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More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
The message
from Malcolm contains these words: This sounds doubtful if subjected to logical analysis anyway - my 2p theory is that more berries means a good summer, and good summers (lots of high pressure and clear skies) are often followed by hard winters (lots of high pressure and clear skies). Lots of berries at the end of a summer means that in the previous summer/autumn, the plant was able to lay down good reserves of energy with which to produce masses of flowers and then fruit the following year. Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. In the UK at least, there is no correlation between good summers and succeeding, or preceding, hard winters. Indeed, we don't seem to get hard winters any more! You will always find a correlation of some sort if you look hard enough. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: This sounds doubtful if subjected to logical analysis anyway - my 2p theory is that more berries means a good summer, and good summers (lots of high pressure and clear skies) are often followed by hard winters (lots of high pressure and clear skies). Lots of berries at the end of a summer means that in the previous summer/autumn, the plant was able to lay down good reserves of energy with which to produce masses of flowers and then fruit the following year. Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. In the UK at least, there is no correlation between good summers and succeeding, or preceding, hard winters. Indeed, we don't seem to get hard winters any more! You will always find a correlation of some sort if you look hard enough. Not ones that are necessarily meaningful. -- Malcolm |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
The message
from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Interesting. How does it achieve this and have you seen examples? -- Malcolm |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
NNTP-Posting-Host: 217.135.4.198
Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: news7.svr.pol.co.uk 1081700548 7867 217.135.4.198 (11 Apr 2004 16:22:28 GMT) NNTP-Posting-Date: 11 Apr 2004 16:22:28 GMT X-Complaints-To: User-Agent: Microsoft-Outlook-Express-Macintosh-Edition/5.0.6 Path: kermit!newsfeed-east.nntpserver.com!nntpserver.com!border1.nntp.as h.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!opentransit.net!n ewsfeed.icl.net!colt.net!diablo.theplanet.net!news .theplanet.net!not-for-mail Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:195979 Malcolm11/4/04 3:53 In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Interesting. How does it achieve this and have you seen examples? Yes. Oak trees during the 1976 drought produced masses more acorns than usual; our Eucryphia amazed us by blooming profusely in January. We wondered if it was too early or too late - wrong on both counts. It was dead a couple of months later. The abundance of flower/fruits is to ensure survival of the species. You will often see recommendations to keep plants in pots or situations where roots are restricted, for example. This is because it causes them to fruit or flower better. A lot of people recommend such treatment for fig trees, for example. -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 17:19:38 +0100, Sacha
wrote: A lot of people recommend such treatment for fig trees, for example. Also amaryllis and agapanthus. Glenys Trying to lurk, honest. -- "A Newsweek poll said if the election were held today, John Kerry would beat Bush 49 percent to 46 percent. And today, President Bush called Newsweek magazine a threat to world peace." Jay Leno |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
In article , Malcolm
writes In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Interesting. How does it achieve this and have you seen examples? Radishes going to seed? -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message ... The message from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Why then do we water and feed our plants so assiduously? Why don't we just garden exclusively with plants which give their best only when they are neglected to the point of dying? Franz |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
Lines: 25
X-Trace: 1081843443 master.news.zetnet.net 8570 194.247.47.30 Path: kermit!newsfeed-east.nntpserver.com!nntpserver.com!newshosting.com !nx02.iad01.newshosting.com!newsfeed.icl.net!newsf eed.fjserv.net!colt.net!news-lond.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!easynet-monga!easynet.net!peer.news.zetnet.net!master.news .zetnet.net!n ot-for-mail Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:196146 The message from Malcolm contains these words: In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Interesting. How does it achieve this and have you seen examples? Well known phenomenon. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
The message
from MissJuggs contains these words: On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 17:19:38 +0100, Sacha wrote: A lot of people recommend such treatment for fig trees, for example. Also amaryllis and agapanthus. Glenys Trying to lurk, honest. Come into the potting shed and park yourself on that old sack of hardened cement I borrowed from Another Place. Cup of tea? -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
The message
from MissJuggs contains these words: (sig) "A Newsweek poll said if the election were held today, John Kerry would beat Bush 49 percent to 46 percent. And today, President Bush called Newsweek magazine a threat to world peace." Jay Leno Which as we all know is being sown this spring like there is no tomorrow...... -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
Lines: 33
X-Trace: 1081843444 master.news.zetnet.net 8570 194.247.47.30 Path: kermit!newsfeed-east.nntpserver.com!nntpserver.com!border1.nntp.as h.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!zen.net.uk!dedeki nd.zen.co.uk!peernews.manap.net!194.247.47.118.MIS MATCH!master.news.zetnet.net!not-for-mail Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:196149 The message from "Franz Heymann" contains these words: "Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message ... The message from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Why then do we water and feed our plants so assiduously? Why don't we just garden exclusively with plants which give their best only when they are neglected to the point of dying? You might, I couldn't possibly comment on why. But just think - if you stressed everything in your garden beyond its limits, you'd have a new garden each year and an empty bank balance. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects. But they are just secondary factors. The plant has to have been able to produce the blooms in the first place, i.e. from its reserves of energy, before there is anything for frosts or insects to affect. Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Interesting. How does it achieve this and have you seen examples? Well known phenomenon. Which is hardly an answer to my questions :-( -- Malcolm |
More berries mean a hard winter - old wives tale?
Malcolm13/4/04 10:28
In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes The message from Malcolm contains these words: In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes snip Not so. When a plant/tree/shrub is badly stressed and 'thinks' it's dying, it often produces an abundance of bloom. Interesting. How does it achieve this and have you seen examples? Well known phenomenon. Which is hardly an answer to my questions :-( I posted an answer upthread, drawn from personal experience. -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
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