No let up in the harvesting
The Devon weather has really kept us guessing this month; we started with hot sunshine with almost drought conditions and just recently we have had lots of heavy rain – perfect growing weather!
This is a busy time as far as harvesting crops is concerned. Soft fruits, including currants, gooseberries, raspberries and blueberries are in the freezer ready for the jam makers to do their magic and turn them into delicious preserves for visitors to ‘take home a little bit of Rosemoor’. The pears have been thinned and pruned and we will be moving onto the apples this week.
Onions are one of the main crops to be harvested this month – both cooking onions and pickling onions. Student Beccy was given the task of lifting the main crop cooking onions (top) and Garry is also seen above contemplating his pickling onions!
A daily job from now on, will be harvesting the dwarf French beans for the trial co-ordinated by Wisley. We have grown 22 varieties and the weight harvested is recorded each day. They will then be sent to the restaurant.
Other crops getting into their stride include runner beans (looking a picture over the arches, above) and courgettes.
The tomatoes and cucumbers in the glass house are also beginning to crop.
The new potatoes have finished now, and leeks have been planted on the vacated ground.
As we approach August, the harvesting will not let up, with lots more crops waiting in the wings including squashes and sweetcorn as pictured.