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Joined: 23/11/2008(UTC) Posts: 927  Location: Lincolnshire
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Went down to my apiary about 2pm to check on the hives ahead of Storm Frank. Temp was 11.5°C and one hive was showing active flying. Previously when I had hefted the hives 3 were light, having eaten most of their winter stores, and are now on supplementary feeding. The oil seed rape, their main forage crop here, is remarkably tall for this time of year. Driving back I noticed hazel catkins in the hedges. What we don't need is an early spring followed by a cold spell.
Advice to beekeepers who have not checked their hives - heft them now and be ready to take action or you may lose colonies.
Roger Edited by user 29 December 2015 15:11:32(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified |
RogerP West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire No county (Lincolnshire) has better churches and worse houses. The poorer sort of people wash their clothes with hog's dung, and burn dried cow's dung for want of better fuel; whence comes the Lincolnshire proverb: "Where the hogs shite soap and the cows shite fire". Curiosities of Great Britain (c.1780) |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 11,927 Location: Chichester 12m. asl
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Next year's self-sown nasturtiums already germinating in the garden (not a chance of them getting through the winter, though). A neighbour has 6 daffs out, not a specially early variety either. |
It was most foule weather ... and so we went into an alehouse - Samuel Pepys |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 20/11/2015(UTC)
Posts: 5,600
Location: Central Southern England
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Originally Posted by: DEW  Next year's self-sown nasturtiums already germinating in the garden (not a chance of them getting through the winter, though). A neighbour has 6 daffs out, not a specially early variety either. I just checked ours in response to your post, Dave- found plenty of nasturtium seeds but not quite germinating yet. It's a shame yours have kicked off- as you say, it only needs one proper bit of frost. I suppose it's too fiddly to scoop them all up & bring them in. |
Bertie, Itchen Valley. Remember Finlake! |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 25,607 Location: Peasedown St John. N.E. Sommerset
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Will need a cover on Thursday night. They are very prone to frost. |
Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 11,927 Location: Chichester 12m. asl
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Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle I just checked ours in response to your post, Dave- found plenty of nasturtium seeds but not quite germinating yet. It's a shame yours have kicked off- as you say, it only needs one proper bit of frost. I suppose it's too fiddly to scoop them all up & bring them in. I don't do fiddly - and I sometimes think the soil in our garden is about 50% nasturtium seeds! They'll be germinating all the way from now to next autumn whenever there's a mild spell. Any that poke their heads up early will just have to take their chances. |
It was most foule weather ... and so we went into an alehouse - Samuel Pepys |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 20/11/2015(UTC)
Posts: 5,600
Location: Central Southern England
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It's like a gardening 10 plagues from Exodus, this. First the plague early flowers, then the gnats, then you mentioned the wasps. We've had the plague of rain, and the plague of growing grass. Then came the plague of stormy winds and now there is a veritable plague of slugs. My first five crocuses have been chewed to the stem barely after getting up, and my primroses have been shredded. What next? I suppose a frost plague to upset all us blackcurrant growers. Edited by user 31 December 2015 17:45:51(UTC)
| Reason: Missed capitalisation for proper noun. |
Bertie, Itchen Valley. Remember Finlake! |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 23/11/2008(UTC) Posts: 927 Location: Lincolnshire
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The Missus comments that her leeks are already building up to flowering! On the subject of nasturtium seeds, if you have lots at the end of next summer they are worth pickling and used much as you would capers. Not bad. Roger |
RogerP West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire No county (Lincolnshire) has better churches and worse houses. The poorer sort of people wash their clothes with hog's dung, and burn dried cow's dung for want of better fuel; whence comes the Lincolnshire proverb: "Where the hogs shite soap and the cows shite fire". Curiosities of Great Britain (c.1780) |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 20/11/2015(UTC)
Posts: 5,600
Location: Central Southern England
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Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons The Missus comments that her leeks are already building up to flowering!
On the subject of nasturtium seeds, if you have lots at the end of next summer they are worth pickling and used much as you would capers. Not bad.
Roger A plague of leeks, then.  |
Bertie, Itchen Valley. Remember Finlake! |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 11,927 Location: Chichester 12m. asl
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First genuine spring flower - a lesser celandine - seen today |
It was most foule weather ... and so we went into an alehouse - Samuel Pepys |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 20/11/2015(UTC)
Posts: 5,600
Location: Central Southern England
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It's not the length of grass that's bothering me now- it's the state of the lawn with all this water. Even in 2011/2012, it drained away daily. Now it's becoming a puddle all over. My neighbour has pulled his boat around to the back of our shared bottom fence. Ominous. |
Bertie, Itchen Valley. Remember Finlake! |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 11,927 Location: Chichester 12m. asl
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And now a miniature iris in a pot in the garden |
It was most foule weather ... and so we went into an alehouse - Samuel Pepys |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 23/11/2008(UTC) Posts: 927 Location: Lincolnshire
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Amphibians and reptiles react to trends in the weather. If you have a garden pond keep a look out for frogs, toads and newts being active. You can input reptile and amphibian data at: http://www.recordpool.org.uk/ Roger |
RogerP West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire No county (Lincolnshire) has better churches and worse houses. The poorer sort of people wash their clothes with hog's dung, and burn dried cow's dung for want of better fuel; whence comes the Lincolnshire proverb: "Where the hogs shite soap and the cows shite fire". Curiosities of Great Britain (c.1780) |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 28/10/2008(UTC) Posts: 18,098  Location: Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands
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My garlic is growing really well despite it not having much in the way of frost. |
Market Warsop, North Nottinghamshire. Join the fun of the monthly CET competition. Last chance to join in the yearly comp is 2nd March. Discuss monthly temperatures and records.
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