The Sweetcorn are nearly ready......

 

Wow finally the sweetcorn are nearly ready to pick so our lucky Farm Garden customers should be getting them this week......

Torphins Market at Platform 22

We have decided (for simple economic reasons) that we will not be attending the weekly market at Platform 22 after this coming Wednesday 13th August 2014

We have recently agreed to take on the walled garden at Dinnet which will involve an immense amount of work and hence time but this gives us additional growing capacity for the future

Our decision has not been made lightly and we appreciate that our regulars may be disappointed however we are a business and we have got to make at least a few pennies from what we do!!

Thanks to all of you who have supported us over the last 2 years and to Emma and David for getting it going we really appreciate it!!

Grow Grow Grow............

 

 

Well just about everything now is responding to the warmth and wet (on occasion) conditions both inside and out

 

The Patty Pan Squash (below) and the Courgettes have finally started to flourish in their respective Polytunnels

 

 

 

and we and our Vegbox customers have had the first pick of the Broad beans with the Peas and Sugar Snap Peas hopefully not too far off being ready

 

The Runners are also now producing beans although we don't have the sme volume of plants as French or Broads simply because of the space they take up

 

 

 

But the one veg which most of our Vegbox customers clamour for each year is the Sweetcorn and that too is coming along nicely and hopefully next month we'll be able to pick some - try it on the bbq it's divine !!

 

 

 

Tomatoes and Peppers

 

Well the warmth has certainly brought on the tomatoes and peppers as you can see from the pictures below

 

 

 

Consistent watering is the key to keeping both healthy especially the tomatoes - you can't miss a day and think by giving them double the amount the next day things will be okay - it doesn't work like that!!

 

Also another little known fact it's not the sun that makes the tomatoes ripen it's actually the warmth.....you learn something every day

 

 

On a slightly different tack Jeannettes hanging baskets are now taking pride of place on our front lawn

 

as long as we keep them away from the cows

 

 

who me ???

 

Week 1 Deliveries done

Always great to get the first week of deliveries under our belts albeit 4 hours driving with all our new Ballater Aboyne Logie Coldstone and Ballogie customers on board now; hope everyone enjoys their freshly picked veggies

Strange how some years some things do better than others. Last year the courgettes were growing like mad in fact probably too big on occasions but conversely the cauliflowers struggled

Whereas this year the complete opposite is the case although we have had great growing conditions outside and our irrigation t tape system ensures they are all watered well when needed so you can expect to see both traditional white and purple caulis for the next few weeks at least

Update...

The Cucumbers obviously like being back in their original tunnel all being well we will have some for this weeks market; it's amazing to see them growing by the day

 

And we've tomatoes on the hanging baskets......with our salad leaves and lettuce make a fantastic all home grown salad

Update....

 

Sweetcorn are growing by the day.....

 

as are the Cucumbers at this rate we'll have some in a couple of weeks

 

the new Poly tunnel is planted up with Tomatoes and Aubergines

the Fennel too is swelling nicely

 

 

as are the New Tatties in the big Poly tunnel.. Jeannette had a feel today (ooh madam) and they are swelling up nicely...can't wait tom dig them up....

 

 

Peas and Sugar Snap Peas are looking healthy....

 

and all the herbs have come back amazingly even this Tarragon is fantastic

Polytunnel No 5 Finished...

Polytunnel No 5 Finished yeah!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Tomatoes going in tomorow

 

Our finest Polytunnel erection to date !!!!

Polytunnel No 5 please....

 

So long day getting the steelwork up for Polytunnel No 5 up which is going to be our Tomato Tunnel this year

 

half the Cucumber Tunnel planted up....

both dogs on strike now......tho' it has been a wee bit hot bless...

Update

Well the warmth and wet are bringing everything on inside and outside

 

Jeannettes just prepped half the cucumber Polytunnel with the cane frame

they did superbly in this one a couple of years ago so fingers crossed for this year

 

 

Some of the plants have actually got baby cucumbers on like this one' if they keep growing as they have done we should have a good crop again

 



 

We've also got our first batch of French Beans planted in another Polytunnel although they're sharing with some of our customers hanging baskets which will be going out a bit earlier than we thought if the weather continues as it has

 

Outside we've now got Onions Garlic Broad Beans Cabbage Broccoli Cauliflowers all growing through our Corn Starch based mulch 'plastic' and we've sown Peas and Sugar Snap Peas too...

 

 Under the mulch layer there are 'T' Tapes for watering so hopefully with these and the mulch layer the time we previously spent weeding and watering will be drastically reduced

 

 

 In the big tunnel the new tatties are growing well...can't wait to dig the first lot up in a few weeks

 

 

Customers hanging baskets have grown really well and will be going out in a couple of weeks to our friends at Glendavan House and Osborne House where they are well cared for and always look great through the Summer

 

Skye is however on strike  whilst Lucy chases the birds away!!

TFG Van Graphics

Now you won't miss us anywhere out and about!!

Many thanks to Adrian Duane and Barry of Eyecandy Graphics Aberdeen for our new Van Graphics it looks fab
http://www.eyecandygraphics.co.uk/

Not enough space not enough hours in the day......

 

 

Well BOTH greenhouses are filling up again with every kind of veg plant, hanging baskets

 

 

 

 The Polytunnels are now almost all tidied out ready for Cucumbers Tomatoes Courgettes  Sweetcorn and French  Beans amongst other things to be planted out

 

Our Plastic Mulch Layer attachment has caused a couple of divorces but it's been a great learning curve and certainly saves on weeding. A few more tweaks and a great deal of destoning this and in years to come will make it even better

 

 

1100 Onions planted out last week.....now that is hard work so the next person who says 'its just veg'  watch out ;-)

 

Plants at Platform 22 Wednesday 7th May 2014 10am till 12 noon

Okay we have the following plants left in stock for sale albeit limted quantities in all cases and Jeannette will be at Platform 22 on Wednesday this week from 10am till 12 noon...unless previously sold in which case I will post something here!!!

Flowers Sweet Peas Mixed Shades £2 per pot; French & African Marigolds £2-25 for 6;Surfinia £1-95 per plant; Petunia; Pansies Impatiens (Busy Lizzie)  £2-25 per 6 plants

Veg Kale; Broccoli; Kohl Rabi; Sprouting Broccoli (green);Cut n come lettuce £2-25 per 6 plants; Cucumber (Marketmore) £1-95; Courgette (Zucchini) £1-50; Peppers (Corno di rosso) £3-00 each; Coriander (Confetti); Basil £1-00 each

Growing Guides now online

As promised our brief Veg and Flower Growing Guides have just been uploaded to the website at :
http://www.thefarmgarden.co.uk/GrowingGuide.pdf

Many people picked a copy up yesterday at our plant sale but in case you didn't or misplace them there they are

Don't forget our Plant Sale Dinnet Hall this Saturday 3rd May 10am till 12 noonish

Hanging Basket, Bedding, Vegetable and Tomato Plants ALL grown in Dinnet

We'll also have a selection of our Preserves and Eggs from our lovely girls

 

For those who have not been before........be early !!

Another season underway.....................

Well this is our 7th season of Veggie boxes and many of our customers have been with us from the start but we're always pleased to welcome our new ones and hope you'll enjoy our veg when we start deliveries all being well around the beginning of July

Not that we're sitting round doing nothing the Polytunnels have been tidied out the land ploughed (it's not as easy as it looks!!) and partially rotavated and thanks to many people we've a good supply of manure this year

 

Jeannette's filled the greenhouse with every sort of plant known to man and as ever struggling to find space for them all but fortunately another one is on the way..... just to add to the to do list....

 

I've also been busy building some attachments for our wee tractor. As we get 'more mature' physically (not mentally!!) the more machinery we can get to reduce backache etc the better.

 

Thanks to our friends over the pond who contribute to a great tractor forum http://www.tractorbynet.com/

 

but even more importantly to Colin Robertson Farmer and welder extraordinaire

- have a look at his horseshoe creations (Horseshoes Everlasting)  on Facebook at :

 

https://www.facebook.com/colinsshoes?fref=ts

 

We've built a Tattie planter some muck forks and in course of finishing a Plastic Mulch Film layer which currently looks like this

 

and ultimately will do this (or something like it !!) i.e. lay a drip tape for irrigation underneath

the mulch layer which is produced from corn starch so only lasts one season but can be ploughed in or composted

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlSSw1dVZeU&index=29&list=PLA9DE4D77B7881818

 

Anyway that's all for now folks hoping to keep this a bit more up to date this year !!!!!

We're back !!

Hi there

 

Well we didn't quite keep to our hopes of regular blogging last year........

 

Just to let you know we'll be back at Platform 22 Torphins Market this Wednesday January 15th from 10am till 2pm with a selection of veg including Tatties Onions Carrots Leeks Mushrooms Beetroot & Cabbage

 

Look forward to seeing everyone again!!