East Malling Research (EMR) conducts research on plants, vegetables and fruit with a view to providing the UK with the latest techniques, services and products to keep them at the forefront of horticulture. It was first established in 1913 on the current site and has Charitable status.

They are probably best known for the introduction of fruit tree rootstocks but they also conduct research on a wide variety of fruit and plants.

At the end of this page we provide links to various articles about EMR however this article aims to inform UK gardeners about they can be involved with EMR in a fun and informative way.

FRUIT FOCUS DAY

This is held each year towards the end of July on a weekday and features 120 suppliers in the horticultural industry such as English Apples and Pears, Hattingly Valley Wines, Horticulture Week, Red Tractor Assurance and Spitalfields Markets. It is held at EMR and tickets can be pre-booked or are available on the door for £11. For that relatively low sum you get  a catalogue, free-parking, free entrance to the Fruit Forums, research tours and WineSkill Workshops – that’s value for money!

Another freebie is the Live Demonstration Area featuring tractors, sprayers, irrigation equipment, wood chippers and more. Admittedly not all of this will be directly applicable to you but it does sound like an interesting way to spend an afternoon for only £11. The official Fruit Focus website can be found here for more details.

EAST MALLING WALK

For the walkers amongst you the area around East Malling is very attractive. A well documented 5 mile walk around the area is available here.

MORE INFORMATION ON EAST MALLING RESEARCH

More information about the East Malling Research Centre can be found on the official website here, the Wikipedia entry (some of the information appears to be incorrect) can be found here and information about the East Malling Trust Estate can be found here. A detailed review of the work carried out by the EMR can be found here.