Don’t stop growing in winter
Davis told the NEWS that since the pandemic began there has been an uprising of conscious gardeners who are eager to grow, nurture and consume their own vegetables.
Despite popular belief, South African winters are the ideal time to grow vegetables. Cassian Davis of HomeGrowers said there is no need for avid gardeners to stop growing and harvesting their homegrown edible delights this winter. Davis told the NEWS that since the pandemic began there has been an uprising of conscious gardeners who are eager to grow, nurture and consume their own vegetables.
“It’s been a mindset change and people are taking control of their own food sources. “There is a desire for us to get back to our roots and eat healthier foods.”
He also believes gardening this winter should be a family activity. “There simply isn’t an excuse to not get out in the winter sun as a family and grow vegetables together.”
He added that gardening should be a hobby that everyone can get involved in and inspired by. “Gardening should be something that you can get joy out of.”
Davis said that many don’t know that certain plants experience their best growth in the winter months. “The position of your plants plays a big role in how well they will survive this winter,” he said.
“We are blessed with a temperate climate that allows us to garden throughout the year. When not exposed to frost you can even grow some lettuce,” Davis said.
He added that hydroponically growing vegetables this winter is also a great idea.
Davis said that some of the most popular products for homeowners in the area have been vertical gardens as well as the centres’ range of hydroponic set-ups.
“Vertical gardens are popular with residents in complexes and multi-story apartments. Hydroponics is popular with residents who what to consistently grow edibles.”
He advised the use of a grow barrel from HomeGrowers to ensure seedlings are protected in grow pockets.
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“Grow barrels are their own little ecosystem in your garden. You feed the worms and in turn, the worms keep your vegetables and herbs healthy. Using grow barrels will mean that you can grow plants throughout the year. “When protected from the elements, even the most fickle of plants will survive.”
Davis said that while it is too late to plant tomatoes and certain basil varieties, residents can still plant carrots, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, just in time for hearty winter foods.
“When planting for winter you need to be selective in choosing what you’d like to harvest.”
He said residents should make a conscious decision between seeds and seedlings for their winter harvest.
“Planting seeds will take considerably longer. But, when you plant seedlings you’ll give your winter garden a great head start.”
Davis said residents could use winter to experiments with planting to find out which pants are best suited for their gardens and lifestyle in winter.
“The pandemic is going to be around for a long time and we need to make sure we get a good source of nutrients. Growing your own food is a good place to start,” he said.
Planting in autumn
These delicious edibles can be planted in autumn:
• Beetroot
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Marog
• Okra
• Onion
• Peas
• Pepper
• Turnip
These stunning vegetables can be planted in winter
• Carrots
• Kale
• Peas
• Radish
• Swiss chard.
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