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There are mango trees in the Acres but production can be iffy, mostly because hard rain or high wind during blossom time can destroy all the flowers in a few minutes. Regarding that deep soil on Kapua and the other roads leading to the subdivisions south of HWY 11, the deep soil is on Mauna Kea- Mauna Loa, both older volcanoes. When you get to the low spot in the road, the "Puna river", you cross onto Kilauea lava that is just a few hundred years old. If you have Pahoehoe the easiest way to deal with it is to plant on top of it. Just take the tree out of the pot, set it where you want it, and dump cinder-soil mix around it 'til it's well covered. The tree roots always seem to find their way through the Pahoehoe.
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Aloha Canistel- Welcome, I too have land in "the Acres". I actually have neighbors who live off-island and only visit about once a year. They too have done many plantings, mostly fruit trees. I strongly urge you to use organic methods so as not to further contaminate our precious aina and its water supply. Your thinking on using cardboard mulch is much more desirable than plastic bags which will only photo degrade and further pollute the land with petro-chemicals.
You can maintain tree and shrub plantings with minimal maintenance, however the more initial work you put in, the better. Getting local soils and mulch material trucked in will be better than buying by the bag if you plan on doing any serious ag. The use of a chipper/shredder can also give you free mulch for your return visit(it should sit a while) at no cost (minus the rental cost).
The time of year you plan on visiting should be coordinated with the time your trees may need the most attention e.g.: dryer months when supplemental watering may be needed.
I think you may be a little higher than 1k feet, but I could be wrong, however you can still grow an incredible amount of fruit at your location/elevation, but mangoes do have trouble there, not so much from elevation as from heavy rains during flowering. Coconuts as well are not too viable (as far as fruiting goes), but I have seen some bearing trees even higher than you. Eggfruit should do well, however true sandalwood's success will be related to the layout of your land as well as the tree density on your land. Do you have lots of preferably larger Ohias or are you on one of those lots with mostly Uluhe (stick fern) and tibouchina bushes (abundant bushes with purple flowers) etc.?
Although there is no substitute for experience, good planning and lots of prep work will be you best friend. Don't skimp on the hole for the trees. Give the roots lots of room and lots of organic material and you will have a great chance at success.
PS. Many spices will grow well here, but for many your location may get too wet and need some type of cover. Allspice trees however grow almost effortlessly. God bless in whatever your venture-Aloha
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Thanks for everyones advice and experience sharing
Can't wait for the end of January to vist.Btw it's 37 in Ptown
as I type this.Has there been enough of a drought at higher levels
to effect adequate rain watering? Also enough for Catchment?
Paul
Mild weather across the majority of Alaska contrasted with chilly conditions in the southwestern part of the state. Meanwhile, mostly dry weather prevailed in western Alaska, while wet conditions affected southeastern areas. During the first 13 days of November, precipitation totaled 6.19 inches (241 percent of normal) in Juneau, while 15.74 inches soaked Pelican. Farther south, mostly dry weather returned to Hawaii, following recent, drought-easing rainfall. On the Big Island, Hilo's month-to-date rainfall of 3.43 inches (52 percent of normal) left its January 1 - November 13 total at 48.77 inches (46 percent).
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It's about as wet there as here at the top of Leilani and we've been getting 1/8 to 3 inches nearly every day for weeks. I've only had to buy water because of drought once in the last 11 years. Hilo's rainfall is measured at the airport, so it's kind of misleading. The upper parts of town like Kaumana get much more rain.
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quote:
Originally posted by canistel
Thanks for everyones advice and experience sharing
Can't wait for the end of January to vist.Btw it's 37 in Ptown
as I type this.Has there been enough of a drought at higher levels
to effect adequate rain watering? Also enough for Catchment?
Paul
Mild weather across the majority of Alaska contrasted with chilly conditions in the southwestern part of the state. Meanwhile, mostly dry weather prevailed in western Alaska, while wet conditions affected southeastern areas. During the first 13 days of November, precipitation totaled 6.19 inches (241 percent of normal) in Juneau, while 15.74 inches soaked Pelican. Farther south, mostly dry weather returned to Hawaii, following recent, drought-easing rainfall. On the Big Island, Hilo's month-to-date rainfall of 3.43 inches (52 percent of normal) left its January 1 - November 13 total at 48.77 inches (46 percent).
Where are you getting your readings from? (not doubting you, just curious.)
-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".
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Aloha Canistel.
My wife and I are on G Rd. and have been planting fruit trees for about 5 years. I'll list some of the most and least productive:
The Best I've seen:
1. Bananas grow like crazy.
2. Narjanilla loves it.
3. Tree Tomato does good.
3. Passion Fruit grows so well it can be a menace (keep it trimmed)
4. Neighbors have succes with various types Avocado.
5. Citrus is good with lime/dolomite treatments and fertilizer.
6. Poha Berry is very prolific
7. Surinam Cherry is a winner.
8. Malabar Chestnut will kickout for a survival nut.
9. Ice Cream Bean, but watch out this will be a monster tree.
The Worst so far:
1. Fig doesn't want to take.
2. Sapodillo is a slow grower. maybe too much water.
3. Coconut, most accounts you won't get fruit d/t elavation/salinity.
4. Cashew I'm having difficulty with.
5. Cacao, I can't seem to keep it alive.
There are dozens which we've planted that have yet to fruit and I'll have to keep them growing and see what happens.
Planting: just make sure things drain so the roots can breath. Cinder-Soil combos work good most of the time.
Anyway the Acres is a great place to grow fruits and vegetables. We've been drier recently which has things growing crazy year round now as opposed to having a waterlogged winter.
Jeffrey Krepps
jevkreppsz@juno.com
Kurtistown, HI
Jeffrey Krepps
jevkreppsz@juno.com
Hawaiian Acres
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1) as far as my source for drought data
don't remember specific just cut and paste
2) G road people thanks
Guess what my place is on 6 just up from G
I'll bet we're neighbors anyway I'll be over in about
6 weeks i'll post my cell # prior in case anyone wants to
stop by
paul
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Welcome to the Acres, we live just up the road toward F. As far as fruit trees, most citrus trees do well, we have tangerines, grapefruit, oranges, and lemons. Our white fig produces well, the brown not so good. If you want to stop and check them out just let me know.
Scott
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Gingers are beautiful and there are many different kinds and colors. However, they spread. And spread. And spread. You can have your cake and eat it, however, by planting them in wide shallow pots that will contain those spreading rhyzomes.
Mangos will be a nice shade tree but don't count on fruit at that elevation. Mountain Apple - both red and white, will do very well. Ice Cream Bean (Inga edulis) and Malabar Chestnut will do too well - if you are not there to harvest daily you will return to a thick grove, as they drop their seeds and germinate very readily.
When you plant your citrus, which will do well even in rocks, keep different kinds away from each other or they will cross pollinate and yield strange combos of fruit. I have a grapefruit in the middle of a tangerine orchard, and because it only gets pollinated by tangerines, its fruit is the size of an orange with orange pulp but a grapefruit taste - a graperine!
Different varieties of avocado come into fruit at different times of year, so you may want to plant several kinds for year-round production.
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Flowering gingers can be on the invasive list so plant them where they won't over take anything else. When I lived in the acres, lima beans did really well along with gladiolus. Both multiplied and grew really well.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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