Oppressive garden
 

"sweetheart" wrote
Sorry to barge in posting but I need some advice.
I have a large garden with some large trees and tons of hedges - mostly
hazel.

I would like to cut the lot down . If I did , will it all come back?

Do you want it to grow back? I'm unsure what you actually want.
If you "prune" it hard mature trees and shrubs usually do grow again, there
are exceptions and those that simply give up but as a rule they do survive
to grow/flower again.

How can I get rid of the rubbish. The garden is becoming one bug weed and
rubbish patch already with stuff to burn.

Hire/buy a good shredder, this will reduce drastically the bulk of the waste
and the shredding can be used as a mulch to suppress weeds and conserve
moisture or composted to make a good soil improver.


I have an apple tree, looks about 30 years old and must be 20 ft high. It
flowered profusely but I haven't has a single apple. Can I chop this back
or should I just have someone take a chain saw to it?

It can be dramatically reduced in size but it's a job for someone with
knowledge of such pruning if you are not to permanently damage the tree. Do
you know if it's a tip bearer for example?

I also have a ceanothus ( sp)? Can I cut this back and will it start
again. It seems half dead, probably from the icy winter we had.

Then there is one more bush/ tree. I am not sure what it is but I think
it is a verbena, It flowers before it puts on leaves and the flowers come
sometime early spring . Little pink clusters. It also looks a bit dead.
Its 15 ft high. Could I cut it back or do I have to loose it and start
again?

I once pruned a very large and overgrown Vibernum with a chainsaw, I cut it
down to a single stump about 2ft tall, it grew back into a beautiful bush
after a few years.

Finally I have another bush which has white flowers in summer. Someone
told me it was a mock orange. The leaves are umbel and it smells like
cats pee to me. Again its leggy and dead in the middle. How much can I
take off and it will still live?

I think you can also be quite drastic with Philodelphus.

One more. not on plants. I need a good heavy duty electric strimmer . I
cannot handle a petrol one. I have seen a Flymo 600 HD. Has anyone used
one of these - are they any good?

Before you buy an electric one do try a small petrol strimmer, you may find
it no heavier than a heavy duty electric one and it will be much better at
the job. If it's weight on your arms you are concerned about then get a
shoulder strap.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Oppressive garden
 

In article , says...
Before you buy an electric one do try a small petrol strimmer, you may find
it no heavier than a heavy duty electric one and it will be much better at
the job. If it's weight on your arms you are concerned about then get a
shoulder strap.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK



I will second that, most petrol strimmers come with a harness which you
wear and that takes the weight, the machine is supported at its point of
balence and all you have to do is guide it. Modern machines are very easy
to start.

If you really do want a lot of stuff cut down and removed then it may be
worth looking at someone who provides that service who has the big
shredder, it may seem at first to be expensive but that depends on how
much free time you have to do it yourself. My son has a big shredder
which he hires out with himself included and often works with his
customers and I am constantly amazed at how much he can get done in a day
(bit depressing to think I was once that young and keen!)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Except that "the leaves are umbel" doesn't sound like philadelphus (mock orange) and while I can understand someone not liking the almost overpowering scent, I think it would be hard to detect cat's pee elements in it.

Could it be Choisya (Mexican orange blossom)?

Oppressive garden
 

In message , kay
writes

Bob Hobden;900249 Wrote:
"sweetheart" wrote-
Sorry to barge in posting but I need some advice.
I have a large garden with some large trees and tons of hedges - mostly

hazel.

I would like to cut the lot down . If I did , will it all come back?-

Do you want it to grow back? I'm unsure what you actually want.
If you "prune" it hard mature trees and shrubs usually do grow again,
there
are exceptions and those that simply give up but as a rule they do
survive
to grow/flower again.

-
Finally I have another bush which has white flowers in summer. Someone

told me it was a mock orange. The leaves are umbel and it smells like

cats pee to me. Again its leggy and dead in the middle. How much can I

take off and it will still live?-

I think you can also be quite drastic with Philodelphus.


Except that "the leaves are umbel" doesn't sound like philadelphus (mock
orange) and while I can understand someone not liking the almost
overpowering scent, I think it would be hard to detect cat's pee
elements in it.

But what does "the leaves are umbel" mean?

Could it be Choisya (Mexican orange blossom)?

I take that you translated it to palmate.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

No, not as straightforward as that. I thought "umbel .. umbrella ...is there any leaf that by some stretch of the imagination I could think of as umbrella-like". And the fact it has orange in its common name sounded promising. As you know, I'm a lot less precise than you when describing or identifying plants! Inspired guesswork rather than technical analysis ;-)

Oppressive garden
 

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , kay
writes

Except that "the leaves are umbel" doesn't sound like philadelphus (mock
orange) and while I can understand someone not liking the almost
overpowering scent, I think it would be hard to detect cat's pee
elements in it.

But what does "the leaves are umbel" mean?

Could it be Choisya (Mexican orange blossom)?

I take that you translated it to palmate.

Sorry, I think it might be choisya, the name sounds familiar. I had two of
these. One green and one variagated. The variagated got something that
turned the leaves brown and muchy ( like damping off) and it died. The green
one is as strong as an ox, ecept its leggy ( only has leaves on the outside)
and dead inside ( its about 4ft across - depth). It does flower well though
in spring/summer.

Oppressive garden
 

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


I would like to cut the lot down . If I did , will it all come back?

Do you want it to grow back? I'm unsure what you actually want.
If you "prune" it hard mature trees and shrubs usually do grow again,
there are exceptions and those that simply give up but as a rule they do
survive to grow/flower again.

Well, put it this way, I would prefer some plants but if they do die I wont
be gutted. I will be miffed because I may have to do extra work digging
them out.



How can I get rid of the rubbish. The garden is becoming one bug weed and
rubbish patch already with stuff to burn.

Hire/buy a good shredder, this will reduce drastically the bulk of the
waste and the shredding can be used as a mulch to suppress weeds and
conserve moisture or composted to make a good soil improver.


I have a shredder. I have never sued it though. I have had it four years
now, still boxed.
Do the stems have to be dry to but them through. or can I cut and shed
almost immediately?
Sorry to ask but once I unbox this thing I have to find somewhere else to
store it as where it is , its parcelled in well.


I have an apple tree, looks about 30 years old and must be 20 ft high.
It flowered profusely but I haven't has a single apple. Can I chop this
back or should I just have someone take a chain saw to it?

It can be dramatically reduced in size but it's a job for someone with
knowledge of such pruning if you are not to permanently damage the tree.
Do you know if it's a tip bearer for example?

I dont even have a clue what sort it is. I know the apples are sourish and
I have used them last year as cooking apples. They are red/ green and small
( just like all apples really ;-))
But since it flowered profusely this year but didnt give up a single apple,
I think it needs something doing. I would be sorry to loose it, as its a
nice feature where it is.



One more. not on plants. I need a good heavy duty electric strimmer . I
cannot handle a petrol one. I have seen a Flymo 600 HD. Has anyone used
one of these - are they any good?

Before you buy an electric one do try a small petrol strimmer, you may
find it no heavier than a heavy duty electric one and it will be much
better at the job. If it's weight on your arms you are concerned about
then get a shoulder strap.

I have got a petrol strimmer - a stihl . Its too heavy, the petrol is messy.
It vibrates too much for me and frankly its big and I dont like engines on
ends.

Besides it has to be filled. At least electric is plug and go. I did have
an old flymo strimmer but it faded away this year ( shaft broke). It used
a heavy duty blue string and tended to do the job reasonably .
There doesnt seem to be an equivelent to replace it with in the stores.
Hence the HD which I saw on Amazon.

Oppressive garden
 

On 15/09/2010 08:00, sweetheart wrote:

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


I would like to cut the lot down . If I did , will it all come back?

Do you want it to grow back? I'm unsure what you actually want.
If you "prune" it hard mature trees and shrubs usually do grow again,
there are exceptions and those that simply give up but as a rule they
do survive to grow/flower again.

Well, put it this way, I would prefer some plants but if they do die I
wont be gutted. I will be miffed because I may have to do extra work
digging them out.

Simplest pruning rules are take out all dead wood, any weak, and
crossing branches until the shape looks roughly like a goblet. This
works for most things (although there are notable exceptions). Your
local library will have suitable illustrated books that will help.

A few vigorous things like dogwoods and buddlea react quite well to
chopping everything off at near ground level (or replacement pruning of
one third of the oldest wood). And certain well known hedging conifers
will never grow back from old mature wood so you can damage them by
cutting back too far.

Hire/buy a good shredder, this will reduce drastically the bulk of the
waste and the shredding can be used as a mulch to suppress weeds and
conserve moisture or composted to make a good soil improver.

I have a shredder. I have never sued it though. I have had it four years
now, still boxed.
Do the stems have to be dry to but them through. or can I cut and shed
almost immediately?
Sorry to ask but once I unbox this thing I have to find somewhere else
to store it as where it is , its parcelled in well.

If you have the space I would not bother with the shredder. Leave the
cut woody material to dry for a few weeks in the autumn sunshine and
then have a bonfire. The ash is good for fruit trees and bushes. And the
onions seem to like any charcoal left over.

I have an apple tree, looks about 30 years old and must be 20 ft
high. It flowered profusely but I haven't has a single apple. Can I
chop this back or should I just have someone take a chain saw to it?

It can be dramatically reduced in size but it's a job for someone with
knowledge of such pruning if you are not to permanently damage the
tree. Do you know if it's a tip bearer for example?

I dont even have a clue what sort it is. I know the apples are sourish
and I have used them last year as cooking apples. They are red/ green
and small ( just like all apples really ;-))
But since it flowered profusely this year but didnt give up a single
apple, I think it needs something doing. I would be sorry to loose it,
as its a nice feature where it is.

If you let an apple tree overcrop one year then you get almost nothing
the next. Try thinning the fruit out early on next year to break the
habit. Some trees tend to go biennial fruiting left to grow wild.

Again prune weak, dead and crossing branches. And be careful not to cut
a bit off every branch since if it is a tip bearer and you did prune
carelessly that might also explain your lack of fruit this year.

If you could identify the variety you could always get it a companion
tree (or a grafted family tree). Fruit set is a lot more reliable if
there is more than one tree for pollinators to visit.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Probably not. Ceanothus is something, a bit like leylandii, that often doesn't regrow if you cut it back beyond where it has leaves. Once a ceanothus is a mess, it is hard to get back to being something nice again. Fortunately, they are often fairly easy to dig out if you need to replace it.