5 6 7
The promise of spring becomes real, and suddenly time is of the essence. What makes
it complicated is that September is variable, starting cool and ending hot, with the
possibility of frost in-between.
Here are our strategies for starting the new season on the right foot.Thursday Friday Saturday
From the beginning of September,
when the soil is still cool, start
sowing root crops, as well as
cabbage, lettuce, peas, and Asian
greens that need an early start
because it becomes too hot from
November onwards, especially in
summer-rainfall areas.w l tuce,
ca
age,
pe and
Asian gr
w tomato ,
brinjs, chilli ,
i , lo,
pump and
squh
By the end of September it is safe to
sow tomatoes, brinjals, chillies and
sweet peppers, mealies, pumpkins,
melons and other trailing squashes
that need soil temperatures between
17° and 19°C. Very hot chillies might
need higher soil temperatures and
can wait until October.Pests are the biggest spoiler of crops, which is costly in terms of time and money. With so many
organic pesticides available it is possible to manage a crop responsibly without using chemicals.
Snails become active as it gets warmer, and can wipe out newly germinated seedlings
overnight. Use an organic snail bait like Ferramol or visit the garden at night to check for snail
activity. Dispose of the snails in a bucket of water. As plants grow, look out for pests like aphids
that suck on new growth tips. Control them with Ludwig’s organic insect spray, which also deals
with thrips and bollworm. Spray early in the day before ladybirds and pollinators are active.
Incorporate bonemeal into the soil preparation because it makes calcium available to the
plants, which strengthens their resistance to disease.Vegetables with a short to medium growing
season should not need extra feeding if the
soil was enriched with compost, bonemeal
and an organic fertiliser before planting.
Long-fruiting vegetables like tomatoes,
brinjals and peppers benefit from feeding
when the flowers start to form, or later in the
season.
Highly productive vegetables like Swiss
chard will benefit from a nitrogen-based
fertiliser after cutting as this encourages new
growth.
In very poor soil, vegetables will benefit
from feeding every two weeks with a soluble
fertiliser that is applied as a drench. Use a
nitrogen-rich fertiliser for leafy vegetables and
a flower and fruit fertiliser for root, legume and
fruit vegetables.4
5
What about
fertilising?
Be prepared for pest management