Been a bit lazy with the blog recently so here a quick update. The first wave of fruit ahs been harvested with some good quality cooking apples harvested and sold. Unfortunately I missed the Victoria plum harvest because I was away at work and by the time I got home they were finished. The Pears also gave a good crop this year but with hem being small Maggie and Hassel pears there isn't a market for them so I juiced as much as I could stand to pick. Managed a good 20 gallon some of which has been pasteurized for juice and the rest laid down for perry. Its my first attempt at perry so here's hoping it'll work. The damsons also produced an exceptional crop this year with more available to me than I had time or resource to pick. I did manage to get 4 litres of damson gin made so Christmas will hopefully be a home brew affair this year. Also managed 5 gallons of apple juice splut between juice and cider. Looking forward to getting home and getting the rest of the apples picked. 
Posted @ 12:13:25 on 19 September 2009 back to top
Well my first attempts at grafting my own fruit trees have been compelte. You may think this is a funny tiome to tradionally graft fruit trees but I carried out bud grafts which need to be done August and very early September. I managed 80 in all 40 plum on St Julian A and 40 Apple on MM106. The apple was by far the easiest to graft as it hadn't been as vigerous and the stems matched better with the donner buds.
Here's hoping they take.
Posted @ 12:21:54 on 08 August 2009 back to top
Its becoming like work now. Every bit of mechanical equipment I go to seems to be breaking down. First a hydraulic hose failure on the back actor on a Friday afternoon! Fortunately I managed to get one from a local agricultural supplier, then the Land Rover won't start. After a few days this was traced back to a cracked fuel filter housing and drawing air into the fuel system, then the tractor gear box wouldn't allow it to be put into forward gear. This was the most worrying as potentially it meant splitting he tractor. With the help of my father in-law the problem was rectified and the tractor was back in action. Not before I had lost almost a week but still its better than having o replace the gear box!
Posted @ 11:01:25 on 28 March 2009 back to top
As part of the over all Pathhead improvements I'm planning on replanting an area with native woodland. Eventually I'll have a good cross section of native trees and some wild growing fruit trees in an area with some paths and woodland plants. I've began by clearing some old suckers and planting a dozen Silver Birch and Scots Pine. I've also identified an area which could be sued as a pond which will keep the geese happy and allow us to get some call ducks. This will also improve drainage in the orchard. We've got a problem with un maintained ditches and surface water run off from further up the valley side.
Posted @ 10:55:38 on 23 March 2009 back to top
To replenish my our dwindling poultry stock I've set 40 eggs ready for Easter. Crested Legbar, Exchequer Leghorn and Maran as well as green eggs from last years hatch and a few other of unknown origin from a neighbour. The goose is sitting on 16 eggs and I've got 7 in a incubator also. Hopefully we'll have some real Easter chicks this year.
Posted @ 10:46:39 on 18 March 2009 back to top
To continue with our in-house training the CVOG (Clyde Valley Orchard Group) has purchased 100 root stock plants 50 apple on MM106 and 50 plum on St Julian A. We have selected 5 sites and give 10 of each to those members who've volunteered to be custodian of the rootstock. This has involved planting and tending the root stock for 18 months until they hopefully will be ready for planting as maiden fruit trees.
The plan will be allow the root stock to grow, come August hold various grafting sessions for members to have a go at grafting there own trees. We will also supply our own bud wood grafting materials from within the group. Hopefully if we're successful we can become self sufficient in replanting stock as well as learn new skills along the way.
As you can see fromt he photos I had a couple of helpers while planting mine!
Posted @ 10:40:17 on 15 March 2009 back to top
The first Clyde Valley Orchard Group in house training session was held. I had last years trees to prune and I offered members to come along and see how I was proposing. We had held a dozen folk turn up, it was dry and sunny although there still was a winter chill to the wind. We all had a good discussion during the event as to our own understandings of pruning and I hope we all gained some confidence for pruning our own trees.
Posted @ 10:34:33 on 14 March 2009 back to top
Well I've managed to get 30 more fruit trees planted. Including Bramley and Monarch Apple, Victoria Czar and Marjory seedling Plum, Green Gauge, Sweet Cherry and quince. I've also planted my first nut Plat as a trial. (the term used for a nut tree orchard) I've planted 8 commercial hazel nut trees as a trial as well as a walnut just for show.
Posted @ 08:14:09 on 20 February 2009 back to top
Last night I was woken by the geese hissing. When I looked out the bedroom window a fox was 4 feet away from them, The geese were holding their own but by the time I got the gun out the fox had disappeared! The traps been empty each morning apart from the cat being caught a few time trying to get at the rabbit bait! Its learned its lesson now though, its managed to get the rabbit through the cage the other night.
Posted @ 13:06:16 on 14 February 2009 back to top
A fox has struck again! This time it mamanged to get on of the bronze turkeys, my only remianing hen and a peking bantam cock! The traps set and the gun is out!
Posted @ 18:47:22 on 12 February 2009 back to top
17th June After a heavy downpour a fantastic rainbow appeared over the lavender field.
Hopefully it'll be leaving a pot of gold when it goes. 15th June A couple of thousand new residents arrived at Pathhead today. 2 hives have
been placed in the lavender field and come August hopefully they will be
exploiting the blossom. 31st May Before they were killed I had set 7 green Legbar eggs and 3 Rosecombe bantam
eggs. 5 Legbars hatched and 1 Rosecombs. At least we have the start of a new
flock. Need to get rid of the fox somehow before these disappear as well 21th May Disaster! The fox has killed all 30 of our rare breed poultry! It managed to
get in the hen hut via a nest box lid. The sight which greeted Kimberley when
she went to feed them in the morning wasn't pleasant. The garden is a lonely
place now without them running around. 15th March Night off tonight! The kids are with their grand parents and we're off for
dinner. Peters in Hamilton. Well we'd heard good things, which is why we'd
decided to give it a try on out night off. Firstly we were sat next to a gaggle
of 30 something (and that was stone in weight as well as years for some of them)
hens on a night out. Apart from screaming children sitting next to you on a
plane, a gaggle of past their prime woman on a girls night out must be the most
annoying thing to have inflicted on you in your leisure time! That aside I can
safely say that Peters was one of the most disappointing meals I've had. It was
more canteen than restaurant. The waiters throw you at a table, they leaned over
you to serve you and pour wine they argued and sniped amongst themselves and the
food was bland and just a bit too unconvincing. The only good thing was the
wine. They served Sancerre, my favourite French white. So for the £90 bill we'll
certainly stick to Glasgow next time 14th March Operation planting has finished! 40 new fruit trees planted and a plan made
of varieties. Looking forward to some lovely red and green apples next year.
Unfortunately I forgot about the 250 metres of hedging I have to plant now. 10th March The Clyde Valley clearances started today. I've got 40 new fruit trees to
plant but no cleared ground to plant them in. I need to clear the old diseased
trees and plum suckers before I can re plant with fresh trees. I back aches just
thinking about it. Have you ever tried setting fire to scrub and old trees? I
can't believe how hard it is to get it to catch. I did contemplate going to
Pather and giving some kids a box of matches. They seem to get anything to light
up. 3rd March My Fjord Hus garage arrived today unfortunately the building warrant still
hasn't so it'll have to site under wraps until the architect can sort things
out. I'm getting really frustrated now. We've had the plans for 6 months but we
still have outstanding queries from building control. 2nd March My tractor arrived today! Time to really play at farming! I've treated myself
to a Chinese compact with front laoder and back hoe. It should be small enough
to cut the grass between the fruit trees but big enough to work ground and do
some ditching and draining. 28th January Bought some Blackrock hens to boost my egg production. Got my first Legbar
egg today from last years chicks. Still raining! :-( 16th January Christopher Henry Scott was born at 5 am at 8lbs 8 ounce both mum and son
doing well. Looks like it'll have to be Paterson and sons now instead of Clyde
Valley Lavender 2nd January Not much been happening around the orchard. Its been raining heavily for what
seems like weeks now and I hope the Lavender field doesn't suffer too much. 21st October After a long slog
we finally got our planning permission through and work began today on making
the new road into Pathhead for the garage and extension. Unfortunately it has
meant clearing out a few of the fruit trees but come winter these will be
replaced by new fruit tree stock. The bonus has been the removal of the old
suckers and scrub which had taken hold, the site looks bare at the moment but
once the roads in garage is up and trees planted it will start to look like a
proper orchard
again. Clyde Valley lavenders 1st Harvest
has been completed! Well, when I say harvest, it was more of a pruning but the
flowers won't be wasted. I clipped the 34 remaining folgate plants from last
years trial, the grosso hasn't seemed to do as well and hasn't produced any
flowers. We have enough quality flowers for a few dried bouquets and the rest
will be used to make some scented oil and other experimental
products. Finally at 8.30 pm tonight
we completed the planting. 1700 Munstead plants, planted through mulch mat. It
was actually harder work laying the 11 rows of mulch mat than planting the
lavender. Fingers crossed now to see if it survives the winter. The rabbits
shouldn't be a problem this time. There is 200 meters of electric rabbit netting
in place to keep them off. 29th
July 6 out of 8 chicks hatched
today, these are going to form the basis of my hybrid layer flock. If there all
not cockrel's that is. 19th
July Planting began tonight. Unfortunately
I'm unable to be there. Not for the first time my work offshore as an
electrician has got in the way of things. On the up side it does finance all
these projects so I can't complain too much. (click on Reynard
Nursery for a short cut to his
site) 9th
July 1st June
2007 We managed to successfully hatch one Black Peking Bantam chick. It seems to
be doing well and hopefully it'll be joined with an other few in a few weeks. 6
more eggs have been set in the incubator. Fingers crossed. The Lavender has been weeded and is looking surprisingly well after all the
attention from he rabbits. Got quite a lot of flowers which will hopefully allow
us to dry and distill our first lavender oil. 18th May
2007 Not much has happened since my last entry. Mainly because I've been offshore.
The report on the Indian runner eggs are that they may have been infertile. When
they were lamped they have looked clear and empty. The 10 hen eggs are also
looking empty which is a little disappointing. There are 2 bantam eggs which
look promising so fingers crossed for next weeks hatch date. There has been some news on the poultry front. Much to my mothers disgust,
we've been given 5, 2 year old white geese (breed unknown). 2 ganders and 3
geese. I've also been told that we have had our first goose egg. It'll be a
large plate of scrabbled egg tomorrow for breakfast I
think. 6th May 2007
We've been getting regular
visitors to the orchard. Every afternoon just before dusk 2 young Roe deer stop
by to graze and help themselves to the spare pheasant feed.
2 roe deer, just behind
the blue feeders.
2nd
October
The Lavender has taken with no obvious losses as yet.
Some even produced a few flowers. These h have been pruned back to encourage new
growth next year. Despite making sure all weeds were removed before planting
there are a few which have had weeds growing up through the middle of the
plants. I've started going through these but some will have to be removed as the
weed root system has all but over come the lavender plant. Sowing grass between
the rows certainly helped suppress any weeds out with the mulch mat and sets the
rows off nicely.
29th September
No Legbar
green eggs yet which is dissapointing. I think I'll have to wait until spring
now as the days are getting shorter. My hybrid pullets have been introduced to
the rest of the flock. The others seemed to accept them with out much fuss
although a young cockerel did fancy his chances with the Legbar cock the
confrontation didn't last long.
3rd September
8th August
1st August
Rows of planted
lavender
My
father weeding the lavender before planting
My brother, John, laying out plants
for planting.
Andrew Scott from Reynard Nursery
and my father are organising things on my behalf. Once they had sorted
out the problem of the filed not being square the first 2 rows of mulch mat were
laid.
Well my lavenders ready but the weather isn't. My neighbour
at Reynard
Nursery, who's been growing on my Munstead plugs, says they
are ready to plant. 1800 hundred plants waiting for the rain to stop and the
ground to dry a little. The plan is to plant them in mulch mat 1 meter wide to
suppress the weeds and help retain the heat. The rows will be about 6 feet apart
and the plants 12 inches. Its means around 15 rows of Munstead will be planted
and should make for a marvellous site next Summer. I've also invested in some
rabbit electric netting. Hopefully these young plants won't be effected as much
as my trial planting.
I've planted 25 silver birch and a few fruit
trees since I was last online. Last years fallen fruit trees have been logged
and cleared but unfortunately my 6 call duck eggs have failed to hatch. I have a
dozen Indian runner duck eggs set and ready to hatch in 3 weeks and I have a
dozen hens’ eggs to set in once the call duck incubator has been cleaned.
Hopefully I'll have poultry soon!
The spring fruit blossom has came and
went and I think the pears are going to be a bumper crop this year. Not so
hopefully about my apple and plums.
The lavender field has been sprayed
to kill the weeds and the field should be ready for the 2000 young Munstead
plants which are being cultivated at a neighbour and friends nursery near by.
Everything's looking good and its been a great 3 weeks field break.
19th April
2007
Well the recent good weather has certainly encouraged the weeds to
go. The Dutch hoe is going to be earning it money this trip home. Along with
weeding and ground preparation there are a few other jobs to complete this
leave. I have a duck run to build. I set 6 Call duck eggs in an incubator 2
weeks ago, but unfortunately only 1 egg is developing a duckling. Hopefully when
it hatches it will mark the beginning of our poultry flock. I have a further 12
Indian Runner duck eggs and a dozen hen eggs to hatch after these. Last winters
wind casualties of fruit trees will also need to be removed. The chain saws
going to be busy logging the dozen or so fallen trees this
trip.
10th April 2007
Thanks to my mum for finding all
the spelling mistakes, if any one else finds any could they please contact me
via the contact sheet or leave a comment in the guest book.
Only 8 days
to go! :-)
9th April 2007
Hello, its 5.50 AM and I'm ready for
bed. "Why are you up so early/late?" you might ask. Well I'm at work on
nightshift; it’s the end of shift 5, leaving 9 more to go. Can't wait to get
home first job which needs done is to be weed last years trial planting of
lavender. See how many have survived the winter and rabbits. The winters haven’t
been too severe so I'm not expecting any losses there. The rabbits on the other
hand could be a bigger problem. We'll see when I get back.
Posted @ 00:14:38 on 09 April 2007 back to top
