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Frog Blog...

October 2011

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. But this one hasn't been misty at all so far. Warmer at times than the summer before! And as for fruitfulness, we have a mixed picture. Apples and pears have had a good year, and tomatoes in a sunny spot have been good, but plums were disappointing, coming early and sparse.
But however unseasonably warm and dry it is, the days are still getting shorter and shorter, and it surely must start raining soon.
So autumn's here, and the time to plant trees and shrubs is here again.
Last October we explained why it's important to wait till October to start planting trees and shrubs, and it's so important I'm going to say it again.
Autumn and early winter is the time to plant new trees, shrubs and perennials. This lasts from about mid October trough November and December into early January, and although you can often plant safely until February, really the earlier in this period you plant, the better.
The reasons for this are to do with roots and leaves. Plants take in water through roots, and lose water through leaves. The act of taking a plant from the ground or a pot, and putting it into new soil damages the roots, however careful you are, and the plant needs time to re-establish its roots, and especially to grow new roots hairs, the microscopic growths on roots which actually do the work of picking up water. These root hairs are always damaged by handling of the roots, and they need time to re-grow. Because plants loose water through their leaves , it's far better to give them a chance to grow these new roots when they don't have any leaves. Simple!
But even evergreen trees, shrubs and perennials, which have leaves in the winter, benefit greatly from transplanting in the winter, because the too lose much less water through those evergreen leaves during the cold, damp days of winter.
So much for when to plant. How about what to plant?
Here are some ideas for next spring colour: Camelia, Rhododendron, Ceanothus, Magnolia, Azalea, Forsythia.
And don't forget the best of all, the edible fruits and berries - apples, pears, blackberries, blueberries and many others are easy to grow, and can all be planted right now, for a great crop of home-grown fruit this time next year!

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