12-18-2007, 03:53 AM
It seems to be a real struggle to have "normal" veggies growing out in the open. I believe the humidity and deluging rain are the main culprits, with many things rotting before they can ripen. In the past, we've had good luck with greens in a bin in the greenhouse, and tomatoes in large tubs as well. Cukes in a tub trellised. This year we are trying a cloche over the raised outdoor beds to try to get additional heat and lower humidity, and control the deluges of rain.
We have neighbors who have a large hoop-style greenhouse and it keeps them in all sorts of veggies year-round. The general air is drier, and they can control the water volume, so are quite successful.
The other thing is to look for vegetable varietites that are designed for our conditions and day-length. For instance, a friend suggested I try mexican corn varieties because they are selected for short day lengths. I planted corn this last spring (the hawaii seed co. sweet variety), and it tassled at only a foot high, and only produced tiny little ears. I wasn't unhappy when the ducks ate them!
What has worked other years? The small pimento-size peppers, hawaiian hot peppers, strawberries, poha berries, citrus, passionfruit, pak choi, broccoli, carrots, hawaiian sweet potatoes. What do we have problems with at 1060' elevation? Bananas; even the stalks rotted. Mountain Apples -- got hit by the erethrina gall wasp. Papaya -- rot before they ripen. We've moved our bananas to a hotter, drier area. Trying papayas in a hotter drier spot as well.
Anyway, you're not alone in struggling for vegetables! Don't give up!
We have neighbors who have a large hoop-style greenhouse and it keeps them in all sorts of veggies year-round. The general air is drier, and they can control the water volume, so are quite successful.
The other thing is to look for vegetable varietites that are designed for our conditions and day-length. For instance, a friend suggested I try mexican corn varieties because they are selected for short day lengths. I planted corn this last spring (the hawaii seed co. sweet variety), and it tassled at only a foot high, and only produced tiny little ears. I wasn't unhappy when the ducks ate them!
What has worked other years? The small pimento-size peppers, hawaiian hot peppers, strawberries, poha berries, citrus, passionfruit, pak choi, broccoli, carrots, hawaiian sweet potatoes. What do we have problems with at 1060' elevation? Bananas; even the stalks rotted. Mountain Apples -- got hit by the erethrina gall wasp. Papaya -- rot before they ripen. We've moved our bananas to a hotter, drier area. Trying papayas in a hotter drier spot as well.
Anyway, you're not alone in struggling for vegetables! Don't give up!