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Some taro is really good sliced thin and fried like potato chips. I think that is the Chinese taro, find a taro person and inquire? Maybe Jay knows, he's a taro kinda guy.
Finding plants that grow well is just the first step, then you gotta find ones which are tasty and folks want to eat. Last year, I planted four calico lima beans. Before the vines FINALLY died, they had produced at least a five gallon bucket of lima beans. Sheesh! I like a few limas, but my DH doesn't like them and I couldn't find anyone else who wanted to eat them. A lot of them are dried and still sitting around, maybe I can make hummus with lima beans?
Kani-lehua, I don't know if Renee is going to have much luck with the apple tree. There are only a very few varieties which will produce fruit in our climate. Most apple trees need cold weather to go dormant so they will set fruit in the spring. Golden Dorsett, Anna and Pettingill are three apples which will work in a low chill area. You can check out chilling hours at: http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/gard...an_07.html Basically, one hour below forty five degrees is a chilling hour, although you get one half a chilling hour for every hour below fifty five degrees so that's where we probably get most of our chill time from. If the apple seed does sprout and grow, then ask me for some scions of some of the low chill apple varieties I have here to graft onto the rootstock.
Good idea on the roadside gardening, Jayjay! My friend says that is "guerrilla gardening" and she plants taro and sweet potatoes along roads.
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thank you. will let you know. it did start sprouting, but we'll see. i believe it's a fuji apple. one of the gals down at paradise plants said that it (fuji apple) would/could grow up here in fern forest.
i love taro anything. but....i'm not willing to put in the work. sorry, jay. me, i love peppers and onions--i think i could live off of those. lol. lima beans and brussel sprouts? nope. an acquired taste.
well, the weather held up and the strawberries and fruit trees got planted.
picking up some chicks tomorrow from del's.
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Don't forget the root vegetables carrots, kohlrabi, onion plus soybeans and pepper. A few things for a hardy soup. I like cucumbers so lettuce onion and tomato makes a great salad. Have not been able to grow wheat so stock up on it. We need bread.
Way the way I have a lot of extra seeds if any would like a few to try give me a Email or call 982-3273
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A few notes:
Don't plant taro, sweet potatoes or elsewise alongside roads. Lead, oil, pesticides, arsenic from the tires and god knows what else. You could not find more toxic soil.
I haven't met anyone yet who has eaten a good table taro properly prepared and hasn't enjoyed it. Knowledge is key, there's a least a dozen types of table taro out here with different types of flavors and palates, and there's more to life than poi. A quality table taro grown in ideal circumstances is no more work than cooking a potato and a lot more healthy for you.
As well, in terms of looking towards our future, it's a good idea not only to plant what we like, but also to think about what other people may need. Those of us fortunate enough to own property should have due respect for those who are not perhaps so fortunate.
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Great topic once again. Hotzcatz, I was given three beans that look like lima beans but are marbled...are these the calico beans you talk about? We planted them and they've been slowly growing, but maybe with warmer weather they will grow faster. We put about a 10' trellis around them.
We planted PLENTY brussel sprouts and more broccoli...my tomatoes are doing well since they are under the canopy. Some squashes are sprouting - butternut, acorn, crookneck and lookin' forward to more zucchini.
The swiss chard is doing well and my hydroponic lettuce is sprouting. Also have some arugula this year.
The Brazilian Tomato Tree we got from Marvin at Maku'u is already bearing fruit.
Carrie Rojo
P.S. Our russet potatoes looked dormant for some time, but now are bursting! Lots of leaves growing.
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Carrie - Now you're the one inspiring me!! I know I should be able to grow summer squashes here - will try again.
I'm hoping to get a taro bed started too. Thanks for the info on your blog, JW. I'll have to create raised beds for it though; we're on cinder ground here, but I'm learning to work with it.
The screenhouse is currently producing chard, kale, bok choi, carrots, strawberries, basil, cilantro, lemongrass, eggplants. The tomatoes are done and will replant those; same with beans. And the broccoli hasn't started it's tops yet; getting big though.
Outside I have parsley, Okinawan spinach, many herbs both culinary & medicinal, the papayas are finally starting to produce, calamondon is going strong, and the figs and avos are pau for now. I think the poha needs to be replanted in a better spot. And the lilikoi is growing like mad but has yet to produce any flowers; ditto the bananas.
I'm sure I'm forgetting something... The ulu, mango, valencia, cacao and abiu are all coming along nicely but have a ways to go yet before they're producing anything. But our old lychee tree is flowering for the first time in at least 5-6 years since we bought the place!! Whoo-hoo!!
Mike put in a couple beds of sweet potatoes - they're growing well and we look forward to eventual harvests of those.
And the little pineapple patch has 6 plants fruiting this season.
Oh, and the chayote we just about gave up on is growing like mad now!! So maybe that summer squash won't be so sorely missed, after all. ;-)
Best of all, we're getting our own eggs again! :-)
aloha, Liz
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