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Showing 1111 - 1140 of 2216 comments
Garlic 26 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
When the tops die off garlic is ready for harvest. If you hang it in a dry airy place it will keep for months. You can use some of the cloves to gro your next crop. Trust this helps.
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Yacon (also Sunroot) 26 Feb, caroline (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
what time of the year can i plant yacon in the westerncape?
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Yacon (also Sunroot) 26 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Yacon needs a soil temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius or higher. Plant it about the same time as you would plant tomatoes. It takes about 6 monyjs to harvvest but some roots can be carefully removed earlier. The tops will die off if you get frosts but the roots will be sweeter after the first frost. Trust this helps
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Cucumber 25 Feb, Nicola (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
Hi, we have been gifted 3 cucumber plants. The day our friend brought them to us her chooks sat on them. They were then in her boot the entire day on a 40 degree day. I had them in a morning to mid afternoon sunny spot and they were starting to liven up. The tops started dying off, then they fell over on themselves and cracked the stems. So we moved them to there permanent spot in the evening and in the morning we woke up and the dogs had toppled the 2 over. I picked them up and put the soil back in but now the stems are saggy, broken and the tops are all dried and brown. Please can you help me with advice on how to save these poor plants? I feel so terrible as this is the second set of plants our friend has given us and they are dying again :'(
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Cucumber 26 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Sounds like you've had a traumatic time! Under the circumstances you would be better to sow some fresh seed. It will germinate in a few days. Once plants are battered past a certain point they take a while to recover, if at all. You will need 3-4 months to harvest. All the best.
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 20 Feb, anthony bass (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
my next question is how does one determine the male and female of the flowers?
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 20 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Male flowers will have a longer, spindly stalk and only produce pollen (the male half of the deal) while female flowers have shorter stems and an undeveloped fruit (the female half of the deal). This fruit will develop into a squash or pumpkin when and if pollinated. Trust this helps.
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 18 Feb, anthony bass (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi Guys, I don’t know if this is the right forum for this, but, can some explain to me why a gem squash plant I have has produced so many flowers and yet not one has grown into a squash. I have seen the small squashes grow to about 1cm and then the little stalk starts to dry out and the squash falls off. I have it growing as a vine to keep it off my courtyard floor, is this part of or the problem,
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 18 Feb, kathy (Australia - temperate climate)
you need to pollinate them by hand
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 18 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Your problem suggests the female (fruiting) flowers have not been pollinated. This could be due to a lack of bees or other pollinating insects. The alternative is to hand pollinate by removing a male flower and its petals and brushing it over the female flower. This can also be done with a small, soft paint brush. Having it growing as a vine wouldn't make a difference, in fact it be beneficial to the plant as it would aid air circulation and reduce the chance of mildew forming. Trust this helps.
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Horseradish 17 Feb, geoff (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
where can i buy, i'm not far from durban
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Horseradish 18 Feb, (Australia - temperate climate)
Bridget Kitley Herbs in Stellenbosch list it in their range. They may post a bare rooted plant wrapped in damp newspaper and plastic. Contact them on 07 9407 2209 or email: [email protected] . Trust this helps.
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Horseradish 16 Feb, Kim (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Lifestyle, Johannesburg (011792 5616) has a few Horseradish plants at the moment - I just bought 2
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Horseradish 16 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I love horseradish with beef. The plaants can spread rapidly in good conditions so unless you want that plant them in a very large tub on top of the ground or sunken to just below the rim. Good water supply, and plenty of old manure will yield you tender flavousome roots. Mulching thickly will conserve water. TAll the best!
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 13 Feb, Matam (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
What is the best sweet corn maize seed to plant? I want the one that can produce bigger corns.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 13 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I am in Australia and don't know the varieties you have available in South Africa. I would google search 'sweet corn seed' on your computer. There are three mail order seed companies that I am aware of in your country. They will have a range of sweet corn seed available and each will have details regarding colour, size and sweetness to choose from. I trust someone from your area will respond to your query with some suggestions. Trust this helps.
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Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) 09 Feb, Tony Mnisi (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
I'm based in Pretoria. I want to know as to where can I buy bell peppers in my area?
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Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) 09 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Capsicum or Bell Pepper seed should be easy to get at Nurseries and Garden Centres in Pretoria. If not there are 2 or 3 Online (Internet) Seed Companies in South Africa. Trust this helps.
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Radish 09 Feb, Danny (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
My radishes grow all top but no bulb. Any ideas.
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Radish 10 Feb, Julie (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Hey Danny, me too! I thought I hadn't planted the seeds deep enough or firmed down the soil hard enough after planting seeds? Will be giving these a go next lot as mine are also growing more above ground than below.... hope these ideas help!
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Radish 09 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
The most common cause of lots of leaves and small roots in radishes is an excess of manure which has a lot of nitrogen in it. Nitrogen is what causes leaf growth and is ideal for lettuces, spinach, etc. If you have used a lot of manure plant a leaf crop to use up some of the nitrogen then plant your radishes.All the best.
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Watermelon 08 Feb, Hermann Jacques Keyser (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I planted seeds about September 2016, and we live in Mpumalanga , Witbank. The first melons are forming, we have had good rain fall this year, I am just starting out farming, and am proud to say to see that all my crops of all types of vegetables have bared fruit and vegetables in such a short time. I am planning to do a larger quantity and the water outside our place never dries up, what do I do to improve my crops. I hope that my request will get help with regards to the water issue, water lies daily on the surface, we are not sure if there is a bore hole. Thank you Hermann Jacques Keyser.
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Watermelon 09 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
It is great to see your enthusiasm for growing food. The four needs of all living things are Sunshine, Food, Water and Care. Sunshine is free so we need to provide the other three. Adding old manure in the Autumn, providing consistent water and mulching in the summer to conserve water and help control weeds will all help produce good crops. The other things are - planting the right variety for the time of the year and removing weeds which use the food and water in the soil. If you look up the Dept of Agriculture or Primary Industries in the internet they will have people or Information Sheets thet will help. All the best with your plans.
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Amaranth (also Love-lies-bleeding) 07 Feb, Derek Wright (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Anywhere in SA that I can buy Amaranthus seeds, red and green
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Amaranth (also Love-lies-bleeding) 08 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I would check the internet. there are a lot of seed companies that have alternative, heritage and less common seeds. You may also get them from a community garden or permaculture group. One seed supplier in SA is www.organicseeds.co.za but there a a number of other suppliers listing them on the internet. Trust this helps.
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Pumpkin 29 Jan, Dominic (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Where would one get seeds for different variety of pumpkins is Gauteng. And where would one sale his/her produce?
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Pumpkin 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I would suggest you try nurseries and garden centres for seed. I you don't have any luck try 'pumpkin seed' on the internet. Pumpkins are generally very easy to sell to hotels, etc if they are home grown and properly ripe. Many shop pumpkins are not properly ripe. Trust this helps.
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Cucumber 29 Jan, Len Olley (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
When my cucumbers are young fruit the get stung in the middle and then start to bend. Those that are not stung grow well. I have tried researching to what is causing this but to no avail. What can I spray?
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Cucumber 05 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Crook Neck, as it is called is mostly caused by uneven pollination which could be attributed to lack of pollinating insects or low humidity. It is a very dissappointing condition and if you cut the cucumber longways you will find the inside of the curve not properly formed. You could try hand pollinating by pickig off some male flowers, removing the petals and rubbing them inside the female flowers. Trust this helps.
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Eggplant (also Aubergine) 26 Jan, Wilma (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Last summer my brinjal harvest was fantastic, didn't know what to do with it all so I made the most delicious chutney. Tomatoes, peppers and chillies as well as some of the herbs were also from my garden So satisfying!
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Showing 1111 - 1140 of 2216 comments
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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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