Have you always wanted to grow vegetables, but did not have the necessary information to tackle such a venture successfully? This compact production guide can help you take the first steps towards growing some of the most popular veggies.
The guide is full of useful tips and technical advice, provided by the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa.
The ARC is of the opinion that ever-increasing global food prices are forcing more and more consumers to produce their own food, such as veggies.
This guide introduces consumers to the art of growing vegetables, including aspects such as biological control measures, a sowing and planting chart, crop rotation and companion planting.
It describes the various steps, from soil preparation to cultivars, fertilisation, irrigation, how to keep pests at bay, harvesting and storing.
Specific guidelines are provided for tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, onions and potatoes.
You can also view two short videos: one about a vegetable farmer in the Western Cape and another at the fresh produce market in Cape Town.
The guide is published by the agricultural magazine, Farming SA.