Mayford Seed - Quality seed

Hot tip from MayFord
• Broccoli 'Marathon' grows well in almost any soil under any conditions and
produces medium sized, uniform, dense heads of blue-green 'beads' on sturdy plants.
• Broccoli is usually boiled or steamed, but may be eaten raw and has become
popular as a raw vegetable as an hors d'oeuvre. It is high in vitamin C and
contains multiple nutrients, such as diindolylmethane and some selenium,
that have potent anti-cancer properties.
• Remember to plant the veggies you like eating, and to ensure your
vegetable patch gets full sun.

Mayford Princess Lawn Seed

Princess has excellent turf qualities. This is a fine textured Bermuda hybrid, which compares excellently and is on par, with vegetative propagated Cynodon hybrids and is finer than Kikuyu.

Princess is even more dwarfed with an upright growth habit, providing a dense stand that tolerates low mowing (minimum 5mm). Summer leaf density is high compared to seeded varieties and similar to the vegetative varieties. Due to good wear tolerance the turf can withstand high traffic levels and will recover fast from damage.

Princess has good drought resistance with decreased water usage (19% - 29% less than other Cynodon varieties). It adapts to varying soil conditions and at maturity needs approximately half as much water as Kikuyu does to survive. Princess exhibits the highest percentage recovery rate of all the tested varieties from drought due to less leaf wilting. Recovery from drought induced dormancy is also fast.

For more detailed information please click here

Tips from Mayford
Like anything in miniature, baby vegetables have a fascination. Whether it's ready to eat "bite-size" cordon bleu" cooking or for introducing kids to growing vegetables, baby vegetables are extremely popular, and so easy to grow.

For a "kid's size" vegetable garden, plant them all together in containers. Check that they are deep enough (at least 30cm or deeper), and add some baby Marigolds "petite" to repel the nematodes. And why not add some Basil to protect tomatoes from Thrips and Flies?

Always in full sun, and plant what you enjoy eating!

WHY MULCH?
The main reason for mulching in food gardening is to protect and feed soil life,
such as earthworms and other, smaller micro-organisms. Enhancing the growth of your plants is a secondary benefit. Not only the beds but also the pathways are mulched. Because pathways carry foot traffic the soil is more compact.
A layer of organic material will protect the little soil life that there is.Use whatever dry material you have and should none be available, lay down damp newspaper weighed down with a little soil. Over time it will break down and more can be added. When reworking the beds for a new crop, scoop the top
2 - 5cm of mulch off the pathway and add it to the bed. Di-Di Hoffman stresses that mulch should be cost effective. It does not make sense buying expensive mulch to spread on a pathway. It should come from available material - a principle of perma-culture; use what you have.
During the hottest months of the year, mulch helps to keep the roots cool and reduces the evaporation of water from the soil.
It is also an effective weed suppressant.

When to mulch
Don't apply mulch too early in the season because it can prevent the soil from warming up. It is only really effective during the very hot months of the year. Wait until plants are a few centimeters high before mulching. Whether to mulch beds or not also depends on the type of vegetables that are being grown. Mass sowings in situ, such as carrots, don't need mulching whereas stronger growers like corn, cucumbers, squash, baby marrow, tomatoes, brinjals and peppers wilt benefit. Even gem squash can be mulched during their early stage of growth before they shade the ground with their own leaves. Di-Di's tip for mulching bush beans is to sow two rows and mulch on either side and in between the rows but not around the individual plants. This keeps the ground cool, keeps snails away, but still allows water to penetrate.
Empty beds should be mulched otherwise weeds move in.

What to use
The best mulch is free. The idea behind mulching in a food garden context is that it shouldn't cost you anything. Be resourceful. If a neighbour is getting rid of leaves arrange, to collect them, and any other organic material. Collect mown grass from roadside verges or buy bales of hay from a farmer or a co-op, where the price should be much lower than in garden centres. Your own garden usually has plenty of material that can be used as mulch; grass clippings, dead leaves and shredded material from pruned shrubs. Even old shade cloth can be used as mulch. Di-Di uses coarse, unsifted home made compost for beds and grass clippings for pathways.

Vegetables to sow in October
Leaf vegetables
Spinach, Swisschard, rocket.
Root vegetables
Carrots, beetroot, radishes.
Legumes
Bush beans and runner beans.
Fruit vegetables
Brinjals, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, chillies, sweet corn, mealies, pumpkin and Hubbard squash, bush and trailing squash, sweet melon and watermelon.
Shoot Crops
Celery, rhubarb, and Florence fennel.
Herbs
Basil,coriander (Cilantro), dill, nasturtium, Italian parsley (Flat leaf parsley), chives, peppers - both sweet and hot and sage.

      Baby vegetables are a marvelous way of introducing children to vegetable growing and are also a solution for gardeners who are short of space. Baby vegetables that can be grown in October include cherry tomatoes such as 'Bite Size', 'Little Finger' carrots, 'Sweet Dumpling' squash, baby spinach and lettuce leaves, baby brinjals, and even baby cabbage '(harmant') in cooler areas. Add dwarf flowers like marigold 'Petite' for colour.
      Varieties bred to be miniature can be planted more closely than standard varieties. Check the seed packet or plant label for details, including proper spacing and harvest dates.
      Baby vegetables are good for growing in containers; even baby carrots, provided the container is deep enough. Because they are quicker to harvest, baby vegetables are also ideal for growing towards the end of the season. If planted in December they will still deliver a crop before winter. Container grown vegetables should be planted in a well balanced potting mix that drains well but also allows air to the roots. This can be made with a 50:50 mix of commercial potting soil and palm peat.
      A layer of mulch on the surface of the pots prevents the soil from being washed out or displaced if watering is done by a hose or watering can. Keep them evenly moist throughout their growth period, never over water or allow the soil to dry out. Harvest baby vegetables as soon as they are mature. Leaving them too long affects their flavour.
      Although the idea behind baby vegetables is that they take up less space, the cherry tomato is an exception. 'Bite Size' is a vigorous indeterminate variety that needs to be staked or supported. The growing tips can be pinched off to control the growth of the plant. One way to keep it looking neat is to train the main stem up a stake and on an almost daily basis to pinch out all the Jateral shoots that appear between the leaf petiole and stem. When the plants reach the top of the stake, pinch off all the growing tips.
      There will still be plenty of trusses of baby tomatoes without an untidy, messy plant.

Gem squash is a uniquely South African vegetable that was hybridised here many years ago. Gems are easy to grow. They need full sun and rich, well com posted soil that drains well. They also need plenty of space because of their spreading growth habit. In smaller gardens the long vines can be trained up a trellis or along a wall.
The stems are quite brittle so they need to be handled carefully and the fruit also needs to be supported. Sow the seeds in rows 1m apart. Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged as this will cause the seeds to rot. One or two plants are all that is needed for a family of four. It is a good idea to pinch off the growing tips to contain the growth.
This is particularly advised if the soil is poor.
Reducing the size of the plant also results in better quality fruit because the root system is more able to sustain the plant. Be careful of overwatering and getting water on the leaves because the plant is very susceptible to mildew. Watch the growth and fertilise if you feel it is necessary. The plant will benefit from a kelp-based tonic which can be watered over the leaves early in the morning so that they dry quickly. The growing season lasts 70 - 90 days and the fruit is harvested in early autumn. The fruit is ripe and ready to pick when the skin is too hard to pierce with a fingernail. Gem squash can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to three months.

Your food garden is now into its peak growing season and if the first sowing was done in September you should be harvesting your first crop of bush beans, spinach, lettuce, baby carrots and beetroot this month. Other tasks will be to continue succession planting according to your plan, renewing the mulch on the beds and watering, which is critical both inland and at the coast, especially if you haven't had regular rain in the summer rainfall areas. In most of the Western and Northern Cape, it goes without saying that as the summer days become longer, drier and hotter, daily watering becomes essential if you want a successful harvest.
By November your tomatoes, brinjals, peppers and chillies should have started flowering. If they are not well watered at this stage they will drop their flowers.
Vegetables planted in well prepared soil generally don't need fertilising now but observe their growth and if a plant is not growing well or its colour doesn't look good, give it a foliar feed with a kelp based plant tonic. Home-made compost or green teas, as well as worm tea, can also be applied as a soil drench to feed the soil life. They should not be used as a foliar feed because of the possible bacterial load.

BRING IN THE BEES
It is a good idea to think about attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds for the fruiting vegetables that need to be pollinated. Flowering herbs and other flowers can be planted in or close to the food garden. Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) is a good choice. You can also try planting perennial basil, feverfew, fennel or dill, mint (that is allowed to flower), catmint and alyssum, all of which are loved by bees.
Dill and fennel are good trap crops as well because they attract many insects during their life cycle making it easier to control or eradicate them.
TAKE OUT THE WEEDS
Weeds compete for water, food and space and they can bring insects and disease into your garden. There is a difference between annual and perennial weeds. Annuals can simply be hand-hoed and left but perennials must be removed by the roots. If you are unsure which is which treat all weeds as if they are perennials and make sure they are removed before they flower or set seed.
The best way to remove weeds is by hand, using a sharp implement to get the roots out. Weed killers must not be used in a food garden.

•	It is possible to have a weed-free food garden and food gardener Di-Di Hoffman has a four-part strategy to achieve this
•	Keep the perimeter of your food garden free of weeds so that seeds don't drift into the garden
•	Plant quick growing barrier crops such as yarrow, comfrey, berries, including gooseberries, or mint that out-grow the weeds and also shade them from the sun
•	Keep all walkways free of weeds
•	Keep the spaces in-between rows of vegetables free of weeds and inbetween the vegetables themselves
•	His advice is to weed on a daily basis. If you see a weed, pull it out. It doesn't take long for it to spread and create an even bigger problem. Weeds that have been pulled out should not be put on the compost heap. An option is to cut off the aerial parts, throwing that away and leaving the roots to dry out before adding them to the compost. Even weed-infested gardens will be weed-free after three years if this program is followed diligently.
•	Use the Plantex/Wonder Weed Prevention material. Click here to get information

PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Being away from home when your vegetables are ready to harvest can cause huge wastage in your food garden. Ideally, when planning the garden in June and July, the sowing and planting times should be scheduled so that crops are ready for harvest either before or just after you return from holiday. This is particularly critical for short harvest crops like bush beans that only have a two week window or baby marrows that can quickly grow into monsters if not picked. Root crops can survive an extra two weeks in the ground but be sure to pick the bigger specimens before you leave. The other challenge is watering and if there is no one coming in to look after your vegetables it is a good idea to switch over to an automatic watering system. Also make sure that the beds are well mulched to reduce heat stress on the roots and soil life. If there is a housesitter ask them to come in a week earlier and show them how and what to water and how to harvest. Finally, clean and weed the food garden before leaving and cover any bare ground with mulch or shade cloth. Article written by Alice Spenser-Higgs with information supplied by Mayford Seeds and Di-Di Hoffman of Bouquet Garni Nursery, potted herb grower and marketer.

•	Leaf vegetables Spinach and Swiss chard in cooler areas
•	Loose-leaf lettuce in cooler areas, but not lettuce that makes heads
•	Rocket
•	Root vegetables Carrots - only in the Western Cape
•	Beetroot - except in hot, subtropical areas
•	Radishes
•	Brinjals - last sowing
•	Sweet peppers and chillies - last sowing
•	Beans (bush and runner) - except in hot, subtropltaf Clreas
•	Tomatoes - last sowing
•	Cucumbers - in cooler areas
•	Green mealies and sweet corn
•	Pumpkin and hubbard squash - except in hot, subtropical areas
•	Bush and trailing squash - except in hot, subtropical areas
•	Shoot crops Asparagus - except in hot, subtropical areas
•	Celery - only on the highveld
•	Herbs Basil, coriander, dill, nasturtium, Italian parsley (flat leaf parsley), chives and-sage.

Many food gardeners have mixed feelings about the December holiday season. It is peak harvesting season for summer vegetables, weeds are rampant in the summer rainfall region and everywhere pests are active. In the western provinces, summer time is when the need to keep an eye on irrigation is at its peak. So being away is not a good idea. On the other hand, your family needs a break, business has come to a standstill and the holiday mood is infectious. If this is your dilemma, then there are ways to keep the garden ticking over without seeing all the hard work of previous months coming to naught.

HARVESTING: Make sure that there is very little to harvest while you are away. Pick as much as you can before leaving, even if it means picking tomatoes just as they are turning. Root vegetables, like beetroot and carrots, can be left in the soil for an extra two weeks but it is a good idea to take out the bigger ones. Bush beans and baby marrows produce so quickly that one needs to arrange for the house-sitter or gardener to pick them while you are away. Alternatively, if both have given a good harvest, pull them out and recompost the soil in preparation for a new crop when you return. Cover the soil with a thick mulch or weed protection to prevent weeds germinating. Although it's too late to do so now, it may be a good idea to start planning your Spring sowing for next year so that your vegetables are ready to harvest either before or after your annual holiday.

WATERING: Do not allow your garden to dry out. This may mean installing an automatic mist or drip irrigation system, or arranging for the gardener or neighbour to water while you are away.A timer fitted to the tap makes manual watering much easier. Before you go away, arrange to meet the person looking after your garden and show them how and what to water. Cover the beds with a thick layer of mulch to reduce heat stress on the roots.

WEEDING: Make sure your garden is weed-free because thety can take over in two weeks and compete for the water. Mulch your beds after weeding.

START PLANNING YOUR AUTUMN GARDEN Start planning your autumn vegetable garden because most of the autumn and winter crops(cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) need to have been sown by the end of February or early March. Other autumn crops to consider are lettuce (where the beans were planted), spinach, carrots and beetroot. As beds of summer vegetables are cleared, renew the soil with fresh compost. If beds are to be left fallow for a month, cover them with shade cloth, weed guard or mulch to prevent weeds from germinating.
GIFTS FROM YOUR FOOD GARDEN: Sharing your harvest is an age old value enshrined in the ethos of food gardening. In that sense Christmas couldn't be at a better time, when there is plenty from the garden that can be converted into gifts for family and friends.
The easiest and most popular gifts to make are herb vinegars or herb infused oils. Start preparing them early in December so that the vinegar or oil is ready to use over the festive season. Sweet basil, dark opal basil and rosemary are the most popular herbs used, especially the purple leafed basil that produces beautifully coloured vinegar. Bruise the herbs lightly and place them in a screw top bottle. Fill the bottle with a good quality oil or vinegar and let the herb steep for about two weeks. You should use grape or apple cider vinegar and your oil should be a
light, good quality olive oil. Keep the bottle in a cool place and shake it daily. Strain the liquid after 14 days and if the oil or vinegar is not flavourful enough, add fresh herbs and allow them to steep a little longer. Strain and pour the liquid into attractive, sterilised bottles with a
cork or airtight seal. Other gifts that can be made from your garden harvest are tomato relishes or sauces for pasta, pesto's (basil or rocket),
pickled beans, jams and chilli sauces. Be sure always to use sterilised bottles with airtight seals. Dress up the bottles with handmade labels and anything else that looks festive. Make up a basket of goodies, adding some homemade biscuits or fudge for a sweet tooth. Encourage friends to start food gardening with gifts of a starter kit of seeds, basic garden tools or a garden diary for planning and record keeping.
Article written by Alice Spenser-Higgs with information supplied by Mayford Seeds and Di-Di Hoffman of
Bouquet Garni Nursery, potted herb grower and marketer.
Visit Di-Di at www.herb.co.za to subscribe to his free weekly Go Food Gardening newsletter.

Sweet melons are part of the Cucurbit family but don't spread as widely as pumpkins and watermelons and also aren't quite as sensitive to powdery mildew. Grow melons in a position that receives full sun, in well drained, fertile soil that is enriched with compost. Sow seed in situ and keep the soil moist during germination. Be mindful, however, that too much water after sowing can cause poor germination. Plants should be spaced at least 1m apart as well-spaced plants are less likely to be affected by mildew. A small garden should be able to accommodate one or two plants which can be trained up a trellis or allowed to spread. Take care when tying them up because the runners quickly become brittle and can easily become damaged. As soon as runners are 60 to 70cm long, pinch out the growing tips. This encourages flowers and fruit formation on the side stems. Once fruit has set on a runner don't expect fruit further down and remove any that does develop. Leaving more than one fruit on a runner affects the quality, size and flavour. The fruit on trellis-grown plants must be supported. You can do this by putting orange or onion bags over the fruit and tying the bag onto the trellis. Leave enough room for the fruit to swell and mature. The plants should not be allowed to dry out, especially when flowering because they will drop their flowers. Avoid wetting the leaves when watering. Melons are heavy feeders and will benefit from an application of organic 3:1:5 fertiliser, or liquid fertiliser for fruit and flowers, applied around the base of the plant. Control white fly with an organic insecticide.
Melons are generally ready to harvest 120 days after germination. The fruit sounds hollow when tapped and changes colour. Another indication that the fruit is ripe is when the tendril on the opposite side of the stem starts to die back.

January is a time to take stock of your food garden. The state of your garden depends on many factors: whether or not you were away on holiday; whether the gardener or house-sitter watered often enough, the weather and the influx of pests. The good news is that even though this is the hottest
month of the year, it is possible to clear out the overgrown and overblown veggies and start again.
For aspiring food gardeners January is also a good time to start a food garden. With
five to six growing months ahead there are plenty of vegetables that can still be sown
or planted out as young plants, with the expectation of a harvest before winter.

•	LM Lawn Seed (also known as Berea and Durban Grass)
•	Indigenous Solution for Shade
•	The very first seeded warm season grass to grow in shade conditions!
•	Indigenous, Water Wise
•	Full Sun, Shade Tolerant Creeper
•	Rapid establishment from seed

•	Daily picking or picking at least twice a week ensures that you harvest the best possible quality
•	Water daily and avoid wetting the leaves
•	Check for pests and either remove by hand or use an organic insecticide on a weekly basis if the pest load is high
•	Spray with an organic fungicide if you notice evidence of mildew on the leaves of baby marrows, butternut, gem squash, cucumbers and pumpkin
•	Plant the last succession crop of bush beans.

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