FROGS

I’ve been trying to keep the frost out of my polythene tunnel this week. The daytime temperatures have been very good with the warmth of the sun, but the heat soon disappears once the sun has set. I have been a bit concerned about the change in temperature. The bedding plant seedlings on the propagation bench are coming up but it’s important to keep them at a constant temperature as swings can affect their germination. Geraniums, a window box favourite, will all germinate at different times over a period of a few weeks, or not at all if the heat changes constantly. The heater cables are doing a great job at keeping the soil warm, but I still have to resort to the old method of paraffin lamps at night to keep the air around the seedlings at a nice cosy temperature. One thing in the tunnel that is enjoying the extra warmth is a new member of the gardening team, my pet frog.

At the end of last year I dug a hole at the lowest point in the tunnel and built a small pond with the idea that I would get some frogspawn this spring to get some help with pest control. I may not have to bother now as this frog looks as though it may be expecting quite soon - either that or it’s getting really fat from eating all the juicy slugs that are hiding underneath the pots. Frogs are a great asset in any garden. They eat loads of other pests besides slugs. Caterpillars, woodlice and millipedes all get munched by our froggy friends.

Some frog facts
The common frog was introduced to Ireland in the 18th century. As yet, there aren’t any frogs that are the edible type in this country - you’ll have to go to France or southern England to sample the frog legs delicacy.

Frogs will breed in any pond, however temporary; I saw some spawn in a puddle in the middle of the road that runs up from Cockhill church last year! Each female lays up to 2000 eggs every spring. These start small but quickly absorb water and swell to form the familiar spawn.

If you have a patch of water or even an area that is very wet you might have to introduce the frogs. If you want to catch a few frogs and add them to the pond then it’s worth remembering that the male frogs are a good deal smaller than the females. Last year we collected frogspawn and the kids enjoyed watching the tadpoles emerging and the transformation into frogs very much. Unfortunately our cat enjoyed the delicacy of young frogs (froglets) very much. Obviously she hadn’t read that Irish frogs aren’t edible!

Toads may be distinguished from frogs by their dry, warty skin and they don’t have a hump on their backs like frogs. The toads are generally smaller than frogs. They also prefer deeper water to breed. Like the frog they are very useful in the garden. Frogs as far as I can see, do no damage whatsoever. The one in my tunnel hasn’t ever tipped one pot over yet. Late March is a good time for a frogspawn expedition.

Horticultural.