When it comes to fruit and vegetables, summer offers a bounty that is good for your health and pocket. We’ve got the lowdown on the best crops to grow in the summer and what you need to do to keep your soil healthy, straight from the experts.
Rotating crops is a key practice for maintaining soil health and boosting crop productivity, especially during the summer season.
Summer crops like sweet corn, tomatoes, and peppers need to be rotated with other crops like legumes or grains in order to replenish the soil’s nutrients and prevent pests and diseases from building up. It’s like giving the soil a breath of fresh air!
By rotating crops, farmers can ensure that their land remains fertile and productive for years to come. In fact, some studies have shown that crop rotation can even increase yields by up to 20%.
Crop selection
Angelo Marman, the co-founder of Abitzfarming located in Riverlands, Cape Town, says farmers have a variety of vegetable options available for summer crop planting. These options include pumpkin, butternut, gem squash, tomatoes, baby marrows, green beans, various types of peppers, different varieties of chilli, okra, sweet potato cuttings, and potatoes.
“Herbs like basil as well all these and more are crops that are not suited for our cold winter months and thus are not grown, even in plastic tunnels because it struggles to survive,” he says.
He mentions that other crops that are consistently grown include cabbage, carrots, beetroot, fennel, celery, onions, coriander, rocket, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and various others.
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Effective pest control
Marman explains to Health For Mzansi that challenges arise in pest control during critical periods. It is important to note that various crops attract distinct pests. Therefore, implementing a well-structured rotational spraying programme becomes crucial to prevent crop system failure.
“Planting trap plants like marigolds and alyssum plants assist in attracting pests like snails and beetles and aphids away from your crops. And companion planting of herbs in between your crops will keep pests at bay.”
Angelo Marman
The planting calendar
According to Mokgomotsi Morodi, a farmer and the founder of Morodi Agro-production in Limpopo, crop rotation is an important practice to maintain soil fertility.
By planting different crops on the same plot of land, farmers can ensure that the soil gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and productive. This is because different crops require different amounts of certain nutrients, and rotating crops helps to balance out those needs.
To enhance the soil structure and increase the water-holding capacity of the farm soil, it is necessary to implement certain measures, he explains.
“Growing vegetables correctly, and at the right time of the year, goes a very long way to keeping them healthy.”
Mokgomotsi Morodi
He states that the typical summer crops for his garden include sugar beans, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, maize, soybeans, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, Swiss chard, spinach, tomatoes, and chillies.
“Use appropriate tools to plough the land, spread any animal manure or compost, cover with soil and make sure the land is weed-free and levelled.”
It is recommended to engage in land irrigation and maintain a moist environment for a minimum of one week prior to the transplantation process, adds Morodi.
Consider your soil health
The founder of Tshitshi SC Farmers Store and animal scientist Olwethu Laho of Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape, says it is crucial to comprehend that summer crops, also known as the “warm season crops”, should only be planted when the soil has reached an adequate temperature.
Typically, this occurs during the transition from late spring to early summer, although the specific timing may vary depending on regional climates.
He says peppers, melons, and tomatoes are particularly sensitive to frost due to their preference for slightly elevated soil temperatures.
“Therefore, it is advised to avoid planting them too early as they may not germinate or produce poor quality.”
Harvesting periods
He points out that warm-season crops like bush beans and sweet corn have a relatively short harvest period. However, by using successive planting techniques during the early summer season, it’s possible to extend the harvest period for these crops.
Successive planting involves planting new crops as soon as the previous ones are harvested so that the harvest period can be spread out over a longer period of time.
“Other warm-weather veggies such as squash, and beans will produce for a longer period of time, so you typically only need one planting.”
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