Following a tree April
When we returned from holiday almost two weeks ago, I was concerned that I might have missed some signs of growth on our apple tree, that I am following for a year. I am doing this project with Lucy and many others over at Loose and Leafy.
As you can see we didn't miss to much - the buds were only starting to appear. I think this lovely grey lichen it is an oak moss lichen. Can anyone confirm that? Lichen on trees won't do any harm, but may indicate that the plant is lacking vigour.It's just as well that I am keeping a close eye on it this year then!
As I was looking for other buds to photograph I suddenly discovered that we have some mistletoe growing in two areas. I was so excited as I having tried to grow mistletoe on many occasions and this time it has worked, or maybe a visiting bird has helped me!
However, it will be a while before it reaches anything as big as this specimen (below) that we noticed in the orchards at Cotehele in my previous post! It takes about 5 years for the berries to appear and mistletoe does affect the tree by reducing it's productivity. I have previously taken the berries from the mistletoe we have at Christmas and rubbed them on the bark. It you are interested in trying , look at this Link from mistletoe org for advice from the experts. It seems that our mistletoe is at least two years old!
With some spring sunshine last week the leaves have now emerged, hopefully next time you visit I can show you some blossom! Are any of your fruit trees in blossom yet?
As the apple tree is only a few foot from our garden pond I thought I would share this picture of tadipoles with you too! We have had so many more this year reaching this stage.I 'm sure as they reach adulthood they will be jumping out of the undergrowth while I am gardening and make me jump too!
It is not too late to join the Tree following project (see link at the top of the page.) everyone is very welcome! Lucy would love to have some more tree followers from the Southern Hempishere to broaden the project.
Sarah x
How amazing that you have some mistletoe growing! I only have one tree in our garden, which I posted about last week and I love it. Its especially beautiful at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI adore lichens - it is definitely Evernia prunastri - oakmoss. How lovely to have some mistletoe growing on your apple tree, it seems to grow much better here in the west of the country than it does in the east but I don't know why. Lovely to see all of those wonderful little tadpoles joyously swimming around in your pond.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the confirmation Rosemary. Sarah x
DeleteSarah, what a fun project to engage in with friends on and off line! OH I AM SO HAPPY that you are able to see life spurt out in the garden, even the tadpoles! We are slow in coming, but we are finally rid of our snow, so that's a beginning for us! Lovely photos.. Enjoy! Anita
ReplyDeleteMistletoe! What a bonus! It makes me realise that although I've seen mistletoe berries I have no idea what it looks like in flower. And tadpoles! How many do you think will last long enough to turn into frogs? And then what happens . . . do they stay or go to other ponds? Thanks for taking part in the Tree Following project. There's something specially enlivening about those new apple leaves.
ReplyDeleteOnly a handful seem to survive until adulthood. Our pond is a wildlife pond so doesn't have any fish it is home to a family of newts. We do occasionly have a heron that visits the pond and cats also attack the frogs! Sarah x
DeleteThe lichen and the mistletoe are beautiful, I'm not sure what effect they'll have on the tree but they are lovely to look at. You have masses of tadpoles, wonderful. I was watching ours wriggling around today. They're growing fast.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really interesting. You picked a great tree and I look forward to watching its progress.
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered if Lichen is ok on trees.. i get very small amounts on some of my olive trees, but they still give olives.
ReplyDeleteHow great to have mistletoe..
will be watching your apple tree grow Sarah.
lots of tadpoles.
val
How luck to have Mistletoe growing on your tree, at first I thought it was a tree Orchard.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, you have a Mistletoe in your garden, wonderful. I love them and have a friend, who give me a big one last year at christmas for the house.
ReplyDeleteI know it is a long way to get them at a tree. They are under nature protection in Germany.
Sigrun
What a lovely shot of lichen and how amazing to have mistletoe growing on your tree. I keep trying but so far without any success. And all your tadpoles! You are so lucky, frogs seem to have disappeared from round here.
ReplyDeleteHUGELY jealous of your taddies. I've just treated our pond which is a mass of algae :-(
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Sarah, Your garden is coming alive! How interesting on the Mistletoe, learned something new today. : )
ReplyDeleteLove your tadpoles. They look happy.
Thank you for your sweet comment and my four legged boy had a fun day. Well, he always has a fun day.
Have wonderful day.
Blessings!
I didn't realise mistletoe could affect the host tree, there is a lot of it around here.
ReplyDeleteI'm so enjoying all the new spring greens too... I had 4 pairs of frogs hanging out earlier and now my little pond is so full of tadpoles it's fantastic!! Cx
ReplyDeleteMistletoe - how exciting. And so many tadpoles! It is a lovely time of year with all this burgeoning life. I will enjoy following your apple tree.
ReplyDeleteYour own mistletoe - now that IS exciting! x
ReplyDeleteReally interesting to learn all these things and words I've never known. I also read your post about the daffolidis and admired your wonderful photos of them!
ReplyDeleteHave a happy week end!
Olympia
That is good news about your mistletoe appearing. I inserted a berry from a bunch of mistletoe growing on a crab apple tree into a bramley and it took about 3 years to appear. It is now a fabulous mistletoe bush. I'm pleased to hear about all your tadpoles, too.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have the Mistletoe. I am just doing a bit of blog catching up between chores - somehow you have dropped off my reader so will try and rectify that as I don't have a bookmark list on my downstairs laptop. All your pictures are so good I feel as if I am on the beach with you! We are heading off to Scotland for Easter so I will let you know if we have blossom appearing on the apple tree. We have a frogless pond - I have a bit of a frog phobia and don't like them jumping out on me when I am gardening - I am not sure who is more startled me or the poor froggies - like the picture though - my dad used to have lots of tadpoles in his pond.
ReplyDeleteGuess that means you'll be kissing a few frogs before long :)
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to see the photos of your tree! Our apple tree has leaves, but no blossom yet. Good luck with the mistletoe, you will be all set for mistletoe self sufficiency in a few years time! xx
ReplyDeleteHow lovely tadpoles and mistletoe what a combination.
ReplyDeleteI love that your are chronicling the growth of your apple tree. How fun to watch it grow.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I love your tadpoles.
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to see all the new signs of growth and buds on your apple tree and I look forward to watching the progress over the year. Must have been a pleasant surprise to have the mistletoe growing and have never seen a tree.
Will be fun watching the little tadpoles turn into frogs.
Happy weekend
hugs
Carolyn
How wonderful that you have mistletoe! Here there are a lot of damson trees in the hedgerows and they are covered in blossom, but the apple and pear trees are only showing blossom buds. One of the footpaths through the fruit farm here is planted with an avenue of pear, it's going to look glorious in another week or two.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, I'd love to have some mistletoe in the garden. And all those tadpoles, my boys would be in their element, well maybe a few years ago!
ReplyDeleteFollowing a tree for a year is a great project!
ReplyDeleteI will photograph one on my next walk in the park and join in. You mentioned you wanted some more posts from the Southern Hemisphere!
Lovely to see the Spring shoots on your apple tree!
Shane
Beautiful pictures and I agree following a tree fro a year is a delightful project, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have tadpoles in an old vintage sink at the bottom of our magical garden with the secret gate to the park,when small...In fact we had all the most amazing wild life around us then, natural and undisturbed..
ooh a mistletoe tree...too that's wonderful, Sarah....
Thank you for kindest wishes over on mine..
I'm a little behind with visits here...It's been a busy old time!! haha..
Hugs Maria x
Lovely lichen and mistletoe! And as for the tadpoles! I haven't seen them since I was a child with a jam jar on a piece of string...
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing the difference that four weeks of clement weather will make - last month only the pear and plum trees here were covered in blossom; now that's nearly all gone and the apple and cherry are putting on a show! I must read back and see how old your tree is, I love the look of a mature tree covered with lichen. I'd love to find mistletoe growing on the trees here in the future!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a wonderful idea to track a tree for a year, it sounds a lot of fun.
ReplyDeletePatricia x