There are many different Broccoli types. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea), a cool season, sun-loving crop, is easy to grow in a home vegetable garden. Rich in vitamins and minerals, you can cook broccoli or serve it raw in salads and other dishes.

The majority of broccoli cultivars are cool-weather crops that do … Read More

English, French and German Thyme are the most well known culinary thyme varieties. There are some difference between them in terms of plant appearance, growth habit and flavor.

English, French and German Thyme – the differences between them.

English Thyme Overview:

Also called garden thyme or common thyme.
Dark grey-green, linear to … Read More

There are differences between Chard and Spinach in terms appearance as well as growth habit. They are often confused with each other, yet are different plants. Botanically and scientifically, the two plants are totally different species. Chard (Beta vulgaris) is a member of the chenopod family. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is … Read More

Ground Cherries versus Gooseberries – What is the difference? We are all familiar with Cape Gooseberries, but did you know that the Cape Gooseberry is actually not a gooseberry at all? It is in fact a ground cherry, which is not a true cherry, but more closely related to tomatoes … Read More

The differences between Pelargonium and Geranium are many and they are totally different plants, yet the terms geraniums and pelargoniums are often used interchangeably. The majority of plants that people commonly refer to as Geraniums are actually Pelargoniums. Although geraniums and Pelargoniums both belong to the Geraniaceae  family, they belong … Read More

Bulbs, Corms, Tubers and Rhizomes are actually underground stems, not roots. These underground stems are all storage facilities for the plant, storing starches, proteins and other nutrients. In other perennials this function would be carried out over winter by the root system.

The differences between Bulbs, Corms, Tubers and Rhizomes
Bulbs

Bulbs are … Read More

There are three main Pea types, namely:  Garden peas, snow peas, and sugar snap peas.
The Differences between the Pea Types:

Garden Peas (Pisum sativum, var. sativum)

The Garden pea is also known as English  pea and it is grown for shelling.

The garden or English pea has been widely grown for years.  Garden … Read More

The differences between Klip Dagga (Leonotis nepetifolia) and Wild Dagga (Leonotis leonurus) are few, hence they are often confused with one another.

Both plants belong to the Leonotis Genus and the Lamiaceae (mint) family native to southern Africa. The Leonotis Genus contains 9 accepted species (Leonotis decadonta; Leonotis goetzei; Leonotis grandis; … Read More

Kale vs Collards. Both are members of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea), thus are related and both greens are very nutritious and rich in vitamins A, B, E and K.  Not only do Collards and Kale make for very nutritious additions to your diet, they are also very attractive plants … Read More

Winter Savory vs Summer Savory – All about the Savory Herb.

Savory is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region where it has been used in food preparation for more than 2,000 years. Savory was the strongest spice available in Europe until black pepper became available from Asia.

There are two … Read More

Which Onion Variety to Grow? Have you ever planted onion seeds, without any success? The reason is more than likely that you planted an onion variety that is not suited for your area.

Onion bulb formation is triggered by the number of summer daylight hours. Onions are photothermoperiodic – that means … Read More

German Chamomile versus Roman Chamomile – The difference between the two types of Chamomiles.

Chamomile is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) and is best known for its soothing and calming properties and its fruity, apple-like flavor. Chamomile is documented through Egyptian, Roman, and Greek history as one of the … Read More

There are 3 types of strawberries namely Spring-bearing (Known as June-bearing in the Northern Hemisphere), Ever-bearing and Day Neutral. In the Northern Hemisphere Spring-bearing is called “June-bearing”, because June is the start of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Since South Africa’s Spring starts in September, I make use of the … Read More

Rosemary is a wonderful herb, not only for culinary purposes, but also for medicinal purposes.  Rosemary can be grown as a perennial herb, with a life cycle of about 3 years or more. This means that you have to plant new rosemary plants every three years or so.

Rosemary can be … Read More

Lambs Quarters Edible Weed is very delicious. Wild weeds and plants can be found in most urban gardens in South Africa. Many of these plants are edible and of great nutritional benefit, so don’t kill it with poison or dig it up and toss it away, eat it instead – … Read More

D.I.Y Organic Pesticides are made of natural materials that have properties of killing or keeping out pests from your crops.

The Benefits of using organic pesticides are:

Saves you money – Most of the d.i.y organic pesticides that can be made at home, are much cheaper than those that can be … Read More

Whether you are planting your vegetables directly in the ground or in raised beds, crop rotation is extremely important and something that you should start doing, if you are not already doing so.  Not only does it help to lessen crop-specific pest and diseases in plants, but it also promotes … Read More