woodyguy

Like you I love growing trees from seed. I've currently got about 600 trees growing on in my garden in pots reading for planting out this autumn. I'm growing about 140 species and varieties, mainly from seeds, but also cuttings and grafts. I've got the three redwoods growing and like you find them difficult to get going. I had the same problem last year and (if its not vine weevil) found that they dessicated very easily. They grow in very humid conditions in nature and this year I'm doing better by growing them amongst other trees, all very closely packed in. They have no browning and I'm hopeful I've found the answer but am not an expert.

Thanks again. I'm getting a little clearer. To let the wildflowers get established it needs to be uncut from Nov - end of July. Then I get it cut by a contractor, either for small hay bales and sell, or big bales and rot in one corner. After that it will need cutting a couple of times to leave it short over the winter. I've rejected the idea of skimming the top soil as it would take many years to get back to where I am now. For cutting those two times in autumn I will need to remove the cuttings, so a mower is less attractive than a powered scythe and rake up. I'm looking at the Apache m210 which seems a sensible price. Does anybody have any thoughts on these?

I was thinking today how hot my chainsaw trousers were but seeing this reminds me why its worth suffering a little to prevent suffering a lot.

Fair point. I'm not really interested in trying to turn a profit, I just wish to reduce the fertility. So big bale to waste via a contractor is attractive. Like the idea of yellow rattle once in the right direction.

Alder is only good under water, rots quickly out of water. You'd need oak or sweet chestnut to last a decent length of time.

Thanks for the really valuable input. I have to reject deep ploughing as it would be just too destructive and leave me with a weed patch instead of a meadow. The neighbouring field is a proper meadow and growth is very moderate. If mine would grow at that rate it would be easy. So I have no idea how quickly the rate will decline with the leaching of nutrients. I guess I'll just use a contractor for a few years til it becomes manageable. May also look out for a larger grass cutter so I can do it a couple of times late in the year and leave the small mulch on. Is the Hayter Condor the best sort of machine for the price?

All interesting ideas. I'm particularly interested in those trying to establish traditional style hay meadows. Thankfully mine isn't 5 feet high with weeds in July but even so the mulch would be several inches thick if not collected. Cutting is easy and I could do that with my strimmer. Collecting is not so simple. Don't see many old fashioned square bales around these days. The problem with getting a small/ancient tractor is that you then need the mower, turner and bailer. All a lot of faff, expense and storage space for use once per year.

Don't think anybody is wishing to rain on your parade. I did a similar calculation for a gasification boiler for my place. I get free wood and burn around 6 cu metres per year. I was horrified by the real world experience of people using these. I ended up recognising that I'd become a full time supplier of my own firewood and most of my plot would be taken up with processing and seasoning. So it isn't for me. It maybe for you, if the sums add up but the boiler's aren't cheap so unless the wood is free the economics don't always make much sense. Guess your comments about a couple of Transit vans full made me think how long that would take to get the 30 cu metres you need to get started!!

Trouble is if I leave it to rot then I maintain the fertility and I never get a decent hay meadow. So will have to cut and remove at least once per year. Other cut could be left. I could look at a small tractor and mower but it seems a lot of kit for something I don't need and will only be used twice per year.

Using a boiler you are likely to get through at least 10 cubic metres per year (discuss with your supplier). That wood needs cutting, splitting and seasoning for at least one summer. So you need a minimum storage area of 20 cubic metres and ideally more. I'd suggest you find a local supplier of quality seasoned wood at a good price before you commit to the boiler.

Thanks for comments and suggestions. Sadly many don't really apply until 10 years down the line when its not been fertilised and the flowers are growing. In the meantime I've got to mow it and as I'm deliberately setting out to make it difficult to mow ie scalloped edges for wildlife and groups of trees, the self mow maybe the answer.

Would welcome some advice. I've recently bought a 4 acre meadow. Currently it is fertilised once per year then mown by a local farmer twice for silage. In return he cuts the hedges. The grass is native ie not rye but has poor species diversity. I'm happy to cut the hedges and would like to stop fertilising so that like neighbouring meadows it can gradually become a wild flower meadow. I also wish to plant the edges with trees to increase the species diversity along the edges. So not attractive to a farmer. I'm wondering what my options are. I've got a hayter rotary mower with a rear roller, so fine for a lawn but not for a rough meadow. I guess I could get a contractor to mow it. Roughly what would that cost, say 2 cuts per year? Or I could buy a second hand mower eg Hayter Condor, say £2k. I'm happy to spend a day mowing it each time. Are there other mowers you would recommend second hand. Do I have other options?

MS211 is a brilliant saw for that sort of work. I been using mine all afternoon and its just right.

The issue is that a kid of 6 has no proper perception of risk. I thought he handled the saw pretty well and was a much better advert than his dad. It's just that a 6 year old with a saw, loosely supervised is frankly criminal, as with little PPE, a momentary distraction or lapse of concentration could cut his leg badly.

Can't be, it's growing upside down out of the ground, must be an Australian tree.

Goat willow, self seed and don't make huge trees but grow very fast as sapling.

Good definition of too young. You can clearly see that although the kid can cut a log he isn't safe. Really irresponsible.

If this was your tree, would you spend hundreds of pounds on coating it in phosphites only to have to cut it down within a year? This isn't a small fruit tree (or small eucalyptus like in the research) which can be easily treated. This is a big tree that is nearly dead. I'd cut it down asap. Do you have examples of trees of this size and decay recovering with phosphites?

I've seen this sort of picture quite frequently on limes. Seems to often start with squirrel damage to bark. Looks pretty terminal.

That's an interesting point. My garden is very secluded but on the flight path for an airport. So my big beech tree (that can't be seen from the ground by anybody but me) is seen by thousands per day in the air. Where does it end???

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Looks flimsy and only good standing on concrete. the ones that slide shut and open wider than that, will stand on soft leaf mould in a wood fine. This would just fall over and its pricey.

Yes probably bacterial canker. A close up of the pruning wound would help decide.

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Been posted before but clever solution. Think I'd prefer a tirfor to pull it but then I don't have a cat like that.