Grass Clippings
Wonky weather …
The unpredictable weather continues to vex anyone who believes we are approaching the height of summer. The Met Office has already classified this spring as officially being one of the wettest on record and now it has also achieved the distinction for being the warmest spring for the entire country which seems quite unbelievable for those of us used to lounging around in shorts and sandals during March to May.
But the recorded evidence shows that the nighttime temperature combined with the daytime records result in the anomaly that this season has been warmer than any other. Hard to believe when I have just reached for a jumper to take the chill off while sitting down to write this script. With a very convoluted jet stream dragging cold air down from Greenland, the lyrics from the George Formby song, ‘Oh, don’t the wind blow cold’ much apply to this summer.
… great for grass
This far into June, we have the right combination of showers and light levels to keep all areas of the course extraordinarily lush. We are currently in the phase that greenkeepers call ‘the grass factory’ mode, where cutting one part of the course in the morning, you return to the same spot in the afternoon and give a second glance at the area and think that maybe it was missed out!
To all intents and purpose, the apical meristem aka the growing point, which in a grass sheaf, is at the base of the leaf is still acting as if it were spring as the conditions for growth are unchanged – good moisture levels, abundant sunlight hours and good overall soil temperature overall. It will not be until heat stress is exerted, that the plant acts to put the brakes on stem growth as a protective measure to prevent issues such as diseases that can come with high temperatures. If we were currently experiencing temperature high twenties, soil moisture could be dwindling at a fast rate, resulting in the turf entering the stress period and no growth. Inconsiderately, this weather is perfect for grass growth and after such a horrendous winter, at least the greenkeepers and groundsman of the county will be wearing a smile at the moment.
Rural rainforests
Did you know that there are rainforests in the UK? The biggest one in England is about to become a protected nature reserve, after a decision by Natural England and the National Trust. Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the district of Cumberland and is the best example in the UK of a temperate rainforest, the term for rainforests in colder climates such as the UK. Large parts of the UK were once temperate rainforests, but centuries of deforestation – for farming, wood and building – means just 1% of the original rainforests are left.
Temperate rainforests in the UK are home to all sorts of moss, lichen, fern and water-loving plants and are usually found in wet and mild climates. A few of the ones we have left in the UK are found close to the coast, because the weather conditions are more regular there. As well Borrowdale, in the Lake District, there are rainforests in Brecon Beacons in Wales, and Dartmoor in Devon. Temperate rainforests are usually very mossy – which means they can be home to thousands of lichens and other wildlife that thrives in moist conditions which is a great source of food and homes for animals and insects. In Borrowdale, there’s a now strategy plan that aims to keep the temperate rainforest safe. The National Trust and Natural England – which hold the right to designate nature reserves, aim to restore and protect this asset for generations to come.
Troubled tournament tradition
With Wimbledon fast approaching, tournament traditions may be askew this year with fewer strawberries available. Cold and extremely wet weather coupled with the worst light levels in years means that the British strawberry season will arrive later than usual this year. The fruit is out of stock on shelves after the season was delayed by several weeks because of the poor weather that we’ve all been experiencing resulting in the first big strawberry harvests not forecast until the end of May. Developments in growing techniques mean that the UK is now self-sufficient from early May to late October in a normal season. Over the last twelve months shoppers spent a record £847.5 million on strawberries. British Berry Growers say strawberries will hopefully be ready for Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, Lord’s Test Match and Henley Royal Regatta.
Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) continue to be the most popular fruit item in shoppers’ baskets, with the biggest market share (28%) of all fruit sold in the UK. This has pushed the value of the British berry industry in year-round retail-sales to an all-time high of £1.87 billion. However, strawberry exports have dropped by 79% in volume since Brexit – that’s almost equal to around 2,788 tonnes in two years, from 2020 to 2022. The decline follows the introduction of new trade barriers, including health certificates and additional customs paperwork. These delays have led to more customers on the continent preferring to import from elsewhere, as berry fruit crops are the most perishable and time dependent to get on the supermarket shelves.