Planting material Sweet potatoes are propagated vegetatively through vines (or runners) which are cut up in cuttings, each 300-400mm long. Most other crops are propagated with seed, which comes from the reproductive parts of the plant. Selecting disease and insect free material from a reputable supplier is the first cheap step in reducing spray cost [...]

Sweet potato soil requirements are similar to many other vegetable crops. Good high quality soil is the first step towards good yields, it is not a guarantee, but it helps. The soil texture, structure and chemical composition significantly influences root growth, which is where the tubers grow. Any part of the soil that restricts root [...]

Basil is native of tropical Asia, where for centuries, especially in India, it has been highly esteemed as a condiment. The early Greek and Roman writers were well-acquainted basil. England used basil as early as 1538 and by 1586 it was a well-known herb. The Americans started using it about 100 years ago. It is [...]

We cannot control and know all the factors that influence plant growth. We know that by addressing the most limiting factor to plant growth, plants grow better and produce higher yields. If you suspect that your yields are lower or that you have less marketable yields the than your neighbour, you should have a look [...]

The sweet potato is an underrated popular vegetable in South Africa. Since it is a tropical crop, it cannot be grown everywhere. Interestingly, it is also popular in India, China and Japan. In southern America, its popularity supersedes that of the potato. There they refer to the sweet potato as the "potato" and the potato [...]

Climate requirements of carrots Carrots is a cold weather crop. The ideal growing season is from early autumn to late spring. Carrots can be grown throughout the year if summers are not too hot like the lowveld in South Africa. Although heavy frost damage leaves, it does not affect the root, so the carrot itself [...]

Beetroot mechanical weed control Weeds are controlled either by hand or chemically. Since beetroot seed is actually a small fruit with 2-6 seeds inside, the bunches of seedlings are thinned out so that only one seedling is left and at least 75mm apart. One of the biggest problems with weeds is that they compete with [...]

Beetroot is not grown by many farmers. Mainly because the demand is not that great and commercial companies have the market share. A large portion of the beetroot sold is processed and bottled. A small portion is sold as fresh. This does not mean there are not opportunities. The advantage of growing beetroot is that [...]

Okra is not well known in South Africa. Actually its not very well known except maybe in Turkey, India and Asian countries (but they use a different variety). Okra has various popular names such as Gumbo and Lady's Finger. Chinese Okra is something totally different, Luffa acutangula, family Cucurbitaceae. The Okra we are talking about is from [...]

Pigeon pea growth period and harvesting The growth period of the pigeon pea varies considerably. Depending on variety pigeon peas will grow 100-300 days. Location, thus local micro climate and sowing date have a significant influence on growth season length. In India most late-maturing varieties take about 240-280 days to produce a seed crop and [...]

Pigeon peasFeatured image: Steve Hurst, USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seeds. Wikimedia Commons or Cajanus Cajan is an alternative crop to the current line of commercial available crops. The big advantage is that it can become a major part of peoples diet, unlike many other commercial crops such as lettuce, chillies and [...]

Planting pigeon peas is easy as they are strong growers. If they receive enough water and nutrients, the crop will grow. Make sure you use healthy seed and that they are inoculated with Rhizobium strains that are tested. Inoculated seed will provide higher yieldsFeatured image from Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3ACajanus_cajan.jpg . Planting pigeon peas Pigeon peas are [...]

Chillies are from the same family as tomatoes, and green peppers. So the climatic requirements are similar. They are part of the scientific group called Capsicum frutescens L. The common pepper or green pepper is from the family Capsicum Annuum L. So you can see they are very closely related. One of the main advantages [...]

Green bean soil cultivation for commercial small scale farmers Green bean soil cultivation for commercial small scale farmers is also applied in large commercial farms. In a well prepared loose soil, bean roots can penetrate to a depth of 1200 mm. The effective root depth is 450 - 500 mm. Superficial green bean cultivation will limit [...]

Green beans, or scientifically known as Phaseolus vulgaris L. is part of the family known as Fabaceae (Leguminosae) or legumes. Green beans can be grouped with potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage and onions in terms of their importance in human nutrition. It is not a niche crop such as cherry tomatoes so it competes as a commodity in [...]