A question aimed at northern UK Members

Hi all.
I Live in BURY.North of Manchester.I have a few Hawthorns.My favorite tree.( Though not much more than sticks in pots at the moment ).Last year the buds began breaking around mid to late February..I thought this was early but all was ok. However this year the buds are beginning to break as of the last week in January..My question is "Is this normal" ?.They are kept outside all year round with a little fleece protection in during really cold snaps.

Hawthorns are completely hardy and don't need fleece protection. Are they in a porotected position, warmed up a little by being close to a wall, maybe? I'd have thought this winter has been cold enough to hold most plants back, yet some of mine are definitely on the move. Potentilla is budding strongly.

Put them in the most exposed spot you've got next winter. When you say sticks in pots, what sort of girth do you mean? If they are very thin, plant them in the ground for a few years to thicken them more rapidly.

Many thanks Kev..

I do have a very sheltered back garden.A lovely sun trap in the spring and summer.I don't seem to suffer the winter as much as some.Unlike the weather you get on the North Wales coast.I'm very lucky.I have some Oaks and a few Horse Chestnuts that I put into the ground last year to thicken up.They seem to doing quite well.I'll do the same this spring with the Hawthorns.I have one Hawthorn that is about 1.5 inches in diameter and is very robust.The others are just finger thick but healthy.

Bob Brunt wrote:Hi all.
I Live in BURY.North of Manchester.I have a few Hawthorns.My favorite tree.

Wait a goddam minute. I LIVE IN BURY... I HAVE A FEW HAWTHORNS... they are MY FAVORITE TREE... why have we not met?... we should get together and share what we know. email me tony@yamadori.co.uk.

I live in Holcombe Brook to be precise.

Tony wrote:
I HAVE A FEW HAWTHORNS... they are MY FAVORITE TREE

What is it with the British & Hawthorns??? I know of someone not too far from me who likes a bit of Hawthorn & I'm a bit parshal too (especially the "lump" I started on last year)

Maybe it's the years of seeing them in twisted hedgerows that has warped our tiny little minds

hey hey!! I'm from the real north of england (Tyneside - no football comments please) although I now live in Coventry. I dug a 30 year old Hawthorn out of my elderly neighbour's garden and replanted it a fedw months ago. Liberal squirts of seaweed extract has done it the power of good. It's going to be a monster when it's done.

What did you do to get sent to Coventry ? Ha Ha !.Seriously though, it's nice to hear from you.Would it be possible for you to post some pics of this monster ?

Just for the record, up here in the real north, my Hawthorns have not been too clever at flowering this year. Only one of my monogynas flowered but I'm putting that down to it only being "imported" from Toon Town (sorry Mr Gilbert - from Newcastle) in the early spring. My own resident West of Scotland hawthorns - neither bonsai nor my garden trees - did anything this year after having exploded with colour last year. Don't know why - this winter was pretty much the same as last.

BTW Littlebobby - you won me a fiver for guessing you were from the north east of that place that is attached to Scotland. The clue was in your other post where you mentioned that you would "hoy" some pictures on to the post. Thanks pal. Just for that I won't tell you what the connotations of the term Little Bobby are up in the Dunfermline area!

Bonsai Monkey: I'm very parshal to your spelling of partial! But thanks anyway for that stuff you sent. (Hey, that'll get them wondering!)

nee botha bonny lad

RE: little bobby - do a youtube search for bobby thompson - actually had on -







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdA26Bl0EEA

littlebobby wrote:nee botha bonny lad

em... well.. not the last time I looked. But then it's been that cauld up here!

Try "Aw right, china" - that's unisex.