Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn/Winter 2021 i Grow to Eat

While you’re reading this issue of Grow to Eat, you will notice that it’s thicker and heavier than in the past. Yes, we’ve made some changes to give you better value and even more information than ever before. Grow to Eat will be sticking to the popular seasonal format, with three issues a year coinciding with the three distinct growing seasons experienced in South Africa: Autumn/Winter, Spring and Summer. What has changed is the size of the magazine, which has grown with demand and will now be a bumper 96 pages per issue! And because our unofficial motto at Lonehill Media is “Never waste a page!”, every single one of these 96 pages will be relevant, accessible and useful to you, the reader. The new mag has a garden journal…

Grow broccoli in pots Large, deep pots (30 – 40cm in diameter) are suitable for one plant per pot. Smaller than that and pots will dry out too quickly and there won’t be room for the roots, resulting in small heads. Water daily and feed with a nitrogen-rich liquid feed or manure tea every second week. Plant deciduous fruit trees like peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines in well-prepared holes. Tip: Harvest frost-sensitive vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and brinjals. Early warning Frost usually arrives in May, but winter starts early in Highveld gardens, so harvest all frost-sensitive veggies before the end of April. CHECKBOX Mulch beds to keep the soil war mer as night temperatures drop. Save autumn’s falling leaves in bags for use during summer. Pine needles, straw and layers…

Moon Guide for June I HARVESTED… Harvest veggies: Beets Broccoli Brussel sprouts Lettuce Harvest fruit: Apples Grapefruit Guavas Oranges Olives Pears Tip: now is a good time to make new veggie beds Listen to the weather report and cover tender crops with frost cloth if severe cold is predicted. Cover plants with frostguard cloth from early to midafternoon, to trap in the heat, and then remove the next day to allow in the sun. HANDY TIPS The viability of seed varies from veggie to veggie. The average viability is 2 – 3 years, and each seed packet should have a date stamp on it. Tidy seed packets, check dates and store them in a sealed box in a cool place. Tip: rinse tools in bleach and water for 10 minutes…

2020 challenged everyone, especially schools which opened and closed more often than usual. The culmination of the EduPlant programme, a competition which usually sees schools from across the country coming together to compete for the honour of being awarded South Africa’s best permaculture school food garden, went online last year. This allowed schools from far and wide to enter their school food garden. R300 000’s worth of prizes were awarded to the winners, with all 42 finalist schools also receiving a cash prize to support their food-growing efforts. Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) qualified as an essential service during hard lockdown, and distributed 126 000 additional seedlings to help school’s food gardens meet the greater demand for food in their communities. Robyn Hills, FTFA Programme Manager says, “EduPlant has…

Cherry tomatoes! The name says it all: they’re small and super-sweet, bite-sized like cherries, and packed with flavour. In every tomato-lovers garden there should be at least one bush of cherry tomatoes. That is usually enough, because cherry tomatoes are incredibly prolific producers. For gardeners in frost-free subtropical areas, now is the time to plant cherry tomatoes. In most other regions, cherry tomatoes are planted at the end of spring or early summer. Cherry tomatoes are generally more disease resistant than large-fruit tomatoes, especially to fungal diseases like verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt as well as tobacco mosaic virus, which stunts plants and affects the yield. The growing variety of cherry tomatoes includes currant types, mini-Roma types, yellow and red pear-shaped minis, as well as those with dark red, almost…

For many home cooks, the term ‘green beans’ doesn’t go beyond the steamed pods that accompany a roast for Sunday lunch. However, gardeners know there is more to beans than this basic dish. There are hundreds of bean varieties, each with their own varieties and quirks. Runner beans, a type of bean, are versatile in flavour, fun to experiment with in the kitchen, and easy to grow. And it may be a cliché, but in this case it’s absolutely true – you really can’t compare the taste of a store-bought runner bean with one straight from your veggie patch! Runner bean varieties There are two types of beans that home gardeners often encounter – bush beans and runner or pole beans. Bush beans grow on bushes and produce pods much…

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are legumes that need 100 days to reach harvest, but what could be better than growing your own for an array of hummus or falafel recipes? Chickpeas are bushy plants that look similar to vetch, with its dark green compound leaves, and grow to about 50cm tall. They produce drooping pods that contain one or two pea-like seeds. The flowers that predate the pods are either white or violet, depending on the variety. Where to get seed White and brown types of chickpeas seed can be purchased online from www.livingseeds.co.za. These make great sprouts too. Harvesting Chickpeas can be harvested when still green, when they can be eaten like you would snap peas. However, they are more versatile if left on the bush to dry…

So you’ve got your garden laid out, all the beds and containers filled with the perfect soil, and a vision of your future garden firmly painted in your mind. Where to from here? Do you order a box full of seed, go down to your local garden centre for a boot full of seedlings, or do something in between? Well, there are things to be said of starting with either seeds or seedlings. Seeds Seeds are mystical, magical, wonderful things, full of potential and so incredibly rewarding to grow. Just do the old beanin-cotton-wool experiment with a child to remind yourself of their allure. From a tiny speck in your palm you can grow a whole plant – a packet of seed weighs just a few grams but contains a…

STEPS 1. Make a lattice with the 8 droppers, screwing them together. Do the outer droppers first and then space the inner ones equally. Drilling pilot holes prevents the wood from splitting. 2. Use rope to make a handle for your bucket. (If your buckets already have a handle, so much the better.) 3. Using pliers, make some ‘S’ hooks from wire. 4. Pot up the buckets with herbs or veggies. 5. Hang the buckets on the trellis using the ‘S’ hooks. What you need: 1. 8 x 1.2m CCA-treated fence droppers 2. 75mm Tek screws for wood 3. Strong wire 4. 9 small buckets or pots 5. 3m x 8mm rope Tools Cordless drill and driver bit, 4mm wood drill bit, pliers, tape measure…

Our family was never one of so-called ‘financial substance’. My great grandparents and grandparents lived within sight of huge mine dumps in the Witwatersrand area and had to deal with the aftermath of bloody wars, the Spanish Flu, a terrible drought, depression, civil upheaval and extreme poverty. Apart from the wars, nothing is really different from the way we live today, I suppose, and we are faced with basically the same challenges… But there has always been resilience and an amount of MacGyverstyle plan-making over the years, and within different generations, to stay alive. My great grandmother (who had a senior school certificate, which was rare in her days!), turned her pantry into a home office, where she did bookkeeping for small businesses as an income. Since she could also…

Roll back or remove shade netting to let in maximum light for lateripening fruit. Plant a living mulch: plant radishes. They can be planted all year and grow very quickly, covering the soil and keeping the weeds down. They can be harvested in a month. Harvest sweetcorn when the tassels turn brown and dry. Also, push your nail into a kernel and if the liquid is milky it is ready to pick. If not, the liquid will be clear and watery. Pin down strawberry runners to encourage rooting. Tip: water your berries at the roots Harvest Veggies Tomatoes Corn Pumpkin Turnips Cucumbers Harvest fruit Apples Avocadoes Grapes Melons Nectarines Strawberries Moon Guide for March “One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of garden…

Sow this month In frost-free areas sow beans, beetroots, brinjals, carrots, chillies, cucumbers, mealies, melons, squashes, pumpkins, radishes, Swiss chard and tomatoes. In other areas sow peas and cabbages indoors. WHAT DID I SOW? Start a garden diary and record sowing dates, pest control, rainfall, harvest dates and yields so that you have a record for the following year’s planning. Plan for Spring Write down all your plans, make sketches of your veggie garden, and pencil in last season’s summer planting plan, the present winter planting plan and what you would like to plant. Don’t leave harvested cabbage or cauliflower stumps in the ground. Dig them out and throw them away. Feed potted herbs with a liquid fer tiliser.…

Sow this month Bush and runner beans, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, garden peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach and Swiss chard and turnips. Start brinjals, capsicums and tomatoes indoors. What did I sow? Make your own potting mix for containergrown veggies. Combine palm peat brick (2 parts), vermiculite (1 part), washed river sand (¼ part), sieved compost (1 par t) and controlledrelease organic fertiliser (¼ part). A kelp-based liquid fertiliser not only boosts the growth of over-wintered vegetables (especially brassicas), but also helps to keep aphids away. Get more in the veggie garden by using raised beds, which provide better drainage (which veggies love), and a friable mix that makes it easier for the roots to draw up water, oxygen and nutrients, especially in gardens with clay, sand or very stony soil.…

If you visit a dietician or look for a healthy diet on the Internet, chances are that you’ll be told to eat lots of leafy greens. Spinach is the first one that springs to mind – a staple in our diets and our gardens. But is it? What most of us (including the supermarkets!) call spinach is actually Swiss chard! Here’s a list of some alternatives to Swiss chard as well as some greens that you might have in your garden but have never eaten before! COMMON ALTERNATIVES Spinach It’s hard to say that spinach is an alternative to spinach, but real spinach is an alternative to what we call spinach (Swiss chard). Real spinach generally isn’t as resilient to our hot conditions as Swiss chard is, but those tender…

• Full sun: Plant in full sun for the best yields; semi-shade will produce reduced yields. • Well-draining soil: Plant in rich, well-draining beds that have loads of compost added before planting. For good seed production, don’t plant in soil that is high in nitrogen (such as beds improved with green manures). • Time: To reach harvest, chickpeas need 100 days and fairly warm temperatures. Although they are frost tolerant, they prefer warm temperatures and need to be planted after the last frost in spring. • Water: Make sure chickpeas have consistently moist soil, and water more regularly during flower and pod formation. • Mulch: Save as much water as possible by adding a layer of organic mulch. • Food: As with other legumes, chickpeas have a symbiotic relationship with…

Winter veggies need sun, and lots of it, as well as shelter. But if your garden is frosty, or plunged into shade from May to August, you will need to make another plan And this is it: grow veggies in containers wherever there is a spot of sun and shelter. The veggies will be snug, and the family won’t miss out on all those vital vitamins that veggies deliver in winter. Almost any veggie can be grown in a container, as long is the pot is big enough and drains well, the plants get plenty of sun, and they are watered almost daily, even in winter. Use a good-quality potting soil, not garden soil. For hungry plants, like Swiss chard, lettuce, kale, broccoli and cabbage, it’s a good idea to…

With the arrival of autumn, we start thinking about soups and stews. It is with a sense of anticipation, not just because slowly simmered food is so delicious, but also becasue the act of cooking itself is so comforting. It’s a chance to chop, simmer and stir, to add a bit of this and a bit of that, perhaps a splash of wine, a squeeze of lemon, and let time work its magic. Vegetables – autumn carrots, leeks, onions and potatoes – form the base of most soups, hopefully picked from the garden. As winter progresses, the brassicas come to the party, with green or creamy soups based on cabbage, kale, broccoli or cauliflower. Stews, on the other hand, tend to be meaty, favouring lamb and beef cuts that need…

There are few things more delectable than a fresh oyster mushroom sauteed in butter with a little garlic. Even I, who claim to not be a fan of anything to do with fungi, battle to refuse a well-cooked oyster mushroom, especially when it is paired with a crispy bit of prosciutto on a fresh rocket salad, or in something warmer and richer for this time of year. A few years ago the only mushrooms that graced the shelves of Spar were brown or white button ‘shrooms, but these days it is frequently possible to pick up more of a selection of exotic varieties. The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is a widespread variety, naturally occurring in the UK, much of mainland Europe, much of Asia including Japan, and even in parts…

1 Green beans + Corn Beans fall into the ‘nitrogen fixers’ category, so are good for boosting the nitrogen levels in the soil and providing nutrients to surrounding plants. An ideal partner for beans is corn. Beans can tolerate a bit of light shade cast by corn, and they can use the corn as climbing support structures. The roots of each plant are at different levels in the soil and so they don’t compete for water and nutrients. Bean foes: Avoid planting beans with onions, beets, peppers and sunflowers. Corn foes: Avoid planting corn with tomatoes. 2 Tomatoes + Basil A classic combination that is good to eat as well as grow together. It is said that basil improves the flavour of tomatoes when they grow alongside each other, but…

Sow this month Beetroot, Chinese cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips WHAT DID I SOW? Plant out brassica seedlings including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. After planting, water with a diluted dose of liquid plant fer tiliser and repeat two weeks later. Time to plant green manure crops in any beds that will be empty over winter. Think mustard, buckwheat, clover, linseed, lupins, lucerne or borage. As soon as the crop starts to flower, dig it into the soil. Check young cabbages for aphids and spray with an organic insecticide. Pick brinjals when they have reached the right size and the skins are still glossy.…

Sow this month Broad beans, beetroot, carrot, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips. WHAT DID I SOW? Earth up celery, leeks and Swiss chard. Grow parsnips They are a long-season crop that will only be ready for har vest four months after planting. Plant in deep, friable soil that drains well. Speed up the ripening of tomatoes by pinching out the growing tips of tomatoes and the side shoots once five trusses of tomatoes have been set. Water early so that the leaves dry by nightfall…

Sow this month Broad beans, lettuce, garden peas, spinach, onions WHAT DID I SOW? Catch up at the tail-end of the season with seedlings if sowing was left a bit late. On nursery seedling racks you are likely to find Asian vegetables, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard. Use warm walls that bask in winter sun to plant vegetables ver tically if the veggie garden is shaded in winter or falls into a frost pocket. Unpack or buy new frost fleece and start tracking the minimum temperatures on the weather repor t. Strengthen seedlings so that they can resist the cold, by feeding them with a liquid fertiliser.…

Sow this month Only in frost-free areas can you sow runner and bush beans, beetroot, brinjals, cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, melons, garden peas, pumpk ins and other squashes, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard, tomatoes and turnips. WHAT DID I SOW? Stake green peas as they grow to maturity. Plant calendula as a good companion for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turnips and celery, as well as tomatoes and beans in warmer, frost-free areas. Tip: Plant buckwheat or rye as a soil cover in winter. Earth up around cabbages and cauliflower.…

Start crops like lettuce, Swiss chard, tomatoes, sweet peppers and brinjals in seed trays or small pots indoors. Place trays or pots on a heating pad (available at pet stores) to help seeds germinate. Tip: plant garlic so it’s ready for summer Tip: use a sunny windowsill if you don’t have a greenhouse. Prepare beds for planting out strawberries next month. CHECKBOX Plant out asparagus crowns this month. Dig a trench and mix in plenty of compost and rotted kraal manure. Plant with a handful of superphosphate for every crown, and cover the crowns with 5 – 10cm of soil. Add more soil as the crowns begin to grow, until the trench is full. Order seed potatoes now for planting in August and September.…

Barley, a member of the prestigious ‘ancient grains’ club, is one of the healthiest crops around, along with other health-craze foods like quinoa and rye. It is the fourth most cultivated crop in the world for its extensive uses, from animal food to algicide. Despite these honours, few gardeners consider it a top contender on their backyard wishlist. With all its benefits, barley shouldn’t be reserved for committed farmers and the uber-healthy – here’s how you can get started too. The benefits of barley Barley is one of the most consumed ancient grains. It’s affordable, widely available and great for your health – what more could you ask for? Most forms of barley, from flour to flakes, use the whole grain, which is an impressive source of essential nutrients and…

First of all, it is said that grapefruit got its name because grapefruit grow in clusters on the tree, like grapes on a vine. But I don’t know if ‘grape’ is the first thing I think of when I see a heavily laden grapefruit tree – you’d think it would have been named after the unique, quite bitter flavour rather than a tenuous similarity. The grapefruit belongs to the citrus family and is a cross between the orange and the pomelo. The tree, which does best in subtropical areas, normally grows to somewhere in the region of 5 – 6m although in extreme cases it has been known to reach 15m in height. It is an attractive tree even without the fruit, with glossy, dark green leaves and fragrant white…

The electric daisy is a funny one – it pretends to be a daisy, but it barely has any petals. It pretends to be edible, but if you eat one it gives you a little surprise. Originating somewhere in the mysterious depths of South America, presumably in a jungle where everything is either electric or poisonous, the electric daisy is actually edible from the ground up. The leaves can be added to salads or cooked dishes (a key part of a dish called jambu in Brazil) and have a nice subtle flavour. The flowers, though, are the showstopper. The flowers look like they came out of a packet of Liquorice Allsorts – they’re yellow and coneshaped, with no petals to speak of. Their insignificant appearance belies their impact though –…