OUR OWN FOREST

This was the worst area of the black boggy swamp in the year 2000 plantation. The weed control had been poor. In 2000 the future looked bleak. Now it is a beautiful forest with some nice straight Spotted Gums ready for some thinning and pruning.

FUN IN THE CHERRY PICKER

We borrowed this from Greg, a friend of mine and an orchardist, nearby. It has made pruning much easier and less damaging to the tree. It is also enjoyable and safe up to this height - 4m. I hope to use it for seed collection as well. NOT Safe if more than 15% slope.

MULCHING THE THINNINGS (plus some firewood)

This really has been a success. Five year old trees may be quite big. 10m.high and diam. up to130cm. You need a wide (1.8m) extra heavy duty slasher on a 85hp narrow orchard tractor.We used the John Berends slasher (From Dandenong) It did a great job. We chopped off the tree an easy height (700mm.) and left the fallen trees down the rows and ran the tractor over them. Usually just once. The Extra heavy duty slasher shreaded the fallen trees stripping of the branches and leaving the remains to rot back into the soil. We usually got a firewood log or two from the stump. This slasher is strong and acts like a mulcher.

- BEWARE - it is dangerous to stand anywhere near when this is going on!!. Bits of tree fly everywhere! You can give your dog a hell of a fright !!

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