Paul in the woods

When I tried to buy a piece of woodland the offer price was set to encourage more than one bidder and it went to sealed bids. We won but agreed a price a fair bit more than the asking price. The sale didn't go through in the end as too many surprises cropped up during the sale. Obviously if the price looks too cheap make sure you investigate the area in case there are hidden costs, access issues etc, etc. Can you talk to whoever manages it? Don't forget to factor in replanting costs, and looking after the new trees, to your expenses.

I can't offer any advice but have a couple of questions. Do you really wish to remove the sycamore, I'm seriously thinking about planting some if all my ash succumbs to Chalara. Having said that the young sycamore around here don't grow well as it's very heavily damaged by grey squirrels. You say the area was a gladed area, any chance of being allowed to restore the clearing and then plant up with what you fancy later?

Interesting, from: https://www.gardenlines.co.uk/shop/chainsaws/cobra-cs620-20-20-inch-petrol-chainsaw

Thank you for the suggestions but I have looked into our meadow management needs and I do need a method of cutting and removing clippings myself. For example, I have asked local farmers but the fields are too small for them to bother with and their entrances too small for their modern tractors. Also they need to be cut much later than July as some of their main wild flowers are only just starting to flower now, e.g. knapweed. It has also been recommended to us to leave cutting areas until after winter as we have owls hunting and leaving cover for food for their prey helps. As I also mentioned I have a use for the clippings. I have also thought about livestock but the area would need to be fenced and I've not found sheep to be able to push with wheelbarrows. I'll have another look at compacts but I don't think I'll pick up a decent one for £3k and when you add a mower and a form of collecting the clippings the price is going to be too high.

The meadows have been commercially farmed for hay/haylage in the past but are transforming fairly well into species rich flower meadows now we own them. I'd like to remove the clippings for a few years to reduce the grass and I also have use for the clippings and mulch/compost elsewhere on the holding.

I need to collect the trimmings, so a mulching mower will not be of any use. I have also thought about a compact tractor but that would be at least double the price, if not more. Looking at the top of the range Stiga mowers they come with a tow attachment and sell their own trailer with a 200kg capacity, so I would have thought they should cope with that without problems?

I'm considering a ride on mower / garden tractor as we've over an acre of meadows to mow. I note many are sold with a tow bar to tow a small trailer but I can't seem to find much info about what a decent size ride on would happily tow regularly. Are the trailers a bit of a gimmick or are some of the larger mowers able to move fair number of 150 litre loads of soil or logs about 100-200m? Are any brands better than others for towing? I would need to mower to collect the grass and offer a good ride height as well.

I've not used them but would these sort of things be any use? http://www.postsaver.com/Postsaver-Fence-Sleeves.html I'm not sure how a sleeve would cope with shrinkage on a green pole though.

It's a bit of a strange story, starting off talking about oak grown well for timber and then talking about softwood and any old trees. I don't think many would argue there's far less oak being grown well for timber regardless of how much is planted. Not just because hardly anyone is managing them for timber but because of the damage done by deer, squirrels etc - something missing in the Guardian story.

When you take a look at the comments on here, and elsewhere, about the standard of workmanship of some 'professional' car dealers are DIYers any worse? I've certainly found fault with professionally done gas and electric work (as well as had excellent service from other pros). I also expect there's youtube videos about making dynamite.

I notice the BBC have the story up on their Cornwall local news page, 2nd only to "Vegan's shock at frog in Aldi lettuce". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/cornwall

I've got those tools but it's for a different type of ball joint, one on the lower arm of the suspension that you need to press the body of the ball joint out of the suspension arm.

I need to replace a ball joint in my Ford 4x4 and I'm looking to buy one of those press / service tool sets that look like a G-clamp. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choice, the prices vary from about £20 to well over £100 for something that looks the same. Does anyone have a recommendation for a brand or shop? Most of the names I've never heard of and I'd like something robust considering the forces involved.

I suspect it's a Tabanus sudeticus also known as the dark giant horsefly, if you google it there's plenty of pictures. I've seen a few around this year, often hear them first.

I find my springer air rifle a very tricky gun to shoot accurately, the zero changes a fair bit if it's held or rested for example. Although it's near the legal limit I wouldn't want to shoot a rabbit or squirrel past about 25m. A PCP air rifle is much easier to shoot but then it's more expensive and you need a method of filling it with air. Personally I wouldn't wish to shoot a 22LR out to 150 yards either as the drop is something like 10". Cost wise I think you're more likely to spend £4+ for 50, not expensive but the costs are rising all the time.

If that's a lime in might be Horse Chestnut scale: RHS Advice

I'd like to know if there's any good grippy palm chainsaw gloves as well. I stopped using my leather ones as I felt the slipperiness was more likely to cause and accident that needed the protective pad! I now use some nice and grippy gloves. I must admit as a novice I'm surprised there aren't some better gloves on the market.

Looking at if from a different way, I assume the same applies to a tree that naturally sheds a limb or two? Does it mean that those trees become even more likely to fail?

Looks like a hawk moth caterpillar, possibly a poplar hawk moth?

If used properly - I wonder how many people do use them properly and how many burn wood that's too wet, try and leave a fire in overnight etc. Wood smoke has been killing people ever since we've discovered fires, especially bad in less well off countries where open wood fires are still used for cooking etc. The reason for the latest consultation is the fact they've found harmful particulates in peoples lungs, and they seem to have traced it to wood burners. Perhaps you could find flaw in the research but I bet if you put some clean cloth over a chimney of an 'efficient' wood burner it would show soot. If I was selling firewood I'd be thinking about selling a drier product at a better price and hoping (lobbying for) any law changes stop some of the cheap, wet mush being sold. It's also not just about wood smoke, I gather they're also concerned about the ammonia given off by slurry spreading as it can react with other pollutants causing even more problems. I bet some will argue cow manure is natural but large slurry lagoons arn't

They're not really selling the concept, are they? A masonry stove is something I'd be interested in but I'd like some basic numbers first. I understand the efficiency of wood burners is often net, i.e. they ignore the heat used to remove any moisture. (So, 85% efficiency becomes 70%) but that's the same as a masonry stove. The difference is that a normal wood burner has to keep the flu hot and if you're not careful heat from the house also goes up the chimney at night. However, what is the difference if you have a well insulated chimney and let the fire die down at night and close it off (or have an outside air feed)?

That reminds me of my favourite book: Farming with Dynamite Great for stumps and other landscaping.

Funnily enough I saw my first dragonfly of the year this morning and it was very similar. As Mick says, possibly a broad chaser lady - https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/broad-bodied-chaser

I was also going to suggest goat or grey willow, looks like the old flowers on the branch.

Looks like sea buckthorn, or something similar.