General Overview
May signals a vibrant transition from spring to early summer, bringing with it a bounty of fresh produce. This period is crucial for many crops as it marks the peak of their growing season, influenced by optimal temperatures and longer daylight hours. However, challenges such as pest pressures and labour shortages remain, requiring strategic management by farmers.
Fruits
Apples
Gala: Known for their crisp texture and sweetness, Gala apples are thriving in the orchards. Growers are focusing on ensuring proper thinning of fruits and managing pests like codling moths to maintain quality. Freshness: Peak season.
Golden Delicious: These apples are celebrated for their sweet and mellow flavor. Growers use advanced storage techniques to extend shelf life and maintain freshness. Freshness: Peak season.
Pink Lady: The distinctive Pink Lady apples require careful temperature management. Growers ensure they receive the right amount of sun and cool nights to develop their characteristic flavour. Freshness: Peak season.
Bramley: Essential for pies and sauces, Bramley apples are at their best. Orchardists are vigilant about disease control, particularly against apple scab, to ensure a healthy crop. Freshness: Peak season.
Citrus
Oranges: Varieties like Valencia and Navel are now in abundance. Citrus farmers are optimizing irrigation schedules to ensure the fruits are juicy and flavourful, perfect for fresh consumption or juicing. Freshness: Peak season.
Lemons: With their peak harvest underway, lemon growers are focusing on balanced nutrient application to maintain their vibrant flavour and zest. Freshness: Peak season.
Grapefruits: Ruby Red and White grapefruits are being carefully monitored for the ideal sugar-acid balance, ensuring they hit the market with their best taste. Freshness: Peak season.
Berries
Strawberries: The fields are full of ripe, fragrant strawberries. Farmers are employing drip irrigation and organic mulching to keep the soil moist and suppress weeds, ensuring the best fruit quality. Freshness: Peak season.
Blueberries: Blueberry bushes are laden with fruit, thanks to careful pruning and optimal fertilization. Growers are now focusing on pest management to protect the berries from birds and insects. Freshness: Peak season.
Raspberries: These delicate berries are flourishing. Farmers are using trellising systems to support the canes and protect the fruit from wind damage, ensuring a robust harvest. Freshness: Peak season.
Stone Fruits
Cherries: Cherry trees are heavy with fruit. Growers are using bird netting and monitoring for diseases like cherry leaf spot to protect the harvest. Freshness: Peak season.
Apricots: Early apricots are being harvested, with farmers focusing on maintaining soil health and using organic sprays to combat pests. Freshness: Peak season.
Peaches: The peach orchards are coming to life. Proper thinning and consistent irrigation are key practices to ensure large, juicy peaches. Freshness: Early season.
Bananas
Cavendish: Available year-round, Cavendish bananas are maintained through rigorous pest control and nutrient management, ensuring consistent quality and supply. Freshness: Year-round availability.
Vegetables
Leafy Greens
Lettuce: Lettuce varieties like Butterhead and Romaine are crisp and plentiful. Greenhouse environments help maintain the cool temperatures needed for their optimal growth. Freshness: Peak season.
Spinach: Spinach is thriving under row covers, which protect it from pests and fluctuating temperatures, ensuring tender and flavourful leaves. Freshness: Peak season.
Kale: This resilient green is at its peak, with farmers regularly harvesting outer leaves to encourage continuous growth. It thrives in the cooler mornings of May. Freshness: Peak season.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli: Broccoli heads are maturing nicely. Consistent moisture and vigilant pest control, particularly against aphids and cabbage worms, are critical for maintaining quality. Freshness: Peak season.
Cauliflower: Cauliflower is benefiting from the stable spring temperatures. Growers focus on blanching techniques to keep heads white and tender. Freshness: Peak season.
Cabbage: Cabbage fields are lush. Crop rotation and organic pest management practices help in maintaining healthy, disease-free heads. Freshness: Peak season.
Root Vegetables
Carrots: Carrots are at their sweetest. Farmers are focusing on ensuring well-drained soils and adequate spacing to allow proper root development. Freshness: Peak season.
Radishes: Quick to mature, radishes are harvested regularly to maintain their crisp texture and peppery flavour. Freshness: Peak season.
Beets: Beets are thriving in the cooler spring soil. Regular thinning helps ensure that the roots develop properly and remain tender. Freshness: Peak season.
Bell Peppers
Green Bell Peppers: These peppers are now in full production. Mulching and consistent watering help maintain soil conditions favourable for their growth. Freshness: Peak season.
Red Bell Peppers: As these peppers ripen from green to red, careful monitoring of nutrient levels is crucial to enhance their sweet flavour. Freshness: Peak season.
Yellow Bell Peppers: Vibrant yellow bell peppers are a highlight in fields. Growers focus on balanced fertilization to ensure their bright colour and crisp texture. Freshness: Peak season.
UK Produce
Asparagus: With its slender spears heralding spring, asparagus is at its peak. Farmers are careful with harvest timings to ensure the spears are tender and flavourful. Freshness: Peak season.
Artichokes: with their unique flavour, are now being harvested. Growers manage soil moisture carefully and use organic mulch to control weeds and retain soil moisture. Freshness: Peak season.
Special Focus: Strawberries
Strawberries are the highlight of May. Known for their sweet aroma and vibrant red colour, they signify the arrival of spring. Farmers take meticulous care in their cultivation, using drip irrigation to maintain consistent soil moisture and organic mulching to keep the soil cool and suppress weeds. Regular pest monitoring and the use of natural predator’s help keep the plants healthy without resorting to harsh chemicals. This month, strawberries are at their peak, offering the best flavour and quality for fresh consumption, desserts, and preserves. Especially now they’re grown in the UK. People can’t get enough of our British strawberries!
Seasonal Freshness: Peak season.
