Beware of that foliar feed mixture!
Company representatives often bombard farmers with products claimed to increase yield at little cost.
The benefits of organic matter
When the soil contains sufficient organic material, farming becomes far easier and less risky. In contrast, in a chemically based system, the interaction between the minerals becomes critical and complex,...
Growing a variety of soil microbes
Most farmers are aware that a healthy population of soil organisms is a good thing. What many don’t understand is that the number of soil organisms is directly related to...
Hi-tech onion business delivering 200t a day!
Willem, Jaco and Kolver Mulke produce onions on a large scale near Douglas on the border between the Free State and the Northern Cape. Sabrina Dean visited their high-tech operation...
A guide to growing baby carrots
There’s always a market for baby vegetables, and carrots are no exception. In the past, top-shaped baby carrots were the most popular in the frozen range.
Carrots: get your numbers right!
Hot weather is unfavourable for carrot germination. Depending on the soil’s condition and structure, it also promotes the growth of soil fungus diseases, especially when heavy rain falls, as is...
Preparing to plant carrots: seeds and soil
Carrots have a very deep root system and a mass of fine feeder roots.
Dealing with pumpkin flies
Pumpkin flies, which are slightly larger than houseflies, are similar to the fruit flies so well-known to fruit farmers.
How to control cucurbit viruses
It is also important to control aphids as these are the primary vectors of viruses. Apart from spreading viruses, they are up to no good anyway!
Witlof: a new entrant to SA’s leafy vegetables market
Witlof, also known as Belgian endive, is a notoriously difficult vegetable to grow, but Koue Bokkeveld grower Fanie van der Merwe has mastered the art, producing 1t of witlof a...
Why pumpkins need space to grow
There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for growing pumpkins. This is especially true of spacing, where many factors have to be considered.
Learning about cucurbits
Cucurbits are a group of plants belonging to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). They include pumpkins and squashes (Cucurbita spp), melons (Cucumis melo), cucumbers (C. sativus) and watermelons (Citrullus lanatus).
