Cherry growth not dampened by rain

Somerset is known for its cider orchards and even strawberry fields... but cherries?

Cherries are grown at three farms in Somerset

Cherries are normally grown in counties such as Kent and Sussex where the climate is drier.

But when farm manager Robert Fovargue moved from Sussex to Knowle St Giles, he decided the elements were not going to dampen his idea of growing the fruit.

Now, four years later, his 1,700-odd trees are flourishing.

He said he was "thrilled" with the amount of interest they have had in their cherries, of which they have grown 18 varieties on their 27.5 acre farm (of which four are dedicated just to the fruit).

The only problem is the age-old British dilemma - the weather. Heavy rain causes the cherries to split so Robert has placed nets over the dwarf trees and has injected calcium to help strengthen the cell structure.

HOW TO PICK SOFT FRUIT Strawberries: Don't touch the berry. Grab it by its stalk and then nip it off with your nail and hold it between the thumb and forefinger by the stalk. Don't touch the soft berry. Raspberries: Have to touch them so be very delicate Cherries: Upward movement from the tree

"Rain is causing one variety (stella) to split up to 30% but other varieties such as cornel are splitting 10-15%," he said.

"As long as we can pick them for ripeness we able to keep on top of it but there is still an element of crack cherry."

The ripening season started on 1 July, and is expected to still produce cherries until the end of the month.

The number of pickers depends on when the trees are ripe. Because of the cooler weather, some cherries haven't ripened yet so they could potentially need up to ten pickers however on average they've used between three to six.

"The slower ripening season means their cherries are as good, if not better than other people's," he said.

The cherries aren't going to waste though - they're brilliant for jam.