Not quite spring

Though it's now noticeably lighter in the mornings and evenings (finally!) spring isn't quite ready here.  I don't think that winter has been a particularly cold one, but my spring flowers aren't blooming yet, not even the snowdrops--of which there are about ten now.  Maybe one year I'll go out back and see a whole carpet of them.

One chicken has decided it must be spring, despite her and the flock still being locked indoors against bird flu;  she is laying an egg daily.  None of the other five, or the three ducks, have it in them yet.  We think the dedicated layer is the remaining rescue hen, as we can sort of tell whose egg is whose.  She's nearly five years old!  All the others from her cadre have died of old age by now.

I really ought to be sowing some early seed trays for my kitchen windowsill.  Currently it has a couple of leek bubils from a fellow allotmenter (there are another dozen or so on the patio table outside) and plenty of dust...

I did manage to start my peas and broad beans soaking/sprouting in bags in the garage.  I sprout them with a handful of wet compost and then sow them directly.  Although they would sprout quicker indoors I would then have to acclimatize them to the outdoors before sowing--I think it's actually quicker (and certainly less work) to just sprout them in the same temperature they will grow up in.  These are cold hardy so it doesn't matter that the garage door is always open.  I hung the bags from the beams just in case of rats, though thankfully we haven't had any sign of them for several months now.

We've had several storms pass us in the last few weeks with very strong winds and rain, keeping me indoors more than I'd like.  There's been some good sunshine too, usually when I get home from work ready to collapse in a heap.  I'll get it done, I promise!  Just give me a little more time.

Cuttings

Every year around this time I go out and have a good prune of my soft fruit bushes, as well as some other things (because I usually get a little carried away and keep seeing more things to chop).  This weekend I lightly pruned my blackcurrants and redcurrant to allow for easier harvest and room to maneuver.  I took about ten 12-inch tips from the redcurrant and stuck them in the ground in a sheltered bed near the house, in hopes they'll root;  this is also a yearly task.

Last year's redcurrant cuttings almost all disappeared, though they initially seemed promising in spring:  there is only one remaining which I will transplant to the allotment.  In previous years I've had no success, but also good success (I gave away about six once);  one recipient of cuttings got a lovely big harvest of redcurrants last summer and gave me some to add to my redcurrant wine.  

I basically take the freshly cut sticks, poke them into holes in the ground, and try to remember to water them once in a while.  I leave them in place until it's time to take the next lot of cuttings, a year later.  Couldn't be simpler!  Actually now that I think of it, I want to take some gooseberry cuttings as well.  I wonder if my yellow raspberry would root too?  Better get on it, before the leaves start to emerge. 

Flock talk

Time to talk about the Future of the Flock!

While reflecting on 2021 in last week's post, I noted that egg totals were down in 2021;  these were the lowest I've ever recorded, despite having an average sized (for us) flock of hens and ducks:  between 10 and 12 birds over the course of the year.  As I write this, we are overseeing a laying flock of 9:  six hens and three ducks (plus one drake bringing total birds to 10).  

They have not yet begun laying again after stopping in early November;  this is mainly due to the fact they are locked up in their coop because of bird flu regulations:  light levels are low enough without them being inside all day too.  Well, they do have a very small "porch" I put around their little doorway so they can step outside for a breath of fresh air;  it's a wire fireplace guard and is big enough for them all to be in (albeit very crowded).  Usually one will just sit in the entryway though--and no one else can get in or out.  However, I have seen them all out at various times, so no one is constantly stuck inside at least.  Not a good situation, but the best we can do considering the circumstances.  It doesn't block our people-sized door so the son can easily get in and out to feed and water.

But on to the future.  Restrictions will lift eventually:  probably around March.  I expect the chickens will be able to go back to the allotment, and I am planning on getting some fencing around the entire plot so the ducks can too.  Since getting ducks, they have lived in our garden either locked up with chickens because of bird flu restrictions, confined to their own large yard (the Perennials sections), or free ranging.  Overall, they free range most of the time and have done such good work on the slugs and bugs I would like them to do their magic at the allotment too.  I would not be confident to let the chickens free range at the allotment unless supervised, but with a waist-high fence the ducks would be suitably confined.

As far as numbers go, in the past the husband and I had discussed getting a few more rescue hens once our flock dropped down to six or fewer, but I think we'll probably let it drop down to four before we consider again.  Having eight hens seems like the best amount for us and I'd rather introduce four newbies to a flock of four, rather than two to a flock of six.  So no new hens immediately (no new hens allowed until the restrictions lift anyway).

And ducks?  Well, crispy duck was such a success I would like to attempt it again, if the stars align.  That is, if the ducks begin laying and our broody hen goes broody accordingly.  I don't know how long our rescue ducks will live but I wouldn't mind having a couple young replacements and any bonus males to eat.  Our little hen can only manage four duck eggs at once anyway, so we wouldn't be going overboard on the numbers there either.  We'll see.  I think around six ducks in total (five females along with our one male) is probably the maximum our garden can take without being overwhelmed in duck poo.

Reflections on 2021 (a bad year?)

I've been thinking over the past year and why my food totals were down.  Some of it was down to growing failures;  no pumpkins survived transplantation at the allotment (slugs) which meant we lost out on a good 20-40 lb on that score.  Squashes and zucchinis were sparse and did not make up the weight either.  Quite a lot of things I put down at the allotment just didn't come up or disappeared soon after:  a large batch of peas, various roots including onions, some brassicas, and more.

The husband also suggested it was because we didn't grow potatoes, which have been a good contributor to totals in the past.  Maybe, but we didn't really grow potatoes in 2020--though we did harvest some volunteers--so I don't know if the lack of potatoes made that much of a difference.  I think I want to steer away from potatoes for the most part in the future as we are a low carb family.  

There is also the issue of egg totals;  our hens and ducks are getting older and we haven't had any new birds (female birds, that is) for several years now.  Those old ladies just aren't laying like they used to.  I will address the future of the flock in a later post, but I'm not sure if egg production is going to be a priority this year.

Alongside these, I have just been spending a lot less time in the garden and allotment.  I went back to work in March of 2021, and have been working longer hours, plus extra commute time getting the daughter to and from her childcare.  I don't really talk about my non-gardening life much here, but reflecting over the past year has made me realize just how much my job has taken over my life;  I really would rather have more time for the things I love than the extra money.  The husband and I have been able to overpay on our mortgage to the point where we should be paying it off in a few months, so perhaps I will be able to spend a lot more time in the garden later this year.

Grand total of garden food, 2021

Vegetables: 129 lb, 1 oz (incomplete)

Fruit: 28 lb, 15 oz (incomplete)

Eggs: 797

Well, it seems as though only fruit totals were better than previous years.  It's true the veg totals are incomplete;  I didn't weigh the garlic harvest, nor did I add in the (untrimmed) sweetcorn, and there are still five small squashes hanging out in the living room--but I still don't think this would bring me up to last year's total of 160 lb. 

Maybe I should have weighed the two ducks!  And I missed out weighing most of the apple harvest and the bumper almond harvest.  What's more, there is still veg  ready for harvest both at the allotment and in the kitchen garden:  lots of chard, some leeks, cabbage, carrots, kohl rabi and Brussels sprouts.

So all in all, it was a good year, though perhaps not quite good enough.  Maybe 2022 will be the year for me.  I will have to do some reflection and planning to make it happen.

See previous grand totals: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

Food totals December 2021

Vegetables

 

20.5 oz beets

25.5 oz chard

4 oz leek

6 oz Brussels sprouts

2 oz carrots 

Total: 58 oz, or 3 lb 10 oz

Note:  I weigh all my veg after preparation:  peeling, trimming, etc.

Fruit

 

No fruit harvested this month

Eggs

No eggs collected this month from 8 hens and 3 ducks

Christmas break 2021

For Christmas dinner this year we are going to celebrate with some homegrown food, and since we are only catering for ourselves (unlike Thanksgiving), alongside our festive local turkey we have planned:

Broad beans (frozen earlier in the year), fresh leeks and Brussels sprouts from the allotment and chard from the garden;

Stollen bread made with fresh almond paste; Christmas pudding made with dried apples and figs and our own hen's eggs;

Gravy made with duck stock and garlic;

Homebrewed wine

I will be back in January with food totals for December and grand food totals for 2021.  Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!