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Showing 1 - 30 of 2214 comments
Shallots (also Eschalots) 17 Apr, Derek (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
get sets from livingseeds’s.co.za, in fact all heirloom seeds and garden supplies. they currently have two varieties in stock (Spanish and Perennial) and ship all over the country by courier or PostNet, and provide excellent service and advice. they are in Centurion in Gauteng, if you’re able to collect directly to save on shipping costs!
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Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) 01 Apr, Enara Tapera (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Where can I get tubers or even leaves for Jerusalem Artichoke. I need them for research purposes. I am in Midrand Guateng.
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Asparagus 02 Mar, Annette (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Please help. I've planted aubergine seedlings. They're flowering at the moment but all the flowers are falling off. Is there anything I can do to prevent it?
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Cucumber 08 Feb, Sello Mokhethi (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Why do I see cucumber plant provided support like tomato plant.stand like structure preventing them to lay on the soil?
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Potato 08 Feb, Claus Otto (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I am looking for a handbook for beginners,with illustrations and advise,how to plant and grow potatoes in south africa
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Potato 17 Feb, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
The handbook-which I provided the location to in my prior reply is not very beginner'ish but it is comprehensive covering issues you may never encounter- but you do need the reference material. I have a few thoughts to add. 1. Hilling up while the plant is growing-if you are covering leaves I find this fundamentally wrong. Leaves are specialized and designed to collect light, they are not roots. So I opt to plant my seed potatoes deep enough on day one- however I tend to have the luxury of very well airated, light soil. This means the seed potato has a steady air supply and can sense the heat from the sun even at deeper depths 2. Your seedpotatoes need all their potassium Immediately. Potatoes strangely take up all their potassium that they need really early. -and don't uptake more. If there is not enough potassium in the very early stages your potatoes might have hollow heart (looks like hollow rotting middles). Late application of potassium tends to be useless 3. Potatoes seem to respond really well to the addition of microryzal fungi - in my area we source that under pine trees in a forest- we just take some forest floor duff with a dust pan and add to the potatoe planting soil. To sum up - your seed Potatoes should be about the size of chicken eggs (if larger cut up ensuring an eye on each piece and allow a few days to heal/scab up before planting). You need to chit them(make them sprout-place in dark so they sprout). Plant in soil with Compost, a sorce of potassium and microryzal fungi. If for some reason you cannot source any compost/pottasium/microryzal fungi -plant anyhow potatoes are tough -there is still a good chance they will be Okay -depends on the condition of you soil. In my area I can water deeply once per week. Harvest when about half the leaves have fallen over as if to die. If you harvest sooner you may be compromising on size-because as long as those leaves can collect light they can store the energy in the tubers. Good luck - it is so much easier than it sounds- and all those diseases in the handbook are rare and if the plants are strong (well fed) they can manage just fine, potaoes are pretty tough root crop. In other words- you can grow potatoe.
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Potato 16 Feb, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
This is a potato handbook from Kenya -- it might be a good place to start: https://npck.org/Books/PotatoProductionHandbook2019(002).pdf
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Potato 16 Feb, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
This is a potato handbook from Kenya -- it might be a good place to start: https://npck.org/Books/PotatoProductionHandbook2019(002).pdf
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Mustard greens (also gai choy) 03 Feb, Leon (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I want to plant mustard
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Sunflower 25 Jan, Charl Roux (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Hi. Could you perhaps help me get hold of Helianthus annuus ‘Russian Mammoth’ (Common Sunflower) seeds? Regards Charl
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Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) 09 Jan, Kone Taumaku I (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have bought Yates dwarf, climbing beans, summer carnival and other type watetmelon.
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Potato 08 Jan, Mzamana Baloyi (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
When can I plant potatoes in south of mphomalanga province. South Africa?
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Onion 02 Jan, Estelle (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Good. Day.. I just planted my onion seeds out.im a beginner.Just Want to know so it will be ready by what month..tx
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Onion 08 Jan, (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Read the notes here - it tells you this kind of information.
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Pumpkin 27 Dec, Sylvia (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi I live in the central karoo. South Africa. When do I need to plant pumpkins in order to avoid pumpkin fly?
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Onion 13 Dec, Gardener (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
The unions is small when it's ready to harvest
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Potato 12 Dec, Mshana Kazwelonke (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
What fertilizers should I use in order to grow plus size potatoes
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Strawberry Plants 03 Dec, ROB GRINDLEY-FERRIS (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I AM USING A LIQUID FERTILIZER MADE FROM BANANA PEELS ON MY STRAWBERRIES, AND FIND THE FRUIT MUCH LARGER THAN BEFORE,, AND TASTIER. APPLIED ONCE PER WEEK. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS??
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Onion 01 Dec, Henning Kriel (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I love in Paarl western cape.i plant onion bulbs and they did start to grow but the leaves keeps are between 15 and 20 centimeters long and keep bending and lying on the soil.could you lease assist me on this matter
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Onion 18 Dec, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
(FROM THE NET) Manganese and zinc deficiencies are the most common ONION problem that causes tops to prematurely bend over OR become disfigured....Tops falling over prior to the bulb reaching maturity can result in decreased yields Young plants are particularly sensitive to Zn deficiency..... Problems are more common on high pH or calcareous soils or during cold, wet weather.... I suggested adding poultry manure (chicken manure) -- poultry manure tends to be high in Zinc, in a well balanced way. .Zinc also exits naturally in rocks. The amount of zinc present in the soil depends on the parent materials of that soil. Sandy and highly leached acid soils generally have low plant available zinc. Cool soil temperatures in early spring can intensify the need for zinc. Root growth is also stunted by cool temperatures and reduces the plant’s ability to find new sources of zinc in the soil profile. Also note: -onions and other alliums need more phosphorus and potassium than most other vegetables. They also need more copper, manganese, zinc, and molybdenum. Also please be aware that : There is a known relationship between phosphorus and zinc in the soil. Excessive application of phosphate fertilizers can caused zinc deficiencies. A phosphorus-induced zinc deficiency is a concern and may occur only if very high rates of phosphate fertilizer (more than 200 lb P2O5/acre) are used and the soil has zinc levels is in the range between Low and Very Low.
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Asparagus 23 Nov, Annette van Vuuren (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I live in Pretoria and have a hundred or so asparagus seeds from a previous season. You're welcome to contact me if you're interested.
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Garlic 14 Nov, Sibusiso khubisa (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
May i ask what is the Good season for planting garlic and where can i get seeds
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Garlic 16 Nov, (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Check the planting guide here for your climate zone. Look up some gardening internet seed companies for bulbs.
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Rutabaga (also Swedes) 13 Nov, Helen Maguire (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Where can I buy seeds for rutabaga in Cape town?
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Rutabaga (also Swedes) 16 Nov, (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Try shops that sell seeds.
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Horseradish 12 Nov, Roswitha Schulz (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Good day, when can I harvest horseradish in the Pretoria area?
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Horseradish 16 Nov, (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Check how long it takes to grow from the notes here and work out how long you have been growing it.
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Onion 05 Nov, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Can I start sowing onion seeds in November. If so which type of onion is suitable
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Onion 08 Nov, Celeste Archer (Australia - temperate climate)
One last thought .... I never seem to get everything into my first response ==> Egyptian walking onion --onions and other alliums need more phosphorus and potassium than most other vegetables. They also need more copper, manganese, zinc, and molybdenum- however most of these are adequately represent in compost. BUT, if you have any issues, and it is unlikely that you will with walking onions --- but if you do, first thing I would do is ensure all of these elements are present (in Canada our "old" pennies have a lot of copper, we just add this obsolete currency to the garden). Molybdenum is found in wood ash (just the stuff from the fireplace, firepit or wood burning stove -- provided you have burned "clean wood" )-- probably lots in leaf compost, and banana peel compost)-- of course potassium in potash etc.
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Onion 08 Nov, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
Tree onion (Allium x proliferum) also known as Walking Onions, Egyptian Onions, Topset Onions are a perennial onion. They are part of the Alliaceae or onion family and is a hybrid of the common onion (Allium cepa) and the welsh onion (Allium fistulosum). Tree onions are the easiest of the onions to grow coping with 40-degree heat and frosts. Check out his video -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olOrA80C40s -- variety matters -- and DURATION in the soil -- my understanding is harvesting too early results in low yields -- so wait for the 3rd set of topsets before harvesting as per the video. These onions take longer to get going, but are very reliable and topsets, mean you can always propagate (which is a nice to have -- since future generations get stronger and better suited to your climate).
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Showing 1 - 30 of 2214 comments
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