Hairy transport

Morning all,

Ok so last week's plan worked to a degree. Our efforts to reduce sales volumes and eek out the remaining saleable plant and wooden box stock by having no availability list, reduced demand but only by about 15%, so we remain in a tricky position with even less saleable stock and still working hand to mouth on wooden box numbers. Thankfully we had a great response to the appeal for boxes to be returned and we managed to complete all orders in their boxes throughout the week, although a couple of days did rely on the van returning in the afternoon to get us to the end of the day. 

This week we are going to try the same strategy but will have to restrict volumes on orders to each customer to try and spread out the remaining stock as fairly as we can. It might not be as efficient as just selling out to the quickest bidder, but it seems the fairest option to us. I don't know how this will work out in practice or whether we will be able to fulfil all the orders but we will do our best.

Meanwhile back to nursery operations and their progress. We are currently breaking all records on potting each day, and each week, in an effort to get back on top of things. Our revisit to the principles of 'Lean' earlier in the season has paid dividends on order picking as well as the potting. Sure, we do have some extra staff, but even so our teams have done really well adapting to tweaks in processes and getting the job done. However we do keep adding more jobs to the list of things desperate to get done and the new box printing and construction is a biggie. I spent most of last weekend, when not potting, setting up the new screen printing frames for the new boxes and managed to get the box sides all printed for the first 300. They have now been treated and construction has started, but it all takes time, which is in short supply. I must say they look fab, almost too good to send out. It will takes weeks if not months to put together the 30,000 pieces of timber now sitting in the barn and there are another 30,000 coming in June. I'm hoping that a combination of returning trays and drip feeding in the new tray stock will see us through this crazy season. 

Hurrah, the new van is nearly ready, finance has been signed with just the final collection day to be sorted out. Could be later in the week with a bit of luck, just in time for the return of fresh stock and more deliveries. Meanwhile the old Peugeot (all of 5 years old) is due back in the garage on Tuesday to have its recently replaced Ad Blue system checked for an electrical fault which has restricted it's mileage to very local deliveries over the last couple of weeks. It runs so well when it goes!

Just about to order a new 7.5 tonne box van to keep up with the recent London emission rule changes. We misread the info and thought it was coming into force in October so are now paying £100 a day for every trip into the capital. We had pencilled in a new van for September and because of the various delays in delivery and production of vans we still won't get a new one until then anyway. 

Thankfully the rabbit population has definitely been dented and the favourite plants on Peters menu are showing good signs of revival, if they survived the attacks. The strawberries in particular are rushing back so should have a nice flush of those in the next few weeks. The high sales and depleted stock highlight the damage even more which is frustrating and I can't wait until we can compost the debris, clear the areas and get fresh stock on the beds, just give me a few spare days!

Must go, the potting team are one down and I'm supposed to be the 'gofer' today, keeping the machine running without stopping. Stunning blue skies again and I keep looking out for the first swallows, can't be long now, I know a few have been spotted along the coast not too far away. The rabbit patrol have been reporting good numbers of hedgehogs on the nursery which is great. They are spotting allsorts with their thermal imaging kit. The wonders of modern tech.

Very Urgent Box return appeal

Please do send back any empty wooden trays you may have accumulated, we are REALLY, REALLY, desperate for them at the moment, otherwise we won't have anything to send the plants out in. The first few new box parts arrived this afternoon and we have more on order to bulk things up a bit, but at close to £10 a box this year, by the time we have printed and constructed them ourselves, it is not a cheap or easy option to simply increase box stock levels. We are spending £40,000 on the new stock but that is not helping us yet. As things stand tonight I have enough boxes for about half a day's deliveries next week so we are very reliant on getting more returned. I know they are an investment on our part, and over many years of multiple use they are still great value, but they only earn their keep if they are in proper repetitive use. Thanks.

Availability list highlights

Again no lists for this week for herbs or perennials, because stock levels are so very low. We can do a selection of our own choice if you wish from  a very limited range, and can take a little guidance on any lines you don't need. We will be restricting total volumes on most orders to a trolley of perennials (21 trays) and/or a trolley of herbs, to ensure everyone who wants something swill hopefully get some. We have a few more herbs than recent weeks with a few strawberries coming on line after recovering from earlier rabbit grazing, but still not many. Let's hope the weather warms and growth gets going. It's not ideal and I know everyone's sales will be hit, but if there is no saleable stock, there is no saleable stock. There is lots on the way, just not quite yet.

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries