6. Fruit, Leaf and Root Vegetable Guidelines
A) Carrots - Surface Composting Technique
Carrots are a very healthy addition to any nutrition garden as they contain very high levels of beta carotene (source of Vitamin A), Vitamins C, K and B6, anti-oxidants and minerals. Carrots are relatively easy to grow and can be sown nearly all year round, ideally in growing temperatures between 15-24°C. Very hot temperatures are unfavourable for carrots. Prepare beds, preferably following after previous crops that had healthy applications of inputs.
Layout
If you are planting on field scale, then prepare double rows 20cm apart to allow enough space for access. In a small home garden, widen the band to 45cm and plant triple rows 20cm apart to make best use of your limited space.
Lay Strings for Planting Band
Place a top string or measuring rope from one 75cm permanent peg to its adjoining peg on the opposite side. Next place temporary pegs 25cm down from the permanent pegs and place another string there to establish the surface composting band. Make sure both the ropes are taut and straight by lifting and dropping them.
Remove God’s Blanket
Move God’s Blanket downslope of the planting band, to ensure none of it gets buried. If you bury the blanket which has not yet decomposed, it can cause the soil to go through a negative nitrogen period and reduce crop yield.
Soil Fracturing
Push the fork 30cm deep and pull it backwards a little, until you see the soil loosen or fracture. Remove any stones or rocks that you feel with the fork, but don’t be tempted to lift or turn the soil, you should be merely fracturing it. Keep on repeating this every 10cm along the row line.
Correcting Acidic Soils
To correct acidic soils in the 25cm wide band evenly sprinkle one handful of woodash per meter.
Surface Composting
Carrots are light feeders and if provided with too much food, their roots will be deformed and branch. Therefore, it is usually best to let carrots follow after other crops in the rotation cycle that have been surface composted without the necessity of having to reapply compost.
However, in a new infertile garden, place just 2cm of surface compost on top of the 25cm wide band. It is not necessary to work the compost in to the soil.
Furrowing and Planting Seed
Press a 1cm deep furrow into the prepared 25cm wide band and repeat again at the next 20cm row down the slope. Plant carrot seeds 1cm deep and 2.5cm apart, but after germination thin down to 5cm between plant seedlings. Planting carrot seed deeper will result in very poor germination.
It is very important to get good carrot seed to compost contact, so cover the seeds by pinching the compost closed and then firm up the compost by walking on the broad side of a wooden plank.
God’s Blanket
Don’t put the blanket on top of the surface compost band until after germination has taken place, whereafter the blanket can be brought up against the plant bases. Ensure the blanket in the walkways is at 100% cover and 2.5cm thick to suppress weed growth and conserve moisture.
B) Carrots - Manure Technique
Carrots are a very healthy addition to any nutrition garden as they contain very high levels of beta carotene (source of Vitamin A), Vitamins C, K and B6, anti-oxidants and minerals. Carrots are easy to grow and can be sown nearly all year round, ideally in growing temperatures between 15-24oC. Very hot temperatures are unfavourable for carrots. Prepare beds, preferably following after previous crops that had healthy applications of inputs.
Layout
If you are planting on field scale, then prepare double rows 20cm apart to allow enough space for access. In a small home garden, widen the basin to 45cm and plant triple rows 20cm apart to make best use of your limited space.
Lay Strings for Shallow Planting Basin
Place a top string or measuring rope from one 75cm permanent peg to its adjoining peg on the opposite side. Next place temporary pegs 25cm down from the permanent pegs and place another string there. Make sure both the ropes are taut and straight by lifting and dropping them.
Remove God’s Blanket
Move God’s Blanket 10cm downslope of the planting basin, to expose the soil.
Soil Fracturing
Push the fork 30cm deep and pull it backwards a little, until you see the soil loosen or fracture. Remove any stones or rocks that you feel with the fork, but don’t be tempted to lift or turn the soil, you should be merely fracturing it. Keep on repeating this every 10cm along the row line.
Preparing Shallow Basins
Due to the closeness of the 20cm row intervals, it is very difficult to dig furrows for these narrow row crops. Instead, prepare a shallow basin by digging out 5cm of soil in between the 25cm strings and place it downslope.
Correcting Acidic Soils
To correct acidic soils in the 25cm wide basin evenly sprinkle one handful of woodash per meter.
Manure
Carrots are light feeders and if provided with too much food, their roots will be deformed and branch. Therefore, it is usually best to let carrots follow after other crops in the rotation cycle that have had compost so that there would be no need to reapply inputs at all. However in a new garden with very poor soils you can skim a 1cm layer of very old manure into the bottom of the shallow basin and rake it in lightly.
Seed Depth and Soil Separation Layer
Cover the shallow basin with soil making it level once again. This will ensure a good separation layer between the seed and manure which is vital to avoid seed burn.
Furrowing and Planting Seed
Press a 1cm deep furrow into the prepared basin and repeat again at the next 20cm row down the slope. Plant carrot seeds 1cm deep and 2.5cm apart but after germination thin down to 5cm between plant seedlings. Planting carrot seed deeper will result in very poor germination.
It is very important to get good carrot seed to soil contact, so cover the seeds by pinching the soil closed and then firming up by walking on the broad side of a wooden plank.
God’s Blanket
Don’t put the blanket on top of the seed planted basin until after germination has taken place, whereafter the blanket can be brought up against the plant bases. Ensure the blanket in the walkways is at 100% cover and 2.5cm thick to suppress weed growth and conserve moisture.
