Friday, 29 April 2011

My Garden is My Space: New Life in The April Garden

It is the end of April and the garden is full of new life.

New life is not only the plant life but the bird population has increased with the promise of even more to come.

The first to fledge to my knowledge this year is a family of Great Tits. This noisy brood appeared the same day that I found the egg of a freshly hatched Blackbird. One Pigeon has built a nest and is sitting while a couple of trees away a second is building. And today a third pair has started building. They are not my preferred choice of bird to have in the garden but it is nature and I reluctantly accept their presence.

The fresh green leaves of perennial plants have joined those of the deciduous shrubs but have at the same time have highlighted a few patches in my herbaceous borders where the winter has taken its toll. The previous year we also experienced a very harsh winter but managed to move a few things around and split perennials to fill gaps but this year a visit to the garden centre was called for.

More at: New Life in The April Garden

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Using Pole Pruners and Telescopic Tree Pruners for Lopping and Trimming Trees

Examples of Pole Saws
It is inevitable that at some point in their lives trees need to be trimmed or lopped. Is this a job for the enthusiastic amateur, the professional tree surgeon and what garden tools may be required to carry out the task? Here we look at pole saws and pole pruners.

Why Lop or Prune a Tree?

There are a number of reasons why a tree might need trimming or perhaps lopping, here are some scenarios:

Powerful wind gusts have brought about damage and made limbs quite unsafe.

Trimming out diseased or unhealthy appearing limbs might help the tree to thrive for several more years.

Numerous trees grow to be overcrowded near the centre as branches cross over. Branches rubbing with each other when the wind gusts can result in problems and permit disease to get into the tree. Light trimming removing the middle takes away the potential cause but also allows in air and light.

The tree under consideration is now overgrown preventing light getting to flora or bushes in the understory or simply significantly limiting light into the home.

No matter what the problem is a little bit of tree surgery might be required.

When to Call The Professional Tree Surgeon

For those who own a sizable well-established tree which requires significant surgery the guideline is always to speak to a specialist tree surgeon. A professional tree surgeon not simply has the knowledge coupled with years of practical knowledge and safety gear, they should also have the necessary insurance coverage in place should anything at all seriously go awry.

It also cannot be stressed more fervently that if there exists one risky task which should most certainly not be undertaken by an inexperienced gardener or homeowner it is going up a tree and employing a powered garden tool like a chainsaw.

Get the Knowledge Before You Begin

If you are going to lop or trim a small tree start off by studying your topic. Fruit trees are generally the typical smaller tree which the gardener may wish to trim however if you get it drastically wrong or perhaps trim at the incorrect time of year you may lose that or perhaps the following years fruit.

The Tools for Tree Pruning

Having explored the topic of tree trimming and are comfortable you are at ease with exactly what is needed of you it is advisable to be sure you possess the correct tool or tools to do the job. If perhaps experience lets us know anything it is that every task is completed a lot easier and with less risk to health when you have the suitable tool to hand.

At the most basic end of the spectrum you will find the hand pruner such as you might employ to trim a shrubby plant. Utilizing an anvil blade or maybe cross over scissor motion these are generally well suited for cuts done on twigs no greater than a couple of centimetres thick that might be up to as high as or just over eye level.

However how about those branches which are way over the head of the gardener?

In days gone by often there was just one alternative to address the task and that was to take out the ladders and tote up something such as a greenwood saw. Should this be your chosen method then make sure you follow all the highly recommended safety guidelines and just utilize a hand tool, employing a chain saw if you are trying to maintain your balance on a ladder leaning against a tree is a thing that cannot be advised.

Happily there exists a lot less dangerous technique of cutting off branches that happen to be way over head height. You can easily acquire a long handled tree lopper whereby the gardener draws on a trigger handgrip which powers the cutting blades. You will also find powered pole pruners with fixed height as well as a telescopic extension capability. These types of garden devices are offered for sale with various names and a selection of options includes pole pruner, pole saw, tree lopper, long reach pruner, telescopic tree pruner, telescopic pole pruner and even telescopic tree lopper. A tree lopper or pole pruner having telescopic functionality really helps to make tree pruning and lopping at a higher level much less dangerous since the gardener has feet solidly on the floor.

Where to Find and Buy Pole Pruners?

There is certainly a good choice of pole pruners as well as pole saws available for sale and can quite easily be uncovered by simply browsing the web. Stihl pole saws are certainly well liked but you will find various other companies that manufacture fine quality loppers such as Ryobi for instance.

If you do decide to prune or lop your own trees remember that using a pole saw can be a safer way to lop trees.