john k

Thanks all. I guess I’ll leave it until the spring and then take it right back to the main stems. It doesn’t fruit as such, but does sometimes have what look like embryonic olives that don’t develop more than a few mm diameter.

The last course I did was a couple of years ago and included tourniquets. We were told that they are very much back in, mostly because experience from the military over the last decade has shown that they are the best way of dealing with potentially catastrophic bleeding. Not much call for them in your average workplace, but I think they should be standard in forestry and arb first aid kits.

This olive tree has been in my garden for about 12 years, and previously was in a tub for another 5 or 6. It’s now bigger than we want and casting too much shade on the lawn. My tree work is all forestry, and my normal range of options for a tree are either fell it or leave it alone so I could do with some advice! I’d like to establish it as a pollard that can easily be managed in future. How hard can I prune it without killing it or putting it into terminal decline? Do I need to wait until after the winter?

My understanding is that if it’s about the towing vehicle then actual weight applies. However if it’s about driver licensing then it’s the maximum allowed weight that counts.

Seasoning = drying. All you need to do to prepare firewood is to reduce its moisture content. Left in the round this happens slowly, split into logs it happens quicker. If you’re using a kiln then the lower the moisture content when the wood goes into the kiln the less time it takes to get to your target moisture content. There’s nothing mystic about it.

You’re welcome

The fact that you’re asking this question suggests that you don’t have a lot of experience of production cutting. If this is the case then you’re likely to be much slower than the figures that Big J is quoting, and you may struggle to keep it up even at a lower speed for a long day. There’s a big difference between being able to fell trees and being a productive forestry cutter. If you are new to this type of work then you may find that it doesn’t pay very well while you get up to speed.

Yes, all it needs is a small screwdriver. I’m guessing you’ve got it back together but lost the spring tension. Here’s a video that might be helpful: https://youtu.be/XZVs27hyp0s Edit: I’ve reread your post and realised you can’t get the cover back on. Better post a picture for us so we can see what’s going on.

In my experience the jacks are quick and easy on stuff that is awkward but not too challenging. They’re particularly handy on trees that are too small to use wedges properly but too big to push over. I’d still prefer a winch on bigger or more heavily leaning trees even though it’s slower.

Back to the original question, I use Thermos Ultimate and Thermos Work Series flasks. They are excellent and you’ll still need to drink your third brew carefully so you don’t burn your mouth!

Are the suppliers struggling to meet their contracts then? It can’t make sense to sell processor sized timber for the price of low grade chip wood.

Surely Estover aren’t paying the same price for this as a firewood merchant would though?

Now that’s a good idea!

I’ve used one a fair bit and it’s a handy tool to have around. On the right trees it works really well but if you are over ambitious things can get out of hand quickly. On anything heavy or with a significant lean a winch will be a better (if slower) option. On bigger trees the ground conditions are important as the base can sink into the ground or just slide out if you’re not careful.

No, unfortunately it’s just a fact of life now.