Effects of the rain now materialising

I checked on the trees over the weekend and, the effects of the recent rain are beginning to materialise. It tools like the Cherry trees have been affected the most dramatically. I have 3 trees who's leaves have turned brown in less than a week and the leaves have started to dry up and are crumbly.

I can't be 100% certain it was the rain that caused the damaged however trees are in areas where the water logging was the heaviest. If I replant trees in those spots I may have to build up a mound and plant the trees on the mound.

Its terrible news for me personally, but I'm hoping that perhaps the trees will recover. In reality I think one may be beyond hope at this point and the other two well only time will tell.

The ground at the orchard is now dry and all the water has either filtered its way down or evaporated. The grass is long and lush, plenty more butterfly's and moths as well as lots of the insects all over the place. As the grass is long some of the insects have been able to build good habitats and are multiplying. I was bitten by a number of beetles this week. Nothing serious of course just minor blood suckers looking for food.

Drying Out

I have missed more than a couple of weeks of updates to the diary.

Those entries would have contained entries all about the continued bad weather and snails and slugs in the orchard. However I have seen a number of articles in the papers and on the television that contain this information and well in truth its depressing. The water has left the ground very wet and muddy, I have been down but only to check on the bees and wonder around and just check things generally. We had a crop of cherries and took some away. The majority were taken by birds. The ones I did get to eat were nice, very refreshing and tasty.

Now that the weather has improved its nicer to be outside again. I still have lots slugs around, and won't be putting any chemical deterrence. In the garden in the past I have used filtered coffee granules. Which I can get for free from the staff canteen, but I have seen starbucks giving it away for free also.

The ground at the orchard  is still water logged and the ground feels boggy in some places. This is mainly around the willow trees and the willow is prospering. I do still have other areas where the ground is still wet but most of it is drying up. I am personally hoping for some nice warm weather to dry up the soil all over. I have noted that one apple tree has been badly effected and seems waterlogged, but we shall see in a couple of days. If it does die I may replace it with something else later in the year that likes more of a wet soil.

The grass all round the orchard is now at least a meter in height and seems to be growing very fast. Some of the grass has fallen over and is lying on the ground and in some places where its water logged its fallen down and lying in water lets hope it rots down and decomposes. This is fine with me. Most of the grass has seeded and ready to go back into the soil.

I have seen loads of butterfly's all around the orchard, they do make a pretty sight, and I can hear grasshoppers, something I used to hear in the garden regularly. I don't see or hear any in the garden these days. The picture shows a butterfly, its not a great picture but trust me it is a butterfly.

The bees have been busy and all the hives have produced honey, most of which is ready to extract. I have ordered and received the replacement sugar fondant. I have yet to order the varroa treatment which I will order soon. I will be extracting in a couple of weeks.

Rain, rain and more rain

Tree affected by water damage

The weather over the past couple of weeks has been terrible for this time of year. Its been raining and raining. The ground is wet and the winds have been very blustery. So much so that a couple of the trees have been blown and now the trees are at strange angles. Two trees have been considerably affected and its only because the ground is so wet that the trunks of the trees have lent over to one side. I did try and stake it but as the ground is so water logged its not able to hold the tree up and hold it in position. Once the weather is better I intend to stake them back into place. Then add more manure and compost.

The grass has grown long and wavy, and in some areas I can see lots of the smaller plants and flowers, things like clover. Thistles are also doing well and I always seem to be pulling them out from beneath the trees. I have also got lots of stinging nettles and later in the year, will pull them out with a fork and will attempt to burn them. I may dig a pit so that I can plant a line of raspberries. I have also seen load and loads of insects, like butterfly's and beetles.

One of the swarms from my last entry has died out, a second has swarmed again and has disappeared; the one that has swarmed away was the one high up in the tree. The final one is safe and is expanding. Not sure what to do with the third colony. Its getting late in the year for a new bee keeper to want to take over the swarm. I may keep it and then give it away early in the new year. In reality only a bee keeper with lots of Himalayan Balsam would be interested with a new colony this time of year.

Swarm of bees dead under a tree

I have found many meters of electricity cabling on the edges of the orchard, the cable without the plastic casing is about an inch thick. I can see than someone has already stripped the cable and presumably they will be taking it away. I have called the police and notified them. I can only presume its stolen. A police office came and had a look. I then left him to it. I would presume its about a skip worth of steel cable, not sure what the value would be. It would be difficult to move. You would need a van to transport it away.