Where dogs fly!

Chile Tunnels

Haygrove ventured close to the Antarctic to help with a project growing Ribes in the far south of Chilean Patagonia. A wonderful bunch of INIA scientists, advisers and growers are trying to beat huge winds to produce fresh currants well outside the normal shipping season. On the flight down from Santiago Punta Arenas John Berry was told that Punta Arenas was the only place ‘were dogs fly’ and that it was necessary to have ropes along the street to assist the elderly…In the Summer! Correctly specified and with appropriate windbreaks it should be possible to build Haygrove tunnels to cope with growing conditions close to Cape Horn just as they do in the South Africa Cape region but it’s a challenge.

Wind protection required both for the tunnels and the crops

From these chilly tunnels we visited cherry and raspberry growers in the Central Plain before looking at an exceptional blueberry project north of Santiago. A very high standard of technical management at the farm has resulted in very early blueberry production on the foothills of the Andes with Haygrove tunnels providing additional earliness together with protection from both frost and wind.

Early blueberries, north of Santiago

A big thank you to our hosts and everyone who helped us! You are setting very high standards of hospitality and horticulture – even for bees which is a subject to be discussed later…..

Catering for honeybees

Wet Midlands

Back home in England the West Midlands hasn’t been dry for weeks. Famously Cumbria, 200 miles north of here, recorded 372mm in 24 hours. Ledbury hasn’t been that wet but many growers have been pleased that modern tunnel designs have allowed them to keep covers on over peat and coir grown crops during this difficult time. Telescopic and Solo tunnels have been OK during a series of November storms. Raspberries were still picking in un-heated glass last week but most growers are now concentrating on preparations for 2010.

Waiting for Summer to return