Spring is in the air. Days are getting longer and we are getting some rain. Coffee trees are in bloom and their sweet smell pervades the air. So, what shall we plant?
Spring officially begins on the vernal equinox, which is March 21. Now is a good time to consider what new plants or garden areas you may want to add to your landscape.
Whether you have a quarter acre or 40 acres, including a vegetable garden or some fruit trees is always a smart idea. Many vegetables and lots of fruit-bearing plants can add beauty to your landscape, as well as food for your table.
Growing edibles is all the rage these days for good reason, especially in Hawaii. In an effort to reduce our reliance on offshore products and get fresher food with less fuel expense, many farmers and homeowners, as well as condo dwellers, are finding space to plant some of their favorite fruits and vegetables.
Many vegetables and some fruit trees are suitable for growing in pots, allowing you better control of their location, fertility and water supplies. If you live in an area that is below 500 feet in elevation, the spring and summer rains may not be a factor. Those living above 1,200 feet may have to consider plants that can thrive in wet soil for the coming season.
A few months ago, we were considering drought-tolerant plants. Now, we need to worry about our plants drowning. If you are in an area that gets lots of summer rain, put off planting tomatoes, squashes and drought-tolerant herbs like borage or lavender unless they are in containers you can move out of the rain.
These plants are susceptible to root rot and other wet weather diseases and are best grown here in the fall and winter months that are usually drier. Start your spring plants in pots or seeding trays that can be moved under cover and out of the rain.
Salad and steaming greens are always a good choice. Tougher salad greens do best in wet soil. Romaine, tat soi or arugula should produce well regardless of the weather. Consider steaming greens like kale, collards and chard, as their leaves will be off the ground if it’s wet. One of the most reliable greens for salads or steaming is Okinawan spinach. It is a tropical perennial that produces pretty purple-backed leaves year round.
Root vegetables can add depth to salads, soups and stews. Carrots, beets and turnips can be picked young and enjoyed fresh or steamed. For a quick reward, plant radishes to add spice to salad or sandwiches. For those interested in Japanese vegetables you might want to consider burdock or daikon. Root crops do best in a deep, light soil and can even be grown in sand when watered regularly. Pots for root vegetables should be 10 to 12 inches deep.
Beans are not only easy to grow, but have the advantage of adding nitrogen to the soil while providing a protein source for your meals. Numerous varieties exist, but if space is an issue, pole beans or snow peas will grow up on supports rather than spreading out in your garden.
Homegrown tomatoes are so delicious they make most store-bought ones look and taste like a different species, but they are not easy to grow here. Wet weather, diseases and insects plague them, as well as several other vegetables, like cucumbers. Growing tomatoes or cucumbers in a screen house or well-controlled environment can avoid problems. Varietal selection can also help. The UH Komohana variety produces small tomatoes that do well in most locations here.
Other Solanaceae family plants, including eggplant and peppers will usually do well year round in pots or in the ground. Try an online seed supplier with varieties suitable for our tropical climate and pick a less common variety to expand your palate. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, southernexposure.com, is a good place to start.
Local garden shops have some of the more common varieties and most of those mentioned here will be available as seedlings at Tropical Edibles Nursery in Captain Cook when they open March 21.
If you want an abundance of fresh edibles and can wait a year or more, choose from the large array of tropical fruit and vegetable trees. Avocado, banana, mango, starfruit, tropical apricot, papaya, macnut or tree spinach (chaya) can all produce abundantly here and help us keep our dollars at home.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant with an organic farm in Captain Cook.
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gardening helpline
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by certified master gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Peg asks: It has been raining in South Kona and the coffee is now in beautiful bloom. Is it time to start spraying the fungus against the coffee berry borer?
Answer: No. An excellent publication produced by the Kona Coffee Farmers Association is available online at bioworksinc.com/products/botanigard-es/coffee-berry-borer-pest-management.pdf. In that document they recommend you spray the bassiana fungus 60 days and again 150 days after flowering. If your farm is in flower now, that means you should spray mid-May and again mid-August.
The same publication also recommends against spraying during flowering, as the fungus can be harmful to bees.
Botanigard is the commercially available product containing the fungus. Mycotrol is the product to select if you are farming organically. Both formulas need to be very thoroughly mixed according to the label instructions and applied with a fine mister to the ground, where fallen cherries may be harboring beetles, as well as to the trees where new cherries are forming.
This publication further recommends spraying on humid, overcast days and not during the heat of the day. The fungus grows best in moist conditions, so choosing a spraying day and time when conditions are optimal can increase the product’s efficacy.
Hopefully, we can increase our fungus population on local coffee farms to reduce the damage this pest is causing.
For now, enjoy this short bloom season. If you don’t have a coffee farm, be sure to visit one at 1,200 feet or higher. The bloom is peaking there this week and the farms are full of fragrant ‘Kona snow.’
This column is produced by Diana Duff.
