also treat the cut surfaces with a fungicide to try and prevent further spread. In the past using an old-fashioned, copper-based product has worked best. If Phytophthora or Verticillium progress too far into the vascular system - you may lose the tree entirely. So be prepared to be ruthless with some pruning if this diagnosis is correct. Alongside all this I'd also look to give the tree an easier life. Check you aren't under/over watering. Maybe remove some of the soil and top-dress. Perhaps open-up that locked-in circle of stone it lives in. Hope some of these suggestions might help.

As a biker this video made me think about the best way to fix a tubeless tyre... This Tire Plug Can Kill You – How to Best Fix a Flat - YouTube

My experience of generators is you definitely get what you pay for. After many false starts with cheapies, now have a Honda EU2i and it's brilliant. They are expensive to buy - but hold their value if you ever come to sell it. Spares are easy to get, they are easy to service, quiet running, nothing ever seems to go wrong and it always starts without hassle. There is a very similar model made by Yamaha that's also very good - but it's a similar price to the Honda.

Mastermind beckons....

We've tried a few over the years - including Swann - and settled on a system from Eufy. So far [2+ years] - can't fault it. It connects into your home/work WiFi system and stores footage locally on a base station. So critically, there are no subscriptions to pay for and no storage in the cloud. You can buy any number of additional items [cameras, door/window switches, internal monitors] and they all seem to integrate easily into the base system. No wires, good range and - so far - no false alarms. You can monitor the cameras over the internet remotely via an app on your phone. It can even alert you when there's someone at the front door and you can talk to them using one of the cameras. You can turn the alarm on or off - and even re-programme it remotely. Normally I hate these things - but it just works. It can be made to work simply - for example, just turn the alarm on and off from the phone. Or it can be set-up to do all sorts of clever things. It can be divided into zones or even arm or disarm itself automatically based on a time schedule [at night]. It can even be automatically set to arm itself when you leave the house and disarm when you come home. I found it very simple to set-up - I had the basic system up and running within an hour. Amazon often have good deals for a base station and two cameras. The one downside? Through the phone App - Eufy do try and sell you additional stuff on a regular basis. I simply ignore it - but, I'm told - you can talk to their customer service and they will stop sending messages/offers to you. Hope this helps.

Cortisone injections are a balancing act. If there's a chance you can sort out your elbow using physio - that's the first port of call. If it's too painful and you can't do the necessary physio - then a cortisone injection can get you back to the point where physio can help. As Mark says above. It sounds as if that's where you are. Make sure whoever does the injection knows what they are doing - i.e. they have done it a few times before. My wife had an injection a few years ago - from a GP - who wasn't that experienced. She developed some atrophy and wasting of the muscle and tissue in her arm. The specialist told us that this might have been because the injection was administered improperly. Hope you get it all sorted.

I have the DUR368 trimmer, also the DUH651 hedge trimmer and the DUC353 chainsaw. I am pretty sure the DUX 60 powerhead is based on the same 'guts' as the DUR368. My experience of Makita is good. The DUR368 has moderate power [enough for 15 inch grass and light brambles] and two batteries last about the same as a tank of 2-stroke on an equivalent machine. It is so much quieter and lighter to use. It is quite sensitive to the line and head you use. Lighter [2mm] is the way to go for most - but I do have other thicker varieties for tougher tasks in the shed. I bought the strimmer, the hedge trimmers and the chainsaw as occasional backup. But I'm using all three much, much more than I expected. To be honest it also goes with working a little differently. Maybe starting jobs a little earlier in the growing season than I had before because the battery kit is a fraction less capable. No hardship there - just takes a little more planning. At least four Makita batteries and a double charger are pretty essential too. The 5 amp batteries are a decent compromise between cost and longevity. Occasionally one of the online tool retailers will have a deal where you can effectively get a free Makita drill/impact driver/etc. with two batteries - for less then the price of those batteries. Hope this helps.

Brilliant video! Thank you. It looks from the heap of spoil as if you might just be into some heavy looking clay at the bottom of the pit. If so - then the performance of the knocker looks pretty decent.

That sounds pretty good. Would really like to see the vid when you have time.

Think the missus would be at me like a banshee when she spotted what I'd done! 😀

Sounds good - let me know how you get on. I was going to say keep us all posted... [sorry, I'll get my coat].

Genius! I have adapted a farm jack [adding a trip leg via a bolt in the top] to pull a post out - but this is so much simpler. Get a patent and go into business! making these!

That looks pretty nifty. I'm off to McVeighs shortly - so may have a word. We're also looking at Clippex for another job. What's your views on it? Is there a learning curve at the start? Any tips? Thanks.

Being a bit of a woos - it's more like 25 than hundreds. I like the idea of an alu maul - will look into it. Good advice - thank you.

We've got a fair few rotten fence posts to replace over the coming month. It amounts to around 1 in 8 of the those on a long established post and rail fence. I'm hopping to be able to remove the old posts and replace with new ones without taken down the stock fence itself. Obviously access will be a little tricky. Access with a traditional post knocker will be limited by the position of the stock fence. My question is this. Has anyone used petrol-power post knockers and are they any good? There's a real range of prices out there. So are some simply rubbish and others up to the task? The ground is soft and pretty clear of stones/rocks. And obviously there's an existing hole of sorts to drive into. If I was 20 years younger I'd simply get at the maul and get to work - but I'm not! Thanks in advance.

I'm afraid I agree with Dan. Dogwood would normally drop it's leaves - the fact that the leaves haven't fallen suggests that the tree is dead. Try snapping a twig/small branch. If it's got any green just under the back - there's a chance. If it's brown and dry - it's already gone to tree heaven. Sorry.

Pictures 1, 3 and 4 look a bit like field maple. Pale wood with rutted back. But can't get a real sense of scale. Might be a bit big for that...

Ditto - looks like American Cherry to me.

That sounds positive - even if it's expensive. It's definitely time to look after yourself. The recent advances in sports medicine have been amazing - and now that's trickling down to us mortals. They may well be able to put you back together without filling your body with chunks of metal. Stay positive. Just don't be tempted to do too much too soon.

Jeez. I wish all the customers who moan about a few bob on a quote could read this. Arb work is hard work and it grinds you down in the end. Really hope you can get this all sorted. Sounds bloody miserable. Two bits of advice I'd give. One is to fight to get a really good physio/consultant through your GP. You need someone going in to bat for you on this. Staying on those kind of painkillers long-term is really tough and might just mask the pain so you end up doing more damage. A lot more can be done through surgery and physio than ten years ago. Second - you're going to have to rest it, whatever.

'Scum' is too polite a word.

Loose clothing, propane torch and sandals. What could possibly go wrong? I thought the lathe operator had more hair at the end - until I realised it was lengths of alloy swarf sticking to his head. It's not like this on Wheeler Dealers. Credit for what they can achieve though...

That's stunning. It's a personal preference - but I think that log would look incredible as a wider boards. I know others would disagree. It will make a really striking floor. Just keep an open-mind and maybe have a little experiment before you finally decide. I've even seen mixed widths used together and that can look really effective too. There are no rules when it's your own timber!

If they have experience - I think I'd also get them to do it too. It's still your wood. I find bought-in Oak can be a bit uniform. You'll have a chance to select all the lovely characterful bits [Cats Paws, etc]. I think it will be sensational when it's finished.