treesrus

Lapsang Souchong is my favourite, but i also like japanese twig tea, and Mu tea.

best is A shape, wide at the bottom gives more room for a wildlife corridor, and the slope allows light to be more evenly distributed and permits better moisture retention for the roots. this is generally not the case, other than as field boundaries. for private customers, i try to keep the top as narrow as possible, by rounding it off, ( to me, it looks more natural - i've never seen a square tree..)

AND be clear with the customer whether to do both sides or just the customers side, and be clear on legal and responsibilities. ( i have been threatened with the police by an irate neighbour, aftermy customer told me specifically "my side only and don't talk to the neighbour, he's an asshole." and the number of times i've been told "a hedge is only supposed to be 6ft."

we use long reach articulated for most of our trimming, can go left to right or right to left, have a good balance making it less tiresome especially for taller hedges and offer better control for topiary work..

might be a good idea to have a barbie and invite all the neighbours, get on their side and mention you will be thinning a few small saplings in case they are worried by the chainsaw.

not growing back only applies to leylandii and similar species. yew grows back, as does thuja. all deciduous grow back, some can be butchered like privet and laurel. bird nesting is an issue, if it's only a skim no problem, other wise you need to check. on a lawn or rough ground rake or preferably leave as mulch the clippings if customer is favourable, for borders and gravel put sheets down. aand if you look closely,, you will see where the last cut was a and within 12months cut back to that point.

did one like that, large beech, from a small river. put a tirfor on the trunk, and severed the trunk just above the root plate, then winched the whole thing bit by bit up the bank.

looking at the last picture, that damage is old, at least 5yrs or more, before the stakes were put in.

not uncommon with juniper, older foliage is let go when drought conditions persist.

better still, leave it alone. only prune if absolutely neccesary.

if people realised that decking is mostly done wrong side (grooved) up, and did it flat side up, they would have far fewer problems. no debris, moisture, moss, algae collecting in the grooves, twice as much timber to make contact with - less chance of slipping, and looks just as good.

...or a japanese style cloud sculpted Niwaki....

being a tree that lends itself to topiary, how about shaping it into a rabbit or a squirrel, or a train......

i've got 2 echo long reach, been using them for 15yrs or so, highly recommended....

and try this - A Guide to Growing Bonsai and Making Bonsai - Bonsai Basics

roots don't like to be submerged, only damp. watering more often indoors as is warmer and drier, but outside is better just now, but twice a day is too much. if inndoors twice a week maybe, just don't let the roots dry out. if there are too many roots this may affect drainage.. bonsai should be repotted every few years. carefullyy lift it out of it's pot, and if you see roots ffollowing the outline of the pot - too many, prune back as you would the crown, but carefully. then repot with fresh soil. ( bags of bonsai soil are available at Strikes Gdn Centers)

also, the crown looks very cluttered, get a good bonsai book.

last time you trimmed the roots??? replaced some of the soil?? does the pot have drainage? looks like it's an "indoor bonsai", but at this time of the year outside is better and in at least semi-shade. if the pot has good drainage and is not over stuffed with roots then be sure to water well. you could also try some tomato feed. and prune back the dead wood.

for fine work, i use echo long reach cutters - brilliant, great ease of control and good balance. for heavy duty stuff, (farm hedges, etc) i use (my second in 15yrs), Fuji-Robin 21cc, twin sided cutters - they have power and will cut up to1" stems, durable and tough.

btggas - good point clear the trunk up to at least 6' for a clear view, but let the ivy be in the crown. and maybe park an old tractor right on the corner.

had a customer who's rowan had suddenly died, it was between hers and the neighbours house, next to the fence. when we took out the trunk, lo and behold, a finger sized hole in the trunk and a corresponding hole in the fence. of course the neighbours knew nothing about it.

one of the magnolias.

a few years back, i found what is possibly the 3rd largest Wild Service, by girth, north of the midlands, in shropshire, sad i never got credited - The Woodland Trust | Ancient Tree Hunt | Tree details

now, this is a sycamore at about 300 yrs, rather attractive, i think....

what a load of crap, cutting across the end grain like that is not the best way to slice it esp. if it's hardwood.