"Very Helpful”: SA Mom Shares November Vegetable Planting Guide for Every Province

• Charlotte, a South African mom and beginner vegetable gardener, shared a province-by-province November planting guide
• The guide breaks down which vegetables thrive in each province, from Gauteng to the Eastern Cape, ahead of summer
• South African gardeners flooded the comments sharing what they were planting and where

A South African mom who gardens to cut her grocery bill shared a November vegetable planting guide on Instagram, and it quickly resonated with home growers across the country.

Charlotte, who goes by @charlottegrowsandsaves on Instagram, introduced herself in the video as a beginner vegetable gardener on a mission to grow food that saves her family money at the supermarket. Her November reel breaks the planting season down by province, something she says matters because the festive season gets expensive fast and planting the wrong vegetables is a waste of both time and money.

What to plant in your province this November

Charlotte's guide covers every major region. Gardeners in Gauteng, the Free State and North West are advised to plant bush beans, baby marrows, tomatoes, sweet corn and Swiss chard. She recommends well-draining soil to handle the afternoon thunderstorms common in those areas.

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In the Northern Cape and Western Cape, she suggests tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, beetroot and heat-tolerant lettuce. As November gets hotter and drier in those provinces, she advises watering deeply and laying down a thick layer of mulch.

For KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, where humidity and pests are a concern, she recommends sweet corn, gem squash, green beans, Swiss chard and eggplants. Her tip is to space plants out to allow airflow and to companion plant with strong herbs like basil.

Eastern Cape gardeners are pointed towards green beans, Swiss chard, pumpkins and carrots. Given the province's varied climate, coastal gardeners should shield plants from strong winds, while those inland should water deeply and mulch.

View the Instagram video below:

Mzansi gardeners share what they are growing

The comments on her page filled up with South Africans sharing their province and their planting plans:

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@the_plantery_pe replied simply:

"Eastern Cape"

One user wrote:

"Inland Eastern Cape. Tomatoes, bush beans, jalapeños and red peppers."

Another shared:

"Little miss pizza garden here, heads up but in coastal KZN we are planting tomatoes, basil, marrow, cucumber, peppers, chillies and more chillies 🌶"

One Gauteng gardener listed:

"Chillies, tomatoes, brinjal, spinach, okra, butternut, spring onion. Trying out potatoes in a Woolies bag. They seem to be thriving. Your tip on starting seedlings in toilet rolls was very helpful. Thanks and much appreciated."

One frustrated commenter shared a pest problem:

"I have marigold and nasturtium everywhere. But still the pests are eating my cabbage and artichokes. Peppermint oil helps but only for 3 days at a time. I am frustrated."

And one viewer had a different priority entirely:

"Your lipstick is fire... brand and colour please?"

More Briefly News stories on plants

• A TikTok video of Harare’s blooming jacarandas and Central Gardens challenges negative portrayals and divides many viewers over the changing capital.
• Hailstorm turns a Waterfall, Hillcrest garden white in minutes, as KwaZulu-Natal areas face ice and torrential rain while Pretoria swelters at 35°C on 27 Oct.
• Content creator Junior Hewu surprised girlfriend with a near-free flower-picking date; their jacaranda-lined stroll charmed thousands on Instagram.

Source: Briefly News