Mundane News

[postman]

Watching not going out.....

"Marriage is like a marathon all you have to do is keep on going, drink as much as possible and hope it will end...!"

On the same vein,it's about rings.Engagement ring,Wedding ring,suffering.But not here in Leeds I might add.

 

[Speicher]

I would not be able to reach the top of these trees without serious risk of injury. The ground is soft and uneven, so I will be using a proper tree fellar.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

You do know the sun came up a few hours back, no need for lights?

Classic was refering to the start of the F1 race.

 

[postman]

Just testing I have done a factory reboot of this firetablet.If you want to pass off a family member buy them one for xmas.And have hours of fun knowing how frustrated they are going to get.It puts its own words in even when you type the correct one in.

 

[Reynard]

Rain overnight, but it's been a lovely sunny if somewhat chilly day here chez Casa Reynard.

All of us overslept, but hey ho, it's Sunday... Popped out to the community orchard for some more of the New Rock Pippins. That'll be the last of them though, most of what's left on the three trees are either too tiddly to bother with or have been pecked / have split thanks to all this rain. As there was no one around, I did shin up into the trees to pick the nice big ones at the top.

According to the catalogues, they will keep till April / May if properly stored, so I won't need to buy apples for some time. Tomorrow I will need to deal with the last of my Bramleys.

On my way out this morning, I noticed that the post box just over the railway has been nicked AGAIN. This one was only put up about six months ago - if that... It's the third one to go *fzzzzzzzt* in less than five years... They even took the post this time, so it must've been lifted out with a digger...

Grand Prix listened to, luncheon ated, and I'm now watching the footy on the TV and the snooker on one of the laptops.

 

[Reynard]

There are four damson trees at the end of my garden. Technically they are on the farmer's land. He is not remotely interested in looking after them, and they are getting very old and the fruit they produce is out of reach. The fruit that falls off the trees make a real mess of the lawn and the border.

My next door neighbour is at the early stages of thinking about removing the ones at the edge of his garden. If he does this, I am thinking about removing mine. The farmer is not bothered how we prune/pollard them. These house were built in about 1970, so the trees are at least fifty years old.

So, a question for peeps who know about fruit and trees etc. If "we" ask the farmer who owns the land, and if he agrees, would you remove them or prune/pollard them to regenerate (and spread less fruit in the process). Or would you replace them with another sort of tree for instance an apple tree? If they are to be pollarded, what is the best time of year for that?

I know that some trees need other trees for pollination purposes. Would you put in four trees of the same variety, ie apples, or mix them up? Or cherries, or something else? I am just seeking people's thoughts on this, at this stage.

Plums will send up suckers from their roots very readily, and unless the trees were originally grafted, the suckers will remain true-to-type. I'd prune two and take out two (cut the stump to about knee high) and see what you get. If the trees are very vigorous, they *may* be grafted onto cherry plum rootstock.

Look around the base of the trunk, and you should see an array of spiky new growth.

A lot of plums are self-fertile, but apples need the right pollinators - so unless there are other apple trees nearby (including crab apples as they are excellent pollinators), you may not get a terribly good crop.

 

[Reynard]

I'm thinking this match could end up as a cricket score, even if the first goal was chalked off for a very dubious offside...

 

[Speicher]

I have just been looking out the dining room window at the trees in question. They are a lovely silhouette against the sky. There are some spectacular sunsets here.

In the past I have used an excellent tree surgeon. I will ask him to do an estimate for hard pruning the trees without damaging them. There is also a giant Berberis that needs pruning, and to do that you need a suit of armour.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I'm thinking this match could end up as a cricket score, even if the first goal was chalked off for a very dubious offside...

Qatari fans look like they all need a drink.

 

[Speicher]

i'd prune them you've nothing to lose by trying. starting with the basic 3 D , Dead, diseased and damaged. Then any crossing over branches aiming to open up the tree in a goblet shape. Cut back side shouts to shape don't go mad you will get lots of growth with little substance. Water well and feed in spring with potash. You nothing to lose by trying. Forget the painting of cut ends if any one tells you it's way out of date and brings trouble.

If you want to plant others your right some need others around. Domestic setting in practice some one will have something to pollinate.
The bees will find them so don't worry too much. Plenty of options if you want to mix the planting up if you keep them or replant add plenty of wildflowers , meadow seed mix are best the more bees the better.

Looking at next door's trees, that is what they did. Whereas "my" trees look like mature trees with strong branches, theirs look ..... silly, with spray of twiggy twig things where they pruned them, just as described above by Tom.

 

[Speicher]

I think cutting them back needs to be done when it isn't in leaf.
On my ride out today I was thinking about the damson tree by the side of the road . It is nice for a snack on the way out or back about August time . We only had one plum tree in our garden and it produced fruit .

These damsons are so sharp you would need too much sugar to make them palatable, I think. Also there is as much stone as there is fruit.

 

[tom73]

Looking at next door's trees, that is what they did. Whereas "my" trees look like mature trees with strong branches, theirs look ..... silly, with spray of twiggy twig things where they pruned them.

Go mad and thats what you get be years before they get into fruit. Hence the basic approach with a little thinning and shaping it wont take much to bring them back into usable tree.

 

[Illaveago]

These damsons are so sharp you would need too much sugar to make them palatable, I think. Also there is as much stone as there is fruit.

Are you sure they aren't Sloes ?

 

[Reynard]

These damsons are so sharp you would need too much sugar to make them palatable, I think. Also there is as much stone as there is fruit.

Sound more like bullaces to me...

 

[Reynard]

Are you sure they aren't Sloes ?

Sloes are tiddly and round with a pronounced blue "bloom"

Bullaces are plum-shaped, but a lot smaller and very sour. Their flesh is hard and they're a pain to stone.

Damsons are variable as there are many different varieties. Mine are quite large and have yellow flesh. Some are smaller and have red flesh. But they're OK to stone on the whole, if a bit messy.

Cherry plums are surprisingly sweet. They do tend towards being round rather than plum-shaped. Can either be red or yellow.