As this week saw the coming of mid summer day it is odd how we perceive the seasons. August maybe the time of school holidays and when many people take their annual leave, but it is the end of summer and also its weather is often unpredictable. June however feels more as if it is the start, not the middle of our favoured season. This year June has clocked up the hottest temperature since the early 1970s. With it, the Siberian sea buckthorn plants at Devereux farm have been basking in weather that they would take as the norm in their native climate.
Plants should behave to a normal growing cycle. In Siberia the sea buckthorn plants would come out of their winter dormancy in April. With a multiple number of varieties available harvesting goes through from early August through to October.
As I have often recorded our plants at Devereux farm break their winter dormancy in January and February with the variety Klaudia leading the pack. All the others will have joined the early riser by mid February.
So when it comes to ripening I should be expecting berries to be ready for harvest in August.
In order to assess how the berries are developing each week, a random sample of 20 berries are being measured, weighed and having their Brix ( soluable solids ) assessed. Results from this indicates that ripening is happening earlier than in native Siberia. This is definately the case for the variety Etna which looks as if it will be ready for picking by the first week of July. Chuiskaya is colouring up as if to be the next in line for harvesting. In Siberia these would be ready in the second half of August. As this is the first year of being able to record these figures they are our best guide as to how the crop is developing. The immediate issue is the variation in berry size. I am expecting ripe berries to weigh between 0.6 – 1.0 g each. Currently Etna weighs in at 0.5g as an average of 20 berries. It seems to be adding about 0.1g per week. Chuiskaya is larger at 0.55g but expected to ripen at around 0.9g per berry, whilst Augustina I am hopeful will crack the 1.0g/berry in size. As these all are changing colour to bright orange the varieties Altaiskaya and Sudarushka have berry weighs of 0.35g and are still a full olive green in colour. These variations indicate that the eight varieties that we will be picking will give an extended harvest season of early July through into September.
If Brix is the value I should be following to assess ripening then Etna is again way out front at 10.5, with Chuiskaya close behind at 10.6 falling away to the very unripe “Altai” and “Sudi” at 6.8 and 6.5.
The brightest orange Etna berries have lost the sharp characteristic sea buckthorn taste, which reflects the concept that Lisavenko have been breeding “dessert” varieties of sea buckthorn. Of the varieties at Devereux natural sugar content may vary in berries from 5% to 10%. In taste this will be offset by the natural anti-oxidants and high vitamin content dampening the sweeter flavour. High vitamin C levels are characterised with sea buckthorn. In their native Siberia our varieties deliver levels around 90-120mg/100g
Other quality aspirations will include the fruit oil content varying between 4-7% in the varieties we have at Devereux. It is the oil that fills the supplement capsules that are the popular means of accessing the benefits of sea buckthorn. The berry also of course has its seed containing the omega 7 which is often defined as the primary beneficial content that differentiates sea buckthorn from other plants. I think that as with many natural products, it is no one particular nutrient that should be isolated as the primary focus of interest. Health benefits come from a whole complex of natural compounds within the berry. Recognising that they all synergise together delivering multiple benefits is more important than singling out high profile nutrients which is a common marketing practice.
I digress, because the focus now is on harvest. Hand picking is to be a new experience. Looking at the plants as they are now, within any plant the berries are at different stages of ripeness. Picking has to select those at optimum ripeness and remove them without damage.
Devereux farm is a trial site. Rows are laid out with different row spacings; different spacing between plants; rows with a single variety and rows with multiple varieties. Harvesting needs to be planned so as to chose the ripest plants on the site and ensure that the correct plants are picked so there is no mixing of berry varieties. With varieties ripening at different times and having different berry sizes and tastes it is essential that this works 100% accurately. With some rows planted with plant varieties in random groups of 12 plants, this will require a failsafe management system. Being able to maintain quality and trace berries back to the plants they came from is an important part of forever improving our knowledge of growing sea buckthorn.
Hand picking will be time consuming. With high summer temperatures once the berries are picked they could start to deteriorate. To minimise this, berries will be collected into chilled boxes in the field within minutes of being picked. Maintaining a constant cool temperature is an aspiration that will follow the whole harvested berry as it travels from the field to the customer.
So it seems as if we have finally arrived at the time when Devereux farm can send UK Siberian sea buckthorn off to market. When will that start precisely? It looks like within three weeks – it is difficult to explain the emotion attached to having finally reached this point.
