Hectic and hairy

Morning all,

Need some rain please, not just to wet the soil in the gardens but to slow up demand a bit. We are struggling to find any time to do anything but despatch. The consecutive 4 day weeks don't help, and ongoing absences have taken their toll, the frustration of not getting jobs done tends to mask the rejoicing at selling so many plants. The rejoicing bit is definitely well masked this week and I wonder if we have the work/life balance quite mastered yet as I notice Caroline nodding off while over-sticking barcodes for a customer late one night. We will save the celebrations for when things quieten down a bit.

So what went well this week? I suppose getting all the orders out before the weekend was a great result and special thanks must go to the skeleton crew who came in on Monday to get the deliveries off to a flying start early on Tuesday. We sent out a huge amount of microprop modules to growers this week, on top of everything else, something like 20% of the entire years microprop output in one week. We squeezed in a short potting thrash on Friday afternoon and will have another go tomorrow, but did manage to stop the machine three times in as many hours. Luckily it didn't actually break it just stopped. It is much cleverer that the old one and it trips out the motor if it detects a jam somewhere. Having used the new machine several weeks now, we hadn't seen this issue before but three times today the odd escapee pot jammed in the compost lifting mechanism. In the old days this would mean digging out all the compost by hand to get to the problem which was a huge pain, but the new machine not only stops early, it has a switch to reverse the compost delivery belt which takes the pressure off the lifter. Then there is a release mechanism that drops away part of the floor of the machine under the lifter, to allow easy and safe access to clear any blockages. A very well thought out solution enabling us to get up and running again in minutes rather than hours. Valuable lessons learnt today.

With the (organised) despatch chaos this week I completely forgot about the first pot delivery of the year which came in early on Thursday. One of several containers we take in each season, it had been delayed from last autumn in the hope that container delivery prices would fall back. Sadly the plan failed and we ended up paying over $10,000 rather than the usual $1,200. To help mitigate the higher prices our very enthusiastic pot makers in Sri Lanka, went to great lengths to fit more pots into every available space. They squeezed the pot stacks in each box a little tighter so increasing the amount in a box and used all sorts of different sized boxes to loose-fill any spare gaps in the container. In the end it will result in one less container being used this year, which could save a lot if prices don't fall back and will help in the long run whatever happens. There are a few down sides, the container took slightly longer to unload and the tighter packed pot stacks in the boxes will mean extra manual pot wrestling when loading the potting machine. We've had a quick practice with one of the new boxes and it doesn't seem too bad so fingers crossed it all works out ok.

Wooden box returns appeal

We are eating our way through our new stock of wooden boxes scarily quickly, I can't believe how all that winter work has now nearly all gone. Can I make an appeal to anyone using our empty boxes as part of their display constructions, to try and find some alternative materials to use. Each box costs us £10 to replace and it doesn't take many to disappear into such a display for large amounts of valuable box stock to be left unused by us. Those empty boxes sitting there are not earning their keep with us, which increases our costs and consequently our prices to you.

Availability list highlights

After a long and hectic run we are quite short of stock in bud at the moment. Overall stock levels for the perennials are still ok, just short on flower action. The herb stock is definitely low for the coming week and is likely to be so for 2 or 3 more weeks as we end the overwintered batches of some stock and await the readiness of the new stock. Demand for herbs has taken us by surprise after a quieter year in 2021 when I got carried away and over produced in the summer, after such a busy 2020 (once it started).

We have a couple of Camassia showing bud, the lovely white form the excellent blue Maybelle. Very late flowering Narcisuss Sun Disc are now in bud. A small flowered beauty it is worth the wait. So late it is almost a novelty! First flowers are opening and not many left so don't hang about.

Low growing Erodiums in both colours are budding now, ready to flower all summer long. Spring favourite the Erysimum's are now in bud. We have some lovely batches of Salvia nemerosa varieties bulking up well with several varieties already in bud.

A spring flush of healthy shoot growth on our overwintered Phlox range, all looking very strong. Best crop ever as we have managed to keep the pigeons off them.

Have fun, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Hairy measurements

Morning all,

Well we made it, It's Easter time and everyone seems to be talking about holidays and days off, as usual. Naturally in our trade we all are making hay while the sun shines, in today's case literally! It sure is a busy old time for all of us and I hope Joe Gardener out there isn't making your weekend too difficult and is still opening their wallets wide. We certainly had a challenging week mainly due to the workload, but also those extra challenges that pop up from time to time, or in our case on a seemingly weekly basis.

Last Saturday we had a mega potting day planned which went swimmingly well until the new van arrived, after being picked up a year after being ordered. Just in time for the busiest week of the year, it drove into the yard every inch bright and shiny. However it very soon became apparent that we had a bit of an issue. They had made the box 8cm too narrow and the trolleys don't fit! They have made a box for us before, and for other nurseries, so they knew all the dimensions, but someone somewhere made an error and here we are. I spent the rest of the weekend building bits of frame to securely hold a different pattern of trolleys, which means we can squeeze on 14 rather than the 17 on the original design. It will have to go back in the winter for a rebuild, but we can't afford to be without it now as the old one has gone and demand is so high. Phil our driver may well be huffing and puffing a bit more than usual when unloading in the next week or two, as the new loading pattern isn't as easy to operate, so please bear with him. I suspect he will get the hang of it in a bit. Now I understand what I have heard before, a tiny difference in size can make all the difference to your level of happiness. One day something will go right and we can all get excited again!

New potting machine is settling in nicely after a few KFN tweaks and alterations and we have just had a very productive Good Friday which is great. Just need to go and finish the watering in before it gets dark and we can get ready for a mega weekend. Potting again tomorrow morning and then preparation and packing begins for our biggest micro-propagation module sales week of the year. Not great timing but can't do much about it. We have a team in on Monday morning to get despatch off to a quick start next week and the vans full from day one (Tuesday) as well as delivering the microprop packed up over the weekend by Caroline, with some minor assistance from yours truly. Even had to turn down Easter Sunday lunch this year which is a shame as we all missed it for the last couple of covid affected years. Hoping to get a quick visit in for tea on Sunday just to show our faces and gather in a share of Easter goodies.

Hope your Easter is equally relaxing and you are able to fit in a bit of post-restriction socialising, it will help take our minds off all the other stuff in the news. One nursery in our business group has just been quoted 50p per kWhr, up 300%, that was a shock!

Wooden box returns appeal

We are eating our way through our new stock of wooden boxes scarily quickly, I can't believe how all that winter work has started to disappear so fast out of the barn. Can I make an appeal to anyone using our empty boxes as part of their display constructions, to try and find some alternative materials to use. Each box costs us £10 to replace and it doesn't take many to disappear into such a display for large amounts of valuable box stock to be left unused by us. Not only do we have to buy and construct more boxes to cover our needs, but those empty boxes sitting there are not earning their keep with us, which increases our costs and consequently our prices to you.

Availability list highlights

After a hectic run we are quite short of stock in bud at the moment. Overall stock levels for the perennials are still ok, just short on flower action. The herb stock is definitely low for the coming week and is likely to be so for 2 or 3 more weeks as we end the overwintered batches of some stock and await the arrival of the new stock. Demand for herbs has taken us by surprise again after a quieter year in 2021 when I got carried away and over produced in the summer after such a busy 2020 (once it started).

We have a couple of Camassia showing bud, with the excellent blue Maybelle a week or two behind. Very late flowering Narcisuss Sun Disc are now in bud. A small flowered beauty it is worth the wait. So late it is almost a novelty!

Low growing Erodiums in both colours are budding now, ready to flower all summer long. Spring favourite the Erysimum's are now in bud. We have some lovely batches of Salvia nemerosa varieties bulking up well with several varieties already in bud. A spring flush of healthy shoot growth on our overwintered Phlox range, all looking very strong. Best crop ever. Fresh crops of Lupin just starting again this week.

Happy Easter, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Hairy concentration

Morning all, 

Pre Easter tension is building as the weather looks like warming up again just in time for the big weekend. I can't really remember a time when Easter meant putting your feet up and enjoying a few days off, to us it adds up to over excited buyers, both at the wholesale and consumer levels and a mad juggling match trying to keep everyone happy. All those days lost to 'holiday' and such a short time slot to get a mega number of deliveries done, both in the pre Easter week and the following one (if the weather has been good).

Don't forget many of you will be closed on the Sunday so don't overdo it! Gone are those Easters of many moons ago, when everywhere was open and things really did go nuts on that weekend. We will be working our socks off to get all the stock ready and delivered in time, but I must advise you now that with the forecast looking fair, we are likely to still be delivering on Good Friday and possibly into Saturday. We will do our best to avoid this scenario but we physically can't always squeeze everything in if it turns into a monster couple of weeks. Touch wood we will have our new big van which is due to be picked up on Saturday, plus three other small ones, and providing we get enough healthy drivers this week we will be whizzing about.

Please do get your orders in early as this will help efficient use of resources although it still might not come any quicker! Any later orders we will do our best with but we will possibly not be as flexible as we can be on some other weeks.

It is peak season now so there are never enough hours in the day and the first couple of days in the week are always quite stressful as we try and sort out all the deliveries and get a few out pronto as early as we can to clear a few out of the way. On occasions my commitment to keeping everyone occupied at full tilt early in the week can lead to near misses, so please learn by my mistake this week. We are on the edge, just keeping up with events and the complex organisation, but I did miss coffee break to stay ahead of everyone which worked well. By noon I was hopping from foot to foot unable to find the moment to visit the new facilities when I just had to give in and retire. At this point you go onto automatic, I know how long it takes to get there, the movements (so to speak) to get in, locked and prepared and there we go. Unfortunately this time I was in for a surprise, no access. I had put on my boxers the wrong way round and an accident was only narrowly avoided! Classic lesson learnt, accidents happen so easily, just a moments lapse in concentration and you're in trouble, so take care out there.

Wooden box returns appeal

Just a quick note to say thanks to all those being very prompt with their box returns, it does help us make good use of these expensive items. The more times we use them, the lower the cost of packing and marketing, which benefits us all in these times of increasing financial pressure. Can I make an appeal to anyone using our empty boxes as part of their display constructions, to try and find some alternative materials to use. Each box costs us £10 to replace and it doesn't take many to disappear into such a display for large amounts of valuable box stock to be left unused by us. Not only do we have to buy more boxes to cover our needs but those empty boxes sitting there are not earning their keep with us, which increases our costs and consequently our prices to you.

We are getting quite low on boxes already. As the season continues returns start to match the outgoings, but at the moment we are still using more than the boxes returned, which is ok as we still have some in stock, but prompt recovery is vital. 

Availability list highlights

A couple of the Geraniums are throwing out flower buds already, the sun and warmth has moved them on. Both are great performers in sun or shade with subtle flower displays. Samobor has really dark purple small flowers over dramatic dark blotched leaves and nodosum has small pretty pinky/purple flowers and goes on and on all summer.

Not a huge number left but Primula Millers Crimson are starting to produce flower buds, still very tight but they are there. All the Ajuga varieties have suddenly shot up their low flower shoots. The odd violet-blue bloom opening in the warmth. Low growing Erodiums in both colours are budding now, ready to flower all summer long.

Dicentra spectabilis are shooting and showing bud already. They are very tight short plants at the moment but will very quickly gain size and volume. Easy to handle at this stage, less easy the bigger they get, due to their fleshy nature.

Alliums are shooting nicely and now showing the odd tight bud. Good ones for the pollinators. Spring favourite the Erysimum's are now in bud.

We have some lovely batches of Salvia nemerosa varieties bulking up well with several varieties already in bud. A spring flush of healthy shoot growth on our overwintered Phlox range, all looking very strong. Best crop ever. 

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Hairy potting machine

Morning all, 

Another hectic week on the sales front. Struggling to get anything done other than despatch at the moment which is a bit frustrating, especially as I spent last weekend setting up the new potting machine and all the associated paraphernalia. We are suffering from short staffing in reality. I am always hopeful that we will achieve full attendance one week and start catching up again, but that is a pipe dream. A raft of perfectly valid reasons left us way short of hours and the potting didn't get started until Friday morning. I was hoping for a quick thrash to fill some of the big gaps on the nursery but within 5 minutes of starting, the new machine had tripped out an internal safety device and did so repeatedly for the next half an hour. With removal of hair imminent a phone call to the supplier revealed a possible cause and a bit of investigation followed. By unplugging the rotating accumulation table the fault cleared and we realised that the new supersensitive machine would not put up with both the off-take conveyor and rotating table being in the same socket. A new lead plugged into another socket cured our problems and got everything working smoothly. The compost hopper was too small for our loading bucket but after moving, modifying and reattaching the side extensions from the old machine we are done.

Still no new van after another delay at the body builders. It has however now made it to the dealership and just needs the tacho calibrating, vehicle registration and taxing, and all the pre-delivery checks to be done, then we can pick it up next weekend. They have agreed to still take the old van despite its recent front end modifications and we will come to some sort of arrangement when the damage has been fully assessed, so hopefully that will all go smoothly.

Covid did me a favour in one department this week, with most of the local village plant committee being hit, resulting in the AGM, at which I was to speak, being cancelled. Quite a relief as I'm not a very keen speaker and I was totally unprepared as well as shockingly busy. We did 'our bit' in another area instead, by donating a few plants and lending some wooden boxes to Winchester Science Centre who were running a planting project with a local primary school and introducing their new patron who is very keen on nature and sustainability. I am not allowed just yet to say who that is, because they were filming this event as part of the press introduction to be made next week. A few of our plants should be making a star appearance, so I hope they were on their best behaviour and no-one got slapped!

Wooden box returns appeal

Just a quick note to say thanks to all those being very prompt with their box returns, it does help us make good use of these expensive items. The more times we use them, the lower the cost of packing and marketing, which benefits us all in these times of increasing financial pressure. Can I make an appeal to anyone using our empty boxes as part of their display constructions, to try and find some alternative materials to use. Each box costs us £10 to replace and it doesn't take many to disappear into such a display for large amounts valuable stock to be left unused by us. Not only do we have to buy more boxes to cover our needs but those empty boxes sitting there are not earning their keep with us, which increases our costs and consequently our prices to you.

We are getting quite low on boxes already. As the season continues returns start to match the outgoings, but at the moment we are still using more than the boxes returned, which is ok as we still have some in stock, but prompt recovery is vital. 

Availability list highlights

The first of the Camassia varieties (C. Caerulea) are now showing fat buds. They fly once at this stage so don't hold back. A couple of the Geraniums are throwing out flower buds already, the sun and warmth has moved them on. Both are great performers in sun or shade with subtle flower displays. Samobor has really dark purple small flowers over dramatic dark

blotched leaves and nodosum has small pretty pinky/purple flowers and goes on and on all summer.

The warm temperatures and sunshine have brought on several of the Geum varieties with a flush of growth and some buds. All the Ajuga varieties have suddenly shot up their low flower shoots. The odd violet-blue bloom opening in the warmth. Dicentra spectabilis are shooting and showing bud already. They are very tight short plants at the moment but will very quickly gain size and volume. Easy to handle at this stage, less easy the bigger they get, due to their fleshy nature.

Not in flower but always very popular, the Alliums are shooting nicely. It's a shame the foliage tends to goes a bit tatty by the time they flower, as they are both such great garden plants. Good ones for the pollinators. Spring favourite the Erysimum's are now in bud.

We have some lovely batches of Salvia nemerosa varieties bulking up well with several varieties already in bud. A spring flush of healthy shoot growth on our overwintered Phlox range, all looking very strong. Best crop ever.

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries