I've got a frog!

[Jesse]

Today whilst working on my plot I noticed a plop sound and when I looked closer at the pond I saw a frog! Am so happy as I thought there was nothing in the pond. Can't see any frog spawn though, when does this usually appear.

[Jesse]

[Mrs Ava]

Well we have frogs, saw a stunner today, but no spawn  :'(.  However, at number one sons school, trillions of frogs, a possitive orgy, and masses and masses of spawn!  Think there is still time.

[Jesse]

Perhaps I have a batchelor frog!

[dibberxxx]

have loads of frog spawn in my pond have never had so much they started laying spawn about 2 weeks ago and are still laying it every day so there is still time yet i think i will run out of pond for them to lay it in soon

[Doris_Pinks]

My pond was a veritable orgy last night, we lost count after 16 frogs, and my pond is small! They were singing love songs to each other all night, and are still there this morning! So I am expecting spawn to turn up any moment now!!
What we were wondering was, how did they all know last night was the night to meet? Frog notice board somewhere? A club for lonely frogs? It will remain a mystery! ;D
Jess I am sure your batchelor won't be lonely for very long!  ;D  DP

[Doris_Pinks]

Just been out to look at all the cavorting, (bit voyeuristic sounding that! :P) and I have 2 clumps of spawn!! ;D  ;D  ;D (well, not me personally, my froggies you understand!) DP

[busy_lizzie]

Our ponds are "rampant" at the moment.  Lots of frogs and spawn in our main pond and then I noticed this morning they have started on the smaller  pond now.  ::) So two ponds now with frog spawn in.  A late start but maybe a bumper year!  :) busy_lizzie

[Marianne]

You are all so very lucky!  I do not have a pond as garden rather on the small side.

But I will try a mini one for next year as it is too late this year.  I believe it only has to be about 60cm deep and as to the dia, anything goes.

Good luck to everyone!
:D ;)

[Jesse]

But I will try a mini one for next year as it is too late this year.

Why is it too late this year? I thought frogs would move in at any time of the year by themselves if you provide a pond.

[Doris_Pinks]

I have a half barrel at the bottom of my garden that I rescue the spawn to, wouldn't something like that work Marianne? You do have to provide in and out ramps for them though, and I have bricks piled up inside in one area for them! And I think along the same lines as Jess!

[Harriet]

Anyone in London with some spare spawn they might be willing to donate?

[Doris_Pinks]

Harriet, be careful with any type of pond donations, you can introduce all sorts of nasties on plants, in water etc. Make sure the pond it is comming from is healthy with no probs, or you could end up with things you don't want in yours, duckweed for example! DP

[Marianne]

Hi Doris,

I meant it was probably too late this year to attract the frogs, and the spawm.

Have to convince my other half to dig something in my small space.  Half a barrel would be perfect but first of all, I would need to empty it !  ::) ;D.  Especially if it contains nice liquor!

Yes you are absolutely right with providing something for wildlife to climb out, in case they fall in.  On another board, a lady wanted to put a bath in her garden, at ground level and without any slopes!  So many hedgehogs have drowned that way!  :(

[Doris_Pinks]

Couldn't live with meself if I thought I had drowned a hogwodge :'( I think they are great! (OK, flea ridden, but great!)

I could never convince my OH to dig ANYTHING in my garden, not the outdoorsie type, as he keeps reminding me, but he would help you drain the barrel!!
We used to live in a place that made rum, now the smell when you got one of those barrels for the garden was lovely, if only I had chocolate cosmos to plant in it, the smell would have been heaven! ;D ;D

[Marianne]

I love hedgehogs too.  They are gorgeous!  And they eat all the slugs.
;D

I will try and find a suitable container to put into the ground for the local wildlife.  Will let you know what I have found !
Bye for now !
:D

[MaidstoneMark]

Why is it too late this year? I thought frogs would move in at any time of the year by themselves if you provide a pond.

I think (if my school biology days serve me correctly) that Frogs will always try and return to the pond of their birth (hatching) to spawn....  so you can transport spawn from one pond to another & the young 'uns will settle their, but you can't tranfer tadpoles or frogs, 'cos their inbuilt navigation system will take them back to their birth place (if they dont get squished on the road in the process.)

don't quote me on that though.....

[Jesse]

My batchelor frog is no longer a batchelor! I saw two frogs today and lots of frog spawn!  :D

[Anthony]

Why is it too late this year? I thought frogs would move in at any time of the year by themselves if you provide a pond.

I think (if my school biology days serve me correctly) that Frogs will always try and return to the pond of their birth (hatching) to spawn....  so you can transport spawn from one pond to another & the young 'uns will settle their, but you can't tranfer tadpoles or frogs, 'cos their inbuilt navigation system will take them back to their birth place (if they dont get squished on the road in the process.)

don't quote me on that though.....

hmmmmm....well that's really got me thinking - I always thought the same as you Mark but having recently found three frogs in my pond that I know were definately not born there (there was no spawn at all last year)  Then I assume that other factors of nature must be at play.

[Debs]

Looked in my pond this afternoon... not a sausage, let alone any frog spawn!!

Debs

[lin]

Oh I am so glad to see other frog lovers on here. My little pond is heaving with activity, counted 24 frogs today in my tiny pond and huge mounds of spawn!! In fact, almost the whole surface is covered and the poor goldfish are sort of hovering underneath. Rescued two or three frogs from the road out front this week and all the local kids have been dropping in to check out my pond.

And my allotment is on the go, I have cleared the ground, dug over the spud patch in preparation, have three types chitting in the greenhouse and loads of trays all quietly waiting to spring in to life with plants. Was thinking about planting my carrots and parsnips this weekend, but decided it might be a tad early and perhaps leave it till next weekend.

I am in Urmston Manchester, and although it is lovely out there at the moment, don't think we have seen the last of the frosts yet!! Happy digging!