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Brinjals
Brinjals, also known as aubergines or egg plant, are a very productive crop for the kitchen garden and can also be placed in gaps in the formal garden. Brinjals respond well to fertile conditions, so incorporate manure or compost plus a handful of a balanced fertiliser per square metre before planting. Space the seedlings 60cm apart in the row, with the rows about 1m apart. Three to five plants is sufficient for an average-sized family. Brinjals can be picked at any stage from young to the point of over maturity. Work carefully with them as most varieties have thorns on the stems.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are fast and easy to grow. Train them up a trellis or frame to provide them with space. Cucumbers flourish in warm conditions and will benefit from a handful of balanced fertiliser in their soil at planting time. They will thrive if given some compost as well.
Baby marrows
Baby marrows are fast growers and you will be able to pick the immature fruit after only six weeks. They are ideal for small gardens and provide a good crop from a small area over a long period. Frequent picking is essential to keep the plants bearing well. Remember, if you have a surplus, rather pick and give away to friends and family but don't leave fruits on the plant or it will stop producing. Three to five plants are usually sufficient for the average family.
Sweet peppers
Sweet peppers are delicious in salads and stir-fries. Space each plant about 30cm apart and give them a rich, well-drained soil. Peppers appreciate a good dressing of compost or kraal manure with an added handful of balanced fertiliser per square metre.
Peppers often start to set fruit at an early stage and these fruits can hold the plant back as nutrition is directed to producing fruit and not the green leaves required for food and growth. A good practice is to remove all the peppers from a few plants when the first fruits are about 2cm in size. After 10 days, remove all the fruit from a few more plants and repeat again. This will result in the plants from the last stripping being much larger and producing more fruit which will ripen later. In this way, you will ensure a good crop of peppers.
Tomatoes
Home-grown tomatoes often taste better than store-bought ones because they can be left on the vine until required, ensuring a higher sugar content and better flavour. Tomatoes respond well to good soil fertility - add compost or kraal manure. The best time to transplant tomato seedlings is in the late afternoon.
Tomatoes do not do well when a high nitrogen fertiliser is used, or they will produce lush foliage and little fruit. However, you do need to top up the nitrogen levels from time to time. If the leaves start to become a little pale, apply one teaspoonful of LAN per plant as and when necessary.
It is a good idea to 'prune' your tomato plants, which will make them more productive. This practice is applicable only to tall-growing varieties. Plant a stake next to each plant and then allow only the main shoot to grow unhindered. Remove by hand all side shoots which emerge when 5-10cm long.
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