spandit
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Everything posted by spandit
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I get almost unlimited amounts of leylandii given to me (from being a registered tip site on here). It's not what I'd choose, but beggars can't be choosers and it kicks out a lot of heat. The branches are really dense. It's best left out in the rain for a year or so before seasoning in the dry - when it's bleached and/or grey, it's great fuel
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When you hang the washing out does it dry? Like washing, logs need airflow and heat to dry, the former more than the latter, I think.
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Laurel is good - grows quick, quite dense, although there is cyanide to contend with. Leylandii is also good, although I prefer to season it for 2 years otherwise it can be a bit resinous. It's fairly rot resistant too, so if the logs get wet whilst seasoning, they're generally OK. Any wood will burn once dry, they just dry at different rates. That said, I wouldn't bother with horse chestnut again as it goes incredibly light and doesn't give you much return for the effort.
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Dry willow burns as well as any other dry wood. I find it dries quickly too - probably because the tubes full of water that make it up are larger diameter than, say, oak. Burns quite quick but certainly wouldn't dismiss it like that. I use it for cooking on. Haven't bought charcoal for years. Gives a nice flavour to the meat.
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You'll probably find that splits at the fork - it's one of the ways they propagate (the fallen branch touches the ground and takes root) but mine will, in a good year, put on about 12 feet of growth. The pieces are broomhandle thickness and great for firepits or outdoor cooking (once dry)
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Oh, I'll have a look - didn't see an obvious way to lock it so I can get some torque on it
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Looking at the head of mine (Castor Power 26), it has a c.20mm square drive to the back of the bump head - haven't seen blades that will fit this, unless there's an adaptor out there
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I haven't tried that but don't think it would make it cut through clumps of sedge. It's not breaking the line, just shrugging it off. I bought a Jet Fit head for my smaller strimmer but since inheriting the bigger, straight shaft one, I haven't used it Anyone used the swing type blades? 6 Teeth Blade Trimmer Cutter Head Tool Steel Grass Lawn Mower Garden Strimmer UK WWW.EBAY.CO.UK Shape: 6 Teeth. Ice Cube Mold. Material: Manganese Steel. Height: Approx. Product Information. Sofa Cover...
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Do these blades fit most strimmers? I have one with a bump head and it's pretty good but I never get to bump it as tend to hit something that just snaps the line off (and it's fairly thick c.4mm stuff). Got a ditch full of pendulous sedge and although the top leaves are no match, where they get clumpy, the plastic line does little
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Personally, I'm thrilled as it means I can ditch the L-plates and tow the small trailer (c.1 tonne) behind the Hilux without "supervision" from my wife who passed her test a few months before I did in 1996. Can't believe the no reversing HGV test, though, that seems a bit foolish.
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My robinia trees are about 7 years old and mostly doing quite well but I've never had any flowers from them. Is this because they're not old enough? I also have some sea buckthorn that has never produced berries. I notice my almond is bare of fruit this year...
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Lit mine yesterday just to cheer things up a bit. Crazy weather.
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I lit mine this morning. Cheers the room up and helps dries the dogs. We have to have the windows open to lessen the smell from my elderly incontinent father's room 🤢 and it's bloody cold
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Replacing gorse with something else
spandit replied to spandit's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
I didn't in the end. Realised that I actually like the gorse - it's a good barrier, evergreen, flowers all year round and after cutting it back, it's growing bushier. This is on the top bank of my pond, South facing. Petals are browning off a bit but the foliage is still green. Despite the council's assertions, natural regen seems to be my preferred route - plenty of birch, oak and willow coming up, with the occasional alder (spread from trees I planted, as there were none here when we moved in). All good for wildlife, as far as I can see. I have plenty of habitat piles around too, although the mother-in-law would rather I just burn it all and have the grass clipped to look like Astroturf.
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Replacing gorse with something else
spandit replied to spandit's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
My gorse is looking pretty splendid around my pond - it's all naturally regenerated and providing good dog-proof cover so hoping some of the wildlife the pond attracts will actually stay. It has been really cold and wet this year so far but it's pretty tough stuff so should bounce back, I hope -
Is it safer to tow Land Rovers backwards then?
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If only terrorists drove Land Rovers more often - we'd have far fewer attacks as they'd be spending half their time fixing the damn things
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Love the smell of freshly cut bracken... I bought, at great expense, a DR Power 26" brushcutter - not a lot that stops it. You can hire Billy Goat mowers or similar which will do for tree planting. For a wildflower meadow you'll need to cut and collect the grass to reduce fertility.
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Pine as firewood...yes or no?
spandit replied to Ontario Firewood Resource's topic in Firewood forum
It's highly dangerous. Very flammable. -
Pine as firewood...yes or no?
spandit replied to Ontario Firewood Resource's topic in Firewood forum
I was joking - plenty of people won't burn softwood, whether it's free or not. Benefits me as I get it dumped round here where I can use it to keep my house warm! -
Good plan. If they're tall and bushy, the dog won't be able to jump over them, which is the idea. Hopefully once they're thick enough to lay, they'll be too wide for her to consider jumping
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Just planted 100 of the 200 40-50cm whips I bought to make a dog resistant boundary along my neighbour's fence, which is in a poor state of repair. Sure I read somewhere that once they're planted, they should be cut in half to make them bushier lower down or is this a myth? Do cuttings ever sprout, with a bit of rooting compound on them?
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Pine as firewood...yes or no?
spandit replied to Ontario Firewood Resource's topic in Firewood forum
New here, are you? -
Make fast kindling with a slow splitter
spandit replied to Ontario Firewood Resource's topic in Firewood forum
I split a log into planks/shingles, but not all the way down. I then flip the log upside down and rotate it 90 degrees and split the other way. It can then be easily pulled apart by hand
