The Phantom Planter

 So glad to see a bit of rain guys.  I've been observing lots of my 1 year old bareroot heritage Irish apple trees that I phantom planted in winter past. I phantom planted around 400 on unused green spaces about Belfast. I havent watered any of them.   The majority of them I gave a good thick layer of mulch around them and some I didnt. The ones I mulched are looking so much more healthier and less stressed compared to the ones I didnt mulch.  The ones I didint mulch you can see over half the lowers leaves have truned yellow and are about to drop. Apparently the tree does this and sucks the moisture from some of its leaves to help keep the other ones going. Amazing! Saying that though, the ones I haven't mulched are surviving and the tips of the trees are still fairly healthy.  Me personally I will never plant larger potted trees again. I have still been watering 2/3 year old potted trees.  The smaller and younger you plant your trees the better. They ...

My good mate Billy Boy is gone.  Unreal how I met this old boy and made an amazing friendship with him.  Back in about 2018 I seen Billy at the garage struggling to put air in his tyres. I got out and said do you want a hand there mate? He was more than happy to let me help. We got chatting and at the time I had not long stumbled across Buddhist, yoga and tree planting and was very enthusiastic telling him how much it had changed my life. I had also just given up drink around that time too after years of struggling to break away from it.  After we chatted and I got the air in his tyres I got back in my van and thought nothing more of it.  Billy had went home after that and decided to try and track me down. He said he called around judo centres looking for a tree planting Buddhist. He had no luck. Think he got mixed up between judo and yoga! At that time I had a tree planting charity and one of my trees got ripped out. The whole tree was pulled out by the roots, the t...

 So guys, the Major Oak aka Robin Hood Oak sapling from Sherwood forest I had that I put on ebay and got took down I found a private buyer for it.  Make a pathway lousie who has been a massive supporter of my work made me an offer for it.  So me and wee betty delivered it personally to Louise in Manchester yesterday.  We also brought over an Irish heritage apple tree that I grew myself which is a Kemp variety and planted it in her garden in memory of her mum.  Louise said she has a spot for the Major Oak sapling to be planted down near the Glastonbury Tor.  What a place for it!!!  I'm hoping to come back over in late autumn for the planting.  Thank you so much Louise, was so nice to meet you and your dad.  I challenge you all to phantom plant a tree guys.. Peace and love  The Phantom Planter and wee betty.

 If anyone is looking any of my famous oaks from The Phantom Planters Oak Spiral I've left a load of them behind this donation box at our Lisnabreeny Community Orchard.  The orchard is in the left field next to  47 Lisnabreeny Road East BT6 9SS.  ****PLEASE DO NOT CALL INTO THE HOUSE****** The trees are £20 each. You can put the money in the box or scan the QR code to our paypal account.  These aren't your average oaks guys. All these oak saplings are grown from the most famous oaks on these islands.  Feel free to walk the spiral and orchard also if you want. Follow the cut grass for pretty special unique walk.  If you do get an oak tree, keep it in the pot in full sun and well watered until late autumn before you plant out. You could also repot into bigger pots and grow on for a few more years. All the oaks are labelled with the famous parent tree it came from. Plant something Mighty today that will live on for a thousand years! I challenge you to pha...

 So after 10 years of phantom planting I've managed to work out which trees and methods work best for my environment.  This is a Bloody Butcher heritage Irish variety apple tree grafted onto an mm106 rootstock. It was grown in a polytunnel for the first year then planted out in the wild at 1 year old. All I have did is give it a good mulch and nothing else. No water, no feed, no extra TLC.  Just plant, chant and forget about.  These trees are looking better than any trees I've ever phantom planted.  They grow into much more better natural trees when planted small. It replicates nature more I think. The only thing is bareroot trees can only be planted in late autumn and winter.  You can plant potted and root ball trees anytime of year but its a risk with them as they need much more TLC. Like supported and watered for the first few years to get them established.  Its also much more hassle planting bigger trees. Never again will I be planting larger trees...

 Phantom planted apples getting ripe in the hood.  I always say to the kids if you don't eat them throw them at the peelers!  Who is this mad man is what they're thinking!  But I tell you something, when you come down to street level with the kids they respect the trees more. I've got kids all over working class estates looking out for my trees.  All our streets and estates should be filled with fruit trees.  Putting my money and time where my mouth is on this one. Thats what I'll be doing for the rest of my days is phantom planting fruit trees for nature and community to enjoy.  Be the change you want to see.  Too many talkers and not enough doers!  I challenge you to phantom plant a tree  Peace and love  The Phantom Planter and Wee Betty