View Full Version : Elder suffering in the heat!
With the hot weather running on and on the damage to the plants and trees is becoming obvious. By my reckoning a lot of the Elder where I live is finished this year. The leaves are all brown and the very small berries don’t look viable as seeds anymore. I will miss the jam and wine I made from this most useful tree and will watch anxiously to see how things go next year.
Trees are starting to suffer over here too, but a lot are still looking good, some places look like autumn with all the leaves on the ground. How hot are you getting it out there Yarrow ?............
Found its the maples and chestnuts that are suffering , Many of the young trees the council have planted have died (Just wish people would spare them a bucket of water or two ) many of the mature ones have lost the top growth , just hope they come back next year . The other problem is the kids have just finished school so no doubt the fire brigade will have there work cut out over the next few weeks . Just hope we get the prommised rain ilan . :cool:
Moonraker
26-07-2006, 22:09
Sorry to hear that Yarrow. Here in the S of France we have up to 37.5C for three weeks now and little rain, but we did have decent rain this Spring and most hedgerow shrubs and trees still look OK, including the elder, with ripening berries.
Elder tends to suffer first as it is shallow rooting and also draws water quickly. However it is resilient and no doubt will bounce back next year.
Still no rain and this week I've noticed Rowan, Horse Chesnut and even Silver Birch suffering badly as well as Wytch Elms and that's in the Midlands. What's it like in the South East where temperatures have been even higher...??
beachlover
26-07-2006, 23:10
The other problem is the kids have just finished school so no doubt the fire brigade will have there work cut out over the next few weeks . Just hope we get the prommised rain ilan . :cool:
had my father on the net tonight. He lives in Brum and from his place, he can see 3 separate fires in bits of woodland and all started by kids for the sport of watching the fire brigade. What a sad world :(
dommyracer
27-07-2006, 00:21
Apparently the hot weather is going to bring record fruit crops.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5216986.stm
Trees are starting to suffer over here too, but a lot are still looking good, some places look like autumn with all the leaves on the ground. How hot are you getting it out there Yarrow ?............
It's been about 35c during the day and for the last couple of nights 20c!! I just worry for the long term survival of some of the trees and plants if this weather comes year on year.
My avatar is a wite elderberry bunch. 2 years ago my grove of elderberries suffered badly in the heat. But they picked up fine. This year I haven't checked them out for a couple of weeks but the ones in my garden are doing fine.
I don't think they are sensitive to heat. I think they are sensitive to dryness. Where there is water under ground they seem to thrive. They are vulnerable if growing a long way from water.