The miracle of growth
As we head towards the season of plenty, we reflect on how much foresight and planning goes into some of the plants we grow. Take the tomato, they’re far from a native plant, hailing from Central and South America. Heat lovers, in their native climate the indeterminate varieties (most of the tomatoes you tend to grow – they fruit over a long period, giving a continuous crop, rather than all at once) find their lives as sprawling, vining perennials rather than the annual plants we grow in the tunnels every year. Unlike rapidly cropping plants like radishes and lettuce, which can be ready in as little as six weeks from sowing, tomatoes, and others in their family like peppers, enjoy a long growing season, so we have to start them early to make the most of the erratic British summer. Luckily in the South East, we experience a slightly longer season and warmer temperatures that other parts of the country, often blessing us with a bountiful crop.
This year was a challenge. Tiny seeds are sown in the propagator tunnel and then tiny seedlings emerge. For these tropical highland natives, cold is the enemy. This spring was unpredictable at best, with very late frosts causing a great deal of stress for growers all over the country, and the nights regularly dropped into single digits far past the dates expected. A lot of care went into these little plants, and on those coldest nights the ritual of rolling out bubbling wrap blankets and rigging makeshift bubble wrap tents was the only thing standing between the tender newcomers and a frosty ending.
But here we are. June. Even though it’s been wet and grey the last few days (and are we and the field crops grateful for that) the heat in the tunnels has picked up and the tomatoes are now really getting going. The first ripening fruits are appearing, and the stems are laden with jewels. Despite it all, they are thriving. The resilience of plants and their ability to rapidly make use of favourable conditions will never fall short of being a miracle.
