the daydream fund challenge thread

alfie_1

Itismehonest wrote: »

& then floored her? :rotfl:

if it wasnt for the fact i have a mega busy week i would of !!!:rotfl:
i cant take time out to visit a cell
although if i could take my quilt and a hot water bottle it might be a sort of enforced holiday ??:D

LIR no prob re coat.... anyone else need one ??

rhiwfield

Choile, think it was you who mentioned US free ebay listing , how does that work?

By registering as a business seller (to try to mentally get it right) I've scuppered free listings, need to have a returns policy and have details published for the world to see.

But you can list when you want, it makes you focus clearly on achieving sales and describing correctly, it makes it clearer for taxman and if you become a powerseller (min 100 transactions and £2000 sold in 12 months, plus high feedback scores and policy compliance) then there are final value fee discounts, starting at 20% which will pay for an awful lot of listings. Hope to qualify for powerseller by April/May. Also by using off site hosting, photo costs can be eliminated.

The main area where I can add value is the buying. And that is getting better with experience (if I ignore the last auction:eek::eek::eek:)

lostinrates

Rhiwfield, if you are still about....I have a bother tree training question.

Ultimately I want the lowest branches to be about waist height, but the trees aren't much more than that now, and their branches start v. Low down. Bearing in mind growth, how many of these should I remove....to what height?

I feel really thick, but finding this really hard to work out!

Davesnave

Rummer wrote: »

I will buy some plants then, is there a variety people would recommend?

'Munstead' is hardiest, or there's 'Hidcote,' but bearing in mind what you've said about your garden, no lavender will tolerate having wet feet in winter, so I would take it steady on the buying and see what happens.

rhiwfield

lostinrates wrote: »

Rhiwfield, if you are still about....I have a bother tree training question.

Ultimately I want the lowest branches to be about waist height, but the trees aren't much more than that now, and their branches start v. Low down. Bearing in mind growth, how many of these should I remove....to what height?

I feel really thick, but finding this really hard to work out!

I made loads of mistakes when I trained mine, wish I'd asked more questions

Anyhow, this is how I did it. I'd tie the leader in to lowest training wire, cut off low unwanted branches, trim and paint cuts with arbrex. Branches to be trained as laterals will normally start say 4-6 inches (doesnt have to be precise) below the training wire. Now here's the brutal bit (but optional in year 1 if you have existing strong side branches at right height). To encourage side growth cut the vertical leader just above a bud (itself just above the horizontal training wire) that is also above two ready formed branches/ or if none above two side facing buds at right height) The upper bud will form the new leader, the lower buds/branches some 6" below the first wire will form the branches to be trained horizontally. Repeat annually at succeeding horizontal training wires.

So if you are now ready at the lowest wire to start training, and have 5 training wires, it will take 5 summers growth to get the basic shape.

If tree is too low to start training, cut off unwanted low branches as before but dont cut off leader, as it will need to grow and be tied in before you begin training.

lostinrates

Yes, tree is too short, by a long way, so no leader cutting. But, if I understand rightly, I should cut everything below the branchi that is appox six inches below lowest wire first?
Not sure what to take out above......greedily I want all the branches! Maybe I should put more wires in, or can there be too many?

I've out my wires a foot apart, ..not sure how good that will be, whether it should have been closer? I have roses climbing in the same boundary so more wires better then fewer IMO. the first wire is very low but just for roses.....

Thank you so much for your patience with me over this. It sounded like such a great idea but has caused a lot of stress! I'm sure once I get the hang of it maintaining it will be pleasurable a chore though.

rhiwfield

lostinrates wrote: »

Yes, tree is too short, by a long way, so no leader cutting. But, if I understand rightly, I should cut everything below the branchi that is appox six inches below lowest wire first?
Not sure what to take out above......greedily I want all the branches! Maybe I should put more wires in, or can there be too many?

I've out my wires a foot apart, ..not sure how good that will be, whether it should have been closer? I have roses climbing in the same boundary so more wires better then fewer IMO. the first wire is very low but just for roses.....

Thank you so much for your patience with me over this. It sounded like such a great idea but has caused a lot of stress! I'm sure once I get the hang of it maintaining it will be pleasurable a chore though.

Lir, vertical distance between wires/branches 18". One foot is a bit tight, IMHO, dont forget that you will get fruit bearing spurs growing up from trained lateral branches and these will need summer pruning. You also want air and light to get to fruit .

You want all the energy of the tree to be focused on growing the fruiting framework of branches. Any that dont fit should be cut off. Dont rub out side buds atm just in case you make a mistake!

lostinrates

Ok, thanks! I will be tough. . I'll add more wires for the better eighteen inch spacing, and keep the wrong ones for the roses. Yes. I know Iwill curse the roses when picking and pruning, but tough. It's going to be beautiful.

Itismehonest

It sounds beautiful, lir, but aren't you concerned that disease may cross from rose to fruit or vice versa?

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

It sounds beautiful, lir, but aren't you concerned that disease may cross from rose to fruit or vice versa?

Well, not really. I agree with rhiwfield that airflow risks being an issue, but as a pleach the wind has as good a chance as on a trad tree I reckon. The site is fairly sheltered, but not hemmed in.....there is a barn a double width track behind, and then a gap in front where I will have low level planting only (herbs mainly).

It's going to be an adventure, that's for sure, and there are certainly good reasons people don't try things, but I think it's worth trying in this case