Caterpillars and Natives

[nightshade]

I have been reading Caterpillars of the British Isles by Jim Porter
and am amazed just how reliant individual moths /butterfly larvae
are on a particular native tree or shrub
This brings me to the annual plea for people to plant a few natives
in a hedge or clump somewhere in their garden along with native
plants ,there are lists in the gardening section.
I got onto my Parish council and they have agreed to spend their
remaining budget on trees and they also approached the county council
for further funding!
So if you want to see butterflys and exotic moths plant something
and if you cannot, chase your council show you care be persistent.
All wildlife benefits from Green Corridors,look around your neighbourhood
and see if you could improve it, a single tree or shrub could make a
worthwhile difference

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I got onto my Parish council and they have agreed to spend their
remaining budget on trees and they also approached the county council
for further funding!

you might also want to point them towards this initiative from the woodland trust - free trees ! http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/hedge/

[honeybee]

I think this is a really good point, not just for butterflies but all insects which are in decline and obviously the basis of a lot of food chains. I make sure I've got flowering plants for as much of the year as possible. Berries in the autumn. Native flowers that attract insects. I've recently moved and this spring a lot of Spanish bluebells flowered. I wasn't sure what they were at first but soon dug them up, they cross pollinate with our native bluebells and are not good to have.

[honeybee]

P.S have a dog rose which the catterpillars love, had two different types, not sure what they were, one was hairy with tufts. Also have planted a plum and apple tree (as I'm going to have to cut an ash down).

[eeyore]

for those interested in native planting the flora locale site is well worth a look http://www.floralocale.org/

[Wild-Woman]

Now I've got my Insects on nettles book by B Davis, I'm going to write to the council to ask them to leave the nettles on roadsides etc (where people don't walk) and ask them to leave them there instead of stimming them down. I have now got back up to explain about the 100+ species that rely on them as a food plant etc. The small tortoiseshell loses out if they are cut down and this year, I've not seen one in my area! Julie

[Alan]

Why not do what I do every year. Grow native trees from seed, and either plant them somewhere suitable in a year or so, or give them away to friends and family. Great fun to watch them sprout in the spring! Your id skills will improve too!

If you haven't a suitable spot to plant them in your garden, you can always grow some in large pots. Some trees will grow quite happily like this although obviously their growth is stunted somewhat. I have Beech, Oak, Hazel, Dogwood, Sycamore and Maple among others, all in large pots! As I've said, when they get too big find them a new home and grow some more!

[Wild-Woman]

What soil do you use Alan? Julie

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

What soil do you use Alan? Julie

That mucky stuff Jules

Just normal garden soil, don't use anything with too much fertilzer in it as all this will do is encourage too much foliage growth before the roots are established. You could put a bit of fish-blood-and-bonemeal in to help the roots, but this is only necessary on saplings. Just plain old soil will do, although you could mix in a bit of leafmould. Certainly don't splash out on expensive compost! Think of where the trees would grow in the wild! No John Innis there.....unless its a peat bog!

[Wild-Woman]

Thanks for that TreeAl. I think I might start with acorns. Not long before they're ready now. Then some conkers methinks-get 'em before the kiddies do! Or I could be really evil and confiscate them on the playground when I go back. Nasty nasty Wild-Woman.