North West Sutherland Food Link.

I planted some leeks (Autumn mammoth) 3 or 4 weeks ago along with some left over seed from last year. One lot from last year totally failed, while I've been able to prick out 4 trays of 60 plants from another variety. The Autumn mammoth came up pretty well, and because I sowed them more thinly, don't need pricking out. They are all a couple of inches high and looking good. They will continue developing in seed trays until I plant them out. I've done them earlier this year because last years we're a bit of a flop. Although they were planted at the same time as "Beechgrove Garden's", they never developed properly, and I'm still harvesting pencil thin ones.

I have a couple of trays of lettuce pricked out, along with a few early brassicas. I have a tray of nice Asters coming along with some other flowers. Also have some early pea and broadbeans sown in pots, the beans are just emerging. I planted my tomato seed on 16th Feb, a couple of days later than last year. Tomatoes didn't do too well last year, I grew half a dozen unusual varieties. This year I have Gardeners Delight, and a yellow plum tomato. Let's see how they do.

Outside, conditions are still very wet. I tried rotorvating a  patch that was sprayed off in the autumn, but it was very heavy going. I'll leave it for a bit. I've planted around 750 willow cuttings for windbreaks. These really can't be easier to grow. I cut whips at about a metre in length, and push them in the ground as far as I can. 15 cm is OK, but deeper is better, 30-50 cm if possible. I leave 30-50 cm above ground. Hopefully this will be high enough to be away from smothering grasses. Done while the plant is dormant, late Jan and Feb, gives the whips time to form roots before a demand for moisture is put on the plant by the emerging shoots. I plant them 30 cm's or so apart in a double line in a zig-zag formation. I will be dissapointed if I don't get a 75% take. Back at work, willows were cross-bred and under ideal growing conditions would form a single stem, 1.5-2.0 m high. These would be cut into six 15 cm "rods" and planted into bare ground. It was unusual to get less than 95% take, even with cuttings thinner than a pencil.

..was awoken at 3:30 this morning by a "wack, wack, wack" call. Like a duck's
quack without the "qu".. It's been the first night this year when it wasn't too
windy to have the window open. I awoke hearing "wack, wack, wack", quite high
pitched, repeating every 5 seconds or so, occasionally 4 wack's. I got up and
looked out of the window, into the pool of light created by the steetlamp.
Couldn't see anything, and think I disturbed it a bit with the movement. It
started up again a minute or so later and continued for 4 or 5 minutes, before
there was an alarm call or 6 higher pitched "wack's", then silence and back to
sleep..

Oh well, it was forecast. Winter has begun, proper. I first saw snow on Foinaven on 19th October, same date as in 2010, and the first in the village on 4th December. At least the croft looks tidy with an even covering.

We've had some good storms which hopefully have washed seaweed into the bay, but this also brought heavy rain. The croft is quite flooded near the bottom, what to do with a patch that will flood regularly? Would be nice to dig out a pond for ducks. geese, frogs and toads, but this will dry up in the summer. I think willows and alders are called for, to produce a windbreak too.
 
You may see I got some moles too..

We've had some fantastic weather for November. 7th Nov was a brilliant day for spraying, sunny, mild, and calm, but unfortunately I was busy elsewhere. 8th was OK, but again, I lost the opportunity. The next week was sunny and mild, but a little too breezy. 15th was a "maybe" day, but today, 16th, I've acheived what I wanted to do. I've sprayed two patches on my croft, and the patch on my neighbours croft where we grew tatties last year, and where he plans to grow them next year.

I purchased a knapsack sprayer at the end of the summer, and spent a day calibrating it, checking nozzle outouts, so I could accurately measure the chemical needed, and the "forward" speed. I sprayed a couple of patches, and these are now totally dead, rushes and all. I think the mix for the first attempt was a bit strong. Today I used 0.4 of a litre of Clinic Ace per 16 l tank mix, and am pleased that I covered approximately 1/10 ha (25 x 40m) per tank. This is at the rate of 4.0 l/ha, ideal for grass control.

I now hope that the weather will be kind, to allow the uptake of the chemical, and absorbtion to the roots, which it kills. Should see the effects in a fortnight or so.

I try to be as organic as possible, but for this job, the initial ground preparation, I think this is the best method. I want to kill off the grass now, remove the food source for leatherjackets and wireworms. Create a bare patch to spread seaweed on, before rotorvating in spring. I could have used black polythene, or old carpet, but this creates a haven for vermin, without the total control that Glyphosate gives. I may not have controlled the creeping thistle, but hopefully a hoe and hand weeding will cure that next summer.

I've just watched the episode of Landward, broadcast 11-11-2011 (available on iPlayer until 18-11-2011). At about 25 minutes, they had an item about milling wheat. The wheat was grown near Pitlochry, and harvested using the plot combine we had at Rothamsted. We sold it to the agricultural college in Orkney.

The hours I've sat in that machine. This was it's replacement.

Had some good storms recently that have washed loads of seaweed into the bay. Several trips with the tractor to gather (much to the delight of the remaining tourists) as much as we can get. Heaped into a pile at the moment, but soon to be mixed with bags of neat chicken manure, in a compost bin. Not one of those small ones that you get in garden centres, but something involving sheets of tin and fenceposts. Photo's to follow.

I have sprayed off three patches so far using Glyphosate. The only way to make a start.

Have just bought a diesel Howard Gem rotovator, but unfortunately won't be able to collect it until Dec. This is a machine capable of producing a seedbed out of rock. I know, I've used one for many years to cut paths on experiments.

What do you have planned for winter jobs?