From heat-stressed tomatoes and aphid-hunting ladybirds to a remarkably settled greenhouse toad, Mr Fluttergrub shares four snapshots from a busy start to the summer growing season.
Overheated Tomatoes
Monday 25th May
A bank holiday and it didn’t rain! Instead, there has been unbroken sunshine and baking heat.
The temperature topped 31°C at a nearby recording station, while farther south the UK record for the hottest May day was broken. More scorching days are forecast for some, but the heatwave here seems to have peaked, with cooler conditions expected tomorrow. Even so, with summer only just beginning, further periods of extreme heat remain a concern.
Respite from the soaring temperatures cannot come soon enough. For growers, particularly those with greenhouses or polytunnels that cannot be climate-controlled, excessive heat always poses a risk to crops.
The problem is compounded when it happens early in the season. Many crops are still establishing themselves and lack the resilience of a fully developed root system capable of taking up enough moisture.
I checked on the large greenhouse several times today. Every vent and door was open, but a blaze of heat hit me each time I entered.
A few of the tomato plants in large pots, which were planted out only six weeks or so ago, were visibly under stress. Their upper leaves were no longer turgid and, on a handful, the growing point of the plant had flopped. It was simply impossible for these semi-mature plants to take up water quickly enough.
Soaking the pots and damping down the greenhouse floor reduced the temperature slightly and provided some relief. However, days like this can take a hidden, longer-term toll.
It is quite possible that we will later see scorch marks on the leaves and, worse still, blossom-end rot on the tomatoes. This affliction darkens the base of the fruit and is particularly common among some of the choicest tomato varieties. It is often associated with disrupted calcium uptake caused by heat and inconsistent access to water.
Toad in the Hole
Friday 5th June
For most people in the UK, particularly those of more mature years, “toad in the hole” will probably bring to mind the traditional comfort food of sausages baked in a puffy, Yorkshire pudding-style batter.
Across the Atlantic, it may mean (or so Wikipedia tells me) a fried egg cooked inside a hole cut from a slice of bread.
For me, however, toad in the hole means exactly that: a real toad, amphibian rather than culinary, living in one of several holes.
For a number of years, we have had a toad living in our large greenhouse. It is affectionately known as either Mr Toad or, after the character Toad of Toad Hall in Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, Toad of Toad Hole.
Mr Toad may, of course, be female. Rather than guess, I will also call our resident Bufo, after the common toad’s scientific name, Bufo bufo.
Bufo does not get out and about much. The toad can normally be found in one of several holes dug beneath the greenhouse foundations. It is quite an endearing resident, and one we checked on again today.
In winter, Bufo is often somnolent, either hibernating or only partly awake. In summer, the toad is more alert but never particularly animated, preferring to remain in one of several cosy holes located within a metre or so of one another.
Today, Bufo was in the “primary residence”: the largest of the excavated holes.
In case you are thinking this might not be the best habitat, please do not call toad rescue. Bufo is not captive.
The greenhouse is 15 metres long and contains mainly soil beds. We sometimes wonder what Bufo finds to eat, although the usual common-toad menu includes beetles, woodlice, spiders, earthworms, snails and slugs. All of these can be found in the greenhouse, and we could certainly do without some of them.
There is a period in late winter or early spring when Bufo goes walkabout. We assume this is a mating mission. During the breeding season, common toads often return to the pond in which they were spawned, although we do not know where Bufo’s might be.
Our neighbour has a large pond that throngs with frogs in early March, but not, as far as we can tell, with toads. This suggests that Bufo may have a longer journey to make, hopefully not too perilous a one, as roads, cars and predators can all take their toll.
For the next nine months, however, Bufo can remain safe in the greenhouse, sustained by occasional snacks of some of its less welcome residents.
Aubergines and Aphids
Monday 15th June
I grow around 40 aubergine plants (or eggplants, for those who speak North American English) each year.
They are not the easiest crop to produce, as they are vulnerable to several pests. Later in the season, red spider mite is often the main problem. At this time of year, however, aphids, usually the type most gardeners know as greenfly, pose the greatest threat.
These tiny, soft-bodied, sap-sucking insects are only a few millimetres long. They tend to appear in late spring and early summer, clustering around young growth and on the undersides of older leaves.
Their numbers can explode during hot weather. Large infestations weaken plants, causing curled leaves and stunted growth. Greenfly also secrete a sweet, sticky substance known as honeydew, which can encourage sooty mould to develop across lower leaves and further damage the plant.
There are several ways gardeners try to combat aphids.
One expensive and slightly finicky option is to buy a natural aphid predator, another insect that feeds upon them, from a specialist supplier.
Another commonly suggested method is to add a few drops of mild washing-up liquid to a litre of water and spray it onto the plants. The mixture is said to break down the aphids’ protective outer layer.
I have not tried either method. I would be particularly reluctant to use the latter, as I would be concerned about its effect on the plants and on beneficial insects.
Two other frequently recommended approaches are blasting the aphids away with a hose or squashing them between finger and thumb. I am not convinced that aubergines would appreciate being battered with cold water, so I have resisted the first solution.
In some years, I have resorted to squashing aphids on heavily infested plants. It is tedious, not especially pleasant and not always effective.
When searching for aphids, do not be deceived by the cast skins they leave behind. As aphids grow, they shed their outer layer, technically known as an exoskeleton. These discarded skins dry out and appear as white flecks on the leaves.
They are a useful sign that aphids are present but are otherwise harmless. There is also a risk that, when squashing aphids, the eggs or larvae of predatory insects may be inadvertently destroyed.
Far better than any of these methods is to rely on natural pest control.
This requires a steady nerve and a willingness to tolerate some damage and loss of productivity. Overall, however, a non-interventionist approach is usually enough to keep aphids on aubergines in check.
Both adult ladybirds and their larvae have a voracious appetite for aphids, and today they were visible on many of the aubergine plants. At this point in the season, the often overlooked or unrecognised larvae (which may be even more effective aphid predators than the adults) outnumbered the mature ladybirds.
It is too early to know exactly when the aphids will be brought under control. If past experience is anything to go by, however, their numbers will have fallen to an acceptable level by the end of June.
Forest of Flowers
Thursday 18th June
I took some time out today and tagged along with a gardening group that had booked a visit to Forest of Flowers, a visionary habitat-restoration and rewilding project in the Vale of York.
In summary, this previously arable and sheep-grazing farm covers around 100 acres. Over the past ten years, 42,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted, 36 species of wildflower have been sown to create meadows and glades, and 18 ponds have been dug.
The site is now teeming with biodiversity, creating an oasis within the intensively farmed landscape of the Vale of York.
The speed and scale of its transformation are perhaps best demonstrated by one fact: since 2020, Forest of Flowers has recorded the highest annual number of butterflies of any surveyed site in Yorkshire.
As on previous early-summer visits, it was the wildflowers that stood out.
Today, the oxeye daisies stole the show, as mid-June is their season. Another highlight was the viper’s bugloss, one of my favourite wildflowers, with its vivid blue, funnel-shaped flowers carried on upright stalks.
At Forest of Flowers, it grows exuberantly. In some places, the plants had reached more than a metre in height.
Viper’s bugloss is usually found in dry grassland on thin soils, and Forest of Flowers is the only place I have seen this majestic plant grow quite so tall.
As well as the wildflowers, it was good to see some parts of the land beginning to take on the character of woodland.
A broad range of tree species has been planted, alongside a high proportion of shrubs. At present, fast-growing species such as willow and aspen have reached the greatest heights.
Over time, the slower-growing oaks, which account for around one-third of the trees planted, will come to dominate. The woodland will be carefully thinned, and native woodland plants such as wood sorrel and wild garlic will be introduced.
Together with the ponds, this will further enrich the site’s biodiversity.
I could say much more about this impressive and innovative project, but I will let the photographs do some of the talking.
There is one final thing worth mentioning: Forest of Flowers is also a WWOOF UK host.
Unsurprisingly, it is extremely popular. Anyone hoping to contribute to, and learn from, this unique project should plan well ahead.
Until next time,
Mr Fluttergrub.
