Vegetables

There’s nothing worse than not having success with your first crop, so choose one that is cheap and easy to grow. In other words, choose cabbage.

Last week I mentioned that halo blight thrives in cooler conditions and spreads very rapidly in wet ones.

Numerous failings within South Africa's land reform programme, and the uncertainties this is causing, have resulted in no new investment taking place on existing litchi farms.

For years I've been carrying on about the importance of using a fresh-produce commission market properly if you want it to work for you, so let's take a look at how you can get the most out of one.

Downy mildew is less of A problem in cabbage than it used to be. With resistant varieties available, susceptible varieties don't have to be planted in vulnerable areas any more.

The late Peter Venter captured the essence of fresh-produce markets when he said, "When a country needs to import most of its fresh produce, then it doesn't require markets to establish prices, as these will have been done by the importers and wholesalers who bought the fresh produce across the borders.

Clubroot really is a revolting disease -that's literally the reaction of any farmer who pulls out a sickly-looking plant and sees what the root system looks like. Clubroot is also destructive enough to wipe out a crop.

Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is a very destructive cruciferous crop disease that usually occurs unexpectedly. In most cases, by the time farmers notice it it's often too late to stop it. Worse, there's no cure, as it's a viral disease.

Agricultural economist Dr Koos Coetzee wrote about the local market's importance (Global Farming column, 5 November). Some points have a bearing on fresh produce suppliers.

SCLEROTINIA disease can overwhelm many crops, especially in wet climates. I experienced a severe outbreak in my bean crop in 2009 during the persistent rainy season. I hadn't seen the disease in any of my crops for years and I'm uncertain of where the infection started.

Blackleg is a fungal disease that affects cruciferous crops and can do a lot of damage. Look out for it and take precautions so you won't get caught out.

Nitrogen is mobile and VITAL for a good cabbage crop. Get it right to produce consistent, high yields. Most crop failures are a direct result of nitrogen loss in soil.

Professional farmers have ACCURATE data on what it costs them to market their fresh fruit and vegetables, locally and overseas.

Last week I mentioned how important it is to have sufficient nitrogen in the seedling and growing medium. The procedure needs to be maintained from here on - the early stages being particularly vital.

The recent tendency among SOME senior market officials to create the impression that they are solely responsible for the successes of a market hasn't abated.

Many VEGETABLE FARMERS ask what fertiliser to use when planting cabbages. The question assumes each crop has a specific requirement, regardless of what's already in the soil.

I'm often asked what the correct spacing should be when planting cabbages, as though there was only one answer. There's more to spacing than just setting out dimensions.

I've been going on recently about the Ministerial Interim Committee Report (MICR) on restructuring fresh-produce markets. I've not been too complimentary, because I see the whole thing as a political document with a political agenda. Readers will know that I don't believe politics and the boardroom can mix.

FARMERS TEND TO ACCEPT THE seedlings they're given and don't pay much attention to what sort of condition they're in.

Last week I discussed how to choose seedlings. Now I want to outline ways to manipulate seedlings for prevailing conditions.