[thatguy2]

Good deal, There is no better to tree to plant than a Oak, and no better Oak to plant than a Burr Oak.

My wife thinks I have an unhealthy love affair with big, beautiful, Burr oaks.

Meanwhile slaying elms.

 

[Treefarmer]

I find it hard to like elm trees other than as a shade ornamental tree. I'm elm lumber has some uses but I don't know what they are. That's as straight an elm as I've seen or perhaps it just looks like a long log in the framing of the nice saw.

Treefarmer

 

[thatguy2]

I find it hard to like elm trees other than as a shade ornamental tree. I'm elm lumber has some uses but I don't know what they are. That's as straight an elm as I've seen or perhaps it just looks like a long log in the framing of the nice saw.

Treefarmer

They are like a plague. The second one I cut today was sporty. Big and multistemmed with hog wire growing inside the tree to about waist height. Then it was partially hollow on the inside. Even after driving wedges I couldnt get it to fall. I had to cut so much wood to get it to lay over I was nervous about going all the way through. Spent the better part of 35 minutes just trying to fall it.

 

[rtgt]

Kudzu, Greenbrier, and a five-leaf (non-irritating) poison ivy.

The 5 leaf may be Virginia Creeper.

I have all three as well + the real poison ivy.

It is colder here so the hacking and slashing was done a few months ago. In a couple months it will be time to strike a match. Summer will be spot spraying.

Wash, rinse, repeat as necessary.

 

[Treefarmer]

They are like a plague. The second one I cut today was sporty. Big and multistemmed with hog wire growing inside the tree to about waist height. Then it was partially hollow on the inside. Even after driving wedges I couldnt get it to fall. I had to cut so much wood to get it to lay over I was nervous about going all the way through. Spent the better part of 35 minutes just trying to fall it.

Yeah, a hollow tree can be touchy to say the least. I'm sure the wire just added to the fun. Every elm I've dealt with had a twisted, gnarly grain and would tend to break suddenly- no fun at all.

Treefarmer

 

[MTB98]

I find it hard to like elm trees other than as a shade ornamental tree. I'm elm lumber has some uses but I don't know what they are. That's as straight an elm as I've seen or perhaps it just looks like a long log in the framing of the nice saw.

Treefarmer

I believe elm was used as flooring in horse stalls. It seems like I heard that at a logging museum in Minnesota.

 

[Treefarmer]

Glad it's good for something, even if it's just to get crapped on.

Treefarmer

 

[thatguy2]

What a mess.

 

[MTB98]

Those are some big thorns! Build a big brush pile around that and set it on fire!

 

[thatguy2]

Those are some big thorns! Build a big brush pile around that and set it on fire!

Fire is what caused that mess. It was a big multistemmed hedge and packrats made a nest about 7 ft up. When I burned pasture it caught fire. This is the end result.

 

[thatguy2]

Did alot of work in this patch of plums. Cut down half a dozen walnuts and pecans that were the perfect size for firewood. Also dropped 12 elms of various sizes. Still need to drop that nasty mulberry in there. It will be a challenge.

 

[RalphVa]

Moved a bunch of trees the wife had cut up. She put them in the FEL, and I ran them over to one of our piles in one of our gullies. Last year, she took out all our invasives and cut up all the downed trees. More have come down. She cut them up.

Did a small amount of chipping and may have convinced her to let us buy a new Woodland Mills WC46 or WC68, probably the smaller one to replace our very old MacKissic TPH-122. A self feed one would make like a bit easier. Don't need the leaf shredding ability of the Mac any more because my source of bags of leaves has dried up. Seem to get enough mulch from chippings and occasional free mulch from the county.

Ralph

 

[Treefarmer]

Moved a bunch of trees the wife had cut up. She put them in the FEL, and I ran them over to one of our piles in one of our gullies. Last year, she took out all our invasives and cut up all the downed trees. More have come down. She cut them up.

Did a small amount of chipping and may have convinced her to let us buy a new Woodland Mills WC46 or WC68, probably the smaller one to replace our very old MacKissic TPH-122. A self feed one would make like a bit easier. Don't need the leaf shredding ability of the Mac any more because my source of bags of leaves has dried up. Seem to get enough mulch from chippings and occasional free mulch from the county.

Ralph

Please enlighten us on how you got your wife to cut on the trees. I had some luck getting my wife to help with firewood but not a chance of her picking up a chainsaw, then and especially now.

I clearly made mistakes in our married life and hope you can help younger husbands to do better.

Treefarmer

 

[Fuzzy]

Why worry about chipping. It's a lot easier and cheaper to burn them.

 

[IronAir]

Had an old gate that we set aside several years ago. Today we pulled it out, hitched up Big Blue and welded on some hinges so the gate could be repurposed for some additional carport security.

 

[flyweight]

I installed a Catch Basin and Drain Line:

Below is a pic of the catch basin I installed yesterday.

It's set a bit above the ground level(~1"). After the shop is complete, I'll remove the needed soil in the area between the shop and garage, then fill with concrete. The top of the concrete will be flush with top of the catch basin. The concrete will have a slight valley in the center to allow water to flow toward the basin.



The 4" drain pipe leaves the catch basin for ~6", it turns 45° and runs toward the portable shed(green line).
Then it turns 45° again and runs toward the pond.

At present, the drain stops at the red arrow. A "Tee"(facing up, with a grate) will be installed, then the drain pipe will extend another 20'. It will terminate a few feet from the pond. The "Tee" will be for a 4" diameter catch for rain water in that area of the lawn.
I ran water through the drain to check how deep the remainder of the trench needed to be dug.

To be continued.

 

[Treefarmer]

Finished rebuilding one section of fence which had gotten in really bad shape. 16 wood posts, some steel T posts, brace and new wire make it a bit better. Not so fun as it was overgrown with brush, briars etc. and was muddy enough to make it a walking and hand work job, not a tractor job.

When that was complete, moved a string electric fence to allow cows into a section of pasture that hadn't been grazed yet. The cows knew what was going on and stood around the gate mooing for most of the morning. By the time we were ready to take down the old fence and let them in, they had all settled down. When we walked by rolling up the old fence, they stood up and walked over. Some stopped where the old fence had been while others embraced the change and started eating. A few hung back and looked confused. I guess cows are a lot like people- some catch on to change and others just don't understand.

Treefarmer

 

[Andursun0013]

I installed a Catch Basin and Drain Line:

Below is a pic of the catch basin I installed yesterday
It's set a bit above the ground level(~1"). After the shop is complete, I'll remove the needed soil in the area between the shop and garage, then fill with concrete. The top of the concrete will be flush with top of the catch basin. The concrete will have a slight valley in the center to allow water to flow toward the basin.

I'm curious why you didn't tie the down spout directly into the drain pipe? Even with the concrete that will be there in the future, the down spout being tied directly to the drain line would keep the area a little cleaner I would thinkt? In the end, you will be getting water away from the house with your solution which is all that matters. Nice job.

 

[flyweight]

I'm curious why you didn't tie the down spout directly into the drain pipe?

That's just how I roll.

 

[Andursun0013]

That's just how I roll.

Fair enough. It doesn't matter how you roll, just so its forward.