Conor Wright

Thank you! I've read a good few of your posts over the years, I like the balance of knowledge and humour. About time I started learning what I'm looking at, thanks again for the quick response.

Found a few bits over the last couple of days.. first two are growing from an old beech log, next three are on an old spruce stump, two from a multistem cherry, a very small lilac stem with dusty little ring around the stem and sumfink on the chip pile, I don't know if there is anything to be excited about but some positive id would be great!

Had something similar looking on a tipper trailer.. (not oem) have you tried disconnecting the motor (but not the solenoid) and pressing the up switch whilst pumping manually? This will allow the circuit to be powered but not operate, the manual pump should then pressurise the ram. This was the case on my heath Robinson tipper... a real bitch with a completely flat battery! Failing that long shot, your seals may be totally knackered..

I think you are right! (Having googled it) Many thanks. Shows how much I know!

Anyone know what this is.. about 5 mtrs tall, apparently grown from a cutting which was taken off a bouquet of flowers about 20 years ago! I've been told it holds most of its red colour all year round, except for the first spring shoots which are an almost bluish green.. would be great to find out what it is! Thanks in advance.

Depends what a small budget is and what other tasks you could utilise it for, if you have paddock work ie mowing, ploughing etc.. get a small tractor or compact tractor with front loader. It's more versatile and has a pto and links.. rare on a telehandler/forklift etc. Especially on the lower end of the price scale. Be wary of the small compacts.. lift capacity is low and a lot of them, whilst having low hours, may have been overworked. If no pto work is required maybe consider a 3ton digger with a thumb grab, great for shifting logs and with a tow bar welded to the top of the blade it can pull a trailer. Also very versatile, once you have an auxiliary flow and return.. hedge trimmer, saw, breaker, screw splitter, auger.. I guess it's a trade off between what you can afford and what you need.. 3k will get you a rough but hopefully reliable older tractor or a poor compact tractor. Likewise 5 k might get you a digger but not much in the line of attachments. An old telehandler/all terrain forklift can be a great machine but as said here already they are heavy.. not that good on land and a bit of a one trick pony in that they can lift and move something and little else. It all depends on what suits your needs best.. just don't be tempted to buy the newest, cheapest thing you can afford! Older, cleaner equipment is usually a safer option for a low budget buy.. often less to go wrong and stronger built.

Good idea.. there's a farmer next to me with a herd of Angus which he partially outwinters on bark mulch.. how have I never considered that option.. right in front of me. Literally! Couldn't be any more local and he may well oblige. Thanks! I would still like to add biochar to the depleted soil on site but may scrap the idea of utilising the chip.. and just make it from arising instead.. seems more straightforward.

Was the ivy that thick or has a chunk of the trunk itself been removed? From the photo it looks like about 30% of the trunk has been removed! Why not buy her a holiday to Switzerland if she's that bad. I hear they have spas so good, youll never leave!

In the West of Ireland.... you like your grapes hard and your wine bitter?! Hops did cross my mind.. might try a few!

Creative individual required, must be good with numbers. Attractive renumeration package. send cv to p.o. box (whatever) Wanted, somebody to cook our books, it's a sh1tstorm down here and the taxman is coming, we have such a bad reputation we are not providing our name...so, we're hoping you are as desperate for a job as we are to find a scapegoat. We will pay you in cash because our line of credit has been frozen.

What's going on with the trunk of that tree?

Had a Hartnett petrol powered circular saw.. lightly built but did it's job, I know someone with one of their larger vertical splitters and it's a powerful machine, wouldn't be afraid to own one for personal use, and as haironyourchest says, they are decent to deal with and if you do find a pool of oil under it there is someone at the other end of the phone for parts etc..

You've done what you can i guess. It may reward you yet! If you like it and it's not of any concern then keep it and enjoy it's presence.. hey, you might even get the odd free edible apple off it! And if it does have to go let's hope somebody gets the wood.. nice timber, could make something that will last as long.. or longer even, in the right hands.

Clever.. our log store is right beside so that only covers me for about 30 seconds! In fairness I've been lazily milling some cladding for a shed project and it's been nice so shouldn't complain!

Never out of work. My better half kindly reminds me of the myriad of unfinished (and unstarted) projects we have ahead of us about three seconds after my arse touches the chair. That's why in out in the shed typing this!

Happy to help, if I was of any help! Keep an eye out for some macrocarpa coming down in your area.. durable timber.. could make a longer lasting bridge than spruce.. just a thought. Happy almost new year to you too.

Not a world away, North East galway.. did a bit around Sligo.. Hazelwood house a few years back, some nice trees there.. was up to the devil's chimney one windy day a few weeks back, no shortage of places worth seeing on your doorstep!

What I meant was we are all well aware of the dangers of it.. not that I presumed most people have tried it! But yeah, it must be nice.. the first couple of times, then three months later youre living in a doorway, struggling to find a vein so you can shoot up to give you enough motivation to actually beg for money for more so you can do the same again tomorrow. Enchanting. Keep us posted. Watch out for the pimps.

I resisted the urge to rob em this year! They should have enough to see them through if the weather turns sour.. didn't really get them to "farm" for honey.. if anything I would expand the number of hives, still take a minimal amount and achieve a higher honey harvest that way. Sugar syrup is a poor food compared to honey. Keeps them alive but I wonder about overall hive health, beats ending up with a hive full of dead bees though.

Smack becomes everything to a heroin addict. Seen a couple of people go down that road. Some have the inner will and strength to overcome it, whether they get support from others or not. More die. Some break the habit and then off themselves due to the depression of a wasted life. Some li e on As regards homelessness. It's only a few missed mortgage/rent payments away for most. Its easy to judge, i try not to... but its foolish to give a junkie cash. Itll only go one place. No dealers gonna give out a hit for a coffee and a sandwich. What gets me is that i strongly doubt someone forced a needle into her vein the first time around.. i mean, who doesnt know what heroin can do.

I believe all you said there is true.. watching our hives (all 2 of them!) On the move the last few days has been surprising.. still finding ivy, some long lasting marigolds and borage and even heading off towards the bog, presumably for Heather.. honey bee treatment in the US is shocking and it happens for all types of crop from oilseed rape to oranges, apples, almonds..

Hydro would be my preferred source of power but alas, the dyke of a stream we have runs dry in the summer.. Also it would be about capable of powering a 60 watt bulb! Maybe in time, if and it's a big if, we got more land.. there is a stream a few fields down from us.. we could give it a go.. and a ram pump for the tunnel!

Yep. Ash. Most likely caused by movement in strong winds and torsion, as already mentioned. if there was an option of using a different limb to climb.. do that instead.. looks like it's there for a while.. probably fresher at it's extremities as I would expect it to be spreading as the tree is subject to strong winds. Could be letting in moisture and causing rot further down.. I do not know if there is a specific proper name for this type of crack or if what I am saying is even correct.. just my estimation of what caused it. A potentially risky limb to cut and not to be regarded as safe imo What part of the West you in..? I'm out that way too.

In the village I grew up near there was an old house with a grape vine growing in the front porch.. happened to pass it back in August. Masses of grapes ripening on it! I think what Mark means by 45 degrees is to plant and train the pear or chosen plant against the wall but at an angle.. so as opposed to growing vertically, you essentially force them to grow closer to horizontal.. like this ////// or this\\\\ not like this |||| it can look attractive, not my style.. more of a wild/natural habitat person, but for your surroundings it could look impressive, especially with that wall. Nice contrast between the hard lines of the brick and using the angles of the espailer to pick up on the angles of the surrounding roofs. Add a couple of raised beds and that's your summer evenings sorted! (The produce of the vines will sort your winter evenings in time too!)

Did you prune out any visible canker? I stand to be corrected but the wilt fungus can reside in the canker over winter?.. the codling moth may easily travel to your tree, so whilst it sounds like youve done all you can to give the tree the best chance you may not have fully removed that threat. Also, everything has it's life cycle, if it is an ancient tree, it may be in decline and as such be more susceptible to disease and decay.. Possibly three threads, bees, wild food and fruit/ nut trees. You seem to have a broad understanding of many subjects.. any advice for a novice beekeeper?!