Nature Blog by Jenny Bourne
Views and opinions expressed in this Nature Blog are those of the author.
Compost season
Date posted: Wednesday 18th September 2024
No frosts so far but a large harvest moon full last night and the first of the tender annuals have been casualties to cold mornings. Crops of brassicas, onions, leeks and shallots and the occasional gigantic courgette plant are all up for harvesting, as is a very plentiful abundance of apples, pears and quinces this year. And there are some monster pumpkins partially hidden in the leafy undergrowth on plots where the Autumn Show Pumpkin competition winners reside. Past Autumn Show results suggest that the intense competition spirit has abated somewhat over the years, and hard to beat a monster grown by Jo in 2007 that tested the NPL sophisticated state of the art weighing equipment, but there were some worthy 2024 winners!
After our successful and enjoyable Autumn Show the work on the plots now is all about harvesting remaining crops, building up those invaluable compost heaps and taking down the blighted tomatoes, almost always inevitable – as is the complete disappearance of any sweetcorn kernels for some of us unlucky plotholders. It is a complete mystery how some plots keep their sweetcorn totally squirrel and rat free while the rest of us hapless individuals can only envy their splendid crops! We are fortunate to receive regular deliveries of manure from stable yards and every so often there’s a delivery that we call ‘black gold’, well composted organic matter that makes a perfect over wintering mulch for our veg and flower beds, if you can get there quick enough to wheelbarrow it away! I’ll be putting up a notice encouraging plotholders to be mindful when forking and turning their compost heaps, as some wildlife creatures, including hedgehogs, grass snakes, slow worms and frogs and toads may be choosing to over-winter in these inviting piles. A few years ago a hedgehog was inadvertently speared by a garden fork; these useful slug predators are natural allies and we must try to protect them where possible.
“Compost heaps are often chosen as warm and secure over-wintering locations for hedgehogs, grass snakes and other creatures and it is a good idea to turn the compost with great care with these valuable wildlife allies in mind. …A sunny, south-facing compost heap makes an excellent reptile habitat. Slow-worms, in particular, are often found buried within them, feeding on the numerous slugs and ants. Frogs, toads and newts may also forage or hibernate in a compost heap.
Grass snakes sometimes use compost heaps to lay their eggs in. There is a good, constant temperature within the heap, allowing the eggs to incubate whilst being well-protected from predators. Grass snake eggs are white and leathery in texture and measure around 2.5cm. There are usually 10-15 eggs in a clutch, though there can be up to 40. Several females may use the same site to incubate their eggs. If you have seen a grass snake visiting your compost heap, be careful not to disturb it in late summer when there may be eggs present.” (Compost heaps – Froglife, www.froglife.org >info-advice > compost-heaps).
Jenny Bourne 18.09.24
All views and comments expressed in this blog are those of the author only.