GrowBox

26/08/2025

Agrimark Phillipi. Bigger and Better ✨💚

Agrimark Philippi. Bigger. Better. Back! 🎉

Join us 28 – 30 August for the grand reopening of Agrimark Philippi — now with 300m² more space, a fresh modern look, and an even bigger range of the products you love. 🛠️🌱🐾

Here’s what’s waiting for you:
✅ Launch deals on a wide range of products
✅ Lucky draw prizes & supplier giveaways
✅ FREE boerewors roll for the first 50 customers each day
✅ A brand-new paint mixing service
✅ Expanded ranges in gardening, pets, tools, hardware, clothing, camping, and more
✅ A sneak peek at exciting new additions like our brand-new fuel & convenience space

We’ve added more parking and upgraded to make your shopping experience better than ever.

📍 10 Olieboom Rd, Philippi, Cape Town, 7785

07/08/2025

🌱🥬 First harvest alert! 🥳

Blomvlei Primary School’s STEM Club just picked their very first veggies from the school garden – and they’re looking freshhh! 😍💚

Big thanks to SMEC for sponsoring this growing adventure 🌧️+🌿 = success!

Another harvest is coming this Wednesday for the school’s Market Day, run by the learners themselves! 🛒👩🏾‍🌾

GrowBox is proud to be part of the journey! 🌍💪

28/07/2025

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature," - Alfred Austin

19/07/2025

🐞 FIG TREE ALERT! 🚨⚠️

Look what we found lurking on our fig trees this week… Meet the Longhorn Beetle aka Phryneta Spinator 👀 Not as innocent as it looks!

This chunky beetle (about 3.5cm long 😳) is bad news for fig trees here in Cape Town – and even willow trees too 🌳

✨Why you should care:
➡️ The larvae tunnel into the wood of the tree, feeding like tiny lumberjacks 🪓
➡️ Over time, they can weaken or even kill older or less vigorous trees 😱
➡️ Each beetle has a lifecycle of over 3 years – and the larvae spend nearly all of that time inside the tree, munching away 😬
➡️ Signs to look for: reddish sawdust-like bits (called "frass") at the base of your tree or holes in the bark 🔍

🤓 Fun (?) facts:
– Females lay eggs in T-shaped slits near branches (mid-Nov to mid-March)
– Larvae are cannibalistic and love wood tunnels 🐛
– The pupa (which may be what we found under the bark) forms just below the surface to help adults escape easily when ready 🚪

💚 How to fight back – naturally:
🌱 Prune and burn affected branches (dispose far away!)
🌿 Use neem oil spray as a deterrent – it’s organic and messes with their life cycle
🐦Attract natural predators like birds by keeping your garden bird-friendly
👩‍🌾 Keep your trees healthy! A strong tree is less likely to fall victim to infestation

Please keep an eye out and share this with fellow gardeners! Let’s protect our beautiful fig trees 🌱

📸 Swipe to see this sneaky critter up close (ew but cool, right?)

17/07/2025

🚨 BLIGHT ALERT! 🚨
Tired of your tomatoes & potatoes getting wrecked by blight? 😩 Don't stress — here’s how to fight it the organic way 💪🌱

✨ Top Tips to Beat Blight Naturally ✨
🌾 Rotate your crops (no repeat offenders for 3-4 yrs!)
🧹 Clean up old plant debris — no free rides for fungi!
🌬️ Give your plants space to breathe (good airflow = less blight)
💧 Water smart — drip or base watering keeps leaves dry
🍅 Plant resistant varieties when you can
🌿 Keep your soil healthy & mulch it up to prevent splashy spores

🧪Organic Fungicides That Work:
🧼 Baking soda spray (with a dash of soap) = antifungal magic
🌿 Neem oil = blight & pest buster
🧄 Garlic spray = stinky but effective
🥄 Calcium-magnesium citrate = anti-spore shield
🟦 Copper fungicides (use sparingly – soil-safe is key!)

🌱 Bonus Moves:
✂️ Prune those lower leaves & suckers
🧴 Sanitize your shears (1 part bleach to 4 parts water)
🦠 Use beneficial microbes like Trichoderma & Bacillus to fight back naturally

Keep your garden thriving without harsh chemicals 🌎💚

17/07/2025

🚨 Spotted something suspicious on your celery leaves? 👀🟤 Let’s talk BLIGHT, baby!

Those weird brown spots with yellow halos? Greasy vibes? 🤢 That might be Cercospora blight – a funky lil’ fungus that loves warm, humid weather and a good garden gossip sesh 🌀💦

🦠 It starts as brown-ish spots on leaves & stalks
💛 Often with yellow halos (👻 not the angelic kind)
🌫️ Can look oily, turn papery, and crack
🌬️ Spreads through wind, rain splash, and even your watering can!

💡What to do?
✔️ Use blight-resistant seeds
✔️ Start fungicide sprays right after transplanting
✔️ Copper sprays & cultural controls for organic growers 🌱

👉 Pro tip: Clean up old plant debris – this sneaky blight hangs around like that one friend who never leaves the party 🎉

🍃🕵️‍♂️

15/07/2025

🌸🍓 Why Are My Strawberry Flowers Turning Pink? 🤔

Not all strawberry flowers are white! 😯 If yours are turning pink, here’s why:

1️⃣ It's Totally Normal (Sometimes!)
Some varieties like ‘Pink Panda’ or certain everbearing types naturally bloom pink! 🌷

2️⃣ Mother Nature’s Mood Swings 🌦️

🌱Soil too alkaline? It messes with nutrients.
🌱Too hot? Your plants could be sun-stressed! ☀️🥵

3️⃣ Plant Stress is Real 😬
🌱 Lack of water 💧 or too much of it 🚿
🌱 Nutrient deficiencies 🧪
🌱 Even plant diseases can cause color changes! 😔

🍓🍓
Bottom line: pink flowers can be cute OR a cry for help! Keep an eye on your soil, water, and plant health 🌱❤️

🍓✨
🍓🍓🍓

09/07/2025

Grateful for the 3 days of ☀️

More ☔ predicted in a few days but extremely happy that the water logged beds managed to dry (mostly😁).

The veggies looks much stronger compared to a few days ago. 💚

21/10/2024

Make the most of your class' learning journey to our urban farm.

If you are a teacher, you know that thoughtful planning and first-hand insights are some of the tools that can enhance your students' learning immensely. Their young minds are receptive to anecdotes and relatable information, and they connect better with the content when trainers are engaging and approachable. With our experience working with schools, our lessons are easily adaptive from Grade RR to Grade 12.
All our school programmes are designed with your students' learning objectives and are curriculum-based.

Students get to touch, smell, taste and experience urban farming first-hand.

We also collaborate closely with teachers and school staff to make each visit to our farm a fulfilling, informative and unforgettable one.

Reach out to us for your next learning journey at [email protected] or drop us an enquiry via WhatsApp on 0761475274

20/10/2024

It's Garden Day today.

Take a break from all the hard work of planting, watering, weeding, mulching, and instead celebrate your garden today with your flower crown.