https://edengardenschool.co.za/

Medicinal Organic Vegetable Gardening, Farm Buffelsfontein, Portion 29A, Magaliesburg (2026)

22/05/2026

Have you ever wondered why some tomato plants produce baskets full of tomatoes, while others barely deliver a few?

Arina’s video course explores organic tomato-growing methods inspired by traditional Amish farming practices, supported by university research, and adapted for South African soil and gardens. The focus is on improving soil health, root development, watering techniques, and plant management to help gardeners grow naturally stronger and more productive plants.

The course covers:

*How to prepare deep, nutrient-rich soil for maximum root development
*The importance of living soil, compost, and beneficial microbes
*Why root systems determine tomato yields
*Correct planting methods, including deep planting and trench preparation before planting
*How soil temperature affects transplanting success
*Proper pruning techniques to increase flowering and fruit production
*Deep watering methods that strengthen roots and help prevent tomato blight
*Organic feeding with compost tea, bone meal, eggshells, and natural supplements
*Natural methods for pest and disease control
*Companion planting with herbs and flowers such as dill and marigolds
*How mulch improves soil moisture and soil health
*The difference between beefsteak tomatoes and paste tomatoes
*Growth strategies for small spaces with high yields
*The income potential of productive tomato cultivation

Instead of simply telling you what to do, the training explains why each technique works. This helps you better understand the relationship between roots, soil life, water management, and fruit production.

One of the biggest lessons from the course is that success with tomatoes is less about buying more products and more about understanding soil biology, root development, and consistent growing methods.

It is suitable for beginners, home gardeners, self-sufficiency enthusiasts, and anyone wanting to grow tomatoes more effectively.

Video Course Duration: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
Cost: R180

To order, WhatsApp your name, email address, and code *VID104* to Tessa on +27663266321.

08/05/2026

🌱 MOTHER’S DAY ENGLISH SPECIAL 🌱
Get all 3 new English gardening training videos for only R450

Included:
• Growing Healthy Carrots
• Growing Bigger Garlic
• Growing Vegetables in Pots and Containers

Learn about:
✔️ Seed germination
✔️ Soil preparation
✔️ Winter feeding programmes
✔️ Aerobic compost tea
✔️ Companion planting
✔️ Growing vegetables in pots and containers
✔️ Pest and disease prevention
✔️ Healthier winter harvests

Perfect for beginner and experienced gardeners wanting to improve their vegetable gardens this winter.
Available until 12 May 2026.
To order, WhatsApp your name, email address and “English Special” to 066 326 6321

What do the videos cover?

🥕Growing Healthy Carrots
This video focuses on growing healthier carrots from seed to harvest. It covers germination methods, soil preparation, minerals in the soil, watering techniques, seed spacing and companion planting. Arina also explains common carrot growing problems, such as uneven germination, mildew, too many leaves with no carrots, and how to improve harvest speed and root development during winter.

🧄Growing Bigger Garlic
This training video teaches how to grow larger, healthier garlic bulbs through correct soil preparation, spacing, feeding programmes and winter maintenance. It also covers garlic rust, pest control, Elephant Garlic, mulch use, growth phases, when bulbs swell, harvesting methods and how to store garlic for a longer shelf life.

🌱Growing Vegetables in Pots and Containers
This video is designed for gardeners growing food in smaller spaces or containers. It covers potting soil preparation, aerobic compost, microbes, minerals, companion planting, winter crop choices, feeding schedules and pest prevention. Arina also explains how to protect winter vegetables, improve plant health and successfully grow leafy vegetables, root crops, herbs, legumes and pulses in pots and containers.

You can order the videos individually for R180 each, or grab the Mother’s Day special.

Available until 12 May 2026.

To order, WhatsApp your name, email address and “English Special” to 066 326 6321

19/02/2026

WHY ARE YOUR CARROTS NOT GROWING
I regularly receive this question from gardeners who have not yet attended our course, or who are not following the information correctly. There is a reason why your beetroot and carrots, onions and garlic do not want to grow properly, and this is especially noticeable during the autumn and winter months.

These vegetables are usually also tasteless and very small.

What is the reason or reasons for this?
The origin lies in the preparation of your soil. There is also a major reason related to the handling of these vegetables when temperatures start to rise in August and September.

The reasons are:
1. The soil chemistry in your soil preparation is not balanced, particularly where you either add the wrong minerals or rely solely on kraal manure or compost.

2. The aerobic organisms in the soil are not balanced, and in most cases, there is a shortage of beneficial fungi in your soil.

3. Anaerobic earthworm compost or earthworm tea is used too frequently as a feeding medium, introducing anaerobic organisms into the soil, which then leads to rust fungal diseases on onions and garlic.

4. Lastly, the soil becomes too hot in August after the cold winter months, and this sudden rise in soil temperature causes onions and garlic to stop growing and immediately go to seed.

If you are experiencing these problems in your garden, please consider attending our course, PLANT HEALTHY ORGANIC VEGETABLES , which will be presented for the last time this season, and only if there are sufficient registrations, at…
* VEREENIGING on 28 February 2026 (in Afrikaans)
* RANDBURG on 7 March 2026 (in English)
* BOKSBURG on 14 March 2026 (in Afrikaans)

To register, WhatsApp Arina on 0823315434 with the Area (No phone calls, messages only).

For those living too far from these towns, you may order the Afrikaans course from Tessa for R550 at 0883266321 until 28 February 2026.

17/02/2026

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PESTS IN YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN…

We all try to grow our vegetables as organically as possible, but then we become discouraged the moment pests arrive on our crops. And rightly so…

However, every pest in your vegetable garden has a reason for visiting, and if you can identify that reason, you can outsmart them and prevent them from affecting or devouring your harvest.

Come and learn in our course, PLANT HEALTHY ORGANIC VEGETABLES, how to keep them at bay.
This 4-hour course costs only R550 and includes your work book.

7 March in Randburg in English

In Afrikaans:
28 February in Vanderbijlpark
14 February in Boksburg

To register, WhatsApp Arina on 082 331 5434 with the Area
(No phone calls, messages only)

The course is also available on video from Tessa at 066 326 6321 for those who can not attend the in-person course. It excludes the workbook.

27/01/2026

WHY ARE YOU NOT SUCCESSFUL WITH VEGETABLE GARDENS?

This summer, from 2025 to 202,6 has, in every respect, been an enormous challenge for many gardeners, and it is still continuing. If it is not excessive rain, then it is hail, or the Cape is experiencing drought, and now we are dealing with February’s heatwaves, as well as the nighttime dew that is causing problems in the vegetable garden.

With the heat of the coming month, red spider mite and aphids will feast on the photosynthesised sugars in your vegetables, especially newly planted crops. The dew, in turn, will increase the risk of rust on tomatoes, spinach, and beans.

From January to March, we offer a VEGETABLE COURSE every Saturday in different towns, with the topic PLANT HEALTHY ORGANIC VEGETABLES.

Here, we will specifically help you address these problems in the vegetable garden and investigate which tools deliver the best results. The spraying of poisons, planting companion plants, preventing pests, applying a soil mulch, which period to plant which vegetables, or what the real reason is why you are not successful with vegetable planting. We will show you the solutions so that you struggle less and harvest more from your vegetable garden.

If you struggled with vegetables this summer, then this investigative course is intended for you. And if you are unable to attend our course in person, we will have a video available for you later in the year. If you have already completed one of our courses but are still struggling with pests and plant diseases, then this course is specifically for you.

For the small-scale farmers out there who would like to use less fertiliser and poisons and want to transition to REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL METHODS for vegetables, this is your tool to successfully take on the task.

We will be offering courses in:
* RANDBURG on 7 March

In Afrikaans:
* CENTURION on 31 January
* SWARTRUGGENS on 7 February
* WAVERLEY, PRETORIA on 14 February
* ROODEPOORT on 21 February
* VEREENIGING on 28 February
* BOKSBURG on 14 March

23/01/2026

HOW TO SOW ONION SEEDS
January and February are the two best months to sow onion seed that will grow during winter into bulbs and produce large onions suitable for long-term storage. Onions planted too late in summer cannot swell sufficiently and will bolt in September without forming a large bulb.

What is the best way to plant onion seed with 100% success? In seed trays or small pots? Well, neither.

Firstly, onion seed takes a long time to germinate, from 5 to 10 days, and during this time, the seed may not experience drought. However, the seedling medium must also contain sufficient nutrients to support the seedlings for at least 4–6 weeks before they are transplanted into the beds in early March.

Get a deep container of about 20 litres and fill it three-quarters full with a vegetable growing medium or a mixture of soil and compost. There must be drainage holes at the bottom of the container. Water the soil thoroughly and gently firm the medium so that the surface is level. Sow the seed densely, close together.
Cover the container with cling wrap so that moisture can condense inside, while still allowing enough light for germination. Once the seed has germinated, remove the cling wrap and begin watering regularly.

Grow the seedlings in this container for about 6 weeks and then cut the top leaves back by two-thirds of their length. Do not transplant the seedlings into the garden until at least 5 leaves have formed. Feed these seedlings regularly with Seagro. The reason for cutting back the leaves before transplanting is to allow the plant to direct its energy into root growth first, forming a deeper root system, as this root system is responsible for producing the nutrients needed to form large onions.

The onion requires 3 months of leaf growth, and the more leaves it grows during that period, the larger the bulb formation will be when the cooler winter temperatures set in. That is the secret to large onions. Feed your onion plants regularly with Seagro and never allow the soil to become too hot and dry.

After the 3 months of growth, when more than 7 leaves have formed and winter temperatures begin to take hold in May, we move away from Seagro and focus more on Kelpak or Nitrosol as soil feeds. Occasional application of trace elements will also help to form more flavourful and healthier onions. Onions require approximately 2 to 2½ months to form bulbs, but they cannot do so if soil temperatures are too high. I also apply rock dust between my vegetables during winter and lightly work it into the soil with a hand fork. Then, straw is placed on the soil between the plants so that the warmer temperatures of August and September do not stop bulb formation and cause the plant to go into seed production.

20/09/2025

IS YOUR POTTING SOIL OLD?
Over the years, we have been taught that you need to replace your potting soil every year because it becomes old and depleted.

And so we buy new potting soil every year, believing it is now better than the soil we threw away. But the biological knowledge of potting soil has taught us the exact opposite. Potting soil is only considered “old” if there are no aerobic organisms present in the soil anymore. That sealed bag of potting soil you buy at the shop… does it contain any aerobic organisms? NO.

Therefore, any new bag of potting soil must be enriched with aerobic organisms by pouring aerobic compost extract water over it on a monthly basis. So, if your potting soil is old, do not replace the soil… simply pour compost extract water over it, or top up the pot with new aerobic potting soil, vegetable growing medium, fruit tree growing medium, or rose growing medium.

How do you know if your potting soil contains aerobic organisms?
Place the soil in your hand. Close your hand and see if it falls apart or forms a ball. Good potting soil forms a ball in your hand because it contains bacterial gums and glomalin, which bind it together.

Good potting soil retains moisture when you water it, and the water does not immediately run out the bottom of the pot.

19/09/2025

FRIDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER IS BIG PLANTING DAY

September is the time of year when seeds germinate the fastest, because day and night temperatures are mild and close together. Some towns are already experiencing temperatures above 30°C, and in these areas seeds should be kept in semi-shade.

19 September is two days before New Moon, making it a suitable time to plant any seeds. Here is a more detailed list:

🌱LEAF CROPS: spinach, lettuce, cabbage, celery (for shaded areas), rocket, coriander
🌱FRUITING CROPS: tomatoes, cucumbers, baby marrows, patty pans, sweetcorn, pumpkin, squash, brinjals, sweet peppers and chillies, watermelon and spanspek
🌱ROOT CROPS: carrots, beetroot, red onions, chives, leeks, spring onions, potatoes
🌱LEGUMES: beans
🌱CLIMBING CROPS: runner beans
🌱HERBS: basil, summer savoury, dill, fennel, oregano, thyme, sorrel, Italian parsley

We are still offering our vegetable gardening courses for the rest of September and October.
Come learn how to grow vegetables in pots and small gardens, and receive a booklet with information on weekly plant care and how to influence seedling intelligence so that the plant learns to receive its nutrition through the organism system rather than a fertiliser packet.

Contact Arina on 0823315434 for more information about these courses and which videos you can order if you are unable to attend in person.

Did you know that besides nutrition, pruning fruit-bearing vegetables is the main reason your tomato plant can produce 60+ tomatoes and a cucumber plant can yield 80–100 fruits?

17/09/2025

VEGETABLE GARDENS IN SEPTEMBER
The sudden summer heat is throwing our winter veg gardens into chaos!

Aphids and plant diseases like rust love this weather.
Don’t let them win.

✅ Apply your Compost Extract Water
✅ Replenish minerals with VEGETABLE MIX
✅ Spray TRELMIX foliar feed if you spot trouble

Keep your garden thriving through the seasonal switch!

Taken from Arina Duvenhage’s September Garden To-Do List on behalf of Garden of Eden Garden School

The full list is shared at the start of each month with her gardening WhatsApp groups.
📲 To join, WhatsApp your name, residential area, and Eng/Afr to Arina on +27823315434

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16/09/2025

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Planting Seeds in September

Looking at all the questions I received in August regarding seed germination, the following 5 problems came up repeatedly:

1. Seeds get too much water
You should not water your seeds from the top every day, as this causes the seed to sink too deeply into the soil medium, and it cannot germinate. But the surface must not dry out. Place your seedling trays in a deep plastic container that serves as a “greenhouse”.
I only wet my seedling medium once before planting and keep the lid on so that the moisture can condense; then I never need to water again.

2. Seeds stand in water too long
If your seedling trays are standing in water to draw up moisture from below, they should not remain in that water for longer than an hour.

3. Seeds dried out on top
Especially if you plant roots directly into the soil, which take 10 days to germinate, the soil medium must never dry out. Therefore, for those 10 days, I place a frost cover over the soil so that the soil’s moisture can condense underneath the cover.

4. Your average day and night temperatures are too low and the seed cannot germinate
Some gardeners in South Africa still have night temperatures below 8 degrees Celsius and their seeds cannot germinate, even if the daytime temperatures are above 25 degrees Celsius. That is why you should obtain an 80-litre transparent plastic container in which to place your seedling trays, which you can bring into the living room at 15h00. As soon as the difference between day and night temperatures is more than 15 degrees Celsius, the germination ratio decreases.

5. You do not transplant your seeds from the seedling medium into the vegetable growing medium soon enough
Your leafy crops must be transplanted before the stem is 1 cm long, or you must bury the stem when transplanting. For fruit-bearing vegetables, you can wait until the stem is 3 cm long before transplanting. Germinated seedlings are transplanted into vegetable growing medium… not vegetable mixture.

HAPPY PLANTING IN SEPTEMBER

Medicinal Organic Vegetable Gardening

22/05/2026

08/05/2026

19/02/2026

17/02/2026

27/01/2026

23/01/2026

20/09/2025

19/09/2025

17/09/2025

16/09/2025

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