It’s been a tale of two seasons so far this spring. A very cold, wet and stormy start, particularly for our Lancashire growers, broken up by some bright, almost summer-like days.
The dry, sunny weather last week gave growers a chance to get going again, with much of the early planting having been held up by the cold and rain. Many young plants have been ready to go for a while now, but getting them into the ground has taken a bit of patience.
Libby Flintoff in Preston has been making the most of the recent dry spell, getting courgettes planted out in her tunnels and catching up on early season jobs. Some of her tunnels are prone to waterlogging, so the warmer, drier weather has made a real difference. Her tomato plants arrive this week, and her Lancashire-grown cherry tomatoes are always something we look forward to, but for now she’s keeping an eye on the overnight temperatures before pushing ahead. In the meantime, she’s supplying beet spinach along with a few spring onions, and her delicious rocket will be back again next week too.
Over in Ormskirk, Duncan Gielty at Lyncroft Farm has plenty of true spinach and ruby chard coming through, and will be starting on his herbs this week – coriander, dill and flat parsley. He’s starting to make plans to expand his indoor growing, which has been more reliable in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather and ongoing irrigation challenges during summer droughts. With tender pepper and aubergine plants arriving, he’s also hoping for a more settled spell of warmth.
Pam and the team at Strawberry Fields in Lincolnshire have started harvesting early tunnel-grown green oakleaf lettuce, always a welcome sign of the season shifting. Field-grown lettuces are coming along under fleece and should be ready in early May, weather depending. Alongside these are their leeks, spring greens and perennial herbs, with oregano arriving from Friday to join thyme and tarragon already on the shelves. They’ve also been busy planting celery and kohlrabi in the tunnels for the months ahead.
It’s another reminder that each season brings its own set of challenges, and that a lot depends on the weather lining up at the right moments. Thanks, as always, to the growers for all of the work that goes into every growing season, and to everyone who shops with us and supports it.
