Greenhouses and Undercover
Tunnel growing
Allée Bleue ’ s abundant herbs by Carol Posthumus
The beautiful Allée Bleue estate near Franschhoek in the Western Cape is well-known for its wines and olive oils , and increasingly its fresh herbs . In fact , the 200ha Allée Bleue – the name reflecting the estate ’ s avenue of picturesque eucalyptus “ bluegum ” trees - is one of the Western Cape ’ s biggest herb producers . The always-fresh herbs are distinctly branded and are available at retailers including Pick ‘ n Pay , Checkers , Woolworths , Fruit and Veg and the Spar . The farm harvest more than 1 ton of herbs every week , year-round , and supplies only the Western Cape .
On a visit to Allée Bleue , the GM , Ansgar Flaatten tells the SABI magazine team that the farm started cultivating herbs some years ago , to diversify the produce from wine and fruit . Allée Bleue is also used as an event venue for weddings and happenings such as the annual Undercover Conference , which will be held here from 11-12 October .
The estate is certainly well worth a visit for a wine tasting , picnic or for accommodation if visiting the winelands – you can even , if you like , overnight here in a Sir Herbert Baker designed cottage .
Allée Bleue , owned by Friedrich- Wilhelm and Elke Dauphin , has wonderful art collections that can be enjoyed by visitors . Herb farming is akin to a fine art here too . You can , indeed , enjoy the Herb Farm Tour with Allée Bleue ’ s resident herb grower Lario Moolman , who is passionate and highly knowledgeable about tunnel farming and herbs .
World of herbs
Lario Moolman joined Allée Bleue in 2009 as an Production Assistant and a few years later was promoted to the Production Manager of the Herbs Department at Allée Bleue .
Moolman ’ s career is well steeped in herb growing , which she entered after studying Agriculture at Cape Technikon , now CPUT . “ I did my experiential learning at the University of Stellenbosch ’ s
Nurturing herbs from seed
Allée Bleue ’ s herb farmer Lario Moolman says they grow the herbs directly from seed . The length of time that the herbs are ready for harvest is variant .
Yummy summer rocket – for salads and pizzas – is ready for its first harvest after only 18 days !
“ So you can imagine during those 18 days how many times I will have to check on the plants ’ irrigation and adjust the EC on the fertigation and treat it with foliar feeds and plant protection products . In winter it takes about twice as long before harvest but it also takes longer before the crop goes into flower and leaf production stops . So although we have to wait longer before we can harvest , we are able to harvest for a longer period in winter .
Notably , coriander takes about 4 – 5 weeks before first harvest in summer , “ but then you can only harvest once or twice , maybe three experiential farm , Welgevallen . In 2005 I started working as a forewoman on an herb farm called Adelaarsvlugt and this was where I got my first taste in growing herbs on a commercial scale . The owner , Leslie McGregor , a formidable farmer and woman , introduced me to the world of herbs and for the next four years I managed her greenhouse grown herbs ,” Moolman tells us .
Moolman muses that she loves being outdoors all day , “ I love seeing the plants develop from tiny seed into beautiful lush green plants .”
And beautiful green plants they definitely are in Allee Bleue ’ s tunnels . Herbs like coriander ,
times if you ’ re lucky , before it bolts .” In winter , coriander is harvested for the first time after a waiting period of 8 – 9 weeks “ but then you ’ ll be able to get up to 7 cuts out of it before it bolts .
Another aspect worth keeping in mind , says Moolman , is the amount of days that pass between harvests . With coriander , for example , it takes almost exactly 7 days between harvests in summer , but in winter , with comparison , it can take 14 to 21 days before it has grown out again to be harvested .
Open field takes much longer before the crop can be harvested . Allée Bleue has some open
Lario Moolman
rocket , dill and mint are flourishing and green here - they look to be growing vividly in the tunnels on the farm .
Allée Bleue started growing its herbs in around 2000 for the essential oil markets and for drying as well as edible flowers and mushrooms . With time , culinary herbs became the prime focus .
Allée Bleue is looking at expanding their tunnel production , especially to make provision for the winter months , when the herbs tend to grow much slower . This will also to help with supply during the peak seasons .
Moreover , the estate is going to launch an exciting new herb line in spring – Mum is still the word , but Moolman says : “ I can ’ t give out any more details , but I can tell you the foodies and health junkies out there are going to love it !” ( Watch this space !)
field crops , which they have trialled . The hardier herbs such as rosemary , sage , oregano , thyme and lemon grass don ’ t need as much protection as leafy herbs .
“ We planted them in the open field first as a trial to see how well they would do in the soil before we invested too much in the project . They are doing very well and we plan to put a shade net over them to give them some protection against the sun and wind , and to help them grow . We are also doing trials with leafy crops such as coriander and parsley to help with supply during peak seasons ”
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SABI | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016