Vegetables

Planning goes hand in hand with record-keeping. You need to have the figures from past production in order to plan ahead effectively.

Garlic is a member of the onion (Allium) genus. Garlic is good for you, but is generally used more for the flavour it imparts to food than for health reasons....

Many vegetable crops are susceptible to root knot eelworm (Meloidogyne spp, also known as nematodes or roundworm), and beans are no exception.

Humus contains approximately 10% nitrogen, and thus acts as a storage facility in the soil for this element.

Planting seed infected by a bacterial disease could lead to complete crop failure. Rather pay more for the seed, if necessary, to ensure that it is clean. Consider the extra...

Of all the elements, nitrogen has the most profound effect on a crop, and this is why you need to use it wisely.

Visual appeal plays a major role in the breeding of beans. Darker green, slender, straight beans have become more popular of late.

Farmers often ask for pest control programmes for their crops. They see them as a form of insurance. Is this justified? In a word, no!

Nitrogen fertiliser comes in two formulations: ammonia-based and nitrate-based. To make the correct choice, you need to understand the difference.

Sweet peppers need adequate levels of potassium and nitrogen. Before planting, you should therefore have a soil analysis done and apply potassium accordingly.

Recent years have seen the introduction of ever-more advanced crop sprayers, many of which are air-assisted to improve penetration into foliage.

Sweet potatoes are so hardy and easy to grow that they could almost be classified as weeds! Even without optimal fertilisation and care, they produce reasonably well, unlike many other...

Seed is a potential source of viruses in capsicums. However, it is a rare occurrence these days, as seed producers are keen to protect their reputations and take stringent precautions...

Many watermelon growers plant as soon as possible in the season so they can market the crop early, when prices are high.

Pests are an ongoing threat to vegetables, and need to be controlled effectively and timeously to prevent damage to the crop.

Swiss chard can either be sown directly or transplanted. Both methods have their pros and cons.

Before planting a land to any of the cucurbits, you should kill off all broad-leaved weeds nearby, preferably well beforehand.

Viking Farming near East London in the Eastern Cape is a small but intensive vegetable operation that supplies supermarkets and processors across the Eastern Cape and even the Western Cape....

With no-till farming, you need to try to gradually increase the organic content of the soil.

Company representatives often bombard farmers with products claimed to increase yield at little cost.