Food gardening

Sowing Guide

Highveld and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Artichokes (globe), bush beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, spinach and Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips

Middleveld (around Tshwane and other less frosty areas) Artichokes (globe), bush and runner beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard, squashes (bush and trailing), tomatoes, turnips

Eastern Cape and Little Karoo

Artichokes (globe), bush beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, Swiss chard, tomatoes

Western Cape (and southern coast) Artichokes (globe), bush and runner beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, lettuce, bush and trailing squashes, Swiss chard, tomatoes

Northern Cape and Great Karoo

Artichoke (globe), bush beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips

Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal coast Artichokes (globe), brinjals, capsicums (sweet peppers and chillies), tomatoes

How to control whiteflies on veggies

Whiteflies are a pest that every food gardener dreads. They infest the leaves of tomatoes, brinjals, cucumbers and squashes, stunting the plants and deforming new leaves. They also spread viral diseases.

Two organic sprays that can be used to eradicate them are Ludwig’s Insect Spray and EcoBuz Pest Pro. Both are contact sprays, which means that the spray must make contact with the whiteflies.

Ludwig’s Insect Spray contains natural pyrethrum, which kills on contact, as well as canola oil, which has a smothering action. • Use a good pressurised spray pump or bottle and spray all the leaves, including the lower leaves of tomatoes, cucumbers and brinjals. Drench the underside of the leaves by spraying upwards. Also spray the top of the leaves for any whiteflies that settle there. • At the start of the spraying programme, spray 3 times within 10 days, which means spraying on day 1, day 5 and day 10. Then spray once a week for at least 21 days, because that is the life cycle of adult whiteflies.

EcoBuz Pest Pro is a biological contact insecticide that contains beneficial fungi (Beauvaria bassiana) that occur naturally in soils. The fungi penetrates the pest cuticle, growing and feeding until the pest dies. It also has the ability to reduce any of the stages of the life cycle. • Spray when whiteflies are first noticed and make sure to cover the plant, drenching the underside of the leaves where the pests rest. • Dilute 2g of Pest Pro in 1 litre of water, mix well and spray every seven days for at least 21 days.

Good to know: Aphids will also be controlled with these sprays.

Garden tasks

• Pull out weeds by hand. Make a point of clearing a patch whenever you visit the veggie garden. • Remove veggies that are no longer productive. • Fertilise fruiting crops and feed leafy crops after picking. • Don’t leave crops to rot: remove mouldy, damaged or excessively diseased plants to prevent disease from spreading. • Monitor crops for pests and spray with organic or biological pest controls as soon as you notice an infestation. • Water at least twice a week in the absence of rain. Lightly mulch beds to keep the soil cool. • Harvest regularly – this is peak harvest time and crops spoil if left for too long. • In frost-free or moderately warm areas, consider sowing a last crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and Swiss chard. • Start sowing winter veggies in seed trays.

We found

A hand-held soft spray from Gardena that is perfect for watering seed trays, newly sown veggie seed beds and veggies in containers. The soft mist spray gently waters the plants and the soil. The water flow is adjustable, and the trigger has a lock mechanism to make watering easier. The Gardena Classic Soft Spray is available through hardware stores and selected garden centres. www.gardena.com/za

Here’s a carrot tip: Carrot seed

should only be sown 1cm deep. Scatter the seed over the surface of the soil, then sprinkle a handful or so of potting soil lightly over the seed. Gently firm it down, so that it doesn’t get blown away, and water the soil just as gently with a watering can. Potting soil is lighter than garden soil, which allows the seed to germinate easily. Because January is such a hot month, water the soil every day, even twice a day, so that it doesn’t dry out while the seed is germinating.

Try this:

Garden Master has a fun range of baby vegetable seeds: Cabbage ‘Puma’ , Carrot ‘Little Finger’ , Squash ‘Barbara’ , Squash ‘Sweet Dumpling’ , and Tomato ‘Bite Size’ . All can be sown in January, except tomato ‘Bite Size’ that is just suitable for sowing in the Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal areas. Why not try Carrot ‘Little Finger’? Seed germinates within 10 to 14 days and carrots will be ready for pulling up from 90 days. Just make sure to sow them in a sunny spot, in well dug over soil that drains easily. www.gardenmaster.co.za