This week I’m planting potatoes, and if you’ve followed VanZylStead for a while, you’ll know that my favourite way to grow potatoes is in hay. I’ve grown potatoes in the ground, in containers and in raised beds, but I keep coming back to hay. It’s simple, harvesting...
When we get excited about summer gardening, we usually think about sowing tomatoes, harvesting cucumbers, feeding our strawberries and filling every empty space with vegetables. But have you ever stopped to think about the tiny creatures that help make all of that...
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You walk into your orchard and spot the perfect orange hanging on the tree. Or maybe it's a peach that's finally ready to pick. It looks beautiful. Then you cut it open and discover a worm has beaten you to it. Like most gardeners, your first thought is probably,...
Soil pH: The Gardening Topic Everyone Talks About... But Do You Really Need to Worry? With spring just around the corner, thousands of South Africans are preparing their vegetable gardens. Compost is being spread, seedlings are being bought, seed packets are coming...
Hybrid, Heirloom or GMO? The Truth Hidden Inside Your Seed Packet Walk into any garden centre and you'll be greeted by a colourful wall of seed packets. Tomatoes, carrots, beans, lettuce… they all promise bumper harvests and beautiful vegetables. But hidden in the...
Have you ever looked at the soggy coffee grounds in your filter and wondered... "Surely these must be good for something?" For years, gardeners have been tipping them around roses, tomatoes, blueberries and just about anything else that grows. Some swear their plants...
