Hairy deer

Morning all,

Touch of frost last week but overall pretty mild down here in the barmy south. No sign of a big freeze just at the moment, fingers crossed it just all rolls along quietly. We had our lowest January wind output ever (from the turbines anyway) after our lowest year in 2021, just hoping we recover over the next few months to get back to average at least, I'm not sure we can afford the new electric rates being proposed. We wait with baited breath to see what deal we are offered on our exported power in April, it only gets reviewed once a year and I am hoping to get a bit more than the 5p we currently get, especially with the wholesale price still above 12p. We will see.

The calm weather has prompted continuing higher than usual plant sales, which is great and kept us busy, however, we still managed to hit a wonderful milestone by finishing the box construction and the wooden POS boards for the year. It turned out to be a bigger than predicted job, but great to get it done before the sales madness really kicks off. Hopefully we will have enough boxes to see us through to next winter and I'm sure with some prompt returns we will keep everything rolling. Potting got underway this week with the bare-root strawberries tucked into their pots and I see we are due two more deliveries next week, one of our bare root perennials and a load of modules to be potted over the next couple of weeks. It really must be spring. Whatever happened to that long relaxed winter I was looking forward to?

The new water treatment system is up and running. Initially we had the usual numerous leaks, but they are down to one irritatingly small drip from one joint now, so better than before we started! We will have to wait and see if this investment improves plant quality, reduces the disease losses and the spraying needed to keep disease at bay. It isn't something we will notice over a day or two, we will just have to be patient.

The rain water collection project hit the buffers this week with all the farm team being tied up on ploughing in the nice weather. On the plus side I had a visit from a ground-works chap who is going to finish it all off for us by doing the rest of the digging, trenching, pipe laying, back-filling, block work, and laying of the two concrete pads. Not particularly looking forward to the quote arriving, but it is the only way we are going to get this done before the summer. He can't start until March at the earliest but at least the construction sites are away from our work areas so we can keep out of each other's way.

Having deterred the rabbits last year when they were eating us out of house and home, we have now moved onto a Muntjac deer for a bit of variety. We have started to move some crops into our one fully enclosed production tunnel to try and protect them, but it's not a very economic solution in the long term. It has been spotted a few times over the last month and the munching evidence is now fairly widespread. I saw it this afternoon as it wandered in a very relaxed manor up the back of the nursery and hopped over the fence into the field. Having secured the nursery fence again this winter against the rabbits, we aren't going to be able to deer proof it at this stage, so I'm afraid there may be a stronger deterrent in the pipeline. There are so many of them about now around here, barely a night time journey goes by without one being spotted by the road. New year, new challenge.

Availability list highlights

Most plants are still in their winter dormancy, but there are still a few stars shining out there. The spring bulbs are beginning to sprout with one or two hinting at some colour.

Please do bear in mind that it is still mid-winter so our unheated plant growth, although healthy, is likely to be winter 'tight' in habit and not big, soft and lush.

Both Scilla varieties are showing some colour already. Narcissus bulbocodium are looking fab, producing bud and look springy. They won't hang around long, as I try not to overdo volumes of this sort of plant, just in case the weather turns on me! Helleborus niger are still in strong bud and flower, looking like they should.

Pulmonaria varieties are shooting nicely after their winter trim. Trevi Fountain, Shrimps and Opal are even showing tight buds. Aubretia in blue and red shades are looking bushy, nice and tight in growth habit with some occasional flower colour showing, especially in the red. Centaurea Amethyst Dream showing bud and the odd flash of deep purple colour.

Another spring favourite are the Erysimum's which are coming on line now. Just the Red Jep has tight bud lurking among the foliage at the moment, but the Apricot Twist and Pastel Patchwork are looking strong and bushy too. Scaboius Butterfly Blue and Pink Mist think it's spring, with bud on show.

Primula veris (Wild primrose) and Primula veris (Cowslip) with bud and the odd flash of very early spring sunshine yellow. 

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries