I expect everyone is very busy with their various projects, but I sure am missing everyone around here...
I have been involved in demo-ing a cottage we have in the garden - I have it down to the bare walls now, although I had to have some help with the bathtub, I couldn't lift that thing out for the life of me. The cottage was single wall construction, and very poorly built at that, so we are having to start from fresh with new electricity, inner walls, etc. It's a real mess at the moment, but hopefully it will become a nice little home for my Mom. Doing the demo myself saved quite a bit of money.
Autumn is slowly coming here, although we don't have much temperature difference between summer and winter here in Kihei. Some leaf droppage, and the avocado are ripening up. Hoping for some rain, I can't remember when it rain last - I think we had a sprinkle in March. Up country has seen some nice rains this summer, but not nearly enough, so we are all trying to cut back on water usage.
We have had solar water panels installed and are delighted with the amount of hot water we have with our sunny climate. For this year we are going to get a 35% tax deduction from the State, and a 30% Fed deduction plus a $2000.00 rebate from MECO (our electric company) as we are having the cottage hooked into the system too ($1000.00 per house). As there are rumors that the Fed deduction is going away after this year, we just had to go ahead and take advantage...now I need a second job to pay for everything, but we think it is a very good investment with the way our electricity is going up monthly on the Island.
So what are you up to?
Warmest Aloha to all.
Jen
Missing everyone
Good going on the solar panels Jen!
Planting taro, tomatoes, and cucumbers today; and helping to put siding on a friend's new house.
Aloha, Dave
Aloha Dave,
What is the secret to growing veggies here in the Islands? The only tomato I can grow are the wild ones that come up all by themselves - very small and sweet, but with kind of tough skins. I even failed at zucchini, we got a few and then the plant seemed to peter out - oriental fruit flies? Planning on traps this year, they worked so well for the mango.
Carol grows most of her veggies in containers, is that the answer? It's very hard to keep containers moist enough here in Kihei with the unrelenting sun...
Put in two bush cukes yesterday, with copper strips around them hopefully to keep the slugs away. Anywhere I have water, or mulch, I have slugs or gigantic, voracious snails.Little beasts climb right up the plant. I have started going out at dawn to try to catch them - but I am not sure I am even making a dent in the population. Sluggo is too expensive to cover the whole garden!
Our neighborhood is starting a sustainable alternatives group, we are looking forward to the meetings, which I think start in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I can learn a lot about living in Hawaii.
How kind of you to help your friend with the siding - that's a big job!
Sounds like you are doing well at gardening in Kihei! The trick to getting a veggie garden going is to give it too much care!
I grow my herbs in pots, but put veggies in beds of rich soil in the ground. With all the rain here (200 inches + per year) it is necessary to keep nutrition (fertilizing) applications going on a regular schedule.
It is hard work to raise food, but homegrown tastes better than what is sold in the stores.
Have a good productive day!
With the veggies available in the stores here, and the prices, homegrown is becoming a necessity!
I just bought a house, a serious fixer upper, and am trying to decide where to put a screen house for veggies. I have 25 papayas about a foot tall in pots, down from 43, because it rained hard the night I repotted them, and they got rot from being too wet, booo.
And the one papaya at the house has virus, twisted leaves. How long does a virus hang around a neighborhood? There are healthy wild papayas just down the road a couple of hundred yards.
I'll have a tiny door in the screenhouse for honeybees! Get them started with a trail of honey, that's cheating. Boy, do they go crazy for honey! Though the bees here have been africanized.
OK, it HAS been quiet all over Dave's garden.
I'm here. Glad you started this thread. What a wonder that Paradise is difficult to grow vegetables. We lost our squash plants almost immediately to squash borers. Planted only 10 okra seed and they have become almost a tree. Huge trunks and must harvest everyday. First time in years to have vegetables and didn't do too well. Had too much nitrogen because the plants were beautiful but didn't bear much fruit. With the optimism of every gardner...there is always next year.
Jen, you amaze me with your boundless energy. I dream of another time when we will be there to see your work. How's it going with the nut grass?
Mike is doing the hard work of potting as many tropicals as we can to save from the cold. The brugs are blooming more since our weather has cooled. I'm so afraid I will not be able to save them through the winter. Only solution is to do as Placetiarita (sp) does and hoop the whole yard. She is only about 5 miles from here and you would think it was 5,000 miles with the difference in our tropicals.
We have discussed various solar solutions for our home but the cost is prohibitive here. Someday I hope solar will be an automatic for new construction.
Aloha,
Congratulations on your new home, Molamola - our home was a serious fixer upper too, and we are still at it 6 years later! We bought for the land, not the house, and had to take what we could get. It's very hard to find a half acre close to the beach unless you are a millionaire, but finally it's starting to come together. I won't say it's been fun, but I certainly have learnt a lot about house construction and termites, etc, etc.
Christi, how are you love? I am still struggling with the nut grass, luckily for me we only have the smallish patch under the plumeria tree at the bottom of the lanai steps to contend with, but when you are squatting down trying to pull it by hand, it seems like acres! I am seriously thinking about plastic grass for the area that was dug up - no water needed! We had a news story here about a guy who put in a small patch of plastic grass (acually, I think it's called Synthetic Lawn, or something) because of our serious drought, and the homeowners association came down on him and fined him thousands. I believe he is taking it to court as it is they who insist on a lawn in the front of his home, and he is trying to save water. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Anyone using photo voltaic (sp?) roof vents? I am looking into them for the cottage, and if sucessful, I will put them on the main house too. The units cost about $200.00 each here, Lord knows what the labor costs to put them in, but it's one job I am not going to tackle myself. Hopefully, they will make a difference. Anybody know anything about them?
Not sure what that is, Jen. We have 2 solotube skylights.
Would never believe your home was a "fixer upper". It is just perfect.
Back in the house to check about the three jacaranda trees RJ brought. They have grown a lot in ground but don't think they can take our winters. Same with about a dozen other tropicals. They are so beautiful it is worth the effort to protect them.
Later,
PK
Hello everyone!
I am (quietly) here, Jen! You really are a brave heart mom with your cottage project and the work involved.
Dave, this is really exciting and yummy, to grow your own food! One thing I really miss is the taste and aroma of tomatoes. But I have no guts or experience to do that. This (to me) unknown climate makes me take baby-steps, there are so many things I took for granted! As a beginner, next year I'll start growing my own peppers and beans and maybe a few others. I have my container-grown herbs, not everything I would wish for, but better than the store.
Molamola, congratulations for the house. Are you planning to "house" the bees? Or let them do their wild thing while visiting your gardens?
Christi, your DH is priceless! I keep thinking about you and all the other tropical growers outside the tropics, and of how much work involved is for all of you when cool weather hits. All this transplanting from soil to pots, and then back. I would probably be in the same situation, if this were my house. Renting really limits the things that go in the landlord's garden.
Things could be doing better for me right now. What really depresses me is how bad a gardener I am, and this is why I mostly sit quietly in a corner and read about others' successes and see their beautiful plants. Looking at my poor babies makes me think of serial killers...
Hugs to all,
Alexandra
Goodness, Alexandra, you need a local gardening mentor! If I were you, I'd ask at old, established nurseries, and drive around some in residential areas peering at folk's yards! Great answers for your questions here and on the vegetable gardening forum.
I really do dread the house. All those men to deal with, plumber, electrician, roofer, and etc. I kind of expect to get ripped off. But the market here is healthy, I could get my money out of it easily.
I'd love to keep bees, but they're Africanized here, I'd be afraid to have a hive on a half acre lot.
I'm here, too! Y'all have really been busy!!! I'm still recooperating. I think I am going to focus on the inside for awhile. I also need to get the "makeshift greenhouses" ready. Then plan for the Holidays, which is why I need to focus on the inside for awhile. I need to re-organize and get rid of some clutter.
Alexandria, Sunset books makes some good books for different zones. They usually have them at Lowes or Home Depot. I agree with driving around and looking at what other's are growing. I did that, too.
Great to here about all of y'all's adventures! Keep us all posted on the progress!
Aloha!
I was just starting to eye the greenhouse and think about dragging in my favorite Brugs, when everything changed and we had a few days in the 90's. Good thing my ambition didn't live up to my ideas or they'd have all been roasted inside. Mother nature does love to tease us a bit. I wasn't interested in gardening when I grew up on the East Coast, so this is the only climate I've ever been challenged by. Almost paradise, with enough changes to make it interesting. I really need to grow veggies and lighten up on the Brugmansia. Just need to find a way to give up some. It's hard to make decisions when you love them all.
Mary
Looked up the photovaltic and found it is solar panels. Have done some research here and it would be in the six figures.
I'm here too!! Just busy. Since I don't have a job I can't get a greenhouse that I so desperately need. So I'm trying to figure out where I'm gonna put my tropicals and a few annuals that I want to save. I have to limit the amount of pots otherwise the house smells like dirt and it gets hard to breathe in here.
Jenn - There is a new forum on Self Contained Box Gardens. They might be just what you need to grow vegetables there. There are even instructions for building your own - keep you busy in your spare time!!
We are under a tropical storm watch - Norbert is coming.
It's beautiful and sunny here, starting to cool off for fall.
Had a brief but heavy rain the other night and my new rock path in the entryway outside the kitchen absorbed it with no problem. I had a dry path the next morning.
Still recovering from my trip to San Diego and some other things. Got my chipper across the border with no problems - we avoided being pulled over which is the best way to cross. When they have pulled me over I've never had a problem as what they see is a lot of stuffed animals for the kids for Christmas. The chipper, however, is beig and new-looking so I was a little worried as I'm not sure of the limits and I couldn't prove it was used.
Now to get it unloaded and fired up.
Got neem leaves yesterday from a friend to make an EM/neem spray. Also got seeds to start my own trees.
Busy, busy, busy.
katiebear
How very nice to hear from everyone, and to see how they are doing!
I had to laugh Mary, I am trying to lighten up on the brugs and get a few more veggies in the ground too, especially with the prices going the way they are...Brugs are begining to cost too much in water and fertilizer despite their beauty.
I am on a cleaning out kick too, Jeanne. I just tackled my garden shed and got rid of a ton of stuff. Lots and lots of nursery pots went to a local nursery, all the Christmas lights and ornaments went to a friend who has young children, and all the building stuff that I have accumulated over the years went to someone who does home maintenance...My next job is to tackle the sewing and quilting stuff...I think I could probably quilt half of America with the amount of fabric I have got - and I live in a climate that never needs a quilt! Gone are the days that I had time to sew.
Pepper, sorry you are struggling to decide which of your babies to get under cover - what a tough decision to have to make - nice to hear from you though!
Christi, I got it wrong - they are solar roof vents, not photo voltaic - I was corrected by the fellow we met with last night who is doing the remodel. He said he has put them in quite a few homes and everyone has been very happy with them and they pull the hot air out of the house very well. Very few homes here have attics.
Aloha to all.
Hey, everyone!
Since I moved here, I tried to figure out how to cope with the huge differences between the hot-humid Miami and the hot-dry El Paso. In the little spare time, I went and devoured the books at the bookstore about the South-west. Unfortunately, they mostly talk of what normally and successfully grows here...
The neighbors all have xeri-plants and nothing fancy, but nonetheless beautiful. I'm starting to believe that orchids are really fancy here, as I barely see them for sale in the box-stores. And when I see them, there's one or two, drowning... Probably most people don't want to deal with high-humidity and high water needs plants, since El Paso deals with water restrictions of different degrees.
I searched for nurseries around El Paso (very little to find), but the only one I visited was a cacti-succulents one, and the Rose Garden. These are the plants that had a harder life in Miami, not too happy about the humidity there...
I think my mistake was to bring the orchids here. Then, trying to keep them outside. Of course, good air movement, but very dry, so I started to mist them every day. Kept most of them alive, but I cannot say they're happy.
I will start a desperation thread here on TZG forum, and also seek for advice in the SW forum. I just feel bad to post the helpless thread, I haven't had something nice happening for a while...
Just to give you an idea on what nature looks here: this is a nicely maintained house in the neighborhood
the most frequent landscaping plants:
and another
normal xeri-landscaping in my neighborhood. See how people prefer to do rocks more than plants or even grass... it has it's own charm, but I like more green. In the background you see Franklin Mountain, the foggy view is due to a sandstorm.
I've never seen so many blooming oleanders in my whole life! They are very common here, and always in bloom! Beautiful and reliable here, as they can tolerate drought very well
The air is dry even inside the house. The first day after arrival, we went to buy an humidifier, we couldn't breathe!
Mid-July and August it was the rainy season, at that time the orchids seem a bit more happy, outside. Since mid-September we haven't had any rain, until last night when we got (literally) a few drops.
Unless watered by human hands, the nature is quite scarce.
All my recent plant or seed purchases are with the drought in mind... but I need to keep my babies alive, and hopefully happy...
This was, until recently, the orchid corner that my DH made for me. Each orchid was placed into a hanging basket with double bottom, so I would be able to leave some water in each to increase humidity, without touching the pots and roots of my orchids.
Looks good Alexandria! WOW Jen, you've really been busy!
I've been doing more planning than working. We did go to WalMart. I got the plastic for the swing set. DS said he'd take the bar and swings off for me to give me more room. He worked on the hut today. After it rains a few times the palm fronds will lay flatter. Then we'll have to put some of the plants back around it. I'll get pictures later. The white brugs Randy gave me are in bloom, and the peach double hibiscus were in bloom today also. They looked so pretty!
Has anyone heard from Islandshari? Hope she is OK!
Aloha,
Shari and her family are all well. She has been having lots and lots of rain which has caused her some computer problems. She has been very busy lately with her many projects and will have time to come "home" when her schedule eases up.
Nice orchids Alexandria, what a good idea to put them in double pots, they sure look healthy and happy.
Glad to hear your hut is coming along Jeanne and how cool to use the swing set as a shelter for winter. Looking forward to the pictures.
Jenny, Where are the pictures of your new landscaping?
Mostly miles of paths, didn't think anyone would be interested in pink concrete! My back wall is finally finished, a rather uninteresting grey block wall, and only half of the length of it is planted so far as I have to move a huge rock pile which the bobcat put on top of the waterlines. However, the bit that is planted with plumeria and gardenia (and a few squash bushes inbetween) is growing nicely now our nights are a little cooler. The whole garden is looking a little shot at at the moment between the summer heat and my cutting back the water to try to conserve, as we are in a severe drought.
I am working on a gazebo at the moment, it's coming along nicely but will look much better when I have some kind of grass (or nut grass - LOL) around it. That project started when Frank bought me a hammock for my birthday! Will take a picture today so everyone can have a good laugh!
I have the plumber coming today to connect up the Ohana to the solar hot water. Unfortunately I had to dig up a 1 foot deep trench right across one of my best flower beds for the pipes to run...one step forward and two back!
I think that some of the dry wall, etc, is going to be delivered today ready for the contractor to start on the Ohana next week - he hopes to be finished before Christmas - LOL! Also got to take my co-workers family into town to visit him in the hospital. Busy day for my day off!
Thanks for the plant shots Alexandria,
Looks like Agave americana. Below that I think is Ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens; what type of Yucca is that with the thick trunk?
Are you going to show close-ups of your orchids?
Hey Jen,
Have you considered planting some of the native dry forest plants of your area?
They are quite drought tolerant and very attractive.
Aloha, Dave
For those of you that haven't met Jenny, she is a tiny little lady who is just a ball of energy. Cannot believe she does such heavy labor.
Her results rival the professionals of any ilk. I greatly admire her and Frank and her mother and her son. A terrific family.
Christi
Aw Christi - not quite true, except for the part about my family...kind remarks like that are why you are so well loved! How are you doing with your recovery, well I hope!
Electric brownouts this morning - I expect it's salt on the lines again. I wonder how MECO fixes them - a damp rag?
Dave, I can't seem to find any dry forest plants that are very attractive, but that picture of the Canthium Odoratum caught my eye...I am not a big fan of Kiawe trees, in fact I consider them to be a pest of the first order! I understand that all the Kiawe are decended from one seed brought from Paris and planted in a churchyard in Honolulu in the 1820's - WOW!
The mango trees seem to be very drought resistant and love our dry hot climate - as do the night blooming cactus, but they had to go as the were climbing up the trees and were strangling them...Dave, if you're ever on Maui....
J
Hello, everyone! I've had computer problems, I will soon have to give it some Ginseng and maybe a brain implant!
Jeanne, planning is important, and takes a lot of work, even if your body doesn't hurt doing it!
Jen, the arrangement worked relatively well, but about 3 weeks ago I had to dis-assemble it. The landlord is doing some improvements to the house (she completely replaced the roof, and now the workers are working on the ceiling of the covered-screened patio the orchids and most of my potted plants reside. They made two more skylights (my request, very nice of our landlords), and added lights in the ceiling, so we can stay there in the evening and actually see each other!!! Now they only have to paint the ceiling and they'll be done. I had to take them inside, so they would not be completely covered in dust. Inside was same dry air, and less light.
Until a week ago, they still looked OK. Then one of them (my Dendrobium chrysotoxum) started losing leaf after leaf with no apparent cause, and in this week it lost half its leaves, with no apparent cause. I finally figured out what's happening to it, it was spider mites (where on earth did they come from?), when I saw a fine webbing spreading from it to another orchid. So my DH sprayed all the plants now. The Dendrobium stopped losing leaves since the spraying (two days ago).
My orchids look better when you look at them from far now... I am ashamed to admit, but ignorance is payed... I guess I've been mean to them. First, I moved them from a perfect weather (I AM SELFISH, I wanted them with me, didn't want to leave them behind). Then, during the move (we drove from Miami to El Paso just to take all my plants with me), we had a nice cloudy weather, perfect for the plants, EXCEPT one sunny day. This led to some burns on my two Cattleyas' leaves. I was told not to worry about it, as long as it's not major burns, this will only be unsightly. Then, we got to this desert heat, and it took me a while to figure out they are not happy (because for a while I kept the watering regimen I had in Miami). I started to water them more often, mist them twice a day, had that double-bottom-pot arrangement done and they seemed OK. OK, but not happy. The older pseudobulbs are not plumped anymore (because of the water deprivation, I think) and only the new ones look plump and healthy. I wonder if the older ones will ever get plump again?
Now the temps are dropping at night to mid-50s, so I'll have to bring them inside. Yesterday we went to HD, and my DH bought me a 6-tiered shelf (I don't have just orchids to bring in...). With some furniture moved around, I'll have just the perfect spot, in front of the big southern-facing window in one of the bedrooms. That thing is tall enough so on the upper levels I'll have bright light, and on the lower levels I have sun for about 5 hours. He spent a lot of money on it, but he said: "your orchids cost much more, and if it makes them happy, than that's it... but until they do improve, we won't buy more..."
I'm thinking of placing the humidifier under them, on a lower shelf, so they get some moisture (the air in the house is as dry as outside...).
Dave, indeed that is one agave, but I'm not familiar with them, as to tell the species. Apparently the Chihuahuan desert (where El Paso is located) is different (with respect to its vegetation) from other deserts in US, the most native plants are agaves of some sort. The other is Ocotillo, there are many of them, either landscaping the streets or just growing wildly on the mountains and hills surrounding the city. I'm eagerly waiting for the spring to see them in flower. It was a real miracle to see them, just sticks raising to the sky, covering in green leaves after the first rains of the monsoon season! Lots of prickly pears (Opuntia) as well!
Everyone, I'm charging the batteries for the camera now, I'll take pictures on how they look now. I'll post pictures of my orchids "then and now", but I guess I'll start a new thread, I don't want to hijack this one.
Christi, I know of more than just "one ball of energy" in this forum!!! Good thoughts and wishes for all of them!
Lots of hugs to all,
Alexandra
Goodness Alex, you have lived in two of the most different climates the USA has to offer. Have visited El Paso twice long ago and do remember that the lack of humidity was a shock. Not enough Oil of Olay in the world. I'm not the only one with a loving and caring DH. A special shelf for your orchids...nice.
Sound as though you have a very unusual landlord. Probably because they recognize good people when they see them and don't want you to move anytime soon.
Christi, you are right! Well, for twenty-something years I've lived in a "normal" climate (4 seasons, average humidity).
"Not enough Oil of Olay in the world" ...snort... our first days here, my DH wanted chapstick and our faces seemed to crack at every tiny smile (mine with, his without face cream - he refused to "stoop so low", I'm talking about a guy that you have to catch and tie down before you put sunscreen on... luckily for both of us he doesn't sit in the sun all day).
You know, I've never met our landlord. Silviu (my DH) met her, and he said she is a nice lady. She seems so to me too. But remember, I come from Miami, where the real estate business is crazy and "nice" is relative. Our best friends had a very nice couple as landlords: bottle of wine at the move in... law suit when they moved out...
My only concern is that all these improvements might mean she wants to sell. Hope not, we like it here, I finally got used with the house so I can walk blindfolded without bumping in the walls or furniture (actually, I tend to do that even with the lights on...), and the improved lighting for that patio is making it even better.
I finally managed to take some pictures of the actual state of my orchids. Now all I have to do is find the cord to download them, and start my orchid story!
I'll come back. Until then, lots of hugs,
Alexandra
Hi everyone want to join the singing ...
In Italy they have a sort of white shadecloth over their vegs in the hot dry season and a little dappled afternoon shade might help ...veggies need plenty of "gutsy" soil in my opinion no dig (I think you call it lasagne gardening) is the only really succesful way to garden in tropical heat ...even then mostly in Winter/Spring and Autumn. You have the tropical things to grow though don't you?
Plantains instead of spuds, breadfuit ...Taro etc ...tell me more in case I have that wrong ...I have to go now but as the governer of California said once ...I'll be back" ^_^
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/914258/
Hawaiian Tropical Crops:
Bananas, Papayas, Macadamia Nuts, Coffee, Pineapple, Taro, Sugar Cane, Sweet Potatoes, Lychee, Mangoes, Coconuts, Citrus, Breadfruit, Avocados, Guavas, Cacao, Vanilla, Lettuce, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Peppers, Green Beans, Snow Peas, etc.
Coffee season is in full swing here. Work has been crazy. My free time has been in the garden and its really producing! Great with the solar water too. I live completely off the grid and have been living on solar power for seven years now.
Aloha mlassi, lots of work with coffee! Do you harvest and sell the beans, or are you involved with the whole process of roasting and selling, etc? You must be ahead of me - my beans are just now turning red and although I don't do the harvest bit, they look so pretty on the trees. Your garden must smell heavenly when the blossoms are out!
I am tickled pink with the solar water, we have very hot water right now, but there again we haven't had any cloudy days so far - I sure am going to hate it if I have to put the electricity on to heat the water, we are spoilt already!
How very nice your place is going to be Alexandra! Looking forward to the pictures...
Avocado season just starting on one of the trees for me, the other one is much later into the winter/spring season. Just as well as we really do have hundreds....Papaya are just starting up again after about a month of just green fruit on the trees. Pummelo, oranges and limes are ripening nicely.
Just saw this morning that I have baby zucchini on three of the plants, I am planning on putting knee-hi's over the fruit this year to fool whatever stung them last year, hopefully we will have a longer harvest. Wild tomatoes everywhere, but can't grow commercial ones at all. A few of the figs are ripening, birds usually are quicker than we are until the trees are loaded, and then there are too many, even for them! Guava all over the place, a real mess all the time, and every darn seed seems to germinate. We have far too many different guava, some are going to have to be exterminated...Frank really only likes the pink ones.
Off to find some pantihose!
We REALLY need a picture of that, Jen. Best use of pantihose I know of. Would that we could grow such wonderful fruit trees.
Weather is perfect here and all I want to do is sit. aaaahhhhhhh.
LouC
Braveheart, I work for a coffee farm, am glad I decided not to grow coffee myself as its so much hard work. I have a great view from my office of Kailua Pier. Coffee is actually late for us this year due to how overcast it has been.