Windy and Hairy

Morning all,

It’s still so mild, many plants are still growing and not really settled down for the winter. Hopefully it won’t turn too cold too quickly and catch them out, we will have to keep an eye on rots setting in if that happens. We have started cutting back the top growth now of those lines that go more or less dormant over the cold months despite some still showing some fresh growth, the problem is if we don’t start soon we won’t have time to get it done in the new year when thoughts suddenly turn to ‘spring’ sales.
The warm temperatures and constant wind has been drying plants out more than normal for the time of year so the irrigation has been back in action again just to top up the beds and compost moisture levels. Luckily the semi automated system we have set up to blow out all the irrigation pipes to prevent bursts in the cold is really quick effective. I just start up the compressor, turn off the water, hook up the air supply to the irrigation circuit and set off the computer programme to clear the lines one at a time. Then I can sleep easy as the frosts return.
I hope none of you are suffering too badly after this weekend’s winds and floods. We seem to be getting a real run of strong storms over the last few weeks, perhaps a reminder of things to come if we don’t get our act together as a society on the climate front. Cumbria and the north got a real battering and soaking again just 6 years after a ‘once in 200 year event’. Over 300mm rain in a day is a bonkers amount to cope with, that would be about 3 months worth down here. Luckily for us although we have been thwarted in our attempts to re-clad 8 of our tunnels (only 3 done) because of the run of storms, it has meant that the wind turbines have been working overtime. We have shot past our best ever ‘rolling 30 day average’ output, we peaked at 421Kw/hr a day previously and got very close to this on a couple of other occasions but we are now on 443. Unfortunately with only 3 little turbines so we aren’t going to get rich but it all helps both financially and on the sustainability front and to top it off I get excited too.
Even more excitement, the electrician was in last week fitting some new LED strip lights in the lab work cabinets and general overhead lights, now we can see better and save energy. Unfortunately the cost of fitting was more than the cost of purchase so that will add a couple more years before the lights pay back in electric savings, how come I can’t charge £40/hr for my staff output? With a bit of luck the improved work rates under the new lights will help, we all live in hope! Speculate to accumulate. Again. Sometime soon we must be due for a hell of a lot of accumulating.
Christmas is rushing upon us again, nearly time to decorate my home-made tree again, I must have saved a fortune over the years, not having to buy a fresh one each year but still having an 8ft talking point to marvel at. Nothing wrong with a bit of 2x2 and a collection of unwanted wooden blind slats if you can get creative. This must be the Mark3 version I think, The original idea, 22 years ago, of screwing cut branches from the garden onto the 2x2 worked fine for a bit but things move on and one gradually gets more sophisticated (and tighter)!

Minimum delivery reduction for the winter.
As the winter approaches our range falls away with the many deciduous varieties withdrawing into the relative warmth of the compost, but we still have a few evergreen hardy sorts doing their thing. I know it can be tricky putting together a minimum order of a full trolley (21 trays) at this time of year so if you fancy a few trays but can’t get to 21 we are happy to reduce the minimum to 12 trays for local drops and 15 trays for a bit further afield. Drop us a line and we will try and put together a few orders to make it work for everyone.

Availability highlights
Dainty flowered but hardy Cyclamen coum are showing bud now in all three separate colours and now the silvered leaved form too, They should flower from now until April. You don’t get the face full of flower of the pot plant types but a continuous classy steady show of hardy blooms.
The slightly showier hardy Cyclamen hederifolium types are also now in bloom. Bolder colours and more floriferous. Helleborus are coming back on stream now as they gather their strength for their great winter display. H. Niger, the classic Christmas Rose and its slightly earlier flowering cousin H niger Praecox are already producing some buds and very occasional open flower.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries