A 3D printed plastic White Cabbage Butterfly
Organic gardeners and farmers like to talk about balance in
nature and working with natural systems, not against them. For larger pests
such as some birds there have always been scarecrows. But what about smaller
flying creatures? There wasn’t really
anything natural to scare away pesky cabbage white butterflies from laying eggs
on our brassicas, until now. A gardener in
New Zealand has come up with a unique solution and all it took was a 3D printer
and a bit of research.
It turns out that cabbage white butterflies are antisocial
when they're laying their eggs. By sticking up simple decoy butterflies, you
can scare them off your crops. And just in case you see butterflies trying to
mate with yours, “don't worry”, Vic, the designer tells us “They are stupid
males and will not be laying eggs."
Sweet Chestnut
Fencing
Our local park has put up a secure sweet chestnut fence
running along a few hundred metres adjacent to a new outdoor 5 a side football
complex. I’m not entirely sure why this is, it could be something to do with
allowing the newly planted small trees and shrubs to mature without dogs
treading on them or it could be something to do with the spraying that they
need to do to allow the new planting to flourish. There are a lot of
blackberries in there too so it’s probably just as well there’s no access for
jam makers if they have been doused with Roundup.
The fence they put up though is the rustic sweet chestnut in
a picket style, which I adore. This type of fence has been around for centuries
and for good reason, it’s very long lived and versatile. If ever you get a
chance to see this type of fence being made, I think you’ll find it mesmerising
as the wires are turned one way and then another to fix the sticks into place.
So why is sweet chestnut so useful as a fence? Here are some
reasons:
Why Sweet Chestnut?
- Sweet Chestnut is a hard wood and well known as being amazingly strong, durable and long lasting.
- Chestnut Coppice is 100% sustainable.
- Most are cut and grown in sustainable woodlands. The cut stools regrow vigorously, taking up far more carbon dioxide than a newly planted tree; if done well these trees can be harvested on rotation for years to come. A coppice will yield good straight poles which are turned into fencing using traditional tools and skills.
- Chestnut is full of tannin (a natural preservative) and has very little sapwood, which makes it incredibly resistant to rotting.
- Good value and attractive.
- By using Chestnut you can be confident you are using the most suitable timber - other woods will rot long before chestnut which can last for up to 20-30 years. Cheap softwood is a false economy - the cost of mending or replacing rotten fences is high.
- Coppicing is good for wildlife.
- The act of cutting an area of woodland lets light in, stimulating wild flowers and creating a habitat for many of our favourite birds, butterflies and mammals.
- Support the woodland industries, woodlands need to be managed.
- Made to measure. The wood can be made up to the buyer’s needs, if the fence is needed to keep out dogs the sticks can be placed closer together for example.
Glossary of terms for
fencing
The forestry and fencing world can be quite confusing so
here are a few terms you might hear about wood. It’ll come in useful when you
are down at the wood yard ordering a new fence!
CHAMFERED - This is the act of finishing a post - taking off
the top edge to relieve tension in the wood and let rain run off.
CLEAVE -To cleave means to split the wood along its natural
grain - rather than sawing through the fibres. This helps to protect the strength
and character of the tree.
COPPICING - is a traditional method which involves cutting
back the woodland to stimulate new growth. The act of cutting an area of
woodland lets light in, stimulating wild flowers and creating a habitat for our
favourite birds, butterflies and mammals.
DEER PARK FENCING - A type of fencing made to discourage
deer from leaping over. Tops are uneven / staggered.
LATH - A lath is a very small profile cleft strip of wood,
traditionally used in buildings for holding plaster. In fencing it refers to
the smaller component of a lath and picket fence.
MIXED CLEFT - Mixed cleft means that the wood has been split
along the grain rather than sawn and could be in halves, quarters or round
shapes.
NAIL FRAMED - Nail framed means the product is secured by
nail frame. This is a lighter and cheaper alternative to mortised frame.
PALE - A wide picket is called a pale. Pales are loose, as
opposed to paling, which is on wire.
PALING - Paling is fencing made from pales. On a wire, with
a girth of about 4 inches.
PEELED - This simply means that the bark has been removed
from the wood.
PICKET - Pickets are cleft in a 'slice of cake' profile -
triangular in shape. POST AND RAIL - Post and Rail is a fence made up of
upright posts either nailed to rails or fitted through mortises.
UNPEELED - Unpeeled means the bark has been left on the
wood.
