As Spring has truly sprung on the farm, we caught up with Rosie, our arable and essential oil technical lead for the latest Spring news from the farm.
It’s been a busy and encouraging start to the season here on the farm. Spring barley was sown a couple of weeks ago, followed by Camomile a week later, and we’re pleased to see the Spring Barley already coming up evenly across the fields. You can now clearly spot the tramlines, which is always a good sign that things are establishing well.
The peppermint is just beginning to wake up after winter dormancy and is responding nicely to the warmer soil temperatures. With a bit of luck, we’ll continue to see this lovely sunny weather - along with a few well-timed April showers to really get it growing.
Our lavender plants are starting to green up too, which is great news. This means we’ll soon begin inter-row cultivating, helping to control weeds and give the plants the best chance to thrive.
Around the edges of fields and in sheltered, wooded spots, the bluebells are appearing and thriving. It’s always a lovely sign that spring has truly arrived and adds a splash of colour to the farm.
Meanwhile, the wheat crop is growing quickly and is slightly ahead of where we’d normally expect it to be. It’s nearing an important stage known as GS31, when the plant begins to grow upwards and set the foundations for its final yield. It’s a key time for us to make sure it has everything it needs to perform well.
Looking ahead, we’ll soon be working on creating and restoring areas around the farm to provide food for birds over the winter months. We’ll also be planting a mix of flowering species to support bees and other pollinators right through the summer.