Level and Hairy

Morning all,

Despite some dodgy weather this week sales picked up a bit after a quiet start, which was encouraging . This afternoon after a very wet morning, the sun made an appearance and for the first time this year it felt warm on the skin, spring comes knocking. I suspect we will suddenly get very busy and all our cool, calm and collected demeanour will evaporate in an instant, to be replaced by the usual massive spring panicky juggling act. What joy.

Managed to gap up a couple of tunnels this week so we could get the potting machine going in earnest. All went swimmingly with the new tweaks we made through the winter working a treat. We had a new machine installed last spring, but we never got round to levelling it up on our sloping floor, so the potting compost tended to be dispensed more on one side than the other. After installing a load of blocks under one side we now have it perfectly level and what a difference it made. We also made some new mini work stations some to put the young plants on by the potting positions, one specially designed for the pot dispenser (Krzys)  and another at a lower height ideal for extracting the modules on their extractor plates. The plates also got redesigned so they poke out the plants , but not far enough to topple out of the tray. It's only a few millimeters but it makes all the difference! All in all, potting is now an even more pleasurable experience for all.

It wasn't the easiest of weeks for installing trenches and pipe-work, back filling, levelling concrete pads and pouring concrete, but great progress has been made on the water recycling front. It is a bit of a mud-fest round the back of the nursery, but hopefully it will recover quickly once they have finished it off. Next week should see the sumps go in, the small extra tank go up and the last of the drainage lines go in and then it's down to the electrics and fine tuning. Such a relief to see it all go in at last and great to leave the job to someone else who knows what they are doing. While they are here and the trenches are open we are going to drop in a cable for a potential small solar installation, it seems silly not to take the opportunity, although the cable cost nearly put me off the whole idea. You are only allowed a tiny voltage drop from the installation to the export meter (165 meters in our case) which apparently means using a monster thick cable and it's eye wateringly expensive. Can't do it without it, so on we go.

The nursery electric car charger is now 15 months old and still only had two charges performed, one was the electrician who installed it and one an employee who left the week after (I didn't charge anything)! Hoping it won't be too long before we have our own car to charge on it, it has been on order since August 2021 and was due to be built in week 9. Not sure if I should have confirmed it was week 9 this year, and not next, as there is still no sign of delivery with the garage putting us off again. Fingers crossed it is imminent, but can't actually get an answer, so much for German efficiency and engineering! If they aren't quick I will have spent all the money on drains and solar panels. 

Availability list highlights

Cooler weather is still holding some crops back so not a lot of colour around, and those showing colour are selling through fast. Polemonium Heaven Scent is a stunner and looking great just at the moment. Finely cut bronzed green foliage is really smart and the pale blue flowers are now beginning to colour up. Grown in our own micro-prop lab it's not one you see everywhere.

Nice batches of Pulsatilla in red and purple forms, emerging quickly and in bud. Not a huge number, they won't hang around. Brunnera macrophylla now bursting through and instantly showing buds. Ajuga Chocolate Chips has plenty of early bud .

Dicentra spectabilis are just pushing through and also showing early bud, The white form are fractionally behind the pink but also straight into bud. Muscari latifolium now in bud, as are the Ipheion's Alberto Castillo (known locally as Albert & Costello) and Tessa. Anemone blanda Blue Shades is already showing colour and flying out. The White Splendour is now also now showing flower. Very popular Fritillaria meleagris (Snakes Head Lily) are now just pushing though, the flower buds follow very quickly later. Erythronium Pagoda is up, and again is another that comes straight into flower. Not many in stock, so don't wait too long. Camassia Sacajawea has smart variegated foliage so looks good even without the flower.

There is more colour showing on the Aubretia varieties, plenty of bud coming too. Phlox paniculata has started to shoot strongly. Again another overwintered crop in a range of colours This looks like one of our best Phlox crops ever, we beat the pigeons last summer and got them to a really strong size by the autumn. The first Salvia to flower is now in bud, May Night. I know it's still only March, but it isn't quite in colour yet. 

Best wishes  from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Directors D. Taylor C.P. Taylor A.F. Monk

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