Highland Horticulture
About Highland Horticulture
Highland Horticulture was Established by Iain & Jacqueline Thorne who have been propagating and supplying sweetpotato plants to commercial growers and gardeners in the UK and around the world since 2003.
Our Company
It is widely considered that sweetpotato cannot be grown in the UK, with this in mind we decided to develop our nursery in the Scottish highlands to prove what could be achieved. If sweetpotato can be grown here they will grow in the rest of the UK.
Strategy
Since establishment in 2003 our aim is to grow and supply a range of sweet potato which will give good yields in the UK climate. Over the past years we have grown many varieties and clones. This work has helped us identify the varieties which we offer, as being most suitable for the UK climate. This research has not stopped, we still continue to grow and asses alternative varieties for suitability.
Environment
As propagators and seed producers, both our location and the Scottish climate gives the opportunity for us to maintain virus and disease free stock. Cold winters reduces the risk of pests and disease being carried forward. There is no known Sweetpotato virus present in Scotland, and our cooler temperatures keep aphids, which can transfer virus, at bay. In short we see our location as a key benefit in maintaining a healthy stock of Sweetpotato.
Plant Health
Sweetpotato seed produced at our nursery is inspected by SASA, which represents the Scottish Government and UK Plant Health Service. These inspections allow us to provide a Plant Passport for all stock delivered within the UK. SASA also inspects and issues phytosanitary certificates for all our export shipments to customers around the world. We take plant health very seriously.