With the weather
ever more autumnal, there are many changes, both natural and
unnatural, happening in the countryside and in gardens,.
‘Tidying-up’ for winter may be a priority in parks, with
removal of summer bedding and clipping of shrubs and hedges,
but these activities can create disturbance for wildlife at a
time when many mammals and insects are searching for safe
wintering places. In the garden, resist the urge to tidy too
much. Leaves that are starting to fall now will be broken
down by many invertebrates, especially earthworms, to
replenish soil nutrients.
Some of our most
useful beneficial insects can be assisted this month, by
provision of artificial nest homes for them. Ladybirds
cluster together to spend the winter in dry frost-free places,
and a bundle of hollow natural plant stems, bamboo canes or a purpose
built wooden home will encourage them to stay around. You can
also provide them and other insects including lacewings, with
an over-wintering place by leaving herbaceous vegetation
uncut. If conifer hedges are trimmed at this time, a pile of
the clippings in a dry place will also be used by these
insects.
If you have a
small meadow or long grass that is too vigorous, you can sow
the wildflower yellow rattle this month. This annual meadow
dweller is semi-parasitic, taking nutrients from the roots of
grass and inhibiting its growth. Yellow rattle can reduce the
overall height of native grasses by up to a third once it is
well established. If your meadow or long grass was cut and
raked last month, scatter the large seeds of yellow rattle
over the area now, while the grass is short. After the
winter frosts have worked on it, the seed will germinate next
spring.
October, rather
than spring, is the best time of year to plant new perennials
in gardens. Add to next year’s nectar supply by choosing some
cottage garden plants that are known wildlife attractants, and
include some wildflowers in your borders too. Check the lists
elsewhere in this website for more information. Planting now,
with a mulch of home-made compost will save on watering new
plants next spring.
A wildlife pond
can become quite overgrown after several years, especially if
native wildflowers are planted directly into soil over a butyl
liner. October is the best month to do a little gentle
cleaning out as frogs, toads and newts will have left the
water by now. Dragonfly nymphs and other aquatic animals will
still be in the vegetation and in the mud in the bottom of the
pond, so this operation needs to be done with the greatest care. All
vegetation removed should be left on the pond side for a few
days to enable aquatic creatures to find their way back into
the water. Aim to have at least half to two thirds of the
water surface free of floating plants as this will attract
dragonflies to your pond, but ensure that plenty of vegetation
is left. If the pond is very overgrown, take plants out of
one third of the area over each of the next three years, to
make sure that there is always plenty of cover left.
You can put up
new nest boxes for tits, sparrows, robins and wrens now. As
well as checking them out as potential nest sites for next
spring, some small birds will roost in them overnight.
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