The last few weeks have seen record breaking high temperatures in Suffolk!
Phew – what a scorcher! The last few weeks have seen record breaking high temperatures in Suffolk, uncomfortable for humans and wildlife alike. These extremes of weather are something we will have to get used to, with the changing climate, but nature will adapt. We have seen some signs of stress in our trees, especially in the orchard. When there is scarce water available tree branches can become brittle as they become dry. The same as in animals, in times of stress, the tree will focus all its energy on its core, and limbs can sometimes be expendable. The weight of the un-ripe fruit on a dry branch has been too much for one of our plum trees, and unfortunately, we’ve had a couple snap off.
To combat the drier summers with our newly planted native trees you may have noticed some large green bags wrapped tightly around the base of the trunks. These are ‘tree hydration bags’, filled up at least twice a week, they slowly drip water into to soil around the roots, exactly where the tree needs it. Last year we had these bags on all the trees inside our big cat reserves, and it has been amazing what a positive difference they made compared to trees without the extra moisture. Such a simple and effectively designed solution will help our trees establish, providing shade, shelter and forage for our animal residents for years to come, whatever the weather.
Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park News
