Vedhoggar

There was subzero temperatures in Wiltshire in both January and February 2021 down to -4C in Salisbury to the east. Coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is frost tender when young becoming hardier but frost hollows should be avoided - Sequioadendrum giganteum likes similar conditions but can withstand a more acid soil and drier conditions. Western Red Cedar (Thuya plicate) also prefers sheltered locations and not frosty sites. Probably most likely frost damage.

Yeh, Posch 'bomb proof' built machines, more expensive but should have a good useful life expectancy, maybe 12 years or more if looked after.

The black stain caused by the mould will not go away but that white mould and that green/black mould on the surface to some extent can be brushed off with a wire brush when dry and it doesn't seem to affect the burning of wood once dry. The stain sometimes is just on the surface and not far into the log but can be right through the log with some species. Let the sun and air at it and stack off the ground but cover up as mentioned if rain is forecast. If for own use when ready to burn just bring some indoors and put it straight into the stove alternatively run a wire brush across the face beforehand to remove what you can. Not great firewood but all wood will burn when dry enough.

What time of year did the trees turn brown? How much of the trees turned brown/how far up and was it just on one side - was it actually the whole tree? Any other trees in the area affected? If winter and near a main road possibly salt spray damage but would be mainly on the roadside of tree, if springtime possibly frost damage, if summertime there are arable fields nearby could be herbicide drift damage. Have worked in that area in the past and a number of hedgerows planted got badly damage on more than one occasion by drift of herbicide from adjacent farmland. Stourhead/Mere area is quite a distance from sea so probably not that. Ask Head Garden and/or Head Ranger based at Stourhead if they have had a similar problem.

Not all 6k or less machines are slow and flimsy but many are. Posch log splitters are well made, the SpaltAxt models mentioned have a fast return speed (26-46 cm/s depending on model) but slow downward speed and just one speed (5-8 cm/s depending on model) and having a reasonable amount of large timber to split if too big for a processor as you state it might be too big for a SpaltAxt although you could always cut logs down to size with a chainsaw. What machine you go for will of course depend on the process i.e. if cutting 20cm - 33cm logs or 1m billets to pre-season before cutting down into small logs, if the later then the VMR 12ESS DP is a very well made fast 12T vertical splitter with a double pump and comes also with log lift for bigger dia lm lengths of wood (Speed 1 (cm/s) 14, Speed 2 (cm/s) 25 , Return speed (cm/s) 22 (22cm/s is a fast enough return speed), the machine can also be adjusted to cut any length of log. Thor log splitters are also well made and some might meet your requirement. There is no perfect splitter it is always going to be a compromise related to what is required/what you intend to do mostly with it, cost and backup should something go wrong/parts required. Posch and AMR have a good dealership backup behind them in the UK but not sure about Thor as don't have one now.

I like the adrenaline rush but it’s safer than bungee jumping … haven’t tried the leaves yet but if I do and my heart stops I’ll let you know.

I’ve eaten the red fleshy part many times, it’s very sweet but always spit out the pip.

Looks a bit like Höga Kusten, the High Coast of Sweden?

Hi Lauren, Thanks for posting the article, a few comments: 1) first paragraph in article is wrong in that wood should be <20% MC but it doesn’t have to be kiln dried it just has to be <20%. 2) loose bark and radial cracks is misleading and really should not be used as a guide at all as not an indication that wood is <20%, in my experience it could be >25%. 3) on pin moisture meters I spoke to and wrote afterwards DEFRA on 24 May asking them to explain what they mean by calibration of moisture metres which they mention in guidance when selling >2m3 and have not had answer (said there would be a reply in 20 days). We also don’t know on what basis <20% is to be measured. 4) Not everyone is measuring the moisture content of wood in the same way.

Thanks for sharing experience, summers are generally really nice in Sweden, more of a continental climate but it was so hot and dry last time that there were forest fires in places further north and tarmac was melting on roads in the very south. Looks like a crayfish you caught there?

I've worked in a number of European countries including Norway you mention and also had a job offer in New Zealand as an arborist one time but didn't take that up. Look out for jobs advertised but also write to companies and see if they need anyone with your skills and experience, I got a number of jobs that way myself and a lot of rejections. Companies abroad sometimes also seek arborists on this site. Not sure what the situation is now we have left the EU if you haven't got dual citizenship. That working visa thing mentioned by Dizl seems a like a good idea for OZ, NZ and Canada if young enough to qualify for that. Sweden is also a good place for mtb and hiking (snowboarding as well in the more mountainous areas).

You could roughly work on a max thinning intensity of say 7m3/ha/yr for your area then estimate how much will be required for home use and how much might be required for your part time/weekend work allowing 15% or something for wastage. Depending on length of log cut you might get 2.5m3 loose/solid m3 (33cm log). You should from that be able to work out how many ha initially you might require as a minimum but more would be needed as business expands, it will also depend on how much you can afford to invest in an area of woodland but 20-50ha would be a useful size if affordable. You may get more valuable products from a woodland area than just firewood. Need to consider cost of any equipment too.

It’s a great place to live, work and play, enjoyed working out there myself. Hope it goes well for you J.

Yeh, not less for each tree.

It’s like every village and town has somewhere like that to swim in Sweden in the southern part and shallower lakes can get surprisingly warm in July to about as far north as Stockholm. Lots of good places to swim in southern Finland too in July but flies can be a bit of a pain at times.

Ballpark £250-£350 + vat

Yeh, need to check to see if any birds nesting otherwise no issue in felling any time of the year - most birds will also have finished nesting by the end of July.

Haix Trekker Mountain 2.0 boot has a very good cushioned sole also three options for insole available for different types of feet.

Grafted beech cultivar.

It's a tax and that's it and I would expect to see a lot more taxes like this coming down the line to pay off the enormous National Debt, they tax what they think they can get away with ... in the seventeenth century they taxed powering your wig, riding horses and windows. Of course if you are a House of Lords MP you don't have to pay ICO tax for a CCTV.

Have never come across treated fence posts that last 30-40 years these days, some I’ve seen have had to be replaced in 10 years, Ive seen in the past old hot/cold creosote treated posts last 30-40 years but not treated stuff these days, I’ve also come across cleft chestnut post that have outlasted the stock netting.

You'll need to employ something like about 10 workers before you can step back from the manual work and just focus on management furthermore you'll need good supervisors otherwise your reputation will be on the line. Small 2-3 man specialist team plus casual workers as and when required would be less stressful, that middle ground between large and small is the worse place to be. If fit and healthy you should be able to carry on doing manual work until 65-70 but as time goes on will obviously need to slow down a bit and leave some tasks to those younger. Most businesses I've seen fail in my time have been in that middle sector.

Planning Permission You do not necessarily need planning permission to work from home. The key test is whether the overall character of the dwelling will change as a result of the business. If the answer to any of the following questions is 'yes', then permission will probably be needed: Will your home no longer be used mainly as a private residence? Will your business result in a marked rise in traffic or people calling? Will your business involve any activities unusual in a residential area? Will your business disturb your neighbours at unreasonable hours or create other forms of nuisance such as noise or smells? Whatever business you carry out from your home, whether it involves using part of it as a bed-sit or for 'bed and breakfast' accommodation, using a room as your personal office, providing a childminding service, for hairdressing, dressmaking or music teaching, or using buildings in the garden for repairing cars or storing goods connected with a business - the key test is: is it still mainly a home or has it become business premises? If you are in doubt you may apply to your council for a Certificate of Lawful Use for the proposed activity, to confirm it is not a change of use and still the lawful use. Ref: Planningportal.co.uk

Probably juvenile foliage of Grey Poplar Populus x canescens