Page 16 - ALG Issue 1 2023

Promoting biodiversity
in colder months
By gardening with wildlife in mind in the colder months, plotholders can help to promote a balanced eco- system on their site. A lot of things that promote biodiversity on an allotment can be incorporated without much change and will positively impact growing conditions as the spring approaches.
Bushes like brambles can be left to grow on the periphery of an allotment plot throughout January and February. A natural habitat like this will serve as a refuge for pollinators like hoverflies, bees and lacewings in warmer months and act as a welcome nest site for songbirds like Robins, Wrens, Song Thrush and Blackbird, who will provide excellent pest control when new vegetables are planted out later in the New Year.
A visit to the plot as soon after sun rise as possible can provide the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the birds that
call it home. With a little research, identifying which birds frequent the allotment is easy. This information can be used to provide appropriate shelter
for feathered friends in the winter months, understand which pests they are likely to eat in the coming months, and plan ahead to keep seedlings safe with netting.
Many insect predators need a sheltered place to hibernate when their food supply falls away in the winter. Piles
of plant litter serve this function very effectively, thus ensuring your pest control army is still in place for the new year. As allotmenteers begin tidying up their site early in the year it is important to check any piles of plant litter gently and carefully in case something is sleeping there.
Reptiles spend winter hibernating. You’re unlikely to see them until they come out to bask in spring – unless you happen to disturb one while turning your compost heap.
Hedgehogs, dormice and bats are also tucked away in hibernation. In winter, insects less hardy than the winter gnat, appear absent. Of course, they are
still all around us, just hidden away in various life-stages.
Working with nature all year round promotes healthy soil, lessens the need for pesticides and chemicals and it’s better for the environment
As spring starts and allotment sites across the UK become busy with weeding, planting and all the jobs
it takes to reclaim the plot after a long winter, there are a few things that gardeners can do to continue to promote biodiversity without compromising their crops.
Strips of uncultivated ground covered with matted grass are ideal breeding sites and refuges for predatory ground beetles. On many allotment sites these could be the grass paths throughout the plot. If slugs are a major problem, you may even consider widening these paths and allowing the grass to grow longer thus affording greater protection for the beetles who eat them.
Working with nature all year round promotes healthy soil, lessens the
need for pesticides and chemicals and it’s better for the environment. The beginning of the year is a great time to take stock of an allotment site, plan for the rest of the year and to set intentions for the summer months.
16 Allotment and Leisure Gardener