Vegetables

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.