Hairy planning

Hi Everyone,

I'm marginally more organised this week, or perhaps a better excuse would be a small dip in sales pressure at last. Still more than double the same week last year, but a step down from the last few weeks. It has given us a little more time to get stuck into tunnel clearing and potting so not quite the chaos of recent weeks. Back with a Saturday potting crew this weekend after a rest last week, in an effort to continue the catch up on production. It is mostly now all stock being potted for spring sales, but it is still a rush to get it done, despite that time seeming a long way off. A days extra growth now is worth a week in November for most plants, in fact some of them go into root dormancy well before that. It is easy to get caught and miss out on getting a good root system going before the challenges of winter consume us. Then on the other hand there are some plants, like Erysimum, that just keep growing right through the cold months and if you pot them too early they can get out of hand before they do their spring thing. Juggling the timings and priorities adds another element of excitement to the proceedings.

At the moment I'm trying to judge what our herb stock levels should be over the winter. We try not to do too many as the spring potted stock tends to look a lot fresher once it comes on stream. But with no heat and growing the plants on the hardy side, there is quite a lot of the late winter and early spring that needs to be covered by our overwintered stock. Will the current demand still be there in those early cool days? And if it is, at what level do we pitch the numbers? We can't afford to waste stock by chucking it away unsold, but on the other hand it is frustrating for all if we don't have the stock to satisfy demand. The advanced planning has already gone out of the window, with quite a bit of stock destined to be overwintered, already potted and being sold now. Great for cash-flow and the business recovery, but tricky to work out what will be left at the end of the season. I have ordered in more stock and done extra sowings, to pot where I can. These will more than cover the volumes sold so far and gives us quite a bit extra. Whether it will be enough we will have to wait and see. To be honest everything is still so much up in the air, we are still not sure what is going to happen with anything really. As has become the new normal, we just do what we can and fingers crossed it works out ok. Not a great way to run a business or plan your life, but that is just how it is going to be for a while and we must make the best of it.

Last week's hedgehog patient has recovered well and due for release tomorrow after the field crop is baled up and out of the way. Swifts are gathering overhead in feeding flocks over the fields that are being harvested building themselves up for their long migration south. They are the first of those long winged summer visitors to leave, usually picking the first week in August to make a move (avoids a lot of the holiday traffic I expect) and is a sign that the summer is slipping by. Luckily the swallows and house martins hang about a while longer to entertain us and keep the flies down a bit. No nests on the house again this year which is disappointing but perhaps next year. There is going to be a lot of 'perhaps next year' for a bit!

Availability list highlights

The herb sales just keep going but the range is recovering a bit as sales slow a little and the potting at last can keep pace. The perennial range is still under pressure but this too should recover over the next few weeks as sales dip and potting catches up.

Main current highlights on the flowering stock front are;

Osteospermum Tresco Purple are erupting into bud now with the odd open flower. Hopefully enough for several more weeks! Lovely strong bushy plants. Fresh batch of Cosmos Chocamocha on the go, the odd bud appearing and loads of potential. Erodium Bishops Form are still going strong, the flowers just go on and on. Erigeron Stallone are back in numbers for a minute or two. Bud showing but not colour on the current batches yet. I just can't hang on to them long enough to get the flowers open!

Summer flowering Gaura are coming along nicely with buds on show and colour very close. Some varieties already sold out but a couple of others are on the list to replace them.

As the summer moves on we shift more into Aster season. We have a great range of healthy chunky stock at the moment and I feel bud is not far away, but no matter how hard I look I can't quite see any yet. Numbers will be a bit limited, although we have quite a lot of the ageratoides varieties this year. I got a bit carried away on my purchasing when I realised how much more resistant to mildew they were. They are great plants but not quite as strongly coloured or named as the more traditional types. I like the more subtle tones myself, but they perhaps aren't quite the show stopping display of the others.

Fresh Helleborous are now on the list, ready to plant out now for a flower show this winter. We have the first few niger and orientalis on the list now as well as some strong chunky foetidus and argutifolius.

Ajuga's are looking great, bold fresh foliage and the odd bud appearing on Burgundy Glow. 

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.