Thursday - BBC Radio Kent at Broadwater Farm......bright sunshine but with icy cold air.....
It's 7am on Thursday morning and The English Apple Man is at Broadwater Farm with Peter Checkley and BBC Radio Kent reporter Joe Pocock.............
A few days earlier, The English Apple Man received a call from Sharon Terry at Radio Kent; Sharon sought an interview with an apple grower to be broadcast live on Thursday morning during the 'John Warnett & Maggie Doyle' Breakfast Show and asked for guidance on who to contact...........
The stimulus for this broadcast was the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) statement published in mainstream newspapers suggesting - "The delayed spring could lead to a bumper crop of apples, strawberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries for gardeners this year"
"Recent cold weather has held back the flowering of fruit trees and shrubs so they are less likely to be hit by the damaging effects of frost, with plants still at the more robust bud stage when they can withstand dips in temperature"
The English Apple Man had no hesitation in recommending Peter Checkley - Manager of Broadwater Farm at West Malling for this role; Peter has recently been seen in a prominent role in the 'Food Chain' programme on BBC1 on a Monday night.....
Below: Peter Checkley being interviewed by Joe Pocock for BBC Radio Kent
Below: Modern media communications are simple these days with a van full of hi tech equipment and a satelite dish on the roof + a radio mike and a mobile phone to complete the equipment....
Below: Peter and Joe during a live interview at Broadwater Farm on Thursday morning
Joe asked Peter what the influences were on this season' crop - Peter explained that although the weather is still cold with a frost that very morning, the bud can still withstand below zero temperatures; however once the blossom opens, the delicate flowers become very vulnerable.
During conversations with Joe, Peter pointed out the challenge of Canker on tree health....Canker is one of the most challenging aspects of varieties like Gala and Jazz. It seems to go 'hand in hand' with any variety with Gala in its genes!
Below: Peter explains the bud development to Joe and points out the challenge Canker has on tree health
On site at Broadwater Farm carrying out planting for Peter was Contractor Nick Gaskin who with his team mark out, erect all support structures and plant the trees on the farm. Nick's team of four can (once the structure; e.g. posts, wires and canes are in place) plant around 2,000 trees a day!
Below: Nick Gaskin and Peter Checkley - and - Nick with the auger mounted on the caterpillar tractor drills holes for tree planting
Below: planting hole drilled by the auger - and - perfect soil condition for planting
The opportunity 'was to good to miss' - and Joe Pocock planted a Jazz tree 'live on BBC Radio Kent Facebook' with The English Apple Man as acting camera man - 'sounds grand' but the camera was Joe's mobile phone with appropriate App...'all clever stuff' - Click on BBC Radio Kent Facebook
Below: 'Joe's Jazz Tree' - Joe Pocock planting a Jazz tree 'live' on Radio Kent Facebook
During the interviews; The English Apple Man shared one of the three 2-3 minute slots with Peter, various influences on what determines a good crop were discussed.
Quantity and Quality of crop depends on a number of variables
Fruit Bud initiation occurs early in the summer of the season prior to flowering and, during that season, many of the flower parts are formed. However, the final stages, which involve the formation of the pollen sacs and the ovules, do not occur until shortly before bloom in the subsequent spring.
High quality flowers are essential if fruit set is to be achieved in the often less than ideal weather conditions at flowering time in UK orchards. Flower quality influences whether fruits are retained on trees throughout the season and also their size and quality at harvest.
Anything that reduces the production of resources by the tree or diverts them away from the developing flower buds will reduce their quality. An imbalance of hormone levels in the tree will also affect flower bud development. The main factors influencing flower quality are:
A. Crop Load (too many fruits on the tree): Reduces flower bud numbers in the following year especially in varieties with a tendency to biennial cropping. Thinning should be done as early as possible to ensure the correct crop load.
B. Too much vigour (length of shoots and numbers of shoots) will create an imbalance in the tree and reduce the quality of flower buds.
C. A lack of light within the tree will reduce flower bud numbers and their quality. As shoots tend to grow strongly towards the light, further shading can be induced. Pruning to improve light penetration into the canopy is essential.
D. Poor leaf quality; poor nutrition and disease (especially mildew) will impact directly on flower bud quality.
E. WINTER CHILL is essential - All apples need a level of winter chill - there is a varietal variation - 800 - 1200 units. Chill unit parameters are measured between - below 7°C and above 0°C.
F. Between October and mid January 2015/16 units registered were less than half the figure for 2014/15
G. It took until late February before chill units registered above 800 units.
H. During the above average temperatures recorded between the Autumn of 2015 and mid January 2016 the root activity was low and the tree will have had a limited uptake of nutrients; at the same time the tree was not in full dormancy, resulting in depletion of nutrients within the tree (and fruit buds) reducing the blossom strength and the probability of a good fruit set.
SO; its not just about a cold spring delaying fruit blossom!
Click on Broadwater Farm to visit their website
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How far away is the apple blossom?
Braeburn is ahead of other main varieties, Jazz is similar and is clearly at the Pink Bud stage.
Below: A Braeburn orchard at Broadwater Farm - and - Breaburn at the pink bud stage
Below: Bramley is behind Braeburn with most buds at the 'Green Cluster' stage with just the odd pink bud showing
Below: Gala is at a similar bud stage to Bramley with most at the 'Green Cluster' stage
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On my way back from Broadwater Farm I called in at 'Eggs to Apples' Farm Shop at Hurst Green in East Sussex.
Eggs to Apples is run by Susannah and Craig Hewett and a great team of knowledgeable and food loving people.
Susannah and Craig mark the third generation of the Barnes family to run a farm shop in the village.
The family has resided in Hurst Green since the 1960's and their involvement in the local farming and village community has been fundamental to developing the concept of the business. Indeed, Eggs to Apples has been built on the site of the original Lodge Farm Shop started by Susannah's father and grandfather in 1972. Soon after Lodge Farm Shop was established, they started to grow and sell soft fruit and vegetables from other local farmers.
Richard Barnes - 'Susannah's father, is a long time friend of The English Apple Man - indeed we both attended the same 'Prep School' more than 60 years ago. When Richard opened Lodge Farm strawberries grown at Ditchells Farm (the EAM's farm on the Kent border with East Sussex) was one of the most popular products on sale in the summer months at Lodge Farm.
'Fast forward nearly half a century and Richard and Pat Barnes daughter Susannah and her husband Craig have created an award winning farm shop of the very highest calibre.
Tea Time TV
Each day at 4.30pm The English Apple Man makes a cup of tea and with Mrs Appleman enjoys the 'antique offering from the BBC' - currently that programme is: "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: on Wednesday this week, James Braxton managed to persuade Susannah and Craig to buy a table and chairs he had purchased in Belgium as part of the TV programme. When I arrived the table was occupied by a gentleman, who I assumed had been part of the deal James Braxton made in Belgium.........
Simon was not Belgian, instead a local character, but with his dress and demeanor created the perfect image of 'zis table outside a cafe in any gallic region..............anyway we drunk coffee, discussed our past lives and our association with the Barnes family et al...........'most enjoyable'
Below: Simon a resident of Hurst Green and The English Apple Man, enjoy a coffee at the 'said' table
Click on "Put your money where your mouth is" to view episodes of the programme.
Click on Eggs to Apples
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The NFU (National Farmers Union has launched a new report, setting out 34 recommendations for increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables while helping to reverse the current obesity crisis and combatting other diet related illnesses.
With an annual cost of obesity to the NHS of £5.1 billion per year, the NFU is calling on government, retailers, processors and the food service industry to develop and implement the actions that are needed to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables from its current level of 3 a day to the recommended 5 a day.
The 34 'Options for Action' included within the 'Fit for the Future' report include multi-siting fruit and veg in more places in the store; redesigning food service areas to offer more prominence to fruit and veg, developing fun-shaped fruit and veg for kids; and adding at least one extra piece of veg to every ready meal.
NFU horticulture board chairman Ali Capper said: "We have identified solutions that can be implemented now. We are passionate about seeing growth in the fresh produce sector to enable growers to invest in the future and continue to deliver great value and highly nutritious foods to the British public. We need all parts of the industry to make it easier and more convenient for consumers to buy and eat more fruit and veg."
Though consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of a healthy balanced diet, Defra reports that in 2014 UK sales of fruit were 14% lower, vegetables 5% lower and fresh potatoes 20% lower than in 2007.
"9p in every £1 we spend in the NHS is spent on diabetes. We estimate from the evidence that the Health Committee took during our hearings that the overall cost of obesity to the NHS is now £5.1 billion a year, and the wider costs to society have been estimated to be as high as £27 billion, although the estimates vary. We simply cannot afford to take no action"
To read the full report clock on NFU ONLINE
That is all for this week....next week The English Apple Man will be attending two blossom walks (we hope) one at The Smith Family Farm at Loddington near Maidstone on Tuesday and the second at Chandler and Dunn's Perry Farm at Preston in East Kent.......
Take care
The English Apple Man