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Welcome
The names Straathof’s Seed and Kirchhoff’s Seed are synonymous with gardening in South Africa, while the successful partnership with Ball Horticultural Company of the USA, allows customers and staff access to the latest technology and breeding advances in the horticultural world.

This experience and knowledge is vital in providing the best and widest range of products for the garden.

Products include seed and plugs for the professional bedding, cut flower and landscape markets and a range of products in the Home Garden Range, which includes Kirchhoff’s packet flower, vegetable, lawn and herb seed, the Tie-d-range of home garden aids such as labels and rose thorn strippers, and an environmentally responsible range of insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers.

All products have been trialled and tested under all South African conditions for ease of growing and quality, and new varieties are updated regularly.

Ball Straathof is passionate about our environment and dedicated to enhancing and encouraging gardening pleasure for health and well being.
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In Your Garden
January is the best month to ...
  • Replace annuals that are past their best, A quick fix is to use colour bags
  • Use Ludwig’s Insect Spray Plus to control ants in the garden
  • Don’t mow your lawn too low in the heat, keep the blades longer and this will keep the lawn cool and promote deeper root development.
 
Latest News
Car maker develops its own flower species

Toyota has created two flower species that absorb nitrogen oxides and take heat out of the atmosphere.

The flowers, derivatives of the cherry sage plant and the gardenia, were specially developed for the grounds of Toyota’s Prius plant in Toyota City, Japan.

The sage derivative’s leaves have unique characteristics that absorb harmful gases, while the gardenia’s leaves create water vapour in the air, reducing the surface temperature of the factory surrounds and, therefore, reducing the energy needed for cooling, in turn producing less carbon dioxide (CO2).

For more info please follow this link: http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=66761&vf=1

 
Interesting Info

How to plant up a hanging herb garden

  Nothing is impossible in gardening anymore – even if you only have wall space, you can grow your own herbs, flowers and even some veggies using this hanging garden kit.Even if space is not a consideration, a hanging garden is a beautiful feature in its own right. It is also a solution for people in wheelchairs or those who find it difficult to bend. Herbs lend themselves to this application because a panel can be positioned close to the kitchen and the regular picking keeps the plants neat. The main challenge of vertical gardening is finding a system that is light enough, because when potting soil and water is added it becomes heavy. There is also the problem of watering and drainage.The Verti Garden kit is a modular system that was developed in the United Kingdom and is now available in South Africa. It consists of a lightweight outer metal frame, a tough but light plastic growing tray and lid, a mesh top and inline irrigation system. Its dimensions are 500mm by 400mm with a depth of about 90mm. The irrigation pipe is connected to a water tank that is mounted separately above the panel and gravity draws the water down through the panel. Apart from the kit, all that is necessary to get started is potting soil, slow release fertiliser and 16 seedlings.Ongoing Care:The frequency of watering depends on the position of the panel. It will require more frequent watering in summer and less in winter. The panel can be replanted at the end of the season. Cut the ties that keep everything in place, remove the plants and the potting soil. Wash everything with a mild detergent and then re plant using new potting soil and new ties to secure the system. What Else Eorks?For a flowering panel it is possible to use bacopa, begonia ‘Million Kisses’, ivy geraniums, impatiens, bidens, lobelia, petunias, especially the trailing ‘Waves’ and verbena. You could also try tufted ornamental grasses like Carex, Acorus, or Mondo grass as well as Liriope and groundcovers.Obtaining The KitsKits can be obtained direct from our offices at Printech road, Honeydew, Johannesburg.You can contact us directly on 011 -7942316, or email info@ballstraathof.co.za. Kits can be posted to any part of the country.

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