With the weather in the UK this winter being wet and warm the grass has grown like mad, and what have they been left covered in, worm casts. Mike Seaton from the Lawn Company has a sulphur based control suppressant which deters the worms from casting as he told Ken Crowther.
Frosts might not be to everyone’s liking but for farmer’s cold weather is natures friend as it helps kills bugs, stops slugs and helps breaks the soil down. Andrew McTurk is a market gardener who farmers in Brentwood in Essex he told Ken Crowther the cold weather does a lot more good than harm.
Whilst most people are enjoying the milder December days in the UK, gardeners are hoping for
cold weather. It is not unusual to see fruit trees in full bloom. However, having a lot of flower now may mean they not have some many flowers in the spring which could cause problems for fruit growers as Writtle College Lecturer told Ken Crowther.
What the weather is doing is very important to arable farmers. Over the last few years there has been a noticeable change in weather patterns. In the south of the UK, the fields are wet as you would expect in the winter however, it is much warmer. Ken Crowther asked Essex farmer Hugh Pegrum how this affected the crops.
As the weather turns colder, and the first frosts appear it’s tempting to rush out and bring every pot inside. Some plants benefit from being kept out for a couple of frosts as Tom Cole, Horticultural Lecturer at Writtle College explained to Ken Crowther.