The winter draws close and garden enthusiasts, farmers and plant lovers know winter is a difficult time for crops.
Community Work Project (CWP) workers gave the Herald a few tips on how to look after your crops in winter as they do with their vegetable patch in Jabulani.
Lydia Motlhatlhedi, CWP participant and founder of the Jabulani initiative said, “There are certain seedlings that grow in winter. Cabbage, carrots, beetroot, spinach and onions. The seeds you buy will indicate whether your plants will survive in winter.”
Killion Hloma, CWP supervisor for Jabulani stated, “When planting for a winter crop, the seeds or seedlings should be planted when it is still relatively warm; the ideal time would be in autumn.”
According to Killion crops should be watered a little later in the day and also less frequent.
“You shouldn’t water your plants early in the morning. There is usually a layer of frost on the plants early in the morning and if you water the plants then it just makes them cold, which goes right down into the roots hindering growth. You should water them when the sun has melted some of the frost.
“You also don’t want to water your plants too much. Once or twice a week should be enough because the water doesn’t dry up as quick as in summer.”
The next tip they gave was to protect your plants with a covering wither a mesh or a plastic-like covering that acts as a means to keep frost out and also keeps pests out.
Killion added, “The end of winter is the ideal time to start readying your garden and begin planting for summer. The best time to plant for summer would be in August.”
