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).
Understanding genetic chimera in a crop
Farmers often draw my attention to ‘weird signs’ on a plant, fearing them to be the start of a devastating virus. A closer examination often reveals the cause to be...
Dealing with the African bollworm
The African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) has many host crops. The caterpillar, which is spiny when young, has a light stripe on the sides and usually turns green to match the...
Producing onions out of season
You can trick onions into providing an out-of-season crop ready for market when the price is just about at its peak by planting small bulbs called ‘sets’.
Realising a dream with urban aquaponic farming
Louis and Nadine Kuys produce a range of colourful leaf vegetables in an urban aquaponics system in Vredenburg on the West Coast. Keri Harvey visited Forest Friends Aquaponics to learn...
Seedlings: Balancing fertility & hardening
To ensure successful fertilisation, you need to do more than simply carry out a soil analysis to determine the crop’s basic requirements. You also have to consider the needs of...
Do your homework before starting tomato production
Producing tomatoes is expensive and can make or break a farmer. If you plan to grow this crop, first do your homework and investigate its economic viability.
Small land, big dreams for urban veggie farmer
Clement Tshuma believes his small-scale vegetable operation near Kempton Park in Gauteng, not only ensures the sustainability of his own future, but a similar model could be the answer to...
How to fertilise a crop correctly
Readers frequently ask me for specific fertiliser programmes for their crops. I would happily oblige if all crops were the same!
Over-stimulating vegetative growth
The survival mechanisms that enabled the ancestors of modern crops to survive in the wild will influence the efficacy of the fertiliser we apply to these crops today.
Spacing, competition & yield
We sometimes tend to make assumptions about how a crop will react without considering the survival mechanisms inherited from its wild ancestors.
Leafy crop vs fruiting crop the balancing act
When trying to predict how a crop will respond to various situations, remember that all cultivated crops originated from wild ancestors growing in competition with many other species.
Get to know how your crop ‘thinks’
A crop has no way of ‘knowing’ or ‘sensing’ your good intentions. Instead, it responds to the prevailing conditions as a means of self-preservation.
The benefits of farm trials – Part 1
When a farmer says he has 20 years’ experience, it could mean that he has simply been doing the same thing for 20 years without ever trying anything new!
Don’t drown your crop’s roots!
Where many farmers fall short is knowing how deep the water has penetrated after irrigation or rain.
Getting irrigation right
Farmers often ask me how frequently and how much they should irrigate. There is no simple answer, as many aspects must first be considered.
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