The Fruit Doctor

It has been a cold Winter in Britain, just as elsewhere in the northern parts of Europe and Asia. Fruit crops are generally developing later than they have in recent years. It has been suggested that strawberry crops were running 10-14 days later.

More recently temperatures jumped upwards, taking apple growers by surprise as buds moved from very early bud break to the mouse ear stage within a few days. As is typical of the British climate, the warm air brought rain too leaving many growers ruing missed opportunities to protect orchards from scab, before the inevitable showers arrived.

With the temperatures rising, early strawberry tunnels also came into flower. For the earliest of these, first flowers appeared in the week leading up to 25th March. Even though the cold returned last week, pasture has greened up and there is evidence of Spring everywhere in the South.

It is surprising that there is still discussion about the most effective way to bring on early strawberry crops under tunnels when it seems so obvious in the field!

GOOD SEALING + FLEECE + FLOATING MULCH

In the other countries fleece = ‘row cover’ and floating mulch = “perforated film” or “perforated poly”

When temperatures dropped last week well sealed SOLO tunnels remained warm and when the strong winds hit us at the end of the week growers were able to keep them closed, especially when fitted with STREAMLINE doors.

To avoid damage from Feb-March winds the safest option is to delay tunnel skinning and rely on ‘fleece and floating’ alone or to choose stronger tunnel designs such as the SOLO (with 2mm wall steel).  In Britain the best money still comes from early crops so, for strawberries the industry is gradually moving towards much stronger tunnels.

Mid Winter, Newent, UK

For northern European growers the new year is kicking off with key staff returning to farms to prepare for the coming season. In Holland there will be glasshouse growers who have only just stopped picking Elsanta strawberries but the majority of English soft fruit growers are looking at snow covered fields or frozen bags at the time of writing. Many will be wondering how to maximise returns in a tight economic situation. Yield is still key to this and were above average for many in 2009 but earliness also has a massive impact. Growers who have succeeded in producing a substantial quantity of strawberries before mid May or raspberries before mid June have probably had the best of the last 2 – 3 years. They are less dependent on growing or market conditions in the Autumn/Fall to get their businesses into profit after months of cash-flow worries.

Well built roller doors, Poland

How to get the earliest crops without artificial heating?

FAVOURABLE SITES

EARLY SKINNING/COVERING

ATTENTION TO THE DETAIL OF SEALING UP STRUCTURES TO RETAIN HEAT

These subjects may be the subject of later postings but for now it is worth noting that all the four points are closely connected.

FAVOURABLE SITES ARE OFTEN ALSO SHELTERED SITES

SHELTERED SITES ARE EASIEST TO SKIN/COVER EARLY AND REPRESENT THE LOWEST RISK WHEN SKINNED/COVERED

YOU WISH TO EXPLOIT THE SITE FOR AS MANY YEARS AS POSSIBLE – PERHAPS ROTATING SOIL GROWN CROPS WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OR INSTALLING SOIL-LESS GROWING SYSTEMS. THIS JUSTIFIES ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN THE TUNNEL STRUCTURES: GOOD DOORS, GUTTERS AND OTHER MODIFICATIONS THAT IMPROVE HEAT RETENTION ….. AND…. YOU ADD STRENGTH TO EXISTING TUNNELS OR INVEST IN THE NEW, STRONGER, DESIGNS SUCH AS SOLO, TRELLIS AND TELESCOPIC SO THE TUNNELS CAN BE COVERED EARLIER STILL – OFTEN COMPENSATING FOR THE DELAYING EFFECT OF SWITCHING TO SOIL-LESS SYSTEMS.

Good Sealing