Don’t Slow Down Now! TEXT Alice Spenser-Higgs Autumn is a good time to grow vegetables in containers. The milder days are less stressful for the veggies than the blistering heat of summer. Looking ahead to winter, containers can be shifted into sunny, sheltered areas, especially if the veggie garden is draughty or doesn’t get enough […]
spinach
Super Celery
Super Celery Apium graveolens – is it a herb or a vegetable? Whichever way you view it, celery has been grown for its nutritional and medicinal properties for at least 3000 years. All you need is a row of plants, perhaps even in containers, to have a constant supply of crunchy green stems for salads, […]
Super Smoothies
Super Smoothies Smoothies are a great way to use your home-grown fruit and veggies, and to get your daily requirement in one quick and tasty meal. Here are three of our favourite smoothie recipes, but don’t be dictated to! There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to delectable combinations, so use whatever […]
Cheesy Spinach Chilli Bites
Cheesy Spinach Chilli Bites Make your own baby spinach chilli bites and add a glorious melted mozzarella centre. 4 green chillies, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 teaspoons coriander seeds ½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 potato, grated 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon […]
Spinach by Any Other Name
Spinach by any other name Most of us use the terms ‘spinach’ and ‘Swiss chard’ interchangeably when referring to our favourite green leafy vegetable. There is a difference though, in taste as well as growth habit. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a cool-season crop while Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) belongs to the beet family […]
Bright And Beautiful Beetroot
Bright And Beautiful Beetroot Beetroot is a stalwart of the garden; an efficient crop, grown year-round for its root and foliage, that doesn’t take up much space and is also very nutritious. The sweet, succulent root contains more sugar than any other vegetable, while the leaves are an excellent source of calcium, iron and vitamins […]
Companion Planting for Pest Control
Companion Planting for Pest Control: Companion planting has a long tradition in organic gardening practice. The principle behind companion planting is that certain plants either enhance each other’s growth or help control pests when planted close together. There are also plants that enrich the soil. In addition, companion planting increases bio-diversity in our gardens, by […]
Sowing Guide for December
Leaf vegetables: spinach, rocket Root vegetables: beetroot (cooler areas) Legumes: bush and runner beans Brassicas: broccoli (first sowing for cooler areas), cabbage (cooler areas), cauliflower (first sowing for cooler areas) Fruit vegetables: capsicums (last month), tomatoes (last month), cucumber, marrows, squash, mealies and pumpkins Shoots: asparagus (except Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal coast) Herbs: continue sowing basil, […]
August Sowing Guide
In warm, frost-free areas, the following vegetable and herb seeds can be sown in situ. In other areas, sow in pots or wait until after the last frost. Herbs: chillies, nasturtiums, Italian parsley (flat leaf parsley) and parsley (curly leaf) Vegetables: beetroot, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, peas, peppers, radishes, rocket, runner beans, spinach, Swiss chard and […]
From green Manures to Microgreens
Winter sowing is coming to an end, except in sub-tropical areas where the season is only really starting! Time to get ready for winter and the challenges that it brings Good to know Combining green manure crops with compost (at planting time) builds long-term organic matter and should supply all the necessary nutrients for the […]