06-07-2014, 06:48 AM
When we first moved here I had several kinds of tomatoes growing vigorously and productively outside. That is when I found out about the black mold. All plants were a total loss. Green tomato salsa turned out to be very bland.
Punaweb's Farming and Gardening forum provided great advice. I had brought my gardening assumptions with me. After I learned (and am certainly still learning) what Puna can grow, as compared to what I thought I would grow, voila.
In two years here's a few beginners tips:
1. TOMATOES Our high humidity and frequent rains keep leaves we and often roots dry. We erected a heavy plastic roof kept the tomatoes pretty dry. And I got vigilant about picking the bottom leaves as soon as a black spot appeared. And a soap/baking soda/Volck dilution spray helped with the mold too, I believe. The harvest (currently in full production mode)has been abundant: fat cherry tomatoes, three kinds of full size tomatoes (Black Krim and 2 UH Ag Dept. varieties). I stake our hang then vertically and try to keep as much circulation as possible by spacing and pruning.
OUTSIDE The garden plot was very productive but I was running out of space and I saw crops growing outside around Pahoa. Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer told me beans, peppers and eggplant can do fine out in the open and so far they are right. The green beans are going nuts, already collapsing my funky twine and stick trellis.
So, thanks for the good advice, Punatalkers, keep asking questions, listen to the advice and good luck.
Punaweb's Farming and Gardening forum provided great advice. I had brought my gardening assumptions with me. After I learned (and am certainly still learning) what Puna can grow, as compared to what I thought I would grow, voila.
In two years here's a few beginners tips:
1. TOMATOES Our high humidity and frequent rains keep leaves we and often roots dry. We erected a heavy plastic roof kept the tomatoes pretty dry. And I got vigilant about picking the bottom leaves as soon as a black spot appeared. And a soap/baking soda/Volck dilution spray helped with the mold too, I believe. The harvest (currently in full production mode)has been abundant: fat cherry tomatoes, three kinds of full size tomatoes (Black Krim and 2 UH Ag Dept. varieties). I stake our hang then vertically and try to keep as much circulation as possible by spacing and pruning.
OUTSIDE The garden plot was very productive but I was running out of space and I saw crops growing outside around Pahoa. Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer told me beans, peppers and eggplant can do fine out in the open and so far they are right. The green beans are going nuts, already collapsing my funky twine and stick trellis.
So, thanks for the good advice, Punatalkers, keep asking questions, listen to the advice and good luck.