We use our undercover growing areas to both extend our season and our range of crops. We have fan-trained peach and apricot trees and lemon trees in pots in the greenhouse. Mostly we eat these ourselves, but occasional lucky customers may also find them in their weekly box in July.
Growing crops like tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and chillis in the polytunnel means that we get a reliable harvest even when there's a cold, wet summer. We also grow early and late crops of mixed salad, spring onions, French beans, carrots, and new potatoes in the polytunnels, giving us a greater variety of vegetables for a longer season.
All our undercover growing areas are watered through our low energy rainwater irrigation system, with water moving from the reservoir to the crops via a network of underground pipes and dripper hoses. Restricting the amount of water we use on our crops, in combination with applying plenty of organic compost and seaweed meal ensures that our vegetables keep their "home grown" flavour.