I am contemplating cutting down an old Christmas tree which is around 10m tall and say 30cm diameter at its base. It's not really recommended to burn pine for domestic heating because of resin build-up issues so I'm thinking of making a garden feature. But, I don't know which way to go. I could cut it into lengths and make a raised flower bed or perhaps an art installation with poles of varying height.
I'm OK with carpentry, but don't want to get involved with cutting planks or making garden furniture. The odd cut and joint here or there is OK but I'm looking for minimal detailed work.
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We've got one of those. The next door neighbour has been overcome with a desire to tidy up the fence line, his on that side, and has offered to clear various out of control trees and shrubs including the pine. We decided it was sensible to let him, if it came down it could reach the house. When we were discussing it we decided it was probably a Christmas tree that somebody had rooted.
Shame in a way, it's ramrod straight and an impressive tree in its way. I had thought of using it on the open fire, in among. We get the chimbley swept every other year.
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We has an old willow that died some 10 years ago. Rather than cut it down, we left it and grew ivy up the trunk.
Insects, birds and woodpeckers love it.
Last edited by: madf on Sun 25 May 14 at 13:49
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We have most of the world's reserves of ivy. Horrible stuff.
We hadn't noticed that our electricity pole was covered in it. I cut the very thick stems that completely surrounded it, and removed all the stuff I could reach, which killed the remaining top 10' or so and left the pole looking like a bottle brush when all the leaves fell off.
Unfortunately, the pole was by then waving about in the wind, so it must have been structural ivy. The grid people came and bodged it by ramming some half bricks (mine) down the hole and bashing them down.
They've put me down for a new pole, but no sign of them yet, months later.
Maybe they'll leave me the old pole to cut up too when they eventually do it.
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We had an electricity man round a few years ago doing a routine pole check. They check them by tapping, like railway wheel-tappers used to. He said the poles easily last 50 years, so he won't be round again for a while.
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The 30ft spruce trunk, cut into three, could make (depending on construction) a triangular wigwam frame, either to use as a house or to hang a swing from... of course you would only do that with nippers in mind usually. Any nippers around DE?
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You can burn it no problem. Cut it and split it, then leave to dry for 3 summer months in a heap to allow plenty of air circulation.
What do you think millions of people living in cold countries where only pine/fir trees grow use for fire wood?
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Pine can fur up a big stone chimney, and if it ever catches fire you know all about it... a really hot chimney can start the roof joists smouldering. It's no joke at all, not to mention the gobs of blazing pine soot it spews out on your 500-year-old thatched roof... :o}.
Thing to do is to use a stove with a steel pipe chimney. Run the stove hard from time to time and burn it out on purpose.
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This is based on a quick look, whilst driving past - a childrens' playground in Alexandra Park, Hastings has a felled tree where the bark has been selectively removed, so that it looks like a caterpillar. It's very effective.
Last edited by: John Boy on Sun 25 May 14 at 16:44
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Toss it, like the kilted man on the Porage Oats packet?
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>>a childrens' playground in Alexandra Park, Hastings has a felled tree
How is Alexandra Park these days John Boy, I used to take my Doberman Rio over there most mornings before work when we lived in Woodland Vale Road, he got spooked one morning by something or other and ran orf.
When I returned home he was waiting for me on the doorstep having crossed Bohemia Road in the morning rush hour :(
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I can't say really, Arjades. For various reasons, I can't walk very far, so my visits are limited to delivering my garden snails into exile. The local birdwatching sites suggest that it is teeming with small birds.
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Sorry to hear that John Boy, we moved to Hastings from London in the very week the great storm hit in '87.
Alexandra Park was quite badly hit I seem to remember, losing many fine old trees.
I have some very fond memories of Hastings/St Leonards, we have lived in Cornwall for the last 17 years, but my wife secretly still misses Hastings if I'm purrfectly honest although I dare say it's changed a bit in the last 20 years!
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>> I have some very fond memories of Hastings/St Leonards, we have lived in Cornwall for
>> the last 17 years, but my wife secretly still misses Hastings if I'm purrfectly honest
>> although I dare say it's changed a bit in the last 20 years!
>>
It has, and not for the better unfortunately !
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>>It has, and not for the better unfortunately !
I did think that actually Skippy, same with Cornwall too I'm sorry to say!
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No doubt you have checked Tree Preservation Orders for your garden. Chap round my way got fined £130,000 for felling a tree in a TPO area without permission and was bankrupted as a result.
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Some loopholes to jump through as well. We have TPO round here, even after they were diseased took ages with council. Bloke rounf here chopped it down, but only after some specialist had been round have to put up the report online and all sorts similar stuff.
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"Chap round my way got fined £130,000 for felling a tree in a TPO area without permission"
"The maximum fine is £20,000 for destroying a tree and up to £2,500 for anyone who does not completely destroy a tree but has carried out works without consent."
Got two Oaks with TPOs in the back garden
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"Chap round my way got fined £130,000 for felling a tree in a TPO area without permission"
about the standard of reporting you expect from the Daily Mail when combined with UKIP financial expertise:)
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>> "Chap round my way got fined £130,000 for felling a tree in a TPO area
>> without permission"
Could easily cost you £130k in fines plus own & others legal costs if you fought it all the way.
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TPOs don't apply in my case.
My current thought is a rustic pergola type thing where the four support posts come from the tree. The trouble is that I'd need to cut down more trees to build the roof.
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What about a nice totem pole ;) my teenage son is doing his forestry management course and is pretty handy with a chainsaw.
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All you pathetic wimps who proudly stroke your 50cc Aldi Special chain saws at this time of year, cry at what you might have had....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5WO9nulOXc#t=58
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>> All you pathetic wimps who proudly stroke your 50cc Aldi Special chain saws at this
>> time of year, cry at what you might have had....
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5WO9nulOXc#t=58
That should sell well to the Islamic State militants - saves all that tiresome sawing to remove heads.
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>> >> "Chap round my way got fined £130,000 for felling a tree in a TPO
>> area
>> >> without permission"
>>
>> Could easily cost you £130k in fines plus own & others legal costs if you
>> fought it all the way.
>>
Just under 150K in total for this one round my way:-
www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10482586.Auctioneer_who_felled_tree_to_get_better_view_from_hot_tub_loses_appeal/
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>>Just under 150K in total for this one round my way:-
www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10482586.Auctioneer_who_felled_tree_to_
get_better_view_from_hot_tub_loses_appeal/
The very one, worse even that I thought. Davey's auction room building is just 300 yards from me and is now a block of flats.
I note the Echo does not mention another factor, the Council's frustration over failure to find and convict perpetrators of fellings on one of the most expensive areas in the world, the Sandbanks Peninsula, about a mile to the left of the photo. There must be very strong suspicions of developers there, since even £150,000 might be a reasonable expense when you are building a house for Harry Redknapp.
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130k. Is you 'avin a larf??
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A mate of a mate of a mate had 2 bruddy great Oaks in his garden which seemed to stand in the way of planning permission. 05.30 saw the saw start up. 06.00 one neighbour had roused. 10.00 the Carncil showed up!! He now has two rather nice houses on his patch. 0.5m better off now and another part of Royal Berkshire grass concreted over. It can't be stopped, believe me.
Where will it all end??
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>> Maybe they'll leave me the old pole to cut up too when they eventually do
>> it.
>>
If you do, and decide to use it in a stove, do so very sparingly as kindling, never as the main fuel.
Telegraph poles burn like the clappers, and will coat your flue with tar.
And don't use a chainsaw on it either.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Thu 4 Dec 14 at 19:22
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What to do with 10m pine tree trunk - Manatee
