Knowledge grows in South Africa
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…
Carrot1)Public Domain Image from https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1058100, The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. fertilizer requirements can be calculated if you know your soil type and have a good idea of the yield potential of your land and climate. These are basic norms and your specific microclimate and variety can have an influence…
A spray program must be applied on a scientific basis otherwise it will not be effective. All chemicals must be applied at the right place (target) and the right time and in the right way. Pesticides and fungicides are dangerous chemicals, they are designed to kill pests and diseases, but they can also kill humans…
Pea fertilizer (Pisum sativum) requirements can be calculated if you know your soil type and have a good idea of the yield potential of your land and climate. These are basic norms and your specific microclimate and variety can have an influence on the total amount applied. These norms do not take top dressings into…
Beetroot fertilizer requirements can be calculated if you know your soil type and have a good idea of the yield potential of your land and climate. These are basic norms and your specific microclimate and variety can have an influence on the total amount applied. These norms do not take top dressings into account, only…
When susceptible crop plantings follow at close intervals i.e. within 12 months or less, beet cyst nematode builds up in the soil to damaging population concentrations. High populations may reduce the yield by 20-40%. The beet cyst nematode was found in vegetable lands around cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, Pinetown, Port…
The most well known beetroot varieties or cultivars are discussed here. When starting it is advisable to use at least 2-3 different varieties in a test field to assess which variety suits your growing conditions the best. Always keep on doing trials. Don’t plant a variety just in one time of the year. Your climate might be more moderate than you think.
Harvesting beetroot Beetroots is harvested in phases. Initially when the bulbs are 25-40mm in diameter. Size will vary according to variety planted and time of season. This is the first harvest and is merely a thinning out process. The second and final harvest is when the bulbs are 50-75mm in diameter. Days to harvest is…
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…
It has already been mentioned in previous articles that the soil must be kept moist until the seedlings emerge. Light regular water applications must be applied from sowing until the seedlings emerge. heavy irrigation will make herbicides less effective. Beetroots grown during alternating dry and wet periods have poor quality and poor emergence. The beets…
