June/July 2025 Newsletter

June / July 2025

Croeso to all our customers and thank you for buying a veg box from us! Here is a quick update from us about what has been going on here at Hooma Hu.

It is most probably the busiest time of year right now when it comes to veg growing, everything is growing very quickly now and all the seeds that were sown in the spring months are now seedlings that need planting out in the field or polytunnel. As well as the planting there is the weeding of crops, the sowing of more seeds and also all the other little jobs around the place that need doing! Needless to say, we are rushed off our feet! We have had a fantastic spring for growing veg, the sun has been shining with a little bit of rain here and there to keep the ground moist. The slugs are being kept at bay by all the dry weather and we have had a nice high temperature to encourage growth. We are very proud to put our new polytunnels in to proper action this year.

We spent the winter preparing the

ground by covering the veg beds with lots of compost and the paths with woodchip. We did this without digging the soil underneath, we have been planting through the layer of compost we applied straight in to the undug ground. The benefits of this are plenty. By not digging the soil we are keeping intact all of the beneficial micro organisms and soil structure, keeping intact the soil in the state in which the soil most naturally goes towhich in turn will support the plants we grow. By not digging we are also not disturbing the weed seeds that

are lurking underneath, by not disturbing them they remain ungerminated under the soil and there fore we have loads less weeds! The no dig system also means the soil holds water much better, so in sunny weather you don’t have to worry to much about the soil drying out. The benefits of no dig growing don’t stop there, it’s

a long list! This method has served us well and the crops are flying along and all looking very healthy. We have some of

the largest lettuces I have ever seen.. and a taste to match too! The beautiful courgette flowers are making an appearance with tiny baby courgettes just behind them. The Runner Beans are beginning their twisty climb up the bamboo canes we have provided them with and the Tomatoe plants are being tied in to their strings to partake in their summer journey.

It’s a mad time of year but its about now that the benefits of all the hardwork of March, April and May start to pay off and after the somewhat disastrous season last year caused mainly by slugs and plant rot (both symptoms of too much rain!) we are looking forward to harvesting the crops this year. The crops start slowly with mainly leafy veg at first (Spinach, Chard, Fava Bean Greens, Turnip Greens, Lettuce) and then week by week more will be getting harvested. By August we will most likely have dozens of different crops all being

picked simultaneously. Its at this point that the harvests seem to take all day long. We cant wait to be putting it in to your boxes and on to your dinner plates!

Thanks so much for reading and keeping up to date with some of the goings on here at Hooma Hu, as always if you have any questions feel free to get in touch with us.

We hoped you enjoyed our newsletter.

Cariad Mawr from Rita, Luna and Will