The Phantom Planter

 Out last night seeing to my Major oak saplings, pulling all the grass away from them and give them a good mulch.  I have 22 Major oak aka Robin Hood oak saplings from Sherwood forest planted here along the perimeter of our Lisnabreeny orchard.  All these oaks were grown from acorns I collected from the Major oak tree back in Oct 2022. The Major oak is officially dead after being poisoned. Some tree experts thought it would be a good idea to fill the tree with concrete and embalm it in a type of plastic in an attempt to try and keep its shape.  Oaks naturally hollow out in the middle and begin to collapse in on themselves. This concrete and plastic stuff they added was to try and stop this happening.  Also them supports they added to the branches cant have helped either, oaks naturally drop these off to save energy and the tree was probably strained trying to keep these branches alive.  I've seen many old oaks just drop massive branches. And it wasnt even i...

 Anyone looking any of my specialist iconic oak trees drop me an email please phantomplanter1@gmail.com Smaller ones £20 each and larger £50. Collection only from one of our orchards South Belfast. Can also deliver Belfast and surrounding areas for a fee.  And sure if your needing a mattress also I've got the best value for money luxury mattress on the market in store ready to go in all sizes. Have a wee search for The HoneyB Galaxy mattress. I've been selling this mattress for over 12 years now from my mattress shop and not joking it has never had a bad review. I sleep on one myself and love it.  Your support will help keep all our orchards going. I haven't stopped this weekend doing work around community orchards. Yesterday we made a start at The Phantom Planters HQ tidying up and mulching loads of fruit trees there.  I cant believe the size of the trees there this year! And the abundance of fruit this year also. Its unbelievable what we can create when we use our ...

Love it when a phantom planters plan comes together. This little patch here is 88 heritage Irish apple trees, Phantom Planted winter past I planted them in a rectangular formation on council ground.  I have been going back every week cutting a border out around the outside of the rectangle so when the council grass cutters came out they would know just to carry on cutting around my island of apple trees.  This is exactly how I was wanting it all to work out guys. I dont really need to go back now and keep cutting round it as its obvious now, but every week I still like to go back and cut the border around it. Keeping the hood looking like a nature loving Buddhahood.  Just love this little piece of Environmental Graffiti.  I challenge you to phantom plant a tree  Peace and love  The Phantom Planter and Wee Betty  

 Flat out yesterday mulching apple trees. Must have done well over 60 of them.  These were all ones I phantom planted winter past. All heritage Irish varieties. Think I've managed to find, mulch and tidy up every apple tree that was phantom planted winter past. The heritage varieties really do grow the best here. Its also great to get the trees in the ground as young as possible, I'm noticing how much better they grow when planted bareroot young. These apple trees were phantom planted at 1 year old. They will grow into better stronger trees when planted young like this and will not need supported either.  I phantom planted around 400 apple trees winter past and I think nearly everyone has survived! A long time supporter seen me out working yesterday and stopped to say hello. He then got stuck in and was helping me mulch loads of trees for a good hour. Thank you mate. Loved our chats too and the poetry.  I really do need to delegate more and get people involved helpin...

 Back in 2022 when I was over visiting The Major Oak of Sherwood forest I had noticed that the tree had been filled with concrete and the limbs were embalmed in a type of plastic. The limbs had supports also. The whole process seemed so unnatural.  I remember thinking can they not just let trees die in peace.  Oaks hallow in the centre for a reason, its part of its natural cycle to allow fungi and other life to come into it.  Fill it full of concrete and plastic and people are blaming climate change and people visiting compressing the ground around it on its sudden death.  More experts but more problems.  More degrees but less sense.  More knowledge but less judgment.  Words from Big D aka The Dalai Lama spring to mind on this one.  Anyhow guys, all of us need to be collecting acorns from our ancient oaks all over the country and grow them up for phantom planting. Its our duty to replace the forests we have ripped down over the centuries....

 Was so annoyed yesterday at finding 4 of my apple trees hit by council mowers. One has been completely ringbarked meaning it will be slowly be dying over the next few weeks. Some people say bark graft it or wrap bandages and other methods. Over the years I've tried so many things to save ringbarked trees and I haven't managed to save one. The tree however might grow back from the stump as they always normally do.  So disheartening though when this happens. Normally I never get that annoyed as I expect to take losses and can always replant the tree, but when you have 6 amazing fruit trees growing away and enjoyed by the community for years and 4 out of the 6 gets hit it really made me angry.  So I went and got some sewer pipe and cut it to put around the tree, I added a load of mulch also. Hopefully this will protect the tree better from careless mowers.  You would wonder though how many other trees are killed this way by careless mowers. Under Brehon Law, the true l...