Hairy rain

Hi

Celebrations all round, we actually had some rain this week. We were so desperate and although it was a bit on the heavy side at least it did seem to soak into the ground a bit. With a bit of luck late next week we will see a bit of a breakdown into several Atlantic fronts coming our way. Not great timing with the bank holiday weekend being in the middle of it, but I'm sure a flush of green fresh growth in the garden will encourage everyone in the long run.

There is already talk of water shortages in some areas despite just coming through a very wet winter only a few weeks ago. We should be ok here, the aquifers in our chalk ground are still pretty high with the local brook still running strongly for the time of year. Fingers crossed it all works out ok, I know the farm are pretty anxious about the dry ground and slow growing and germinating crops. Rain in the next couple of weeks is going to be crucial to getting any sort of harvest gathered in the summer.

I'm going through yet another steep learning curve this spring with having to get to grips with machine sowing far more varieties than we ever have done before. Not only are some of these crops new to our propagation area but we are having to learn about the handling and use of new reusable propagation/module trays, new peat-free module composts and how to best deliver the nutrients needed by the emerging crops. Everyone seems very anxious about the potential dryness of peat- free composts but the prop mixes we are trying have the opposite problem in getting too wet! After a huge session sorting out the right nozzle sizes for sowing each plant (I have a choice of nine at the moment) I got off to a good start with some good germination percentages, but a lack of nutrients held things up dramatically after a couple of weeks. I was recommended an organic slow release fine granular fertiliser at a specific seed sowing rate, which I used for a couple of weeks. It became fairly obvious that germination outcomes were plummeting and after blaming several other things - too wet, sown too deep, too much 'suck' on the machines sowing head, it dawned on me that it could be the nutrition rate was too high. I halved it for the next batch and we were back in business, phew. A frustrating gap in some of the herb potting caused by the losses, but now the trays almost look professional in their uniformity and verdant growth. Just in time for the big sowing sessions coming up to produce the peat-free modules needed for potting next Springs stock. I may be an old dog, but new tricks are still on the agenda.

Progress on the solar panel project remains frustrating. We are at least generating, but the monitoring of the output is still proving a challenge for the software team. At least now we have the wind output accounted for in the computer sums, but the output of solar and wind aren't separated so we can't actually see what the panels themselves are generating. More measuring clamps were fitted to cables early in the week, with lots of excitement that this would solve it all, only to find the next day that the solar panels appeared to be generating all night! It was of course the wind turbines adding their output into the system. There is definite progress as we have much better control of the exported output levels and battery use, as things stand, but it just isn't quite right and a major rethink is on the cards.

Availability list.

Herb sales are still exceeding the rate of replacements which is frustrating, but we should have our first Basils ready the week after next, barring a sudden freeze up, so summer is on the way. More to come when the growth rates pick up. Nemesia Wisley Vanilla is back on the list again, the second of several batches we have coming along. I obviously didn't make the first batch big enough as it only lasted a week. I'll try harder next year. 

Summer is well on the way with all the Bidens varieties showing well with a splash of colour, Rhodanthemums are in bud, and several Coreopsis are ready to do their thing. Strong bushy Osteospermum Tresco Purple are now budding up nicely. More to come so no need to overdo it straight away. We have a few small batches of fresh Erysimums now in bud again, with glimpses of colour, but they will be gone in a flash. Flowers are opening on most of the Salvia nemerosa types and many of the Scabious.

Liatris spicata are a little way off colour but the flower stems are extending and buds just about showing. Plenty of the Leucanthemum varieties are showing their first many tight flower buds. The Sea Breeze Erigerons are desperate to start their long flower displays but we keep selling them just as they hint at budding up! Great garden plants. A small number of the ever popular Digitalis are back for a couple of weeks, just a few trays I put through the new seeder machine.

Our massive Hosta range is looking great with leaves now unfurled and showing off nicely. Big range of leaf colours and sizes all in good looking condition with no slugs yet and no late frosts to mess up the early leaves. A nice range of the compact Helenium Hay Day series are just about ready and although I haven't marked them as being in bud there are a few showing.

Take care, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries