Category: Nature

March 2016

Recently I was attracted by a bay tree in a large container outside the entrance of a hotel. From a distance it seemed in very good condition but on closer examination there were signs that it was becoming pot bound.

There was a pool of rainwater standing on the surface, a sure sign of inadequate drainage. Bay needs good drainage and I think that this tree should be re-potted into a larger container making sure that there is plenty of drainage in the form of crocks plus a free-draining compost mix, (50:50 potting compost and grit.)

Over the years I’ve planted a variety of trees and shrubs in containers. At one time if I came across a seedling, I couldn’t resist growing it on – from horse chestnut to rowan, from conifers to hazel and I have learned to make sure that I have kept re-potting into larger containers and that the vital drainage is a priority. I must admit that I’ve had to chop up a plastic pot to release a shrub that had become completely pot-bound and at one time I remember having to smash up a ceramic pot. That mistake cost me dearly- some of the most attractive ceramics are quite expensive. Now I make sure to only use plastic.

I have a 10 year old Acer palmatum which I would like to keep in a pot for as long as I can and it’s already been re-potted several times. Obviously some of my trees and shrubs have reached the stage where keeping them in pots is no longer viable. These are planted here and there around the village and have thrived – notably in upper Walston Road around the Pound Lane area. Footnote: You may remember my mentioning the squirrel and the coconut. Well I did get another coconut and it didn’t take long for the squirrel or one of his mates to spirit both halves away- this time within 24 hours! There was no sign of it on the ground so how he manages to cart it away is something of a mystery!

The Marble Gall

Quite common on Oak Trees in and around Wenvoe is the gall shown in the photo known as the Marble Gall. It can be found on the Community Orchard, the Welsh Orchard and the Upper Orchid Field.

It is often confused with the Oak Apple but these are uncommon in this part of the world. The marble gall is caused by an insect which lays an egg on the Oak and the ‘marble’ which soon grows provides a living space for the young larva. Most of the galls at this time of year will have a small, neat hole in the side through which the young insect has escaped.

Galls have a surprisingly important role to play in our written records as they were used to make the ink which most of our important documents were written in for over 1,000 years. From the 5th century through to the 19th and even into the 20th century, tannin was extracted from galls and mixed with other chemicals to produce the ink used in key documents such as the Magna Carta and American Declaration of Independence. Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Victor Hugo also used it.

The charter on the left-hand wall as you enter the Bear Hotel in Cowbridge would probably have used Gall Ink. Articles on Gall Ink often feature the Marble Gall but therein lies a problem as that gall was only introduced to Britain in the 18th century and it needs the presence of another type of oak, the Turkey Oak, which is not native and has only been around for last 200-300 years to complete its life cycle.

It would be interesting to know if before the 1700s British Gall Ink used other types of galls or whether European Galls were imported and used to make the ink. If you think you know, why not drop a line to Whats On.

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