Is this horsetail? I have a considerable carpet of it thats sprang up in a few days, it's pretty impressive and I quite like it, but if its going to choke out anything else (I want wild growth) then I suppose I should do something.
Doing something is a bit tricky, though. The stuff's a bastard to shift, and glyphosate isn't really compatible with letting wild stuff grow.
Normally I let the sheep at it, which keeps it from getting any more traction, but because reasons, that didn't happen this year. Not sure what to recommend if you don't have sheep. Goats, maybe?
>>2964 If he's just now starting to wild, may as well kill off everything on ground level with a cover while it's hot enough to cook it all, then reseed with local flora later. I assume that method gets those too but may be worth looking up first.
>>2965 Horsetail has really deep (>1m) roots (rhizomes?)
You're looking at an extinction level asteroid to shift that with heat.
Any chance you can make that bit not-wild and just mow the fuck out of it?
Or maybe plant some bush / shrub / fucking brambles and outcompete it with something not just wild, but livid?
>>2973 He is like Big Clives psychopathic English cousin. High-voltage electrical work is genuinely fascinating, clever but only done by mental people.
>>2975 I've got a 300kV power supply / surge generator being delivered tomorrow. Got a forklift standing by to take it off the truck, total weight looks to be about 1.4t.
Shame I've got no desire to make videos, really. It's going to be lively.
>>2977 terrifying, rather than fun, unless you're lifting something easy, which this won't be. It's far too big to be fun, and the weight isn't central. I've got my tractor-mounted forks fitted (without nearly killing myself this time), but will call neighbour with his teleporter if needed. Truck should be inbound.
If you don't hear from me, I've probably dropped it on myself and it's up to you two to find a new third. Choose wisely.
>>2982 It makes lightning-sized current surges. Lots of power, but only for a short time, few tens of microseconds. It all runs off a standard kettle lead.
It's one of the things I do for a day job when I'm not shitposting - make stuff that handles lightning and other current surges. I've just lost access to one that my customer uses, and this came up at auction for a (relative) song.
>>2983 That's really interesting. I have a 10 metre antenna in my garden at the moment, and have been worrying about lightning provisions - I've had it up for about 3 months and haven't died so far, but I'm about to go to the gym and there is a large thunderstorm due in an hour.
I have one of these on the coax, outside and it is attached to a 5ft copper earthing rod; I believe the idea is that if my antenna is struck, that little barrel on the right of the picture pops out and cuts the cable; do these things actually work? I wish I could borrow your device to test it.
Anyone played at grafting?
I've got a grapevine that grows lots of shit grapes, but is otherwise really heathy and happy.
Likewise, I've got an apple tree that grows vast amounts of nasty not-quite-Bramleys.
Grafting more tempting stuff onto each seems like a better plan than tearing them out and starting from scratch. They're where I want them, just growing the wrong fruit.
Internet has a lot to say, much of it contradictory and probably drivel, so, gs...
I do a lot but you haven't asked any questions to answer. I'm going to guess what they might be.
Grafting can be quite hit or miss, some things will fail or die but if the alternative is cutting them down then you've not got a lot to lose.
I don't think you can really graft whole mature trees but there may be a solution, ask a tree nursery who do grafts what they think. Many of the best apples are not self-fertilising so you may have to factor a second tree in whatever the solution is.
The shit grapes could just as likely be due to the soil, water or light availability as anything else, grafting may or may not help. They could even be wine grapes that you'd be glad to have if you weren't trying to eat them.
>>3008 Yeah, I think my question is- can I graft onto mature apple & grape stock? (The apple's well over 100 years old, grape is probably only about 30)
My thought was - find branches of roughly the appropriate size, and graft away. It's clearly not what most people do, but will it work? Should I cut off a big branch and graft a bunch of scions round its periphery? Who the fuck knows?
I'm prepared for some failures, that's fine. If I kill the apple tree, it's no great loss. I doubt I can kill the grape vine. I cut that bastard way back last year, and it's on a clear mission to take over the whole greenhouse again.
The grape vine is very likely a wine variety, but there's no way I have time or inclination to make vast quantities of bad wine. Not when I can make vast quantities of bad cider.
>>3010 I'm surprised that hasn't killed it. I'd suggest trying a few smaller branches before you start lopping off boughs but as usually it's done in winter it may be a long project.
It does look a bit harsh...
"Graft trees to take advantage of an already established and healthy root stock
When an orchardist isn’t happy with a certain variety of apples, generally he doesn’t rip out all the trees. Instead, he cuts them all off a few feet off the ground, and grafts the new variety onto them. The root stocks off the previous tree are already established and happy in their home. Imagine how much better a new baby tree would grow if it started out with full grown roots."
came with the attached photo.
