This last two weeks has seen Haygrove Farm in England hosting growers from all over the UK and, latterly, from many other countries as part of our Autumn Open Day series. It has been great to be part of these events – not least because we all learn so much from the interchange of ideas that comes about when growers get together and feel able to talk openly about their experiences testing new ideas and kit. Over the next few weeks this blog will probably report on some of the ideas presented and experiences shared at the Open Days.
However to start this season of posts the blog returns to the subject of earliness but approached from a different angle. One of Haygrove’s farm managers, Adrian Pop, reported that his weather station data showed that, during the month of September, tunnels fitted with gutters had accumulated 15% more growing degrees than the same tunnels not yet fitted with gutters.
September is usually the last warm month and British growers need that warmth to ensure adequate yields from everbearer strawberries, late planted table tops and primocane raspberries. Many growers will also have a 2nd crop of a short day strawberry variety growing on table tops for which good Autumn temperatures are essential both to finish the crop and to build good plants and flower numbers ready for the following Spring.
So what does 15% more growing degrees give us?
A typical everbearer might yield 4 tons per acre in England through the month of September and that is directly dependent on growing degrees. Most of the flowers required to produce that fruit will have already emerged and been pollinated before or during the first days of the month.
15% x 4 tonnes = 600kg = worth at least £1,000 net of picking and post harvest costs.
Another way to look at it would be to say that under tunnels with gutters, September has 34 instead of 30 days!
