The grove covers more than 5,000 sq metres (5 strema) on the side of hill which slopes
down to a stream. By the stream is a wild area
of about 500 sq metres, which was cleared of brambles, bushes and fallen trees in 2008,
The mystery of the strange contours of Lamda (a chunk of the hill has been cut away forming a cliff) was solved when a fellow diner at a taverna in Methoni, who grew up in Pidasos Village near Lamda, told of a small house that had existed there until the 1980's. Our neighbour at the grove remembers the house and if no remains are visible now it is because it was a mud house. This explains the existence of a well, walnut trees, fig trees and some "wild" grapevines.
Chronology of Lamda Olive Grove
2010 Planned work
- clearance of bamboo along the river border.
2009
The focus of attention in 2009 was on the Lemon Grove rather than the olive groves. At lamda and Delta the land was mown instead of tilled, producing a fine swathe of lush grass. One concern is that this might mean a change in flower types in 2010 but it certainly makes it easier to walk the groves and examine the trees. A fine quality crop of extra virgin olive oil was produced - though only 121 litres from lamda and Delta combined, this being the "low year".
2008
In December 2008 Delta Olive Grove ajoining Lamda, was purchased. It gives direct access from the farm road to both groves and the harvests can be combined. A total crop of 76.5 sacks, 507 litres of high quality oil was harvested and 10 kilos of eating olives were picked by hand and prepared in brine for domestic use.A Clearance Project was undertaken in Spring 2008. Work still outstanding includes removal of debris, mainly cut bamboo, from the stream and pruning of the remaining overgrown border where tall trees, including oaks, deprive the olives of light.
The aim is to leave some mature trees and shrubs, even at the expense of a perfect crop, in order to maintain the habitat for wildlife and balance of nature that makes Lamda special.
In 2008, we tried manure as fertiliser for the first time. One of the organic fertilizers
previously used contained chicken manure and on traditional smallholdings, the goats and
chickens would have roamed in the groves and naturally fertilised them. Olives are evergreen and harvesting
includes the removal of leaves and branches as well as the olive fruit. There is no natural
mulching of the soil under the trees by leaf fall. Branches are often burnt
immediately after harvest when wood is collected for winter fuel but some harvesters
leave the branches for up to 3 months before burning, allowing leaves to fall to the ground. Olive wood burns well, new or old!
2007
During a clearing exercise in 2007, we uncovered the stone well refered to in the deeds, with a tree stump border which had been completely hidden.
The well would have been dug by hand in the late 19th or early 20th century and is
close to the stream, but has silted up over the years and is now dry. Lamda olive grove has
heavy, fertile, soil which retains water. It's hillside location is therefore a bonus.
2003-2006
Poor years, with no olives harvested. The trees were not pruned but we continued to till the grove and the display of spring flowers improved each year. Olive crops are subject to weather conditions, treatment with fertilizer, pruning method and disease caused mainly by "dacos" the olive fly. Each tree produces a main crop on alternate years, unless pruned carefully to produce a more consistent crop from half of the tree each year. Pruning olive trees is skilled work and there are different theories and many debates among growers! Soil type is another factor and Lamda produces very fine quality oil.
2001-2003
From 2001 to 2003, the use of fertilizer and Olive fly spray was suspended to enable the conversion of the grove to an organic grove - a process that takes 5 years. Organic ferilizer was used in 2002; it consisted of 3 types of fertiliser, applied at different times of the year. it proved not only expensive to It proved expensive in terms of labour and production fell dramatically, as predicted by others who had tried it.
1999 - 2000
The Olive Grove was purchased between September and December 1999 and the first crop under
new ownership was a superb crop of more than 400 litres. Normal fertilizer had been applied, and the grove tilled
annually but the borders were overgrown, trees very large, and tall, tough grasses grew on
the rich, shaded soil. Brambles and lush, shade loving plants, including "horsetail", grew
on the lower ground and under the trees on the upper part of the hill.
The grove had an air of mystery but lower trees were denied the space and air they needed.