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October 17, 2015
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AboutNOW NOW
Wild cacti face extinction
Small cacti are most vulnerable
Global trade causes crisis in wild populations
Cactus forest (below), and prized Turk’s cap melocactus (right) Words Ian Hodgson
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ver a third of wild cacti are seriously threatened due to over-harvesting and illegal trading, a global study has declared. Scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found the level of threat far higher than previously thought, with 31 per cent of the world’s 1,480 cactus species affected by human activity, through trading, land development and agriculture. Illegal trading of live plants and seeds for the horticultural industry and Shu erstock
private collections is thought to affect 47 per cent of threatened cacti from the 1,480 known species, with demand being greatest in Europe and Asia. Almost all cacti are found in the arid landscapes of North and South America and play an important role in the ecosystem, acting as sources of food for local bird and wildlife. All cacti are protected under CITES (Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species), with government permits required for any form of trading. “This is what needs to be enforced in some of the countries where species occur,” said Dr Barbara Goettsch of the IUCN
All photos: Shu erstock
Cactus Island in the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia
Cactus and Succulent Plant Specialist Group. “In many cases plants are not destined for international markets. They are just traded in local markets, so many local communities need to be aware of how they should harvest them, or if they should harvest them at all.” “It’s unacceptable to obtain newly collected cacti – it’s also illegal,” said Alasdair Glen, chair of the British Cactus and Succulent Society and GN expert. “So many are easily grown from seed, and specimen plants are now grown as field crops in parts of Europe. We must try to persuade locals not to remove wild plants just because they think there’s money to be made.”
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hile cacti are imperiled, trade in invasive plants seems to be booming, thanks to the internet. Research of online sales sites over a 50-day period found 2,625 different plant species offered for sale on eBay. Of these, 510 were known to be invasive Sold internationally, in at least one region Himalayan balsam
4 Garden News / October 17 2015
in the world, with 35 on the IUCN’s list of 100 worst invasive species. The study found sellers located in 65 countries, with 55 offering known or potentially invasive plants. “The vast majority of these invasive species can be easily obtained with just a click of the mouse,” said researcher
Franziska Humair. “It’s Many goldenrod virtually have become impossible invasive for the dealers to keep track of all (international) laws and regulations. It would seem no one can stem the tide of online trade in species known to cause a threat.”
Shu erstock
Invasive plant trade booms
Alamy
A sunny spot and freedraining soil will keep sternbergia thriving
Plant
OF THE WEEK
Sternbergia! The golden petals of these autumn flowers will rival any spring buttercup or crocus
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can usually be expected following a long, hot summer.
Keep them happy
Sternbergia thrive where many plants might struggle. They’ll do well even in the inhospitable soil at the base of a wall, but they repay careful planting and good soil. Plant the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in) deep from late summer to early autumn. Good drainage and plenty of sun are their main needs. They are hardy to -5C (23F), but the bulbs don’t enjoy winter wet, which can rot them. When they’re happy though, they multiply rapidly, so leave them undisturbed to form large colonies. Teamed with easy-going pink nerines, and blue Algerian irises, they’ll create a colourful, spring-like display that extends into This genus of bulbs was named in honour of winter. You can also the Czechoslovakian botanist Count Kaspar grow them in small von Sternberg. containers or pans of
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Fragrant, elegant white bloom of Sternbergia candida
GAP Photos
ust as days shorten and autumn turns towards winter, the dainty flowers of sternbergia burst into bloom. Their luminous golden petals belie the season. In fact, they’re also known as the autumn daffodil. Glowing in late autumn sunshine, they’re an uplifting sight, and on dank, dull days they add some much-needed cheer. The bulbs often send up their strappy leaves a little ahead of the flowers, but some will erupt into bloom straight from bare earth at 15cm (6in) tall. Thought to be the flower referred to as the biblical ‘lilies of the field’, these bulbs thrive in well-drained soil and sunny positions. They originate from the Mediterranean and Asia, so they are used to arid conditions, and the best blooms
free-draining compost, moving the pots to a prominent position when the bulbs burst into flower. Sternbergia lutea is readily available, but there are other members of the family to seek out. Most are yellow, and are suitable for an alpine house, but Sternbergia candida is a rare white-flowered fragrant form at 10-20cm (4-8in) tall that can also be grown outdoors.
October 17 2015 / Garden News 5
AboutNOW NOW Starling swirls in an autumn sky is a familiar sight
Roosts huddle to keep warm and spy for danger
Photos: Shu erstock
Wil dlife Wat c h
With Julian Rollins
Birds of a feather
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vigilance. There’s also benefit on a cold night. Packed together, roosting birds share heat – life-saving when temperatures drop. Lastly, there’s communication. For example, a raven roost at dusk is a noisy place and there’s evidence that the birds may be sharing information on where to find food. In the garden the flocks you’re most likely to see are groups of small birds that turn up, feed and move on. These feeding groups are a mixed bag, often with blue tits, great tits and coal tits co-operating. They may be joined by a goldcrest or a treecreeper too. While they move around they call to one another to keep the group together. Mixed groups also benefit from extra eyes looking for trouble. If a sparrowhawk comes close, one will spot it and sound an alarm call, warning everybody. Not having to put so much effort into spying for enemies means effort goes into looking for food. Important during short days and bad weather. Less tangible is the benefit of watching what everyone else does. Many birds will be summer hatchlings with a lot to master. Alongside veterans they can watch and learn!
Well named, the pied wagtail’s tail never stops moving
The pied wagtail is rarely seen in gardens, except when it gets really cold. They also roost together, in groups of hundreds. Roosts are often in reed beds – having water below them keeps them safe from ground-dwelling predators. But they also like warm man-made buildings such as cooling towers, hospitals and factories.
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Shu erstock
City living
With Ian Currie
Watch out for early air frost
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Swirling groups of starlings are a real spectacle! ritain’s number-one flockstar has to be the starling. In autumn they come from Europe and flocks get bigger. By late autumn Britain’s starling population has doubled and all those birds – residents and visitors – get together. They move in little groups while they feed, but as the shadows lengthen groups join up to form larger ones. When the time is right the flock prepares to spend the night together in a communal roost. These big night-time get-togethers can involve many thousands of individuals. On still days at sunset, birds perform a pre-sleep show that sees swirling groups above the roost. An amazing spectacle. Starlings steal the show, but other birds flock too. Big groups of rooks and jackdaws overnight in woodlands and you’ll often see gulls heading for their roost late in the day. Being a member of a gang has advantages. For a start, a bird that’s part of a flock is less likely to end up as a predator’s meal. Birds are always on the lookout for threat, but one pair of eyes and ears can only do so much. Being in a flock of thousands means safety in numbers, working as a force field of shared
Ian Currie
W eat h e r W is e ardeners are beginning to think about air frosts by mid-October. Plants that have bloomed beautifully can suffer their demise after a clear autumn night generates that first damaging frost. The sun’s rays melt the icy mantle coating them to reveal blackened foliage and ruined blooms. So it’s time to get out your fleeces and keep a close watch on the night sky. Northern areas especially may have a touch of frost in the week ahead. But an early frost does depend on where you live. For instance, valleys are more at risk and different types of soil are a factor. My Surrey garden, which is on a hillside, has had October air frosts in 15 years since 1979, but there hasn’t been one since 2011. My valley weather station has only had four frost-free Octobers during this 36-year period. Braemar and Altnaharra in the Highlands, Northern Ireland’s Katesbridge and South Newington in Oxfordshire have all measured an air frost as early as September this year and Swyddffynnon in West Wales experienced frost on October 4 2015. On average Carlisle, Shrewsbury and Aberdeen have their first frost around October 10, Birmingham and Oxford October 15, while at Cambridge and Reading it is October 25. On the Isles of Scilly many years can go by entirely frost-free. The number of air frosts a year averages 108 at Braemar in the Highlands of Scotland, 44 at Manchester, 24 at Swansea and only 11 at Ilfracombe in Devon. ● Visit Ian Currie’s website at www.frosted earth.com
October 17 2015 / Garden News 11
MARTIN FISH
The undercover
GARDENER Former head gardener, TV and radio broadcaster and RHS judge
Lovely late produce!
Jo b s to do now
Polytunnel has kept crops growing longer Late peppers, tomatoes and salad from the tunnel
Water Christmas spuds I’m growing potatoes in pots for Christmas. The compost needs watering to keep it moist, but I’m trying to keep the foliage dry to prevent fungal moulds from developing.
Photos: Martin Fish
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e’ve had another successful growing season in the polytunnel, but as you would expect for the time of the year, crops are now starting to slow down. The lovely weather at the end of September and in early October kept plants growing, but with shortening days, cooler night temperatures and a much damper atmosphere, it’s now all coming to an end for another year. My plan is to harvest and clear as much from the polytunnel as possible so I can start to prepare the beds for next year and also to make some room for any plants that need winter protection. The cool summer hasn’t been brilliant for butternut squashes, but at least the plants in the polytunnel have produced some fruit and they’re now ready to pick. I’ve also got a late flush of yellow courgettes, but they need picking now as one or two are starting to develop a little mould on the fruits as a result of the high humidity.
The cucumber plant has also produced a couple of late fruits which my wife Jill will soon convert into delicious cucumber relish. Sweet peppers have been a bit slow this summer, but again they came good in the end and we’ve had a reasonable crop. On the tomato front things are also looking good and after a very slow start, the fruits are ripening well now, although there are still plenty to come. What I’m going to do is pick everything that is ripe, strip off the last of the foliage and leave the plants for another couple of weeks to see what happens. Hopefully, they will ripen undercover. Without a doubt, all the crops in the polytunnel have continued to grow and ripen for a few weeks longer than in the garden and the result is a lovely late selection of fresh produce. Sponsored by
Tel: 01531 633659 www.haygrove.co.uk
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Tidy chilli and cut watering To keep my variegated chilli pepper ‘Fish’ growing for longer in the greenhouse, I’ve cut back on watering and picked over the plant to remove dead or yellowing foliage.
g n i The last of our best-ever crop g in ants of strawberry grapes need r picking before they : B r pl k spoil. Delicious! ee de w n xt y te e N m in Pick strawberry grapes