So it seems that Soil lobbyist group Soil Association have got their way. Bug killers such as Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, as well as several others, have been removed from big stores. This is due to the ingredient 'Neonicotinoid' being linked to the decline in the bee population over the years.
Apparently when you spray a plant with the bug killer, it contaminates the pollen and nectar which can disorientate the bee's and cause them to lose track of where their hives are located, hence the population decline of bees. Bit of a shame because Provado always seemed to work well for myself and many other carnivorous plant enthusiasts. Just a shame there isnt a significant reduction in the wasp population!
Friday, 29 March 2013
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Too damned cold
It seems that every year, for the last few years, we've been setting new records in Britain. Whether its the coldest month, the wettest, the warmest or the driest. It just goes to show that climate change is a thing.
Its currently 23rd of March. A month that is typically about 9 or 10 degrees celcius, and yet at the moment, daytime temperatures are barely above freezing and its snowing. Its now officially the coldest March in 50 years and in just 1 week's time, the clocks go forward an hour for the start of British summer time, yet it might as well be the middle of January.
Because of this, I have turned my greenhouse heater on. I wanted my plants to have a good natural dormancy over the winter, but this is too damned long for winter and given the fact that some of my plants have started showing the first signs of life, I dont want to risk them getting too cold. At least I can rest a little easier with the heater on as it means the temperatures in the greenhouse will remain above freezing.
Its currently 23rd of March. A month that is typically about 9 or 10 degrees celcius, and yet at the moment, daytime temperatures are barely above freezing and its snowing. Its now officially the coldest March in 50 years and in just 1 week's time, the clocks go forward an hour for the start of British summer time, yet it might as well be the middle of January.
Because of this, I have turned my greenhouse heater on. I wanted my plants to have a good natural dormancy over the winter, but this is too damned long for winter and given the fact that some of my plants have started showing the first signs of life, I dont want to risk them getting too cold. At least I can rest a little easier with the heater on as it means the temperatures in the greenhouse will remain above freezing.
Sunday, 17 March 2013
First signs of life...
Hopefully now we are coming to the end of winter. Its not so much that its been a really rough one (with the exception of a few days), its just one that has seemed to last forever. We are in the latter half of March now and yet only a few minutes ago, it was snowing!
Fortunately, today I came across the first signs of life from one of my plants:
Fortunately, today I came across the first signs of life from one of my plants:
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