March 2023
Hello to all of you,
We are already in March! February flew by and March is likely to do the same. Don't miss this month: we will be at Seedy Saturday this Saturday (March 4th) in Ottawa and we are offering a fruit tree pruning course this Sunday (March 5th) and on March 26th (if needed). As always, watch our social media and website for more details.
During the month of February, there was a lot going on at the nursery! But to make a long story short, we have started the construction of a mobile chicken coop and we have prepared our infrastructure for indoor mushroom growing!
The mobile henhouse, built by Antoine and friends, will be used to house laying hens rain or shine and provide fresh eggs. Mobile, this henhouse will be installed here and there, where the feed and/or the sun is abundant. In addition, the manure produced by these hens will be used to fertilize our trees. Follow our social networks for news of the construction!
The mushroom growing infrastructure is finally finished! Which brings us to remind you that the purchase of mycelium in 2 kg bags is still possible! Yes, the sale is quite early in the season, but this is to give us time to produce the mycelium in time for the summer season. So don't hesitate, it's a very interesting and educational project!
On the menu for the month of March, there is of course the arrival of spring (ALREADY!!!), but, in addition to this inevitability and the announcements previously made (pruning training and seed festival in Ottawa), a small project of dormant wood cutting is planned. Before the buds awaken, it is possible to cut branches from fruit bushes and, with the right care, root them for cloning. In the horticultural field, this operation of vegetative multiplication is called "cutting". This spring, we will reproduce elderberries, blackcurrants, currants, camerisiers and much more. The plants resulting from this experiment will be available in the spring of 2024!
Question! Do you know the "pimbina" or three-lobed viburnum? Perhaps you have heard your grandparents talk about jam or jelly made from the red berries of this large shrub. Looking like bird food, the fruit has an unappealing tart and astringent taste that can be exploited in this kind of spread, but this month, at the nursery, another recipe was tested. A beer with pimbina! Yes! A light pimbina stout was brewed by Louis and friends to explore this product of our forests. It is still in the fermentation process, so more details will follow during the month! *It is important to note that this product is not for sale, it is only a recipe idea.
Here is a small visual preview to satisfy your curiosity! I'm sure you'll agree that it's quite strange to see this container filled with an obscure liquid (no affiliation with Corona of course, just recycling!)
This concludes the March newsletter. If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact us! Until April, be well!
La Réfriche Nursery Team
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