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+--- Thread: Growers Paradise (/showthread.php?tid=13197)
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Growers Paradise - Guest - 02-22-2014
First off, great news is, I should be on the BI in about 60 days !!!
Ill be renting for a little while first, but am looking for a house.
Today in South Florida its 89 degrees out, ive been running around all day sweating and tired.
Does anyone have any suggestions where to look for a home on the island where its cooler, but also great for growing my fruit trees and garden ?
IE: Suggested neighborhoods or elevations ?
RE: Growers Paradise - VancouverIslander - 02-22-2014
Cooler really depends on what your definition is. Volcano typically varies from 45-70, Mountain view is more like 50-75 and Kea'au is more like 60-80. Any of these areas get enough rain to water plants. North of Hwy 11 generally has more dirt, while South of it the dirt thins out. Not that native dirt is essential - you can truck in whatever you want and build it up. Honestly, your biggest problems will more likely be stopping things from growing rather than growing them. Below 500' you can grow coconuts. At higher elevations it's easier to grow stone fruit and apples. Most areas are fine for citrus. Your veggie garden can be fine at most altitudes, but plan to grow mostly in a greenhouse to keep pests out and moisture controlled. All information distilled from a few years of reading the gardening forum here on Punaweb.
RE: Growers Paradise - dayna - 02-22-2014
We love the growing climate and weather up on 40th in OrchidLand.
Dayna
http://www.FarmingAloha.com
www.E-Z-Caps.com
RE: Growers Paradise - unknownjulie - 02-22-2014
Yeah, upper Orchidland is ideal. It still gets hot there though. If anything above 90F feels "hot"- then you'd like it at about a thousand feet probably. My house is at about a thousand feet, and it's never really sweltering. There are two months in the winter though, when it's cold. Like, soup, stew, hot tea weather. And I also don't think it rains a lot here at all. Most days do have some rain, but to me, the sun is glaring enough already. Some people swear they aren't "hot" down by the coast, but I am definately glad to head up the hill most days.
RE: Growers Paradise - Justin - 02-22-2014
I'm in upper Leilani (closer to highway 130) at about 900 feet, and everything seems to grow here. I have all sorts of fruit trees (too many, actually, since the avocados keep sprouting keikis), coconuts, tons of palm trees, tons of orchids, tons of gingers/heliconias - pretty much anything you can think of besides cactus. If you drive around Leilani, you can tell lots of people with green thumbs live here - some of the lots are immaculately laid out and tended to. I'm striving to reach the upper 50%.
RE: Growers Paradise - Carey - 02-22-2014
We live right in Keaau Town, and it seems to be a great place for plants.
As you look around, bear in mind we are in still in a 4 year drought period, so things in South Hilo and Puna are a little drier than they have been in recorded time, and have been for a few years.
Temps in Keaau do not exceed 90 (a few degrees below that is when all of my neighbors start really commenting about the heat, these are neighbors that have lived here since for a half century or more) have not seen 50 here, but it does go into the upper to mid 50;s at night.
We are on a small lot, so only grow a "few" things...maybe 50 or so different plants, that include about 25 different types of food trees, along with 3 stands of apple bananas and quite a few volunteer papaya plants
This is along with food plants, and we have many flower & lei plants, and some berry bushes....
and we still have areas that could be planted...
RE: Growers Paradise - Hawnjigs - 02-23-2014
These maps may help:
http://www.hilojohn.com/maps/PunaMap.htm
http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/land_pics/a6.3.gif
http://www.hiloagent.com/images/Hawaii_Island_Rainfall.jpg
I dunno who researched a HI rainfall map with a Kilometer scale, but as a lifelong resident of the Big Island with over 30 yrs. in Puna I find the map in error. Personally, it seems a LOT wetter at our Nanawale home than the NE Puna Coast tho both appear to share the same fall belt. The subdivisions map can be zoomed for detail.
What do you envision as an ideal home within your means? Lot size?
Aloha aina, aloha kai
RE: Growers Paradise - missydog1 - 02-23-2014
I just realized you said the whole island, not only Puna.
I love the Hamakua coast. The dirt is really deep, no lava rock to work around where I live.
HonokaÔa is a charming small town with great proximity to beaches, at about 1000 feet at the top of it. Ahualoa above it is misty and cool.
The prices get better as you go east, and the elevation gets lower, but there are roads that go mauka all along the coast. Some of the mauka areas are still off the grid.
I live at about 500 foot elevation and everything grows like wild, but I wouldnÔt say itÔs not warm in the summer.
There is no real concern about lava inundation on the slopes of Mauna Kea.
There is little vog.
The weather is outstanding.
There are many year round streams and waterfalls.
Low crime -- when Prosecutor Mitch Roth came out to talk to our area about crime and crime prevention, he told us that compared to Puna we donÔt even have crime, our stats are so low.
County water is mostly available, and we have broadband cable even though we are rural ag land, which much of rural Puna will not have for years if ever.
All these pluses are reflected in higher property values.
Gardening and orchards --
As with Puna, there are invasive pest plants, although they tend to be different ones. The strawberry guava is not a problem in my area, but the California grass is. No albizzia problem, but African Tulip Trees are constantly sprouting everywhere they are not wanted.
I do not have (so far) the semi-slug, the stinging nettle caterpillar, or the little fire ants (but the LFA are here on the coast). I have coqui, bufo toads, mongoose, pigs, and feral poultry for pests.
Speaking of feral pigs, they are all over the island and they can really tear up a garden, so an area you can fence (pig fencing, not sissy fencing) might be a strong consideration. I donÔt have money to fence now and I wish that I had done it or bought a place with fencing.
Hamakua Coast contains much of the prime agricultural land on this island, due to the deep soil.
North Kohala windward is a great place to garden as well, but the prices are probably 1/3 to 1/2 again as much for a small piece of land.
Speaking of property size, more is not necessarily better. ThatÔs more weeds and invasives that are your job to manage.
There is also a whole area at the top of Hilo town that is cooler, also very wet. Good place to grow anthuriums and ginger and tree ferns. Hilo itself is very good for citrus, avocados, bananas, mango, papaya, lychee, various fruits. I lived in Hilo in Waiakea (lower) for two years, and we had plenty of food bounty from our yard. We brought in one dump truck load of cindersoil to augment the soil depth.
I really enjoyed living in Hilo, and I have to say the convenience of dropping into town is something I miss. I once went three months without needing to buy gas, doing shopping and errands, just not going holoholo. Gas costs are something you should think hard about.
[
]Best of luck on your search.
RE: Growers Paradise - shave_ice - 02-23-2014
The Hamakua coast is beautiful and Honokaa is an awesome little town. I've been going down there every week for a farming class. One thing we rarely have to worry about in Puna in water, whereas up there they are pretty parched for water, at least right now. If you just have a little lot, it's probably not a big deal, but if you're looking at a larger area for growing stuff, irrigation is something you will probably have to do.
I live in Nanawale and the only plants I have to water is the ones in my greenhouse.
RE: Growers Paradise - Guest - 02-24-2014
I should have been more specific, I apologize.
I am looking to buy 1-2acres, more if it makes sense. I am specifically looking in Puna, which I didnt mention. My realtor has been great, so far she has suggested Leilani, Mountain View and Volcano and a little in HPP and Eden Roc.
I deal with 90 plus degree weather here in So Florida, but its kiler trying to work outside in that weather so was looking for where it may be a bit cooler !