What are we doing in the garden 2024

Would it make life easier to just chop the trunk lower down, @pete? It'll sprout from wherever it's cut, whether that's 5' or ground level

 

That had crossed my mind, but I dont want shoots coming out at ground level, I can cut them off if they are too low I suppose.
Probably not evident in the picture but its slowly increased in height over the years at the cut back point, it was at about 6ft, but unless you cut back to exactly the same point each year they creep by a few inches each year.

Are you sure it will shoot lower down, or is this pay back time for the banana.

 

I can see why you'd be worried....but no, I'm pretty sure if it's a well established tree you could get away with chopping it. Wait until it's warmer, obviously, to encourage quick recovery and no frost damage to new growth. I had two gunnii in UK. One I let go as a beautiful great tree and the other I used to chop to 2-3'. One year I got carried away and chain sawed the shrubby one down to ground level but it still sprouted.
ETA: I've done the hard chop here with E. neglecta with the same result.

 

If it was just down to me I'd select a strong shoot and let it go, but I have neighbours, it is a tree that I really like and once mature don't really cause a dense shade, but you know what neighbours are, its at the very end of anyone's garden.

 

The trouble is, they just don't know when to stop. In the end, I had to take down my big tree, too, and boy was it a tricky operation! There's no option on a silky smooth, branchless tree like that for scaling it and taking it down from the top. We just had to estimate the height, attach ropes, chainsaw very cautiously, pull and hope! It worked, but I wouldn't recommend it

 

There are a few mature ones around here, but there would never be the space to take one of them down without causing damage in this kind of place.

 

The UK garden was only 1/3 acre Fortunately, we had a clear line across the lawn, but it needed a precise cut and nerves of steel for pulling the ropes

 

Hi,

For many years I tried lots of fence/shed treatments and as you rightly say @Perki they are very short lived.


I designed and made this bespoke fence to suit our sloping site adding an handrail; it's 22 years since I did this; the bottom of the posts are wrapped in heavy polythene sheet and concreted in. It took 72 trips to the tip to dispose of tons of wet sticky clay then I laid the new pathway using very heavy flags; I also built the low retaining wall; it's 42' long. Just as I finished note the rain couldn't wait to torment me.

I designed the panels to be quickly removable only secured by four turbo hex headed screws each. This allows full treatment. plastic sheeting protects the surrounding area; I find it therapeutic treating the fence.

What I use now @Perki is a 50/50 mix of old engine oil and diesel. A local garage is pleased to give me free of charge two gallons of old engine oil glad to be rid of it because it costs them money to dispose of it. I take along a big plastic container to be filled and a box of chocolates as a thank you. I now treat the fence about every four or five years; it's still in excellent condition.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Nothing today it's too cold.

 

Probably weeding and pruning.

 

Was out, yesterday, picking up fallen limbs, sticks about the lawn area. did two big wheel barrel loads. In the process of walking about, saw a dead deer over in my neighbors woods. Seem the vultures are not interested, or other animals. Then found a half eaten possum in my woods, leaving for now. I did alert my neighbor, as they have a dog, dog does not need to be dealing with a dead animal like that. who knows why it died etc.

Once a couple years ago as I was down by our gazebo, I noticed a deer, it was still alive, appeared to be caught in something, but turns out it had been wacked by a car and could not move, but still alive. Called the police, they came by. they called a hunter, who came over and shot the sad thing, took the meat. Fun when you have lots of woods around. But always awesome the quiet and no building/houses to deal with. So probably today back outside getting more limbs for the burn pile.

 

Spread some woodchip around . And cut and shaped a piece of wood to replace a lat on the fence . Treated the fence with wet wood rot which should strength / harden the wood and hopefully will last longer , need to do a bit of filling next . While I had the Wet wood rot treatment out I went round the base of all the fence posts and the pergola, its quite lethal stuff don't went to get it on your hands .

@Retired I used to paint the fence with real Creosote mixed with old engine oil , some got on a climbing rose and a clematis which did quite a lot of damage to them thought it had killed the clematis at first . I don't use it around plants anymore if I can help it. Your fence looks really good, I like black thinking of painting the rear fence black .

 

Cut out the old fruited canes off some of the blackberries, hubby cut out some more of the dead plum tree.

 

With the winds of late the pots on the balcony are drying out quite quickly so I spent 15 mins this morning watering some of them.

One problem with that is if they have too much water now they may freeze when the weather goes back to freezing temps in a week's time!