Recent Tree Job

[Little's]

Originally Posted by justin_time I am gonna need your expertise Brandon, I'm gonna need help trim my apple tree. Every year we want to do it and end up forgetting but it gets so loaded the branches break off. So what I am gonna do, is send you a picture and you tell me how i should trim it since I am not an expert yet but learning the tricks Sure, send me a picture, I should be able to help you out on it. It is best to prune off all the upright vigorous shoots, and try to leave all the old growth. You get the best apples off the old branches, and better tasting apples too.

__________________
Northern California

[Little's]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by picframer Cottonwood is one of three members of the poplar family, I thought that is what it was/could be from looking at the stump. When it comes to wood turning, the species is not that important, I turned some Japanese Yew Roots a few years back that were given to me by the grounds keeper at the Halifax Public Gardens, brutal on the tools as there was still grit in the wood but the results were breathtaking. So in short turners look for grain, doesn't matter much the species. If you do come across more, send me a note before you discard and I will put you in contact with the local wood turning club, it could turn out to be a small gold mine under your nose and you will probably get paid to take it away. Here is my personal favorite, Thuya Burl, it gorws off the roots of a small shrub in Morocco, what is interesting is although the shrub is very small these burls grow to 200 pounds off a small root system and are worth big bucks. If any of you fall a Walnut tree, especially in the CA area, there are balls on the root system that are also worth big $$$, they refer to it as Claro (not 100% on the spelling) I have herd from friends there a big Walnut tree can be worth up to 10 grand if it has root balls and for some reason in the CA state they do. Andy Thanks for the info Andy. May be a new business venture for me!

__________________
Northern California

[Steve]

Justin,

You should post the picture so we can all see what advice Brandon offers on handling that.

[justin_time]

Originally Posted by Steve

Justin,

You should post the picture so we can all see what advice Brandon offers on handling that.

Yeah, i have to wait, there's still 5 feet of snow on the ground

[Little's]

Originally Posted by justin_time

Yeah, i have to wait, there's still 5 feet of snow on the ground

I hear that and have no idea what its like. haha Where I live, we are lucky to get 5 inches of snow. I have already started mowing lawns this year!

[justin_time]

Originally Posted by Little's

I hear that and have no idea what its like. haha Where I live, we are lucky to get 5 inches of snow. I have already started mowing lawns this year!

Here's my thread on Snow pictures

Those pictures were taken on Christmas day and we've lost it twice from the rain so imagine if we wouldn't had any rain

http://www.gopherforum.com/showthread.php?t=8275

[Little's]

That is a ton of snow! Whats funny is it snows like that only 45 minutes from my house, I just happen to be i an area that hold warm air and hardly has snow ever sticks for more than a few hours.

[Steve]

Brandon,

Do you have or rent a chipper at all? How do you handle all the branches that you take down and the leaves? What do you suggest as far as that goes?

[Little's]

Quality chippers are VERY expensive (10k- 30k). But you can rent one for about $250 per day. I only do this on brush clearing jobs. Tree jobs I can usually load the trailer and haul away all the branches. Sometimes it take 2 loads, but there are a few places I can drop it for free with no charge. This is 1 benefit of having an open trailer as opposed to a closed trailer. I can load my trailer 12 ft high. Tie it down and off I go.

Usually I will lay a strong rope down before loading the brush. Then lasso it around the load. Then tie off on a cement block and put the truck in drive and pull the load right out of the back of the trailer.

It a 60 second unload.

I use to load and unload a trailer but after a while it gets old, depending on how often you do it? Ya chippers are expensive I bought one for 2,000 and had to do a lot of work to it exhaust, clutch, paint, blades, etc...but it paid for itself


how did you learn to climb, compared to lawn service to tree service whats the percentage of work you do for each?