A mountain of sweet potatoes from my garden
One thing a gardener learns quickly, here in Hawaii, is that the natural shape of the islands create microclimates. It’s hard to generalize about growing things in Hawaii, because what is true for Kihei (leeward side, low elevation) is not true for Makawao (mid-island, mid-range elevations). So the following comments apply to those of us in hot, dry, leeward, low-elevation areas:
So what can one grow here in the summer?
For greens, choose Rocket (Arugula) and Asian Greens (Bok Choy, for example). My Rocket seems spicy enough that the bugs leave it alone, and as long as I keep cutting it back before it can bolt, I have an ongoing supply. My Baby Bok Choy grows quickly and gets harvested within just a couple of months of planting. The main challenge with it is to remember to keep starting new seeds.
I have eggplant (both Italian and Japanese varieties), and both do well. The Japanese varieties grow so quickly that I have to keep finding new recipes to try. So far, they’ve survived a few fungal attacks, and one period where I accidentally turned off the irrigation system.
One would think that tomatoes would be a cinch here. And they do grow quickly. But unless you are growing cherry tomatoes or small Romas, they tend to crack or get funky with fungus before the larger tomatoes can ripen. I like large tomatoes, but have decided it’s a blessing that I don’t have to bother cutting up my cherry tomatoes for salads. I’ll keep trying some of the larger heirlooms and sooner or later I’ll find one that will work.
Herbs do well, and the bugs leave them alone. The Basil needs constant cutting back, and the Chives seem to like that, too. I usually lose Cilantro to bolting (it’s really a winter herb here). Parsley does well, and remember to choose the Italian Parsley for flavor (the curly variety is all show, and not much good for eating).
I’m also experimenting with some small Asian melons. I’ll report back on that later.
And, of course, what Hawaiian garden should be without sweet potatoes? The purple Molokai variety is fun and easy to grow, but if you like Garnet Yams, don’t hesitate to stick a few starts in the garden (best in areas where they can be contained, or flow over a rock retaining wall). Last year I planted about a dozen tips that I found growing out of potatoes left in the back of my pantry, which sprouted while I was on vacation, and six months later we harvested nearly 100 pounds. I figure if the economy crashes and I must live off the land, the sweet potatoes will feed me AND my neighbors.
Comments on this entry are closed.