Hot spring and wet summer brings bumper autumn crops

The National Trust’s conservation adviser Matthew Oates said spring-flowering trees and shrubs had been benefited from the hot, sunny spring which had boosted blossoming and pollination by insects.

Plants had also enjoyed rainy weather at the height of summer which has allowed the berries to ripen, providing a bountiful crop for wildlife and people.

But the record-breaking dry spring, and the ensuing drought, coupled with an unusually cool and cloudy summer has caused many trees to show their autumn colours early.

Hawthorns, blackthorns which produce sloes, elders and holly trees have all produced prolific berry crops, while beech trees are laden with nuts and orchards are bursting with fruits including apples and pears.

Mr Oates said: “They flowered and pollinated well and then they got some rain for swelling – if the drought had gone on they wouldn’t have swelled, and the trees would have dropped their fruit.”

The acorn crop has been so good this year that in the New Forest commoners were putting out their pigs to graze on the nuts to prevent ponies from eating too many, which would prove toxic for them.

But later-flowering trees such as the ash and sycamore, which were hit by the coolest and cloudiest summer for almost 20 years, have not had such a good season.

And it remains to be seen whether there is a good blackberry crop, Mr Oates said, as the brambles flowered in July during the poor weather, but could still benefit from a warm, sunny September.

“The big thing with the blackberries is they need some Keatsian weather. So far they’re late, they haven’t got going yet, and it all depends on whether we get a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.”

The autumn has also been several weeks early, with leaves on trees such as hawthorns, field maples and beeches already turning gold and, in some areas, other species such as hazel, polar and sycamore following suit.

Mr Oates said the hot dry spring had led to drought, which combined with the cold and cloudy summer would have encouraged many trees to “just give up” and begin to let their leaves drop early.