One of the things which always pleases me about the change in the weather as Autumn comes is that our plants are resting, waiting for the days to start lengthening. Although it would be nice to have them growing all the year around, our native plants need a rest when sunshine is thin and temperatures drop.
We can easily assess the plants that are in pots, but the ones growing in the open meadow are a different kettle of fish. Once they have stopped growing and have dropped their leaves they can be very difficult to keep track of. This is even true for the 'winter green' species. Winter green plants are those that have some leaf growth throughout the winter months, like Bee Orchids, rather than the species that only have a terminal bud sticking up into daylight, like Common Spotted Orchids.
While the winter green plants need a little more space in the meadow, the plants which become completely dormant can benefit from leaving the fallen leaves. This is because while the leaves will have gone by the time the orchids start to grow, dragged down by the earthworms, the grass will be killed by the weeks in permanent darkness. So with a bit of careful attention, some areas are left and some are cleared.
When the Spring comes, as daylight hours increase even before temperatures rise, the plants will be putting on weight and then flowering is just around the corner.
We can easily assess the plants that are in pots, but the ones growing in the open meadow are a different kettle of fish. Once they have stopped growing and have dropped their leaves they can be very difficult to keep track of. This is even true for the 'winter green' species. Winter green plants are those that have some leaf growth throughout the winter months, like Bee Orchids, rather than the species that only have a terminal bud sticking up into daylight, like Common Spotted Orchids.
While the winter green plants need a little more space in the meadow, the plants which become completely dormant can benefit from leaving the fallen leaves. This is because while the leaves will have gone by the time the orchids start to grow, dragged down by the earthworms, the grass will be killed by the weeks in permanent darkness. So with a bit of careful attention, some areas are left and some are cleared.
When the Spring comes, as daylight hours increase even before temperatures rise, the plants will be putting on weight and then flowering is just around the corner.
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