Morning all,

Back to winter again this last few days, a real bite in that wind and a few snowflakes too. Perhaps not perfect gardening weather but at least it has dried out a bit.

We had a stunning day on Tuesday when the sun blazed and wind died completely, a perfect tunnel covering day. We have had four tunnels shredded over the autumn and winter and in desperate need of a recover but we just haven’t had the right sort of weather here to get it sorted. We are quite particular about the conditions we need for a successful re-clad, sunny, breathless and preferably warm. We had to forgo the warmth bit although the heat did build under the covers when we left them to settle draped over the hoops in the sun. There was just enough stretch to get a decent tautness to the covers and the wind stayed perfectly still the whole day which reduces stress levels enormously. Usually what happens is that it is still un til you have unrolled the cover and pulled it over the frame, then it blows up. Holding onto a large sheet of plastic in even the slightest breeze is quite exciting not only with the damage risk to the thin sheet but the lift potential to someone hanging on to it! We are all experienced, sensible and knowledgeable enough to know when to give up and let go so no real issue, but it can make for a tense day. Anyway Tuesday went brilliantly and we got 2 done, including one very awkward one which is always a challenge to get done well.

After Tuesday's success Wednesday was a more sobering day with the tragic news that a Hampshire fruit farm had lost two young workers who had apparently got caught in a controlled atmosphere fruit store. Few details have emerged yet but I had visited the farm a year or two ago and had been impressed by their professionalism and staff training regimes, so to hear such news is a real shock. Our thoughts go out to all those affected and I hope everyone takes away the message that mistakes and accidents do happen and we do need to look after everyone around us, you never know when a slip may occur. Take care.

A bit closer to home we had a worrying few days when the donkeys got taken away to the vets for a small op on one of them. Donkeys are gregarious things and so both had to go together to keep the stress levels down. It was their first time in a horse box for 13 years so that was extra excitement although not as exciting as trying to get them back in for the return journey.

Not sure if it was the box that was the problem or that they didn’t want to come back to a hillside unheated stable from the under-floor heated, soft surfaced play pad they had been staying in for previous two nights! Anyway all settled in again now and back to the usual routine.

Nursery preparations for the eventual arrival of spring are continuing with more 5S projects (or ‘tidying up’) getting done and the installation of several sections of shading over work areas that have a tendency to overheat in the sun. How about that for optimism and forward planning! The farm kindly helped out by clearing their kit stored in the yard overwinter to allow us a bit more room should we ever have any more big lorries in to deliver compost etc. I can’t remember having such a long period with so few big deliveries coming in, although the money still seems to go out just as fast. A tricky few weeks coming up now as we all juggle with the orders going out and the lack of cash coming in. That lag period between delivery and payment is always a challenge on the cash-flow but after last year’s poor sales the whole growing industry is in dire need of a nice smooth start to the season with no weather or financial delays to throw a spanner in the works.

Good luck everyone and a special thanks to all those prompt payers.

Eco-news

I sent off all our figures for the Winchester Carbon Smart accreditation this week and got interviewed by one of their advisers. I think that is the initial phase complete on our part and we are just awaiting a report to be completed and the accreditation level to be awarded. I believe there are three levels, so we can progress up to gold if we can push the right buttons. Let’s see what comes. http://www.carbonsmart.co.uk/carbon-smart-winchester

Nature notes

Cold snap seems to have delayed frog spawning although I have heard of some completed locally elsewhere.

If you need a fax list please let us know, pick it up from the website or alternately send an email address. Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries