Hairy hoverflies

Hi

A bit cooler this week which made life a bit easier here,. Certainly glad I'm not playing tennis next week as the heat is due to return for a day or two. I got knocked out very early in the qualifiers.

It's camping, festival, holiday time this weekend with, for us, clean showers, a comfy secure loo and early nights on clean sheets and a sprung mattress, with Glastonbury on the telly. That's about as close as I want to get to the real thing, I know my priorities in life. Not only that but I can get on with the irrigation upgrade while it all kicks off.

We've had another good week, plenty of sales bowling through but also finding time to clear tunnels and re-pot into them with the new stock for next season. We never quite manage to get as much done as I hope, but at the end of the week I can see a real difference so we are definitely moving forward.

I continue to sow extra perennial crops into peat-free modules on our new seeding machine, to enable us to still have a decent range for our National Trust sites next year, who all need to be supplied 100% peat-free (including the propagation modules from our external suppliers). It's a fast developing moveable feast at the moment, as the young plant suppliers try to decide which direction to take. Some have already gone completely peat-free, one big supplier has just told us 95% of stock will be peat-free next year, while the others are dodging between one side and the other with some peat-free varieties and some not. Then there is one who says some are grown peat-free but are unable to let us know which ones at this stage! Our herb range is fine with almost all already propagated peat-free, and my seed sowing experience with these is pretty good, so no major issues there, but the perennials are a different kettle of fish. Firstly the seed is generally much more expensive and purchased in much smaller volumes, so getting the machine set up right first time is critical. Results at the moment can be erratic especially with the very small seed, one slip using the wrong size nozzle and all the seed gets sown in the first 3 rows of the tray, or go the other way and only the odd cell gets sown. The seed can be so small it is impossible to see in the tray to gauge how even the machine has done the job, it's only when it germinates you get to see whether the job was worthwhile.

By the time you add in 3 different propagation compost mixes, different sowing depths and topping coverage, plus the level of watering and drying out, it's a wonder anything comes up at all! I suspect one winter project this year will be to build a germination room where we can better control the humidity, temperature and light levels just to get us though that critical first week or two, after which they can come out into the real world.

This summers irrigation upgrade continues, I have spent may happy evenings making loads of PVC pipe inserts to fit the new nozzles between all the original ones, I think there are another couple of hundred more needed and most of them still to fit. Just waiting for 700 downpipes and sprinkler attachments to arrive to complete the sets and then I can get properly tucked into the job, hopefully before it gets too much hotter.

The crops got inspected this week, checking out how our pest control was progressing and I'm glad to report we have lots of parasitized aphid bodies which shows the predators we put out are getting stuck into their prey. While I was perched on the ladder last night gluing in the new inserts on an irrigation line, I did notice a lot of hoverflies collecting in the eve of the tunnel roof. I am hoping these are from the larvae we have been releasing to spot treat other aphid outbreaks, backing up the lacewing larvae we have used for a number of years. In theory the adults should now hunt out the aphid and lay their eggs amongst them. With hoverflies on the decline in the wild it's good to see so many being so active in the tunnels.

Availability list.

Herb range still looking yummy, with plenty of fresh batches still coming through. The summer flowering Allium Millenium is looking great. This very worthwhile allium is much tidier in habit and longer lasting than the spring flowering types, a proper impressive border plant. High summer flowering Crocosmia are showing tight bud on a couple of varieties this week.

The first of the Aster Alpha series are now showing tight bud, surely summer can't be drawing in just yet! No, they are early. Mini Garden Chrysanthemums are here, masses of bud on the first batch already with a hint of colour too. A fab range of the compact Helenium Hay Day series are budding well now, with colour showing.

Fresh batches of the compact Achillea Milly Rock series are on line, three lovely colours available. Big flowering but compact, strong and stocky Gaillardia Guapa series, looking at their best with colour on show. Oxalis Iron Cross are looking great with its two tone leaves with the deep pink blooms.

Nemesia Wisley Vanilla is back on the list again, with its pretty creamy white flowers and heady vanilla scent. Summer is well on the way with all the Bidens range showing particularly well, with a strong splashes flower. 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. Liatris spicata are showing their first hint of colour with strong flower stems extending and buds on show. 

Take care, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy and hot

Hi

This is just too hot for me, roll on the rain I say. Looks like it's cooling off slightly after tomorrows peak so hopefully a bit easier to get some work done. It's been a bit of a struggle this week for those of us who don't cope well with the heat especially when we grow everything under cover, there just aren't enough jobs to do under the fans and shade in despatch. The one thing I am desperate to get on with is the tunnel clearance, irrigation line refurb updates and potting of next year's stock which are all really hot jobs in this weather. The longer the stock sits around in modules the worse condition the plants get into and we lose a few too which doesn't help. A couple of weeks ago we were well in control of potting and now massive deliveries are descending on us and we just can't run the potting machine for enough hours in the week. The microprop lab officially closed at the end of May, but in reality we still have stock to finish rooting out and wean, so that soaks up a few people when I had hoped they would be helping us by now on the hairy pot crops. At least it's still productive work and done in an air conditioned room!

It really did feel like the end was nigh for the lab this week, as the first of a series of nurseries descend on us to take away some of the lab equipment. At least some of it is going to a good home rather than onto the scrap heap. This week it was several banks of growth room shelving complete with grow-lights and all the wiring etc. There is a slightly sad emptiness to the cold-store where they were dismantled, but it does prelude change and moving forward, so a mixture of emotions.

We have added another pest to our list of critters that have it in for us. A couple of crows have taken to walking the tunnels and tipping over the pots in search of grubs. They are remarkably strong, actually lifting them out of the production tray before tipping them over. We initially blamed expanding hare population or possibly the rabbits, although the rabbits have mostly met their maker now. The hare's are delightful if a little annoying when they nibble off the buds from your prize stock, but they tend to stick to generalised grazing here and there, so for the moment we put up with them. We have driven a few out back into the field through the gates, but we have seen them come straight back in again so until we can fortify our defences over the winter there isn't must point doing any more of that.

Even though I suffer a bit in this heat I usually get away with just one or two insect bites per season, but at the moment I seem to be under permanent attack, mostly from overnight mosquito raids. I am peppered, must be close to a hundred by now and worst of all I end up half the night chasing them around with a swatter, which wakes me right up and ends up with the bedroom wall looking like it's been shot with all the little red splats. Last night I resorted to insect death spray which definitely helped, either that or I was so tired I slept through all the buzzing. Both neighbours are suffering the same attacks but with slightly less impact, one has a mosquito net over the bed and the other a cream to put them off. I may have to change tactics.

The hot weather should be good for the local fete attendances and there are a lot about this weekend. We had twenty trays to collect together for various events to be collected today. It's surprising how many end of line plants come into flower just in time for these collections which we do most weeks through the spring and summer, but this is the peak. It saves too many plants going to waste and keep the locals from being revolting. Did I accidentally slip in an extra word there, oops.

Availability list.

The summer flowering Allium Millenium is looking great. This very worthwhile allium is much tidier in habit and longer lasting than the spring flowering types, a proper impressive border plant. A very popular designer plant Sanguisorba Tanna makes great ground cover and is now bursting with flower buds.

Low growing Sedum Spot On Pink and Deep Rose are just breaking into colour, not many left so don't miss out. Digitalis Arctic Fox Rose is a smart grower, much tidier than the purpurea types with its long deep green leaves and strong compact flower stems. Bud is now on show but they won't hang about so don't hold back.

Fresh batches of the compact Achillea Milly Rock series are on line, three lovely colours available. Big flowering but compact, strong and stocky Gaillardia Guapa series, looking at their best with colour on show. Oxalis Iron Cross are looking great with its two tone leaves with the deep pink blooms.

Nemesia Wisley Vanilla is back on the list again, with its pretty creamy white flowers and heady vanilla scent. Summer is well on the way with all the Bidens range showing particularly well, with a strong splashes flower. 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.

Liatris spicata are not far away from colour with strong flower stems extending and buds on show. Our massive Hosta range is looking great. A big range of leaf colours and sizes. A fab range of the compact Helenium Hay Day series are budding well now, with colour showing.

Take care, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy chores

Hi

Another welcome dose of damp this week, in between some sunshine too. Weekend doesn't look too bad down here so it should help keep the gardeners happy. The combination of weather fronts and sunshine has kept our turbines and solar bowling along nicely with very regular surpluses of power being exported to the grid and only a tiny amount being imported, We are currently down to 4% of our consumption being imported rather than the pre-solar and battery storage level of about 45%, and our exporting has more than doubled, which should help pay back the rather hefty installation bill! Now we need an electric van to charge up, to use that excess power rather than receiving a rather low export payment. The rate we get paid for exporting is currently about a quarter of the amount we are charged for importing so we get a better return on our investment if we can use the power ourselves in a productive manner.

This week saw a massive intake of young plants for next year's output. Multiple suppliers sent in their deliveries as they promised, putting me back into a mild state of panic as we move from being marginally 'in control' of potting output, to being swamped and slightly overwhelmed. In theory we have plenty of people here to cope, especially with the micro-prop lab closing down, but suddenly there are holidays, sickness and injuries, plus one voluntary redundancy, and all the plans to get loads done go out the window. Hopefully next week will be quieter on the plant intake front and I will feel a bit more under control, I could check the master plan but I don't want to frighten myself, best wait and see.

I'm beginning to suffer already from an irrigation spray nozzle overdose, after two weeks of cutting and drilling the PVC overhead pipes, inserting grommets and pressing fittings together, let alone the after-effects of gluing all the pipe-work back together. This results in a certain light headiness at times and a lot of mucked up clothing. I now have a specific outfit for doing this job as I suspect that by the time this project is complete, although as an outfit it may well be able to stand up on its own, it won't be much use as clothing anymore.

I have been doing my chores at home too with Caroline currently spending part of the week helping her mum out. So far I've tidied up three tubs of ice cream, two bags of chocolate chips and a couple of bottle of PX sherry, can you guess what was on my favourite dessert list? Stocks are running so low now I might have to admit to my guilty habit and take the flack!There were quite a few packets of crisps running dangerously close to their sell by date, but we now don't have to worry about that either.

Lastly , take a breath and think of all those having a tough time at the moment, especially those who are close to you and send them some love. Most of the other stuff doesn't matter that much, people do.

Availability list.

Salvia Salvito Scarlet and Mauve, plus the Lip's series are all showing their first buds and hints of colour of the endless supply to follow. The summer flowering Allium Millenium is looking great. This very worthwhile allium is much tidier in habit and longer lasting than the spring flowering types, a proper impressive border plant.

A very popular designer plant Sanguisorba Tanna makes great ground cover and is now bursting with flower buds. Low growing Sedum Spot On Pink and Deep Rose are just breaking into colour, not many left so don't mss out. Digitalis Arctic Fox Rose is a smart grower, much tidier than the purpurea types with its long deep green leaves and strong compact flower stems. Bud is now on show but they won't hang about so don't hold back.

Fresh batches of the compact Achillea Milly Rock series are on line, three lovely colours available.Big flowering but compact, strong and stocky Gaillardia Guapa series, looking at their best with colour on show. The Garden Pinks are peaking in their bud production, no colour yet but loads of potential. We just have the one crop this spring so get them while you can. The Dianthus Scent First series smell delicious, compact and bushy they make a lovely set. Then we have our two scented old school varieties, Doris and Gran's Favourite, both a little taller and more typical of traditional cottage garden types.

Oxalis Iron Cross are looking great with its two tone leaves with the deep pink blooms. Nemesia Wisley Vanilla is back on the list again, with its pretty creamy white flowers and heady vanilla scent. Summer is well on the way with all the Bidens range showing particularly well, with a strong splashes flower. 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. Liatris spicata are not far away from colour with strong flower stems extending and buds on show. Our massive Hosta range is looking great. A big range of leaf colours and sizes. A fab range of the compact Helenium Hay Day series are budding well now, with colour showing.

Take care, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy Jive

Hi

Nicely damp here. Luckily our rain has so far been steady rather than torrential although our drivers have been reporting some dramatically heavy downpours on their travels. we still have a few more days of unsettled weather which in the short term probably doesn't help sales but in the long term should be good news. The farm are biting their nails at the moment as it looks like the rain may have come too late for the earliest crops some of which are already turning colour. They will be ready early but probably a bit thin, not a great start to harvest in tricky times for the farmers. I have a feeling they are looking quite enviously at the constant ins and outs of our delivery vans over the past few months, we do seem to be having a fair run this season, although there is still a long way to go and plenty of opportunities to drop the batten before we can relax into the winter!

Very pleased with the new irrigation project which we started last week. New and extra sprinklers fitted into each line and shorter application times are definitely giving us a much more uniform spray pattern and reducing overall water use. The plant growth, even after only a week, is obviously so much more even and the temptation to turn on the watering to try and wet up any dry spots has gone. I'm up to 9 lines completed out of 71 so a little way to go yet, but the rewards look so good it's great motivation to press on asap. That's my evenings and weekends sorted for a couple of months!

I still manage one night out each week to get my Modern Jive fix. It is such a good night out, I can't think about anything else, as my brain is filled with trying to remember the old moves as well as trying to learn this week's new ones. My repertoire should be huge by now, but sadly retention of the new skills is pretty poor from week to week, if I manage to remember one new move another drops off the memory bank to make room! I am absolutely knackered by the end of three hours of vigorous exercise, but it's so enjoyable you don't notice until you stop. Luckily there is a vibrant crowd at Basingstoke at the moment with plenty of newbie's turning up, which always adds interest and a chance to encourage and mildly impress with those moves I can remember. After a few weeks I'm sure they cotton on that each time it's the same old stuff with me, but they still dance and laugh a lot, so it can't be too bad, either that or they are all very kind to an ageing jiver.

Availability list.

The increasingly popular less hardy Salvia varieties are showing great promise. Love and Wishes is well into bud, it just can't wait to flower! The Salvito Scarlet and Mauve, plus the Lip's series are also showing their first buds of an endless supply to come. The pale pink compact Astilbe Sprite is budding well now as are the summer flowering Allium Millenium. This very worthwhile allium is much tidier in habit and longer lasting than the spring flowering types, a proper impressive border plant.

A very popular designer plant Sanguisorba Tanna makes great ground cover and is now bursting with flower buds. Digitalis Arctic Fox Rose is a smart grower, much tidier than the purpurea types. Long deep green leaves and strong reasonably compact flower stems. Bud is now on show but they won't hang about so don't hold back.

The Garden Pinks are peaking in their bud production, no colour yet but loads of potential. We just have the one crop this spring so get them while you can. The Dianthus Scent First series smell delicious, compact and bushy they make a lovely set. Then we have our two scented old school varieties, Doris and Gran's Favourite, both a little taller and more typical of traditional cottage garden types.

Oxalis are looking great with the first flowers just opening. Two very different varieties, the purple leaved triangularis with its pale pink flowers and the two tone leaved Iron Cross with the deep pink blooms. 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 with its heady vanilla scent. I'll try harder next year.

Summer is well on the way with Bidens Effrans Gold showing particularly well with a strong splash of gold flower. The next batches of other Bidens are ready, full pots and plenty 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.

Liatris spicata are not far away from colour with strong flower stems extending and buds on show. Digitalis Arctic Fox Rose is different but looking smart and just beginning to elongate in the stem ready to produce its first flower stem. Well on the way to flowering. 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 all as being in bud, there are a few showing.

Take care, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.