It is almost November and autumn is well into its stride. It is a colourful time in woodlands as the leaves change from green to yellows, oranges and reds and this is also true of the Pinetum. Of course we have plenty of deciduous trees, shrubs and undergrowth amongst the conifers producing these colours and, although the majority of conifers retain their basic green colour throughout the year, a very few are deciduous and their leaves change colour, too, before they fall. The dawn redwood becomes a deep coppery bronze and larches go yellow, as does the ginkgo.
The damp weather seems to have encouraged some really good fungi. White Pine Triangle has seen a succession of spectacular parasol mushrooms. Next door in Central Firs there has been a good crop of fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) which associates particularly with birch and pine.
The damp weather seems to have encouraged some really good fungi. White Pine Triangle has seen a succession of spectacular parasol mushrooms. Next door in Central Firs there has been a good crop of fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) which associates particularly with birch and pine.
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Seasonal tasks in the Pinetum have included giving the Southern Meadow its annual cut. We do this late in the summer to allow as many species as possible to flower and set seed. The cuttings are removed so that the soil doesn’t become too fertile and the grasses are kept in check, allowing wild flowers to establish. The other seasonal task has been to bring the Norfolk Island pine, which spends the summer in its pot in the pit by Don’s Hut, back under cover in the glasshouses for the winter. This relative of the monkey puzzle from the sub tropical Pacific is not frost hardy.
The Cypress area has been cleared of bracken and some young sycamore saplings and shoots removed to give the cypresses more light and room to grow.
We also took the decision to remove a small oak in the Spruce Plot for similar reasons. The spruces beneath it were very much in the oak canopy’s shadow. Because there was no room to clear fell it, we had to use a ladder and hand saws to cut off the branches before removing the trunk. Well done John and Mike – under Edward’s supervision! The crab apples, also in the Spruce Plot, have fruited prolifically this year but are getting very tall and tangled, so we have started to prune them, which should rejuvenate them. to edit.
The Cypress area has been cleared of bracken and some young sycamore saplings and shoots removed to give the cypresses more light and room to grow.
We also took the decision to remove a small oak in the Spruce Plot for similar reasons. The spruces beneath it were very much in the oak canopy’s shadow. Because there was no room to clear fell it, we had to use a ladder and hand saws to cut off the branches before removing the trunk. Well done John and Mike – under Edward’s supervision! The crab apples, also in the Spruce Plot, have fruited prolifically this year but are getting very tall and tangled, so we have started to prune them, which should rejuvenate them. to edit.
