Signs of spring already forming in shape of buds
Leaves clung on throughout November giving us one of the most beautiful autumns I can remember. There was even something lovely about the buttery yellow leaves on the gooseberry bushes that are not usually remarkable for their visual attraction. The colours looked at their best in the low light of sunrise and sunset. It lifts one’s spirits to be outside at times like this. Rowan and hawthorn berries around our allotment site have so far escaped being gobbled up by field fares and blackbirds suggesting that there’s still a plentiful supply of other food for them.
As the darkest days of mid-winter approach, I can get side-tracked by preparations for Christmas and not visit the plot quite as often as usual. Spring may seem a long way off yet, but in fact there are already some clues as what to expect next year. When the leaves have finally gone, you can see next year’s fruit buds on trees and shrubs. Gooseberries and redcurrants fruit on old wood, usually easy to see in winter as it is darker than more recent growth. New growth needs pruning back.
Blackcurrants need a different approach. The berries are produced on young wood so some of the old stems need removing each year to make space. Looking carefully at my most prolific fruiter, I spotted a few unwelcome signs of Big Bud in among the healthy elliptically shaped buds where microscopic mites had set up home. They suck sap from embryonic leaves and
I spotted unwelcome signs of Big Bud in among the healthy buds
cause the buds to become swollen and rounded. When spring comes, those buds will fail to develop. They need rubbing off now and disposing of well away from the bush. The mite also spreads reversion disease eventually weakening the bush leading to the need to replace it. Blackcurrant bushes are not as longlived as other species of currant and I need to earmark a new spot to plant a replacement in due course.
On bright days when the soil is reasonably dry, I fork out any invasive perennial weeds. I’ve been battling couch grass and convolvulus on my plot since I first got it 30 years ago and it can be quite a nuisance in between the spring bulbs. Accidentally digging up some of these bulbs in the process I can see that they too are preparing for spring. Young roots and small green shoots are already forming. n