Iintsuku apho ikhephu lithi lehle khona linganga sichaphazeli isityalo ngaphezu kwamatyeli alandelelanayo wentsuku ezine khephu.
Izivuno zinamazinga ohlukileyo obushushu asezantsi apho isityalo singathi sonakale kakhulu okanye sife. Obubushushu buyohluka kakhulu phakathi kwentlobo ezahlukileyo zesivuno. Ezinye izivuno, ezifana nezivuno ezikwindawo ezishushu (tropical) nezishushu ezinomoya (subtropical) zingafa kumaqondo angu 5℃.
Ukuze ugqibe okokuba utyale esiphi isityalo kwindawo yakho, kuzakufuneka uqwalasela okokuba ichasene kangakanani nekhephu.
Yintoni Ikhephu Elimnyama?
I’Black frost’ okanye ikhephu elimnyama kuxa amaqondo okukhenkcezisa evela kodwa ikhephu elimhlophe lingabonakali. Akwenzeki rhoqo oku, kwenzeka amaxesha ambalwa kwiminyaka ethile, kodwa lona yonakalisa kakhulu kwizityalo kunekhephu elimhlophe kwaye lingabulala izityalo nendawo ezithile emithini.Usuku Lokungena kwe Khephu
Usuku olwaziwa nje ‘ngomhla wokungena’ kwekhephu elinamandla kuthetha ukuphela kwexesha lokukhulisa izityalo ezingadibaniyo nekhephu ngexesha lokuba zivuthwe.Xa isivuno singeka vuthwa ngolosuku lokuphuma kungenzeka ilahleko eninzi kubungakanani besivuno. Ukusebenza mva ukususela ngolusuku, umfama angaqikelela usuku lokugqibela lokutyala ukuze kuthintelwe ikhephu ngexesha lokuvuthwa.
Kwindawo zombona ze Sandvet, Vaalharts, Orange-Riet, Douglas kunye ne Lower Orange River, usuku lokungena kwekhephu ngumhla ka 20 May. Umbona uthabatha ixesha ukukhula, ixesha elingama 150 wentsuku kufuneka utyalwe phambi kokuba inyanga ka December ifikelele esiphakathini.
Izityalo ezikhula ebusika ezingadibaniyo nekhephu ngexesha zise zizithole, iintsuku zokutyala zingalungiswa ukuze isityalo sibe sesidlulile kwixesha loku ngadibani nekhephu xa kufika ixesha lalo.
Usuku Lokuhamba kwe Khephu
Usuku lophela okanye lokuhamba kwekhephu lusuku lokuqala kwixesha lokukhula lezityalo zase hlotyeni ezingadibaniyo nekhephu ngexesha zise zizithole. Kwindawo zezolimo ezinetha imvula, ukutyala kufuneka kwenziwe kuphela emveni kwe ‘mvula zokuqala’ zokutyala.Kwindawo zolimo ezinkcenkceshelwayo ukutyalwa kungenziwa ngoku khwawuleza xa ingozi yekhephu sele idlulile namaqondo obushushu sele ephezulu ngokwaneleyo. Kwisivuno esithengisekayo sasehlotyeni esifana nemifuno, watermelons, kunye ne sweet melons, kulungile ke oku ukuze kufumaneke amaxabiso amahle.
Iindawo Zekhephu eMzantsi Afrika
Ifama ezi phakathini kwindawo zeli lo Mzantsi Afrika ezinamaxesha amade anobungozi we khephu ziphezulu kolwandle kwaye zikude elwandle. Ubusuku base busika obungenawo amafu nomoya owomileyo ziyongezelela okokuba kubekho ikhephu.Kwindawo zonkcenkceshelo eFree State nase Northern Cape, ixesha lekhephu liba lide, ukususela kwintsuku eziyi 91 ukuya kweziyi 120. Iifama ezikulendawo nezingqongileyo eLimpopo Valley, iphondo iNorthern Limpopo, imimandla ekumazantsi (Mpumalanga nephondo lase Limpopo) kunye namanxweme KwaZulu-Natal, Mpuma Koloni, kunye nakwi phondo lase Ntshona Koloni zinexesha elifutshane kakhulu lekhephu, elibazintsuku ezimbalwa ngonyaka ukuya kwintsuku eziyi 30 zekhephu.
E-Mpuma Koloni, ixesha lekhephu, zintsuku eziyi 1-30, lishunqulelwe ngenxa ye deep river valley kumaqondo obushushu. Ezintili zinobushushu kunephondo lase Mpuma Koloni yiyo lonto ikhephu lilincinci. Inkoliso yendawo zonkcenkceshelo zase Mpuma Koloni zikwezintili.
Kukhona indawo engafunyanwayo likhephu kwi Northern KwaZulu-Natal ngaselunxwemeni ngenxa ye ‘warm Mozambique sea current’. Oku kuquka inkqubo yonkcenkceshelo iMakhathini. Iziqhamo ezithanda indawo ezise mazantsi ezifana ne banana, avocados, guavas, kunye nezivuno, amandongomane icashew nuts, zingakhuliselwa khona.
Uphando lwezifundo olwenziwe kwi coconut palms, isivuno esthanda imimandla eshushu entlango lwenziwe kwifama eyayisetyenziswa kuphando eseMakhatini.
Iindawo ezingenalo ikhephu eMzantsi Afrika ziquka indawo ezingaselwandle kunye ne Eastern ne Southern Cape kananjalo naphakathi KwaZulu-Natal. Indawo emxinwa engenalo ikhephu kwibhoda zase mpuma kwi Mpumalanga kunye nephondo lase Limpopo kakhulu ingaphakathi kwe Kruger National Park.
Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie