Tuesday 30 August 2011

Morning all,


After a disappointing few days on the wind front we are making up for it this morning with over 20 units an hour since 8.00. This will make up a lot if it carries on over the next day or two. First excitement of each day is to pull back the curtains to see if they are turning. Yes I am old.

So now the turbines are sorted, what’s next? Well we are still adding to the irrigation efficiency with our evapo-sensor control system to set up, which should reduce water use by adjusting application rates to each days weather changes more accurately than I can, and the new variable speed pump to plumb in which is energy efficient and will make irrigating quicker and more versatile. Then I’m off to the Four Oaks trade show in a couple of weeks to check out LED lighting for the lab growth room, bio-mass boilers for our propagation needs and any other helpful stuff I can find. We can’t do it all straight away as the cash flow is so tight but it gives us some things to aim for. We are still trialling box inserts for the wooden display trays we use to make it easier to maintain the stock in their display areas. They are very shallow inserts which just hold the irrigation water around the pot base a little longer to allow the water to absorb before draining slowly away. They are looking very promising, we are just fine tuning the sizing and longevity before taking the plunge.

Started shopping for a replacement 7.5 tonne van this week. The old one is getting more expensive to keep on the road and the newer models are that bit more efficient and cleaner running. Not only that but the new emission controls in London come into effect next year and we need a cleaner vehicle to avoid the huge penalty charges involved. I know it will be another added burden on the cash flow but we can’t manage without a reliable workhorse at the centre of a busy spring. We can always resort to hire vehicles in an emergency but having a purpose built van to hand is essential if we are to get everything done effectively during the busy times. The cost of using specialist trolley carriers is getting very expensive too with charges ranging from £45/trolley for very local delivery to £85 + fuel surcharges for East Anglia, Cornwall and the North Midlands. These costs are going to have a bigger impact on trade overall as the years pass and costs continue to rise. Buying from local suppliers is going to have a real financial benefit to all sides in the future, something to bear in mind as you plan for the medium term. ‘Free delivery’ doesn’t exist, someone pays and at the moment that will be the local customer rather than the distant one and that can’t continue as it simply isn’t fair or sustainable.

Off on our summer break on Sunday which I am looking forward too after a long sales season, turbine excitement and recent troubles. There is nothing like a day trip to the Isle of Wight! It has become an annual pilgrimage to sun worship on the beach with a sandy sandwich and a small beer. OK it did rain most of the day last year and I didn’t get out of my coat but we stuck it out, as long as we are with friends it’s a great day out. A change is as good as a rest and besides, I get a little holiday every day when I get on the web cam over looking Porthmeor beach in St Ives each tea time when everyone has gone home.

Eco News

Virtually all our stock now has MET 52 incorporated in the compost to give 2 season protection against the dreaded vine weevil. It is a bio-insecticide (a fungus) that infects the larvae in the compost as it grows. It has been shown to slow the effect of a few other soil living pests as well such as sciarid fly, onion fly, cabbage root fly and thrips so it could turn out to be a really useful and safe asset to have around. Naturally it doesn’t come cheap but with such beneficial results we should get a higher quality plant overall and less wastage from plant loses which will help cover that extra cost.

I had advanced notification from Floramedia (label printers) that they will be offering a wooden label printing service very soon. They have been doing a few for one big customer but are now able to offer it more widely for anyone interested. You may want to sit down before you read the price list. Still it is great to see more use of natural materials being taken up.

Nature notes

Biological rabbit control in full effect this morning. Spare Cat picked off one off the biggest ones and having dragged it off has now consumed most of it and can’t find a comfortable position in which to sleep it off. I’ve got to move him in a minute and I’m a bit anxious that something is going to give.

Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Monday 22 August 2011

Morning all,


Plenty of weather last week. We measured over 50mm of rain here on Thursday, it was wet. The drains just couldn’t cope with the volume of water and there was water everywhere. Luckily as we are on a slope and thin chalky soil so it doesn’t take long to soak away and the next morning the sun was out and you wouldn’t have believed it had happened. Hopefully there was not too much damage down in Dorset where it was even worse. I was at a meeting near Swanage on Thursday and drove through the worst of it which was exciting but a little scary, the power of nature to create chaos so quickly is humbling.

The meeting was our quarterly gathering of our NBIS group (Nursery Business Improvement Scheme) in which we look at our relative performances, analyse a few figures and focus on specialist topics to try and make things better. It’s always an inspiring session starting with a close check-up on the local hostelry for lunch to get us warmed up. The discussion of our mistakes and successes over the past few months is very honest, refreshing, and therapeutic. It is the horticultural equivalent of Alcoholics Anonymous and the key thing to getting it to work for everyone is that key moment when you are able to face the group and admit ‘I am a nurseryman, I make it up as I go along, I don’t make any real money, I work ridiculous hours, I need help but it is what I do.’ Once you get over the embarrassment hurdle and you get to hear of everyone else’s problems it is much easier to make real improvements. Everyone is insecure and a bit frightened of life out there, we all just find different ways to hide it and sometimes finding a sympathetic ear on a similar wavelength is just what we need to push us onwards and upwards. Watch out for those ears.

A very unusual feeling at present. Southampton FC always have rubbish starts to the season but here we are riding high on top of the championship table with four wins out of four. We only got promotion at the end of last season and this was a little unexpected. We always start the season full of hope, which usually lasts about 45 minutes so we are not quite sure what to think at the moment, we are very pleasantly dazed. We got so carried away that we have entered the Lowaters Nursery 5-a-side football in late September, a decision I hope not to regret as I haven’t kicked a ball for many years. Hopefully some of our youngsters will prop me up and it won’t be too embarrassing.

Eco News

Turbines have been running for a few weeks now, but the weather hasn’t been very windy yet. We also had a set up problem with one turbine which needed another visit from the installers to adjust some of the sensors. There are several safety measures in place which involve various sensors and computer controlled cut-out/ braking procedures and we suspect they weren’t quite right on installation. It ran for a couple of days before registering a fault and we then lost several days output from the one turbine until it was reset. It seems to be running fine now so hopefully that will be it. Since August 1st until this morning (21st) we have averaged generation of 145 units a day (would have been 175 if all three going) and we are aiming for 240 units as a daily average through the year. Not too bad considering the fairly still weather. We have had one brisk days wind when we generated just over 400 units and I have seen an individual turbine producing at close to its maximum output of just over 12 kW an hour although only for a very short burst.

Originally we were hoping to generate the same amount of electricity as we use and this we are close to achieving already as we have managed to reduce a little further our consumption (replacement air source heat pump which is more efficient than the 7 year old unit it replaced). Our daily use since Aug 1st has been 195 units, so at a rate of 175/day generation we aren’t far short.

I have managed to break into my You Tube account and put on a video of one of our turbines being lifted into position if anyone fancies a look. There is one of the turbines running too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ44nQpdVnI.

I had advanced notification from Floramedia (label printers) that they will be offering a wooden label printing service very soon. They have been doing a few for one big customer but are now able to offer it more widely for anyone interested. You may want to sit down before you read the price list. Still it is great to see more use of natural materials being taken up.

Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Monday 15 August 2011

Morning all,


I hope the sun shines on you this week, it’s about time we had a little more summer weather especially for all those lucky folk on their holidays.

It’s been a bit of a crappy few weeks hence the lack of news coming from this end. Sadly my dad, who has been poorly for a while, passed away. He was such a gentle quiet man, who so carefully looked after his family. In the end he slipped quietly away surrounded by his family at Katharine Hospice in Stafford on a bright sunny day with the doors open onto a lovely garden. I can see now why anyone who encounters fantastic hospice care as we did wants to give them all their cash. All the staff were so caring and considerate to Dad and the whole family and we are very grateful for that. The family, friends and neighbours were all brilliant too, all coming together to see everything through. We cut bunches of garden flowers with some of Dad's vegetables for the funeral which was a lovely celebration of his life despite the sadness of the day.

My brain has been somewhat mushy since, as we all try to readjust our thoughts, and the turmoil on the streets and in the financial markets haven’t nurtured a very positive vibe. As usual everyone on the nursery has been very supportive during a tricky time which is hugely helpful and we have successfully managed to keep everything bowling along here.

That’s your lot this week. Hope to get the brain working again soon.

Eco News

Turbines running now. I have managed to break into my You Tube account and put on a video of one of our turbines being lifted into position if anyone fancies a look. There is one of the turbines running too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ44nQpdVnI

Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries