|
Post by andy on Oct 7, 2012 5:57:41 GMT
Anyone noticed how colourful our hedgerows are at the moment ? Can't remember the last time i saw so many rose hips, sloes and hawthorn berries.
Are we in for a hard winter ?
|
|
|
Post by Rosefriend on Oct 7, 2012 6:29:32 GMT
Interesting question Andy - that is what is always said isn't it - we are in for a bad winter...
I actually have thought about this off and on through the years and I have come to the conclusion that that is wrong...I think that it is purely to do with the fact that the conditions for pollination were ideal at the time of the plants/trees flowering. The consequent weather this year has also been ideal - it has rained a lot this year - loads of fruit about - apples, pears etc as well...
RF
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Oct 15, 2012 15:25:34 GMT
I have a feeling RF is right and the tale of lots of berries and bad winters is an Old Wives Tale but our holly tree has been loaded down with berries the past 3 years and look what happened there!
|
|
|
Post by andy on Oct 19, 2012 6:21:32 GMT
What i have found strange is that our orchards have suffered badly yet everything else seems to have tons of fruit (berries) on....and most of them are from the same family (rosacaea)
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Oct 19, 2012 7:47:17 GMT
That is weird! And we have one Bramley with 1 apple on it and one that is loaded to the ground with fruit
|
|
|
Post by Rosefriend on Oct 19, 2012 13:43:09 GMT
Read your post Andy before I went shopping and I have been thinking about it....
I was going to say ..has it something to do with gardens...that wayside trees and shrubs are easier for the bees. If everything flowers at the same time then the bees have enough and don't pollinate much...more
I have one apple tree with one apple and the other two with probably around 10 and 5 respectively. I do remember that in Spring we had a late frost as well...can it be that the roadside plants/trees had had time to set before the frost??
3rd idea - I haven't got a clue!!
RF
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Oct 19, 2012 17:57:32 GMT
I'm going with your third idea RF! ;D
|
|
|
Post by andy on Oct 21, 2012 10:45:04 GMT
Maybe it's down to the different types of pollonators....eg bees pollonate orchard trees and maybe hawthrorn, roses etc are pollonated by hoverflies.
|
|