We've entered August, and the land celebrated with us this week as we welcomed a short burst of rain here in Devon. It lasted about five minutes, but more than one person on the farm managed a gleeful dance at the feeling of rain drops on skin. It's been long awaited, and it was certainly not enough, but it was something!

Whilst we've been busily harvesting an abundance of seed crops, we've also been watching the skies for shifting weather - our soils need rain, but we can't harvest seeds when they are wet, or thresh outside when the humidity is too high.

Our seed store is overflowing already; this week we have brought in 'Tropea' onions, 'Fantasia' carrots, 'Brushstrokes' violas, 'Delft Blue' and 'Miss Jekyll Rose' nigella, 'Purple Emperor' nasturtiums, and many more!

We're harvesting 'Gardener's Delight' tomatoes every week now, and getting into the swing of processing the batches as they come in. We've planted a few extra plants for us to harvest and eat, which makes for a good mid-work snack!

This week we also lifted all of our 'Tropea' onion crop. They've been growing out in the field since spring, and now we will dry them and store them over winter. Onions are biennial, flowering and setting seed in their second year. So these will be replanted next season, and we will gather their seed in the summer of 2027. They do look beautiful all laid out like this, and it gives us a good chance to take a look at the variety, noticing the shapes, colours and sizes.

This year we have also grown a huge number of 'Purple Emperor' nasturtium plants. These sprawling plants produce spicy, deep purple flowers that give way to large seeds. The ripe seeds fall off the plants, and scatter all over the place, making them excellent self-seeders in a garden but quite labour intensive when we're gathering up all those seeds.

A few weeks ago we harvested the 'Classic Romantic' cornflowers and hung them up in the tunnel to dry. This week they were ready for processing, so we took them down and threshed them by hand (and foot). We do this by lowering the rack and rubbing the flower heads loose with our feet. After the bulk of the material is removed, we then screen the rest to separate the seeds from the chaff. Cornflowers are excellent when dried, with their petals gaining even more vibrance.

Growing in a drought

Many of you, like us, have been reflecting on the distinct lack of rain and wondering what will be needed in future. Growing advice should always be context specific, as there are so many variables to consider depending on your climate, region and growing context. However, we have gained knowledge over the years that we think serves as a good starting point. Here's some tips for you to consider:

1. Add organic matter

Every 1% increase in organic matter allows an average soil to hold another inch of rain. Increasing the amount of organic matter in your soil will literally allow more water to be retained - reducing run-off and requiring less irrigation.

2. Cover bare soil

Use mulches or green manures to cover bare soil, blocking direct sunlight, stopping wind from drying the surface, and keeping the soil cool. This will slow down evaporation. Organic mulches (straw, cuttings, chippings, compost, leaf mould) will provide additional benefits to the soil, contributing organic matter as they break down.

3. Water well, but less

Plants adapt to their conditions. We generally advise growers to water well but less often. This allows plants to send out strong, wide and deep roots to search for water, rather than depending on a ready supply from us. Water plants in well; plant them deep and leave a crater around the base of the plant to allow the first soaking to pool. After this, water less frequently but very thoroughly early in the morning or late at night, so that the water soaks deep into the soil.

4. Reduce plant spacings

General planting advice says to leave 30cm spacing between plants. With the drier climate we are experiencing, we need to minimise bare, exposed soil. Planting individual plants closer together will allow for a denser canopy and less exposed soil.

5. Try companion planting and incorporate perennials

If you can experiment with mixed beds, polycultures, perennials and companion planting, this will increase resilience. Not only will mixed plantings make best use of the space and reduce bare soil, they will also make best use of available nutrients and water. Consider planting deeper rooting plants alongside shallow rooters, ensuring water and nutrients are accessed and distributed.

6. Grow resilient varieties

Sourcing open-pollinated seed increases the genetic diversity and resilience of your crops, allowing for bioregional adaptation over time. As the climate changes, we need genetically diverse crops that are good for our soil, our climate and our ecosystems.

7. Harvest water

With many areas experiencing hosepipe bans and empty reservoirs, harvesting rainwater is always a good idea. There are many different methods of doing so, from DIY solutions to larger budget options. Rainwater is much better for our plants than tap water, as it doesn't have any of the chemical treatments present in mains water.

For many people, the changing climate brings uncertainty and anxiety, especially so for those who are working closely with the natural world and noticing the impact of these changes. However, despite the lack of rain, our crops are continuing to grow and produce an abundance of seed. This reminds us, daily, why the work that we do is important.

When we encourage diversity, and work with plants throughout their natural life cycle, we build resilience into the system. At the end of each plants life cycle, they hand over an abundance of seed. These seeds are tiny, robust, and incredibly capable - the plant has put all of it's energy, all of it's growth, all of it's faith and hope, into something so small. This tiny seed contains everything it needs in order to grow on into the future. Even when the climate changes, these diverse little seeds will continue to adapt and thrive, and if we keep working with them, so will we.

Take care and enjoy,

Izzy and the Vital Seeds team