In our first two articles, we discovered the incredible world living beneath our feet and how bacteria, fungi, earthworms and plant roots work together to support our vegetables. Today, I want to bring all of that back into our own gardens. Because here's something...
In our previous article, we spoke about the incredible world of bacteria, fungi, earthworms and other tiny organisms living beneath our feet. But have you ever wondered how all this underground life actually helps feed your vegetables? We spend so much time thinking...
There's a whole world beneath your feet! When we look at our vegetable gardens, we see the tomatoes growing, the lettuce pushing out new leaves and perhaps a few carrots starting to show their shoulders above the ground. But have you ever stopped to think about what...
What Is Your Veggie Garden Trying to Tell You? Part 1: Read the Leaves One thing I do almost every morning is walk through the veggie garden. Sometimes with coffee in hand, sometimes while I’m actually supposed to be doing something completely different, but I always...
Nematodes in the veggie garden – what now? A few days ago I walked into the veggie garden and noticed something strange with my spinach. Most of the plants looked absolutely fine. In fact, during the day I didn't really take much notice of them because I knew I was...
September always gets me excited. You walk outside, the days are getting a little longer, there’s new growth everywhere and suddenly you want to plant everything. But before you rush off to the nursery and come home with a boot full of seedlings — go and have a look...
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...
One of the biggest mistakes I see every winter is gardeners leaving their beds completely bare because they think nothing is growing. The tomatoes are finished, the beans are gone, and suddenly the veggie garden looks like it has gone into hibernation. The problem is...
Recently someone asked me this question: “I've heard that there are specific dates that seeds need to be planted and it all feels quite complicated and overwhelming sometimes. Is it such an exact science? Probably also depends on where you live. Does winter/summer...
The Secret Beneath the Surface: Getting Your Soil Right for Root Vegetables
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the years in our garden, it’s this: you don’t grow root vegetables above ground — you grow them below it.
Carrots, beetroot, radishes, turnips… all of them rely on what’s happening under the surface. And if your soil isn’t right, no amount of watering, feeding, or hoping will fix it.
So let’s get this right from the start — because once your soil is sorted, root veggies become some of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow.
Why Container Gardening Is a Whole New Game I remember when I planted my first veggies in containers. I thought, "Easy! Same seeds, same sun, just in a pot instead of the ground." Spoiler alert: it did not go as planned. The soil dried out faster, the plants were more...
Why We Choose Talborne Organics at VanZylStead At VanZylStead, our garden is more than just a patch of earth—it's a living testament to our commitment to sustainability and nurturing life. Over the years, we've experimented with various fertilizers, but our journey...
