Baby
snail
The UK apple harvest has been phenomenal this year. The trees in our garden always crop well, but have been outstanding in 2025. The dry mild spring was beneficial for pollination, and later, when the blossom was setting.
A hot dry summer, the warmest on record apparently, gave more than enough sunshine to develop the fruit and give them sweetness. We had worried that there hadn’t been sufficient rainfall, but it seems there was enough to satisfy them.
Commercial apple growers are overjoyed, with harvests exceeding their best for more than a decade. Cider producers, in particular, had crops so heavy that boughs were breaking under the weight of the fruit. Some producers have bought extra tanks to hold the juice. It is a good year for cider!
The prediction was for a superb pear harvest, too, but our trees didn’t receive the memo.
It is still mild enough for infant snails to feed and strengthen their shells before hibernating. I hope they won’t be caught out by a sudden cold snap or a sharp-eyed blackbird or the carelessly placed boot of a human.
I love animals that have 4 legs, the only exception being birds.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know snails hibernated. I wonder if they do here. Did you know cider in the US isn't alcoholic. What's the point of that!
ReplyDeleteHaving pressed cider on a dear Episcopal priest's farm, if you let the cider sit in its glass gallon jug for about 3-4 weeks, it will turn to an alcoholic version! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI trust the little fella has been returned to the garden. Our summer was very dry. I really don’t how it affected what for farmers.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any baby snails, but have noticed quite a few snail trails indicating they are out and about. I remember seeing dozens of babay snails years ago when we had an aquarium, we'd put a few snails in to keep the algae down a bit and one day my youngest noticed some of the "gravel" appeared to be moving, so we watched and noticed it was actually tiny snails.
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