Syngoniun podophyllum, Arrowhead vine.
Tag Archives: organic
Syngonium doing well under light box.
Guild of plants around the young fig tree.
The guild of plants around the young fig tree include tomatoes interplanted with kakibos (Tagetes minuta), wilde dagga (Leonotus ocymifolia), Butternut pumpkin and Aloe ciliaris and jasmine on the trellis.
Today John the farmer is doing Hugelkultur !
Hugelkultur or hill culture is simply growing what you want on hills or mounds created out of rough biomass to improve the soil, increase drainage and at the same time prevent the soil from drying out.
I added a galvanized wire mesh tube or cylinder which i plan to use as a trellis for climbing plants.
The middle of the tube will filled with garden clippings, kitchen waste and leaves to create a ‘wormhole’.
The wormhole will concentrate earthworm activity from where they will spread out to the rest of the mound.
I must say this Hugelkultur method really works ! Three months later and all the veggies I put into the mound are reaady for harvest..The beans that I sowed must still climb the trellis but I am ready to replace most of the veggies with the summer seedlings.
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Africa, Bio-degradable, Eco-friendly, organic, Organic farming, Organic produce, Sustainable
Aloe ferox tapping in the Little Karoo.
Aloe tappers near Calitzdorp in the Little Karoo arrange the cut aloe leaves in a ring around a depression in the ground lined with plastic. Aloin sap flows from the aloe leaves and is collected in the plastic. It is then boiled and reduced to a resinous form taken as a laxative and for arthritis.
Calpurnia aurea – Yellow keurboom. featured tree at Towerkop Nursery.
Calpurnia aurea being attended to by a pollinator. This small evergreen tree is indigenous to the eastern cape, natal and gauteng provinces of South Africa. It grows to 4m. It is fast growing and produces yellow pea-like flowers from 2yrs, making it the ideal ‘instant’ tree. It can be pruned into a compact shape and is frost tolerant.
Posted in FEATURED PLANTS
Tagged Africa, flowers, Horticulture, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, organic, Plants, Sustainable, Trees
Seven new duckies on the allotment.
Seven new duckies on the allotment !
Appropriately named call ducks: So cute at this stage before they start quacking and tearing into the succulents…
Today John the Farmer is germinating an avo pit.
Remove and clean pit. Make sure the narrow end points up. Don’t remove the brown skin.
Insert 3-4 toothpicks into the pit around the equator at a slight angle so that the pit rests in the water of your cup/ bowl/ glass.
Remember to top up with water as required.
Your Avocado pit will first root then shoot will appear.
Wait till young sapling has a few sets of leaves before transplanting out so that the top of the pit just sticks above ground.
Avocado’s are monoecious so they have both male and female flowers which don’t open at the same time so one should plant at least two nearby.
Progress after two weeks !
Today John the Farmer harvested pea seed pods !
Dried pea pods
Today John the Farmer harvested dried pea seed pods for next season’s planting. Originals were from Prince Charles’s duchy organic range.
Today John the Farmer made a worm farm.
Half Drum
1) Take a half drum and drill holes in the bottom for drainage.
Sticks or Stones
2) Place sticks or stones in the bottom to help with drainage. (You don’t want the holes clogging up with muck.)
Leaves
3) Place a layer leaves on top of the sticks.
Bad News
4) Alternately layer newspaper and leaves. Remember to water thoroughly between layers. The newspaper will keep the leaves from drying out and the worms will eat the newspaper.
Worms
5) Add worms. You can dig them up in your garden especially after rain. This is where you recycle bad news into good news !
Kitchen Scraps
6) Add kitchen scraps. Worms will compost most scraps except for citrus peels.
Stand
7) I used this old trolley to stand the farm on, and placed a tray underneath to collect the worm tea.
Worm Farm
8) The worm tea is an excellent compost that can be used directly in the nursery or on your veggies. Remember not to let your worm farm dry out.
Happy Worm Farming!
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Bio-degradable, Eco-friendly, organic, Organic farming, Plants, Recycling
Spring daisies in bloom at Towerkop Nursery.
Posted in FEATURED PLANTS
Tagged Africa, flowers, herbs, Horticulture, organic, Spring
Towerkop Nursery 