Producing vegetables is a farming activity which needs to be planned well. It is a business in that it involves finances such as buying, selling and the management of funds.
- You must plan in order to decide which crops to plant and to know which actions to perform at specific times, e.g. fertilising, planting, irrigating, weeding, trellising, harvesting and distributing. It is important to plan twice a year as different crops require planting in different seasons.
- How to plan: (1) Use a year planner and a calendar to organise your actions. (2) Obtain knowledge and decide on implements, workers, pest and disease control and market prices (3) Find out when the market prices will be at their best.
- Remember to rotate your crops and never to plant the same or closely related crops on the same soil during the next planting season. Crop rotation prevents poor soil and it prevents pests and diseases.
A well-planned vegetable production results in better profits, higher yields, healthy vegetables and happy families.
Source: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) booklet “Vegetable production”
Further reference:
Find recommended reading under both “Websites & publications” (last heading in this article) and the individual vegetable type headings. Here we will refer to useful, general information when starting out.
On theDALRRDwebsite atwww.dalrrd.gov.za, find:
- Vegetables – Compost
- Vegetables – Create a peace garden
- Vegetables – Crop rotation
- Vegetables – Manure and other organic fertilisers
- Vegetables – Mulching
- Vegetables – Plan and prepare your garden
- Vegetables – Sowing guide
- Vegetables – Soil
- Vegetables – Sowing seed and planting seedlings
Find the guideline “Practical application of vegetable regulations for the local market” atwww.dalrrd.gov.za.
TheVEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN KWAZULU-NATALheading atwww.kzndard.gov.za website of theKwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (KZNDARD)provides general notes on the following crucial factors:Climatic Requirements,Expected Yields,Fertilisers,Importance of Quality and Presentation,Investigation of Growth Problems,Length of Growing Period,Marketing,Planning,Plant Establishment,Plant Nutrition,Plant Populations & Plant Spacings,Principles of Weed, Pest & Disease Management,Seasonal Variation in Prices,Soil Preparation,Successional Cropping,Water Requirements and Irrigation, andWeed Control.
