“ Another concern was that, if coriander failed completely, the business did not have enough strong substitutes to carry it. Other vegetables planted outside were vulnerable to rain and hail, and one bad weather event could mean losing three weeks’ production.”
“ We figured that if coriander was out, something serious needed to be done. A three-crop rotation was needed. You cannot plant vegetables in the same place every year. Cauliflower gets clubroot, and the others develop all sorts of diseases. So, we plant coriander, then lettuce, cauliflower and then cabbage. That is how the rotation works.”
Protection under netting
The next major breakthrough was the move into protective net structures. Roy says the only way to grow vegetables successfully today is to protect them.
“ Vegetables are not insurable anymore, and those days are over,” he says.
7. The soil under the protective netting is prepared for the next planting season.