Roughway Farm was delighted to welcome members from Hadlow Gardeners’ Society to learn all about Kentish Cobnuts.
John Cannon and his family have been growing cobnuts on the farm since the 1960’s (Previously farming at Oxenhoath, West Peckham) and grow 52 different varieties. Some of the trees are 150 years old and are still producing cobnuts.
John is also the life President of the Kentish Cobnut Association, founded by John, in the late 1980’s / early 90’s to preserve Kentish nut plats and to provide a voice for the industry. The current Chairman is Gillian Jones.
Enjoying the warm sunshine, the Hadlow Gardeners’ went out into the cobnut fields, or plats, where John and Faith demonstrated how the trees are pruned for health and vigour. They are kept fairly low to make it easier for hand-picking and it takes three people three months to prune all the trees. Some of the society were brave enough to have a go!
Society members were also drawn to a plant at the base of the cobnut trees. It was highlighted that this was Toothwort (Lathraea) a parasitic plant that grows on the roots of cobnut trees.
HGS Secretary Jenny Bubb said: “John Cannon and his family were very welcoming and we thoroughly enjoyed our morning on the farm in the beautiful Kent countryside.”
All voluntary donations collected for the demonstration were donated by John to the Kentish Cobnuts Association.
