Hairy preparation

Morning all,

Looks like it might cool down a bit next week after another very warm week down south. Sadly we missed almost all the rain over the past week, just a few spots, definitely not enough to satisfy the garden. Hopefully we will fare better next week.

Sales rocketed again this week, not to the giddy heights of a month ago, but a step back up again, probably something to do with being able to find enough herbaceous stock to put on an availability list. We sold out of several lines again but have a few extras to add, so a similar sized list is there for this week. In theory we should see a quietening of demand as we head into the cricket and tennis season, but we usually keep ticking over until the autumn with an ever changing range of stock. Just hoping it doesn't get too hot and knock back demand too far over the main summer period as we do produce stock for sale at this time so the potential for waste still looms over us. It keep life interesting! This week we got seriously stuck into the potting for the coming winter and following spring. Young plants are flooding in, all demanding to be potted asap, it's difficult to know where to start. One good thing about the late season rush of sales is that it has cleared a lot of space in the tunnels, so there is slightly less bed preparation to do before we restock. It's still very warm work in there but it doesn't take quite so long.

We have been noticing quite a few aphid carcases left by the both the predators we release and some coming in from the surrounding vegetation. We have had a couple of quite big ladybird larvae events which have had a real go at the aphids. These must have come in from the wild as we don't release these ourselves, they could be encouraged by the large amount of hedging planted here, or the nearby wild flower strips on the field margins sown by the farm. Wherever they came from they are doing a good job for us.

Our water sagas continue, failing again to get things sorted out. The borehole pump replaced last week got its new starter box on Monday and was up and running just after lunch. That lasted just a few hours. All seemed to be well at the end of the day but by the next morning the irrigation tank was empty and the borehole pump not running. It was Wednesday morning before the electrician could get to us and after a quick trip up the hill he returned rather sheepishly and admitted that he must have knocked the time clock markers, moving the 'off' just past the 'on', so instead of it being available to be turned on by the float switches most of the day, it was only available to be on for a few minutes. A relief that the solution was so simple, but it still cost us another tank of mains water to get by.

The water recycling system sign off due on Tuesday didn't happen after the electricians found a fault on one of our main underground cables caused by the ingress of water over the years. It wasn't a fault that stopped it working but something to do with the earth not quite within the acceptable levels so we have to replace the cable. That will be another day or two with digger and driver plus his mate, cutting through a couple of concrete pads and putting another 80m of trench and armoured cable along our roadways from one electric point to another. Haven't had the estimate yet but I know it won't be cheap. Still, it has to be done so that's that.

The troughs outside the office are looking a treat this year. We lost a few old established plants we have had in there for years over the cold winter, so it gave us the chance to restock with some fresh peat-free compost and a mix of bedding plants to add some summer joy. We had a couple of trays ordered along with the perennial plugs and a couple of extras appeared on a trolley too, so we have quite a mix.

New electric car due to be collected late next week, after nearly two years I can't quite believe it is going to happen. Mind you the salesman was going to send over the invoice once the car was on site with them and we haven't seen that yet. I'm sure it will be fine. Isn't it always?

Availability list.

Our list is making a proper appearance again this week although we are still quite short on some lines so please don't be surprised if there are a few restricted volumes or subs caused by shortfalls in stock. Please don't be tempted to put in big orders for the most popular lines it won't make it any more likely that you will get what you ask for, we will do our best to fulfil where we can, but will be doing some sharing out to keep things as fair as we can all round.

Take care out there

from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.