Hello everyone,
Happy August! July was a relatively quiet month at the nursery. A lot of maintenance and preparation was done for this fall's harvesting season. We even had some time to ourselves! Anyway, on the newsletter menu, ongoing projects made good progress during this time, notably the chicken coop. And the picking season has begun! It's high time to fill your baskets! Last but not least, the trees are slowly getting ready for the cold season: a quick word on "cold hardening".
A major project this summer was the construction of a mobile henhouse. We've posted a few photos on social networks of the construction, but nothing too explicit. So get ready, because construction is well under way! The coop is now up on its wheels, has a frame, siding, windows and a door! YES YES! Nothing less! Nevertheless, construction is not yet complete. There's still work to be done here and there before we're ready to welcome poultry. Speaking of poultry, we'd like to remind you that we currently have roosters for sale, bred in our yard. Write to us for more details. Otherwise, here's the coop!
And here are a few photos of the construction:
Many thanks to everyone who contributed!
Much progress has also been made on the mushroom front. We're currently testing oyster mushroom cultivation in buckets. We're working hard to hopefully be able soon to offer you fresh mushrooms grown at the nursery. Keep an eye on our social networks for further developments.
Get out your hunter-gatherer side, because some berries are out! Raspberry, black raspberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, etc. At the nursery, we've already picked quite a few. Especially blackcurrants, a delicious berry that's slightly bitter, sweet and aromatic! They'll brighten up your pancake breakfasts or yoghurt snacks. Many of these berry plants will be available at the nursery during upcoming sales periods!
Well, it's hard to believe, but summer is already drawing to an end. And like the rest of us, trees are feeling it too. The arrival of milder weather and the gradual decline in daylight times signal to trees that winter is approaching. They're about to begin their protective mechanism for the cold season: cold hardening. First of all, growth should be over. Their metabolism slows down and their energy is concentrated on hardening (or lignification) of the young growth. Each species has its own miracle recipe for surviving the cold, but generally it involves bark formation. So, where there's cold hardening, there's dormancy. You've guest it, a second tree sale period is planned for this autumn. But be patient! First it must cold hardened!
This concludes the August newsletter. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us! Until September, be well!
La Réfriche Nursery team