Compost

Over the last few days I have been sorting out my compost heaps, a job that here has never really been bothered with much.  Sounds crazy I know, considering the amount of plant material that is produced here, especially as I like to follow organic principles as far as I can.

Which got me to thinking - What actually is Compost?

I tested the internet with exactly that question and the first answer courtesy of Google was (and I'm quoting here),
'noun - decayed organic material used as a fertiliser for growing plants',
(read organic pertaining to once living, not as in the application/undertaking of organic farming principles)

'verb - make (vegetable matter or manure) into compost'

OK, so reading between the lines of those two statements, compost is the effect of decay on plant material and manure, which turns said material into a highly nutritious source of food for currently growing plants.

That sounds pretty darn good to me, free fertiliser that will help my existing plants grow big, strong and healthy.

According to www.bonnieplants.com and again I'm quoting here -
'Composting transforms garden and other vegetable waste into a dark, rich productive soil amendment the gardeners call Black Gold'

So in a way not only is it a form of fertliser/soil conditioner, it is a form of recycling too, and once said compost is incorporated into the soil it immediately improves the condition of that soil - making heavy soils easier to work - loosening them off and giving light soils better water retentive capabilities.  All round giving the plants better access to nutrients, therefore increasing the productivity of the soil.  WOW!

So, having turned all three bins, emptying one completely onto the manure pile I noticed that none of my resulting 'compost' looked like 'Black Gold'!  One was particularly dry, one particularly wet and the other wasn't too bad, although not quite decomposed enough.  More trial and research needed methinks!

First one emptied straight onto the manure pile, and yes I had help!

The other two still to go

The one that I thought didn't look too bad after turning

As above, but needs a bit longer I think

This year's potatoes - First earlies

We had already bought a 'net of first early potatoes before I went to the Potato day at Stonham Barns last weekend, so they have sitting, chitting quite happily in the office and are now ready to go in the ground.  The variety is Duke of York, a very old, high quality Scottish bred potato.  They are an excellent first early, boiling potato, quickly maturing into a good all-round potato as the season progresses.  Shall look forward to trying them, can't remember that we've had them before.

Duke of York, first early seed potatoes, chitted

Potatoes bought from the Potato Day were researched for their high resistance to Common Scab, which on our sandy soil we suffer from quite badly.  On entry to the Potato day I purchased  - 'A guide to seed potato varieties', by Alan Romans, and it's thanks to him that I was able to do the research, something I've never done before, so I shall be interested to see the outcome.

Common Scab is a bacterial disease that affects potato tubers particularly in dry soils when the tubers are forming and growing.  It doesn't affect the yields of the potatoes, but does affect their saleability, rendering tubers unsightly.  We live with it here, but try and get as much manure into the soil and water like mad whilst they are growing to try and alleviate some of the problem.

Arran Pilot is the other first early I've got, again an old variety, probably classed as Heritage by now.  Again a Scottish bred potato, bred by Donald Mackelvie, a potato breeder on the Isle of Arran (hence all 'his' potatoes are pre-fixed Arran).  It was hugely popular in the commercial world for approx 30 years, but earlier 'earlies' have taken its place.  It's a good boiler, not disintegrating to mush if over-boiled, but sizes do vary.  This should be a good variety for me as I do have a tendency to over boil them.  Looking forward to tasting these.  I may even plant these non-chitted as a trial, to satisfy curiosity and something that I have just read too, but more on that later.

Arran Pilot, first early seed potatoes, un-chitted currently

Stats today - 

Eggs produced = 6

Sales - 1 dozen eggs £1.95

Expenses - Seed potatoes £9.45 (forgot to add them in on Sunday's post)

Potato day

On Saturday morning I spent a wonderful couple of hours at the annual event at Stonham Barns, Suffolk that is the Potato day.

This annual event plays host to approximately 80 varieties of seed potatoes, across the board of first, second and maincrop.  It was the first time I had been and I was amazed at the spectacle that hit my eyes.

All the varieties were laid out in alphabetical order with a short description about them, you then grabbed a brown paper bag and a pen and set to deciding on which you fancied.

I arrived at 10.30am and some of the varieties had already sold out it was that busy and popular.  A catalogue of all the available varieties was on sale, which was a handy reference as it contained more details on each variety - the resistance to scab, blight etc.

I came away flabbergasted, but with some potatoes - more on that in another post.  What a great morning out!

Cut flowers - an update

Well, I must have read every book on the subject, looked in every mail order catalogue and raided the internet for information on cut flowers over and over again, and I still don't know where to start!

I think it must be something that sorts itself out once you get started, maybe I'm just a bit nervous and apprehensive, this weather isn't helping!  February is a dreadful month I always find, it's crappy weather which practically leads to hibernation and a bored Angela!

I have got a long list of cut flowers I would like to grow, but the list is extensive and if you've read my other posts on the subject, you'll know that the garden isn't laid out sufficiently to accommodate all these plants just yet.  So I've bought some seeds and awaiting some others, and am trying to be patient until the weather is sufficiently warm enough to sow them.  I have also joined the Cottage Garden society - www.cottagegardensociety.org.uk and have also joined Flowers from the Farm, which was featured on the BBC's Great British Garden Revival programme - www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk.  Plus I have booked to go on a course organised by the organiser / creator of Flowers from the farm; the course is entitled 'Start growing flowers for market', so hopefully all this information should give me a head start and give me confidence for when those seeds go into trays of compost at the end of February.  Wish me luck!

Stats today -
Eggs produced = 4
Sales - 1 doz eggs £1.85
Expenses - Nil

January stats

Bit quiet on the stats front, but then I suppose it's to be expected in January.

Here you go -

8 & 1/2 dozen eggs £15.60.

Told you it was a bit quiet!  February's not looking much brighter at the moment either!

Expenses balance = £128.55

New deficit balance = £112.95

Taking it's time to get rid of this balance, but at least it's going in the right direction.  Sales, I don't suppose, will pick up until spring, patience is not one of my virtues!

Stats today -
Eggs produced = 5
Sales = Nil
Expenses = Nil

Girls are back in town

Or at least back at home!

The girls and boy have been off on their holidays for the last couple of months grazing a friend's pony paddocks, just to nibble off the tops and generally give the paddocks a 'sheep health check'.  It's a great way to revitalise paddocks that get used solely by horses, it really does clean up the paddocks and gets rid of any nasties!

Hello everyone!

Trailer waiting for it's cargo, with hurdles to go either side of the gate posts

Now normally we don't have any problem loading up the sheep, we just drop the ramp and up they go, but as it was raining, they didn't want to come home.  Good job we took our reinforcement with us -

I had to share the front seat with her and the seat belt!  Although she wasn't too impressed with either, but she won't sit in the back.  This is Cerys, our sheepdog.

Loaded, phew!

And all home, happily tucking into some tasty haylage

Always good to have them home again, like knowing where they are and knowing they are safe!  All a waiting game now to the middle of April when they are due to lamb.  Exciting times ahead.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 7

Sales - 1/2 doz eggs

Expenses - Nil

2014 Garden started

Today has been the day when I feel that we have made a start in the veg garden, or garden full-stop really, for 2014.

Michael has dug over and added manure to the two beds in the polytunnel, ready for one side to be filled with new potatoes.

I have weeded the microgreens, also in the polytunnel, which are coming on a treat -

Apart from a few rows in the middle, which were Beetroot, Chives and Basil, plus one row of Rocket which hasn't grown, all the rest are doing just fine.  I'm well pleased.  Some of these I may leave to grow on, especially the salad leaves as Michael is beginning to moan about not having any salad's recently - partly due to the fact that I won't let him buy tasteless tomatoes and cucumbers from the supermarket!

I also did a few tidying up jobs - collecting up some smashed glass from under the fruit trees in the veg patch, where a cold frame had been; moved some left over Laurel plants - left over from a job of Michael's, which will come in handy for my Laurel hedge that I've been wanting for years, am also going to do some Topiary with it too, if the plan comes off; plus I've made a start on the hoeing, which already makes the place look better.  I even cleaned out the three chicken sheds.  So I feel good tonight that things are moving in the right direction, I can go to bed happy and tired tonight - the weather helped too, it's been gorgeous and sunny all day.  Already looking forward to see what I can accomplish tomorrow.

Stats today -
Eggs produced = 7
Sales - 1 dozen eggs
Expenses - Nil