From lettuces to lemons
Production steps up a pace in summer with a continuous supply of leeks, carrots, salad and new potatoes making their way into the restaurant. A weekly order of 40 lettuces for the kitchen, keeps volunteer Rhona busy sowing seeds fortnightly to meet the demand. Summer’s favourite fruit, strawberries are in season, with varieties ‘Sonata’ and ‘Malling Centenary’ being grown for the first time this year.
Although not a Victorian invention, a no-dig bed is being trialled to show visitors another technique for growing vegetables. It improves soil structure, suppresses weeds and can easily be tried at home. This complements the use of integrated pest management (IPM) in the glasshouses and orangery, beneficial insects that are natural predators for aphids, red spider mite and whitefly. This is the third year of trials and bugs are posted fortnightly until the end of September with impressive results.