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Preparing another ‘sole use’ dog field
The bee hives have been moved so it was out with the loppers and secateurs this morning, clearing overhanging brambles and branches to create new paths through the trees. It’s a small field, fully fenced and stocked with a crop of short rotation coppice (mainly alder and sycamore) with some clearings all of which is…
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Growing Firewood – 2019 Update
We originally chose a six year trial for hybrid willow to test the claims made by retailers of the willow for firewood production. Not a particularly scientific approach but, hopefully, it might be useful to share the findings: Hybrid WillowThese were established willow stools which had been previously cut annually to provide more plants. Bred…
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Ponds & Scrapes Update
The recent rainfall has raised the water level in the scrapes to full with each overflow now running. It’s hard to believe how quick the ground recovered from the earthworks.
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Freshly Cut Foliage
Cedrus atlantica Glauca (Blue Atlas Cedar) Just cut and available for collection now! £2/Kg No minimum quantity Collection only
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Harvesting Holly
As a rule of thumb, we only like to start cutting Holly 1st December but the way the calendar falls this year means we need to start a few days early so that customers can have wreaths made up for the first weekend in December. We have our own holly plantation which is cut in…
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2018 Hedge Planting
Our 2018 hedge plants have arrived so it is crucial to get them planted as fast as possible to give the transplants the very best chance of survival. The plants arrived at 2pm and were all ‘heeled in’ by 5pm in an ‘on site’ trench where they will remain until removed for planting out in…
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Chilli harvest and Autumn tidy up
Now that all our pumpkins have gone (see www.BigPumpkins.co.uk) it’s the quiet time before the wreath making season begins so time to clear out the debris from the poly tunnels, then wash and disinfect everything ready for spring. There are a few productive tomato plants left but all the rest are on the compost heap.…
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Autumn Pond Audit
The (hopefully) annual audit of our farm ponds happened yesterday with pond experts Peter and Helen visiting along with Helen’s Mum on admin duties and Millie the dog. Samples of water clarity, ph and electrical conductivity were taken along with the invertebrates and plant life which have taken up residence in the restored farm ponds…
