July Update

Here we are, progressing rapidly to the sight of first picked apples at the beginning of August. Still a few weeks to go, and still some anxious glances at threatening skies approaching us from the Northwest – the leading edge of storm clouds do just occassionally deposit hail from that direction. Hail damage on any fruit is a most disheartening sight for fruit growers when it happens as it has in parts of Kent during late May.

Our efforts, and miles walked, removing ‘tents’ and woven leaves of Tortrix caterpillars,and more recently the shiny white, carefully clustered cocoons should reduce, considerably, potential damage to the fruit later in the summer. Codling moth are another matter. Puzzling it is that we have caught only the odd moth in the pheremone traps, yet there is now occassional evidence of egg hatching , particularly closer to the hedges.

Hover flies are enjoying the flowers of the St John’s Wort which we have alowed to thrive in the unmown grass sward. Various vetch and a great spread of, now seeding, white clover are being left as late as possible to enable a good seed scatter when mowing takes place. The long absent Ladybirds which had been evident during March are now represented by many larvae clearing up aphids .

The plum trees are the lightest for many years.

The tomatoes are most annoyingly slow and it will be early August before the first colour.

Beetroot , cabbage, French Beans  and broad beans now available here and for our local round in Colchester.

Cherries have not been mentioned thus far. Our varieties are earlier in the season and having set well were subject to cold winds earlier, in June. Cherries will not tolerate chill during their development and  many unformed fruitlets fell off.

On a positive note, there will be lots of different apples here to look forward to soon!