Watermelon Sugar Baby, sometimes called the Ice Box Watermelon because its small enough to fit neatly in a fridge. Despite its convenient size Watermelon Sugar Baby does need space to grow, so space seeds at least 90 cm apart. Watermelon is a “friendly” germinator in that it does bests when it has some friends to…
Herb of the month: Rocket is probably the easiest herb to grow from seed and its peppery leaves offer just the right kind of tang for spring and summer salads. This zesty herb originates from the Mediterranean regions. Not surprisingly, it is used as a fresh topping for pizzas and open sandwiches or for tossing…
August is too early, and the soil’s too cold to sow tomatoes and other summer veggies but there is a way to get them started early and have pickable fruit sooner than usual. Tomatoes, brinjals, peppers, cucumbers and summer squash need warm soil to germinate. But did you know that they can be germinated…
Grow your own…. Back to your roots A new season is around the corner and although the soil is still too cool for sowing, start preparing for root veggies that can be sown from the beginning of September. Beetroot, carrots, parsnips, radishes and turnips germinate in cool soil, when day temperatures are consistently between 18°…
July is a slow growth month, the middle of winter when everything tends to sit still. But not if you want to grow microgreens. Garden peas may be an unusual choice but they are as tasty and sweet, if not sweeter than fully grown peas. There are three ways to grow them. Firstly, as sprouts…
By Alice Coetzee Whether you’ve been to see the Namaqualand flowers, or it is still on your bucket list, don’t let that stop you from creating a little bit of floral heaven in your garden. Did you know that South Africa is richer in indigenous flowers than most other countries? We are so lucky that…
For veggie gardeners wanting quick returns there is a good variety of winter greens that can be sown now for harvesting from May onwards. Lettuce, endive and radicchio are crunchy, colourful salad greens, and endive and radicchio have a slightly bitter flavour that adds depth to the salad bowl. Peppery greens like Pak Choy and…
Veggie of the month: Leafy mustard greens may tingle the taste buds with their hot, peppery flavour, but this herb prefers growing in cooler weather. Young leaves are pickable from 14 to 21 days after germination and it produces leaves throughout winter for use in salads or cooked dishes. To grow: Why not sow mustard…
Garlic chives are a mild example of garlic’s superb powers, offering the strong garlicky flavour without the lingering after-effect on the breath. Although they are not as powerful as garlic medicinally, garlic chives are high in vitamin C and carotene, and help in preventing respiratory infections as well as acting as a tonic and blood…
The colours of succulents are most vivid in winter and if combined with indigenous winter flowers like African daisies, vygies and gazanias, the combination is spectacular. To get ready for winter, take some time to tidy up the succulents. They don’t mind being cut back or trimmed, especially those that are overgrown or scraggly. Echeveria…