Customer: Lower Hope Cherries 

Location: Herefordshire, UK 

Crop: Cherries 

Tunnel Type: Greenhouse 

Lower Hope are a long-standing Haygrove customer. Fruit Manager, Emily Cliff, explains the benefits of using Haygrove Tunnels to cover the cherry crop. 

Lower Hope Cherries began in 1999 and have continued to grow until the present day. Lower Hope have worked with Haygrove to develop their cropping systems and now work with a standard planting of 1.75m between the trees and 1800 trees per hectare.

They aim for a yield of 10kg per tree giving a Class 1 yield of 18 tonnes per hectare. Using Haygrove polytunnels to cover the cherry trees has increased yield, quality and extended the season. The polytunnels protect the cherry trees from frost when they are most susceptible at blossom time and then protect the fruit from rain and wind damage.

When cherry trees are protected by polytunnels, growers can leave the fruit to grow bigger as there is a significantly reduced risk of cracking. An increased fruit size means an increased yield. The Haygrove polytunnels also protect the ripe berries from birds which if not protect can decimate a sweet cherry crop.

Based on a windy site on a high-altitude hill, it is imperative that the Haygrove polytunnels are strong. The introduction of HSO (High Strength Oval) steel has allowed them to increase their bay width from 6m. Increasing the bay width of the tunnels increases the air volume which improves the growing environment, as well as increasing planting density and reducing the amount of fruit in the leg rows. Increasing the strength of the tunnels has allowed Lower Hope to skin (cover the tunnels with polythene) earlier in the year as the increased strength means there is less risk of storm damage. Being able to skin the Haygrove polytunnels earlier means that there is a better frost protection for the trees at blossom time.

Lower Hope began using Haygrove Pioneer tunnels which have a Y-shaped leg but now use a U-leg. The U-leg is the key feature of the Haygrove Greenhouse tunnel and is specially designed for tree and cane crops. The hoop rises vertically giving more space higher in the tunnel which is needed for taller plants or trees. The support legs are 1.75m out of the ground which gives adequate space for the trees but also means that the tunnels can be manually vented by teams of labour working at ground level and the apex remains relatively low at 4m high. The support legs are drilled 0.85m into the ground ensuring the polytunnels are well secured to prevent lifting.

Lower Hope Cherries are using different Haygrove polythene films to manipulate the timing of the crop. By managing the harvest timing, they can target points in the season when the price is highest and spread their picking profile to efficiently use their workforce. 

To achieve a later sweet cherry harvest, Lower Hope use a woven material with a net at the apex which provides a permanent vent, but still protect the fruit from weather damage. This means the humidity and temperature of the tunnel remains cool throughout the summer, but without an accumulation of labour costs from venting. Emily observes a difference of a week in the picking time between using this woven material cover on the Haygrove polytunnels compared to the Luminance polythene. Combined with a high-altitude site, Lower Hope grow some of the latest season cherries in the UK meaning they can access higher market prices when supply is lower.

For mid-season crops they are using our Luminance polythene, which has 95% diffusing properties for even light distribution and deeper crop penetration. The Luminance plastic also provides a ‘Thermal Heat Barrier’ which reduces the amount of infrared light able to pass through. This keeps internal environment of the tunnel cooler on hotter days and retains heat on warmer days, reducing temperature fluctuations which stress the trees and cause a reduction in yield.

For early season crops, Lower Hope are using Haygrove Clear polythene which has the highest light transmission and therefore fruit can ripen quicker and is ready to harvest earlier.

Lower Hope can spread their sweet cherry harvest season by using polythene technology options supplied by Haygrove. An even distribution of the cherry season is an efficient use of labour which is both increasing in cost and decreasing in availability. The ability to manipulate the harvest also means Lower Hope can target seasonal gaps in the UK supply. When there is the lowest supply there is the highest demand for Class 1 cherries and therefore highest market prices.

Lower Hope and Haygrove will continue to collaborate to develop cherry growing systems in the future.