Love and effort see veggie gardens flourish
Sturdy vegetable crop owners reap rewards after toiling the soil last year
WITH food security becoming a threat, families in Kwamashu have turned their back yards into flourishing gardens.
Pensioner Themba Moffat Magubane, 69, of J section supplies the local Spar with spinach that he grows in his garden. He has been able to provide for his family through his hard work.
“Food prices have skyrocketed in the past. It made me think deep about how best to provide food for my family. I discovered the small plot at the back of my house and that gave
Fence your crop to deter thieves and livestock from entering a garden.
Prepare beds before planting spinach seeds.
Plant marigold around the garden to ward off insects.
Use chicken compost and birth to this idea,” he said.
Among the other vegetables Magubane grows are chillies and potatoes.
His garden won the Best Crop award two years ago when the Department of Agriculture ran a garden competition. He dry leaves to nourish the soil. Water the garden early in the morning and late in the evenings. was awarded a Jojo tank and his 1-hectare patch was fenced by the department.
Magubane, who is diabetic, said eating fresh vegetables has improved his health.
He has been able to support his family and pay for his children’s education.
“Working on the garden crop has helped me to stay fit. With the profit made I am able to pay for water and electricity bills. This has also lessened the money spent on groceries,” he said.
Magubane said attending workshops organised by the department has helped him with the necessary skills he uses in his garden.
“I have learnt a lot in farming. I create beds for the spinach to let the water flow through without waste. I have circled the crop with marigold plants to ward off insects which feed on the spinach leaves,” he said.
Another crop owner, Muntu Hadebe, 57, and her partner, 77-year-old Jabulani Sibiya said their 2-hectare garden gave them a stable diet to maintain a healthy body.
Sibiya said the 45-minute walk to their garden also kept them fit. “I feel very much alive. “Farming is not for lazy people. It requires a lot of patience and hard work.
“Seeing the plants grow gives us a wonderful feeling,” he said.
Hadebe said she was happy with last weekend’s rain.
They grow spinach and tomatoes in their garden in F-section.
“We welcomed the rain after a long season of drought that has delayed our crops,” Hadebe said.
Hadebe and Sibiya, from D-section, started their crops 10 years ago. With the proceeds made from selling their vegetables to the community, they were able to send their children to different tertiary institutions.
“When we started there were eight of us but others dropped out from farming. They felt like it was a waste of time because there was not a lot of money made.
“We created a bank account to save the money until December of each year. Then we divide the profit to spend with our families during Christmas and reserve the rest for the beginning of the school term,” Hadebe said.
After harvesting, Sibiya loads the veggies into a trolley to sell in the neighbourhood.
“The spinach costs R10 a bunch,” he said.