This is the time of year when crops are growing like crazy and passing through their growth stages very quickly. This means that we have to be extremely vigilant, inspecting them regularly.
Steve, our agronomist, visits regularly to check crop health and advise on the prevention of fungal disease by the application of fungicides. Getting the correct timing for fungicide applications for wheat can be difficult (because of the very rapid growth) but it is extremely important.
In the picture above, Steve has dissected a wheat tiller. You can see the ear of wheat on the far right-hand side, alongside the very tiny flag leaf. Next to that is leaf 1, then leaf 2, progressing to leaf 5 on the far left. Leaf 5 is the oldest leaf, and as you can see, it's carrying some disease.
The flag leaf has the biggest effect on wheat yield, so it is very important to keep the flag leaf healthy with the application of what we call a T2 fungicide. This must be done when the flag leaf has fully emerged.
We need to protect against disease in order to maximise our yield, but we also have to meet the quality standards of the grain trade, which are extremely high. And even when we do get it right, we are still at the mercy of the weather! For optimal grain fill, it can't be too sunny, too hot, too cold or too wet. Sounds very much like a 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' story, doesn't it?
We direct drilled our Canary Seed with our new drill for the first time this year and it is coming up really well - so we're very pleased with that.
Our Oats and Naked Oats are looking strong. We planted them in November with our new drill. It is the first time we have planted so late in the year, so this was a step into the unknown for us, but we are very pleased with the results so far. Richard thinks they possibly look too lush - which means they might go flat before harvest!
Our Buckwheat has been planted this week and we are just waiting for the ground to dry out to plant the Millet. Fingers crossed for a few dry days.
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit
We are starting to see a lot more rabbits on the farm, which we think is related to the decline in the number of buzzards we see overhead.
Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
The buzzards have been driven off by red kites, which are scavengers and prefer to eat dead animals, roadkill, etc. They have been seen taking smaller animals such as mice, voles and rabbits, but they are fairly weak hunters in comparison to the buzzard, and we are seeing the effects.
Red kite (Milvus milvus)
Nature needs to be in balance, and whilst there have been lots of successful red kite re-introduction projects, they have no natural predator and it won't be long before their numbers are out of control and causing problems.
Live Bird Food
This is a key time of year to offer your birds Live Mealworms and Live Wax Worms. When the weather is cooler, insect populations drop, making natural food scarce at a time when birds need as much energy as possible. Feeding a brood of chicks can be exhausting!
By offering live mealworms and wax worms in your garden, you can help to combat the significant decline in insects and invertebrates which many garden birds rely on for successful breeding. Live foods provide energy and moisture, and they will be appreciated by:
- Blackbirds
- House sparrows
- Starlings
- Robins
- Wagtails
- Wrens
- Long tail tits
- Coal tits
- Blue tits
- Great tits
- Woodpeckers
Live foods must be placed in a container with upright sides to stop them wriggling away.
Mealworms for Birds Mealworm Feeders
Seasonal Offers: Save 10%
Feeding lots of hungry youngsters can be expensive, especially when you are feeding them the best quality seed!
We have some seasonal offers on products which are best sellers at this time of year - we hope this will help you out a little. All of these products come with FREE DELIVERY!
High Energy Fledgling Mix™
No mess, delicious, ultra high-energy seed mix
Save 10% Here!
Premium Sunflower Hearts
Top quality, bakery grade, high-energy sunflower hearts
Save 10% Here!
Mini Suet Pellets
Peanut and berry flavoured minis
Save 10% Here!
Thank you so much!
A huge and heartfelt thank you to all the customers who have left a Trustpilot Review for our business recently. It was really lovely to read through your comments, and it made us realise what lovely, supportive customers we have and how much we are appreciated. So thank you very much!
We promise not to rest on our laurels - we are still working hard to offer our customers excellent products and superb service. Things don't always go as planned, but we promise to do our best for our customers, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns about your order.
Happy birthday to Alan!
Here's a team photo featuring Alan (right), Graham (centre) and me.
A cheeky little gift!
As a joke, Graham bought Alan a mini spirit level to check his pallets were square! It's nice to have staff enjoying their work :)
I hope you have an enjoyable bank holiday weekend with plenty of free time to make the most of the great outdoors and your garden birds.
Best wishes,
Lesley
Countryside Stewardship 
