Pun Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Yesterday I told you of the fence we,d found and my idea of cutting as much as possible of brambles etc down to ground level and then if we had any hands and fingers left we,d think about using our howard gem (rotovator) to get the roots out,now the reason we didnt want to employ a tractor to do this work was due to the fact we new the fos/tank was in this part of the garden but we didnt know the direction the pipes went, and using the tractor might have caused that sinking feeling should the huge wheels on such a machine sink and damage, and with doing the inside of the house up and watching a place in the sun we found most people went over the budget the wife finds she,s having a baby and so on and so on,Well I didnt want to spend any money I could save, and as far as having little ones ,? well we both felt dead at the end of the days labour camp work.and fell asleep talking about that days work and woke up in the morning continuing talking about the new days work ,But after two weeks of mixed weather we found that the end of the garden was feet away and then we found hope in a little red tin triangle fixed in the ground,"it was our boundry marker to say we,d cleared one side of the orchard and we could now touch one of our apple trees.we couldnt see much day light through the centre of the tree, it was that over grown and covered in mistletoe. So much dead and deceased wood was to be found and my wife said, "I dont think we will ever see any apples on this tree"After about three more weeks we,d cut the brambles etc down and found two large fallen fruit trees,these we chain sawed and put in the wet wood shed for burning in approx 3 years time when they are 100% dry(Tip, dont burn whats called wet/damp logs) you,ll get little heat out of them and cause your chimney to get lined with a tar like stuff thats not only a fire risk but drips down the liner/chimney and it stinks.Now the good news for the people who have yet to clear the land ,When it,s cleared you,ll find the gardens much larger than you ever thought it was when you first bought the place,Having cleared all the above ground brambles, barb wire fencing, old tin sheets, rocks, etc etc, " I was amazed we didnt find an old tesco trolly" but we didntIt was now time to clear the roots, it was no simple job and by the end of the day I knew how those donkey,s felt, but to stand back and just look and smell the upturned earth,Well it was just smashing, I remember thinking, now Ive got all that overgrown stuff out of the way I wont get eaten as quick next summer by the bugs,they,ll have no place to live.In the next few weeks I,d made a start on the apple trees, first all the dead wood was removed and the deceased, I again found I was building up a good future wood pile for our fire,I made sure by the end of every day that all the area I was working in was left clear ,I think theres nothing more time wasting than starting the next day falling over yesterdays work,Once all the dead wood etc was removed I then sorted any crossing branches and opened the heart of the tree (middle) so light and air could get to this part, all wood was cut so as to both shape the tree and make it possible to harvest future crop,Now all this work involves ladders chaine saw and bow saw,I myself never take a chain saw off the ground, it so simple to have an accident and end up with a pruned hand or leg,the bow saw is a hand operated saw, and with the use of rope, you can scale the tree and cut those thicker woods in a safer way, but be sensible dont over stretch or over do it,only work in good light,(NEXT TIME THE RESULTS OF THIS WORK) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 All good stuff.Did you se the case 3 or 4 years ago, about the guy who decapitated his wife?. He was standing on a ladder cutting a hedge with an electric thingy, and she was....picking up the cuttings beneath him. Bad idea.Pun, how many hours work and what type of work can you do in this heat?. It was 36°C at 10.30 today, here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 PunI love you, will you marry me and come and tend my land pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeeee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 However... You could have hired a compact tractor and flail mower with a total weight of under 750kg to do the work...Or... sprayed glyphosate over the whole area a couple of times and left it for a couple of months...Hand cutting brambles... OUCH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I'm with Ty, glyphosate is great, if a flail isn;t available a brushcutter and star blade, a friendly farmer with a plough or pto mounted cultivator just saves weeks of sweat and toil!Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaud Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 What glyphosate-based branded product do you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Well Done You!Glyphosate may well be effective but why use the horrible stuff if you don't absolutely have to? What you have done with your own hands is fantastic - we are attempting to clear our space by hand and yes, it is hard work but it feels great when you see what you have achieved. And don't be disillusioned if your apples don't fruit next year - we had a small tree that hadn't been tended when we arrived. The first year I left it and it fruited a little, then the second year I pruned it in the manner you described. Absolutely no fruit the following year! This year, though, it is heaving. Good luck, Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Hi ty korrigan,no chemicles get rid of barbed wire and as I said in the write up, we didnt know due to the years of no gardening of any sort where the foss drain was,I wouldnt want chemicles in my garden if I can help it, but as I,ll explain in the next section I do use greese bands and spray for the bugs as a winter wash, and hire a flial mower, IT wouldnt get near the state of the garden then and again "barbed wire, metal sheets ect"I once new a man who would lay in bed mending a punture in his push bike inner tube,He,d send the dog out and then call it in just to see if the dog was wet and if it was raining,to get the full satisfaction and to know your own garden get out and work the land, you,ll feel better for it and know how it feels to stand back and say I did that,Happy gardening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Hello chris,Friendly farmers dont like ploughing over fos/tanks as I pionted out in the reason why I did things the way we,ve done them,We have used a farmer to plough the large garden with no fear of problems,ref chemicle not if I can help it.Enjoy your gardening, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Hi Jane and Danny, All Ive said so far is true no fancy frills and pretends and no chemicles, I had two dogs both healthy and Ive still got two dogs, no breathing trouble or sight problems, and all thanks to no chemicles,I have also got a shock really ref the fruit I pruned only this last winter,so read todays continuing project.Im pleased your enjoying it and hope to help the new gardeners with good ideas and safe ones.Good gardening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Well Dotty,What can I say,?I didnt wake this morning thinking "me with only the average tools would be asked to marry.I must go and and think about such an offer,(p.s. meet you behind the compost heap)[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Hi Tresco,Thats a real shame about the decapitation, it just isnt worth it, drop your guard and your wide open to accidents,Now ref the hours working in the garden, I do about 6 per day, But as you said its hard in the heat wave Ive just looked and in the shaded part of our home outside its now reading 41 and we,re in dept 23 AIGURANDE.Ive taken a leaf out of the french peoples way of dealing with gardening, at 6am this morning I was on the ride on lawn mower cutting the outside areas of our lane ,Its not my lane but runs past the entrance to our house and every one here keeps the area looking nice,"hence we all do our bit"At the time of writing this our acre lawn is a acre soil patch, its all been cleared and we waiting for permission to have a pool put in! thats an other part of thisproject for a later chapter.so Ive only this outside area to look after just now.Now because we,re doing up the inside of the house, if we cant get out side, we always seem to find work on the inside6am its nice a cool , so that is the time to do watering of baskets ect and any sweaty stuff.good early gardening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 For a different perspective on Glycophosate have a look at http://www.beyondpesticides.org/ An American site with fact sheets on herbicides and pesticides, go to "Info services" on top bar, Cheers, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 [quote user="Pun"]Well Dotty,What can I say,?I didnt wake this morning thinking "me with only the average tools would be asked to marry.I must go and and think about such an offer,(p.s. meet you behind the compost heap)[6][/quote]Sorry Pun, couldn't make the compost heap today. How about tomorrow?I have 3 acres of land, all of which were very overgrown about a year ago. Have it all under control now and have even managed to grow some veggies, first time ever. Have about 1/4 of an acre left to clear, this will be the spot for the pool next year and the corrugated iron and asbestos sheets our dear predecessor left buried under a pile of bramles, why oh why do folk do this. Then I can make a start on replacing/replanting the hedges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 26, 2006 Author Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi Dotty,Ive waited and now you can smell me long befor you see me,Ref your corrugated iron sheets, have you thought of keeping them for use of a compost frame?I did a stupid thing and chucked mine away,now every time Im at the tip Im looking for any sheets I can find,Well must go and dirty myself up "Ive a date latter, behind the compost bin)good gardening, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Pun I used old pallets lined with that green coated wire to make my three, and it worked really well - you have to allow some air to circulate surely?I wouln't fancy scratching myself on a rusty bit of metal. I spend a lot of time with my compost[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Smelly and clever, what ever next?Good idea re the iron, but what about the asbestos sheets clever clogs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Watch out Pun, Dotty's sounding very feisty tonight! [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Oh yes indeed, completely over the drive back from the UK, took 7 hours to drive and 4 days to recover, gosh I'm getting old. Anyway, got loads done today, including digging up my salad sky scrapers, I've been cultivating them don't you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Dotty by 'salad skyscrapers' do you mean what we gardeners* call 'bolters?' Oooh now I have vauge Evelyn Waugh references racing around... Ignore me though Dotty: he would have been referring to something else entirely.[;-)] *Says she who has killed a thousand plants this year alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 [quote user="Tresco"]Dotty by 'salad skyscrapers' do you mean what we gardeners* call 'bolters?' [/quote]Us gardeners might call them bolters, but I like salad skyscraper much better [:D] I have never seen my lettuces bolt so quickly - can only think it is due to the hot weather. The chickens have had more of them than we have [:@] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 Yes Oh clever one, bolters is exactly what I mean. But my kids call them skyscrapers. All gone now though and I've just gone and bought some carrot, turnip and spinach seeds. I'm really getting adicted to this growing lark.Lets hop I have better luck with these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 27, 2006 Author Share Posted July 27, 2006 Hi Tresco,Your right dont scratch youself on metal, use an old hose pipe cut along the complete pipe and then put the open cut of the pipe along the sharp rusty ages, this will make the edge a little blunter good gardening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 27, 2006 Author Share Posted July 27, 2006 Hi DOTTY,BREAK THE BAD ASBESTOS SHEETS INTO ENVELOPE SIZE AND SEND THEM TO MY RIVALS "SO I CAN HAVE YOU ALL TO MYSELF,or TAKE THEM TO THE SKIP, NOT WORTH KEEPING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pun Posted July 27, 2006 Author Share Posted July 27, 2006 Hi Tresco,Do you think so?(whats it mean feisty) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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