A SADDLEWORTH-BASED glasshouse and greenhouse manufacturer is ready to help people grow their own in one of the biggest trends among owners this year.
Hartley Botanic, whose headquarters is on Wellington Road in Greenfield, has noticed developing edibles from heritage seeds is proving popular in 2024.
A greenhouse offers the perfect environment to grow which, along with their taste, are valued for their historical and cultural significance and deserve to be conserved.
Over the centuries, hundreds of local seed varieties, mainly fruit and vegetables, were passed down as an ‘heirloom’ through generations of families or shared among local communities in villages or regions.
The best were selected for characteristics like flavour, productivity and disease resistance, at the same time as breeding a range of seeds that would work for different soils and climates – such as apples for areas of high rainfall.
And Matthew Biggs, of Hartley Botanic, offered a few pointers to the people of Saddleworth who may be looking to grow their own.
He said: “There are countless reasons for the loss of heritage varieties including government legislation, the influence of large seed companies, old varieties falling from favour and the commercial need for vegetables to be transported over long distances and cold stored.
“Fortunately, a remnant remains. If heritage varieties were allowed to disappear, we not only lose the associated stories and local history, the fabulous range of textures and flavours, the suitability for a wide range of growing conditions, but most importantly of all, we lose the genetic diversity for breeding crops in the future.”
He also suggested the three best heritage varieties to try out – Telegraph cucumbers, Anaheim chilli peppers and Brandywine Pick tomatoes.
On the cucumber, he said: “Needs humidity, warmth and constant moisture. Plant in borders for easy of watering, and mist regularly with tepid water.”
When it came to the chilli, he added: “A variety from the early 1900s with low to moderate heat which makes it good in salsa or sauces.
“Needs a long growing season and temperatures between 15-30 C to fruit well.
“Damp down the greenhouse floor with water twice a day to maintain humidity. Feed weekly with high potash tomato fertiliser when the first flowers appear.”
For the tomatoes, he commented: “Train the main stems up canes, remove the sideshoots that appear between the stem and leaf base, using your finger and thumb.
Water regularly with tepid water to keep the compost moist and feed with high potash liquid tomato fertiliser once the first fruits start to swell.”
Matthew also offered other heritage varieties popular with greenhouse owners, including Black Russian tomatoes, Scarlet Emperor runner beans, Bulls Blood beetroot and Black Tuscany kale.
All Hartley Botanic’s glasshouses and greenhouses are handmade, bespoke, and made to order.
Customers interested in purchasing a Hartley Botanic Greenhouse should visit http://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk or call 01457 819155 for more information.
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