Rocktober In The Tropical Garden
Starting A Garden When All You Have Is RockThe question I get asked most has to be this one, "How do you start a garden when all you have is rock?" I figure that I may as well take a moment and try and explain how to do it. You see, much of Hawaii Island has shallow soils, in fact, a lot of it is just rock. (If you're one of those blessed by soil, you can snicker and move on) So how do you grow in soils that are so rocky? There are a few ways to go about it.
Let me explain. A person can take a raw, lava-covered lot and rip it level with a D-9 dozer. During this process, the rock is broken up to a few feet deep and then tamped down level by the machine. Occasionally, a backhoe with a hammer implement will dig specific holes for trees to be planted in. Then soil products will be imported, such as black cinder and cinder soil to be used in planting areas. At my place, half of my lot was ripped to make room for my home and plantings. I spread a base of black cinder after the machine came through and it eventually turned into a nice green lawn. When I started my gardens, I had no soil on site really. It was just a smooth layer of cinder, with grass growing out of it. So what I did was place down a layer of cardboard in my marked growing areas, and I covered that cardboard with soil, mulch, manure, you name it. Whatever organic matter I could find, I brought it home and built my garden beds, one truckload at a time. I started with my first bed close to the house, planted it out, then I needed more space, made another bed and planted it out, then I needed more space, so I made another bed and planted it out, etc. This can be done by making growing beds directly on the ground or creating container gardens such as raised beds. You can take a slower approach, however, where you do not rip the land. Instead, you heavily plant it with pioneer shrub and tree species, which naturally occur in the tropics anyhow, and build soil over several years time. This approach is more ecologically sound but much slower. Many pioneer species plants have strong, thick roots that fix nitrogen into the soil and do a great job breaking up the volcanic rock. There's no just stick your shovel in the ground and start planting kind of gardening happening on much of Hawaii Island. You need to either grow or import organic matter, and lots of it! That right there is the trick to starting a garden on rock. If you're looking for help getting your homestead going, schedule a consultation. Did You Know It's Apple Season In Hawaii?That's right! Apples can grow in Hawaii! And right now, during the months of September and October, you can find apples ready to harvest. While many of them grow at higher elevations, some growers at lower elevations are finding luck with some low-chill apple varieties. Interested in learning more about growing apples in the tropics?
Plant Varieties MatterWhen I say plant varieties matter, I mean it. Earlier in the season I planted two types of beans, yard long beans and Kentucky wonder. Needless to say from the picture of a recent harvest, the yard-long beans are winning out. I get a harvest like this every other day! Whereas the Kentucky Wonder? What Kentucky Wonder, they never grew! If I just tried to stick with the same old, conventional variety of seed growers on the mainland are using, I wouldn't have much luck in the garden. By growing seeds that are adapted to the tropics, I get these crazy harvests! Interested in learning more about the best varieties to grow in the tropics? Free ResourcesHomesteadin' Hawaii YouTube Veggie Varieties for the Tropics Shade Plants for a Tropical Garden 100 Income Ideas for the Off Grid Homesteader Bamboo Foundations Picture Book |
Homesteadinʻ Hawaii
November In The Tropical Garden Homesteadinʻ Hawaii The Abundance of November The abundance of the garden here in Hawaii never seems to stop. Here we are, deep into fall and the garden is filled with squash, beans, chard, kale, green onions, pac choi, kalo, sweet potato, and SO many other crops. But how do you get a garden started? It's really not that hard. Just play the long game. In year 1, you can prepare your soil by smothering the ground with mulch and growing cover crops. While you...
September In The Tropical Garden Homesteadinʻ Hawaii Cool Season Crops are IN this Time of Year You may not think Hawaii has seasons, but it does. The daylight hours are getting shorter, rains are picking up and the temperature is just a little bit cooler.Last month I mentioned you could start some cool season annuals such as beans, peas, Kale, chard, and more.Now is an even BETTER time to do it. So start sowing some seeds.Hawaii Seed Growers Network is a great place to find locally adapted...
August In The Tropical Garden Homesteadinʻ Hawaii It's Never Too Early To Get Ready For Fall! I know, I know. I'm a little late sending this newsletter out. But better late than never! First off, let's bow our heads in silence for our brothers and sisters in Lahaina. That fire was tragic. I pray the survivors find strength to heal from it and rebuild. They will need our help even more so in the years to come. I guess you could think of August as a time of change and regrowth. Towards the...