Other weeds to watch out for
There are a number of particularly bad weed species which can be tough and costly to deal with once established.
Success at Last?
Many role players have for years lamented the lack of commitment by municipalities when it comes to their fresh produce markets.
Follow me!
Many of my colleagues are worried about the future of commission markets in this country.
Coping with nutsedge
Officially, the world’s number one weed is nutgrass, more correctly called ‘nutsedge’, as it’s not a grass but a sedge. (Sedges don’t have nodes as do true grasses.)
Watch out for weeds
The appearance of one or two unknown weeds on my land has reminded me of the danger of leaving them unattended just because they appear to pose no threat due...
Adding value
Marketing fresh produce is a competitive and frequently expensive business as producers seek ways to improve margins.
Getting rid of paspalum
A type of kweek grass, called couch paspalum (Paspalum distichum), is gaining a foothold on many vegetable farms. Also known as ‘kweek paspalum’, many farmers confuse it with common kweek...
Commitment is all
Since I seem to be lambasting politicians and bureaucrats all the time, permit me to illustrate the sort of situation I come across almost without exception in markets.
Making a point
Recently, I wrote about the necessity of ensuring vegetable transplants have enough nitrogen in the plug or in the plant to stimulate root growth and ensure an early start as...
Growing Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts is a luxury item not part of our daily cuisine and usually reserved for special treats. It is generally well known that this crop is a dedicated winter...
Leave it to business
“It is the height of conceit for the government to believe it can devise a system that will work better than an unimpeded market.”
Understanding spray mixtures
With spray adjuvants, many farmers think that mixing a sticker and a wetter/spreader into the water are the same thing. This is certainly not true.
It takes passion
During a recent early morning walk through the massive sales halls of the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market I was yet again struck by the uniqueness of such a market.
Do it yourself
Some of us have a tendency to blame the government for many of our country’s woes and then, in the same breath, expect the government to fix almost every imaginable...
Removing the hazards from transplanting
We’ve covered the requirements for the most suitable seedlings in the past few articles. It doesn’t stop there, though, as all this good work can be undone during transplanting –...
Markets and jobs
There’s been a lot of hype in the media recently about creating employment opportunities in SA. However, seldom is anything said about the role of agriculture in creating jobs.
Why agents should attend farmers’ days
Most good market agents make sure they attend as many farmers’ days as possible.
Marketing milk
How to do more to promote the benefits of milk to the public – and thereby improve profits all round.
Communication is essential
The huge distances between producers and markets. Perishable products. Tough competition. The lack of understanding of markets and marketing by many producers.
Square versus round plugs
In addition to seedling hardness, there’s also the matter of seedling size, which, of course, depends on the size of the cell – or plug – in the seedling tray.
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