The following notes will mention tips for boosting yields of certain crops, address some of the most frequently asked questions and discuss unknown facts or common misconceptions about raising your own vegetables.

ASPARAGUS

Plants grown from seed should not be harvested for the first few years after establishment. The plant needs this time to establish a decent root system and build up reserves.

Male plants tend to be more robust than female. This is because they do'nt produce seed, a process which draws a lot from the plant's reserves.

Spears may be blanched by covering up the developing spears as they develope with various compounds such as compost, bagasse, leaf mould etc. Nowdays green coloured unblanched spears are also popular.

BEANS

It is reputed that dark seeded cultivars are preferred to white seeded types when sowing into cold spring or late summer soils as their better heat retention benefits germination..

Some cultivars are more prone than others to produce curved pods. This characteristic is more pronounced in cool weather.

Modern cultivars have been bred for resistance to diseases such as rust, blights and virus. They also have  little or no fibre. Regrettably some of these advancements have been at the expense of flavour.

The range in bean types is enormous. The main commercial ones have bushy growth habit. The climbing types tend to be slightly slower to pod but yield potential is greater.

BEETROOT

Beets grown in hot weather tends to develop more fibre and whitish rings become more clearly defined. The shape becomes more elongates than in cool weather.

Beet has a reputation for taking a long time to cook although the hybrids tend to cook quicker. Some people eat beets raw.

CABBAGE

Black rot, a bacterial disease, is the scourge of Brassica production in the tropics. Choose cultivars which are tolerant. These are invariably hybrids but well worth the extra expence.

CARROTS

A high level of organic matter in the soil will result in numerous split unsightly and unmarketable specimens covered in 'hairy' secondary rootlets.

Excessive watering can result in shorter roots than is normall expected for the cultivar

CHARD

Swiss Chard is commonly referred to as spinach in South Africa..Other overseas names for it are Spinach Beet, Snow Beet and Sea Kale

Smoother leafed cultivars wash easier than their bubbly savoy-leafed counterparts as less soil adheres to the undersurface of the leaf..

The selection of Fordhook Giant  which is produced locally is more prone to bolting to flower than lines produced overseas. Seed production over many years of relatively mild winters has resulted in a genetic drift towards less chilling being needed for flower initiation.

CUCUMBERS

The English/Dutch tunnel type flowers have no pollen and fruits are parthenocarpic i.e. do not form seed. If they are pollinated by ordinary cucumbers the fruit becomes distorted and misshapen.

To give the plant a good start remove the first flowers appearing up to about 20 – 30cm from the ground.

The small Beit Alpha or Mediterranean types fruit prolifically and are much better flavoured.

LETTUCE

There are numerous different types available now-days in South Africa. The Batavian is similar to the well known Crisphead but is a bit smaller, slightly looser and certainly better flavoured. It is well worth growing.

MAIZE

Greenmielies have long been considered a vegetable in South Africa. The hybrid Pronto is considered ideal because it has deep very soft well flavoured kernels on a large cob. Its pollination is well syncronised, the plant is sturdy, usually without tillers and relatively disease tolerant.

ONIONS

Being daylength sensitive it is unlikely that cultivars, such as the well known Australian Brown or Caledon Globe, will bulb in the far north of the country. They will produce 'soup' onions with thick stems but no bulb.

Potash applied towards maturity will enhance flavour. Spraying with copper just before fall will improve the bulb's storage quality.

Nowdays the term spring onions generally refers to the oriental bunching types. They are grown from seed and not from splits off clump-forming plants. They are usually single centered and, to obtain a longer white shank, can be blanched much in the same way as leeks.

PEPPERS

So called bell, sweet or green peppers represent one of the standard salad products. Almost all the cultivars develop initially rather bitter-tasting green-coloured fruit which then change to red or yellow on ripening. It is only at this stage that the sweet pepper truly earns its name.

The blocky shape so familiar to consumers all these years past have been supplemented by bulls-horn and long cylindrical Lamuyo shapes .The latter are popular for stuffing.

 Remove the first fruit that appears in the crotch near the base of  the plant. This allows the plant more time to develop vegetatively with a good  frame before changing to the fruiting phase..

 Be careful of situations where sunburn can damage the fruit. This often occurs following the first harvest during which foliage is disturbed and fruits that were previously shaded are suddenly exposed to sunlight.

PUMPKIN

The old standard Flat White Boer type has given way almost entirely to the various grey types introduced from Australia. These tend to be hybrids with far better fruit qualities.

SQUASH

There are numerous types of squashes. Some fruits are used whilst still under developed yet others are picked fully mature and can be stored. Confusing the whole classification are the marrows. The best solution for the home gardner is to grow what is prefered., be it courgette, kabocha or gem.

Baby gem types are a South African speciality. Allow fruit to mature properly to enable fthem to develop character. Otherwise pick as a baby and rely on the butter to give flavour! 

Some cultures eat the cooked young leaves of squash plants. The butternut is especially favoured .Flowers fried in batter are also popular, with certain cultivars developed specially for this purpose..

Flower expression is usually a reflection of temperature,  a heat wave causing a predominance of male flowers. The plant will eventually produce the necessary combination to set fruit, but yields can be adversely affected.

TOMATOES

Of all the vegetables these have the widest range in different types. There are tunnel or open field, for fresh market, processing or dehydration, indeterminate or determinate growers, large beefsteak to small cherry, round to cylindrical, plum or saladette and shades of red ,yellow and even purple.

Pollination is usually enhanced in the presence of insects. In a closed glass-house support wires can be given a few good sharp taps first thing in the morning as a substitute; this helps avoid puffy fruit.

Recent breeding programmes have vastly improved the shelf life of tomato fruit. There are several genes involved. Regrettably  there is a downside in poorer flavour and colouring problems if picked too earlyy.

WATERMELONS

The most significant development in recent years is that of the seedless fruited types. All that remains is the soft white easily-swallowed seed testa.These cultivars need conventional (pollinator) cultivars planted alongside to ensure good fruit set.