The Phantom Planter

 Great days work around The Phantom Planters Oak Spiral and The Phantom Planters HQ aka Belvoir Memorial Orchard.  We got some more cages made around the famous oaks at our spiral and give them a good weeding and tidy up.  I love how the baby big belly oak is growing with a belly in the same shape as its famous parent tree.  Do trees grow in the same shape as their parent trees is what I'm wondering as this one is doing just that.  Pic attached of the day me and wee betty went to get the acorns from the Big Belly oak back in November 2022.  I'll let you compare if baby belly is like big belly.  It was then down to The Phantom Planters HQ after were I have been making a start at checking over all the hundreds of fruit trees we have there. I've been going and clearing all the grass away from the trunks of the trees and giving them an all over visual health check.  You can see in one of the pics black bitumen paint on the trunk of one of the trees. A...

 These are a couple of real handy things for The Phantom Planters tree maintenance tool bag.  For days now I've been trying to think of a good bag or case to carry stakes, bamboo canes, spades, lump hammers and other long things that I use for phantom planting and it just came to me while up climbing Slieve Gullion mountain the other day that a golf bag would be perfect! Talk about inspiration from the mountain! This is a small golf bag but it will do for now. I do intend on getting a bigger one. I want a big old vintage leather one with a tripod stand. So if you have one and not using it drop me message.  Will be so handy when trekking long distances for phantom planting and looking after your trees.  The other little bottle with the brush attached to the lid, this is something else I've been wrecking my brain over for a long time now. You see when I go and do my regular annual checks of the trees if I see any canker which is a type of fungi disease that will spread...

 This day 4 years ago me and wee betty was at the Major oak aka Robin Hood oak in Sherwood Forest getting acorns from this magnificent tree that is now dead.  We were so lucky to get so many that year and we probably got the last acorns this oak tree will ever produce.  All of these acorns have now been grown up and planted around our Lisnabreeny Community Orchard.  I've been lucky enough to get acorns from a good few ancient trees that may not have much longer to live. The Magog Oak of Glastonbury and The Belvoir Oak of Belfast.  Both these trees have been slowly dying for many years now.  This makes The Phantom Planters Oak Spiral all the more special having these rare ancient oak genetics.  Its the time of year we should all be out gathering natures seeds and growing them up to phantom plant.  You want to do something good for nature and society?  Phantom planting trees is one of the positive actions we can do.  I challenge you to pha...

This is is curly willow or also known as a corkscrew willow tree that we phantom planted about 5 years ago.  I love when walking out and about and you see your phantom planted trees pop up unexpectedly.  I've phantom planted that many I cant remember where half of them are.  Good to see this one doing well though.  Why not phantom plant yourself a sneaky tree on your walks. Its a great buzz seeing it grow. And it will make you want to get out walking more regularly to check on your tree.  Bring a litter picker with you also and give your walks even more purpose I have walked myself fitter than I've ever been going round checking on my phantom planted trees.  You have no idea the connection, learning and mental stimulation you get from phantom planting trees.  I was saying to my mate last night as we were checking on trees that this really is a lifelong PHD I'm doing with tree planting.  I've planted so many different ways, with so many different v...

  So yesterday I made a start at checking over every phantom planted fruit tree I've planted.  1 hour a day I'm setting aside for this, Right after my gym in the morning me and wee betty will be going around weeding and looking after the trees. Pruning off any bad bits and just giving them all a good health check.   I'll also be bringing my litter picker with me and taking away any rubbish I come across.  Spend more time with trees and dogs and less time on here taking in disturbing BS. Do your bit for community and nature guys.  I've got to a stage in life now where I question how I'm using my time more every day.  I dont really care how many pullups I can do or how big my pecs are anymore. Or how fast I can make it up a mountain.  Whats more important to me is what I'm contributing to nature and society.  This is the goal of life for me. Have no idea how I came to this place after a life of ducking and diving. But it just feels the right th...

 So guys it will be coming up to bare root planting season usually around the end of November when you can buy trees really cheap. Bare root means they dont come in pots. They are just small normally 1 year old trees with the roots exposed ready to phantom plant.  You can pick up many native trees like oaks, birches, beeches and more for as little as a pound each if you check around your local nurseries or many will post them online too.  These ones in the pics are 2 year old bare root fruit trees. Planting them is much more easier also and in most cases bare root trees dont need watered during the summer compared to potted growing trees.  Although in extreme droughts always check your trees.  I have noticed though that here in Belfast so many of my bare root planted fruit trees have gone through extreme heatwaves without water and survived ok.   The ones I watered and mulched though thrived and grew much bigger, faster and healthier. Just always keep an ey...