Railing Planters - A Very Cool Solution

 Unfortunately, since I moved back to Keonekai and I don't have a yard anymore,

my best sun for gardening is during the spring on a north facing deck. 

Bloem Railing Planters

Just prior to the Winter Solstice

Due to the roof, the sun is gone from my deck in November, the most ideal month to start planting in Kihei. The sun begins to return in March, but my gardening season is pretty much over in June due to increasing temps and intensifying UV rays from the sun.

I do have sun on the railing all year and I found these very cool railing planters at Lowes.

Bloem Rectangle 24-in W Medium Blue Recycled Plastic Indoor/Outdoor Railing Planter

I live a few blocks from the beach and during the afternoon it's often intensely windy. The planters seem stable but I purchased bungee cords to make sure they stay secure.

Important Update

This blog is a mirror of my garden blog at A Kitchen Garden in Kihei Maui

Google doesn't fully support Blogger any longer. I'm unable to correct an issue on my garden blog that I explained in an update on that blog.

The customization features in Blogger are more limited now. Some of the fonts look different in this new version of my blog as I no longer have the option to customize them.

For some unknown reason, only the comments from 2010 were imported and all the rest are missing. This blog is basically functional but I'm still in the process of revising all the links. 

Growing Micro Dwarf Tomatoes

Perfect tomato plants for a small garden space.

For nine years I grew an assortment of indeterminate tomatoes in 15 gallon Smart Pots. Most were planted in the fall and ripened during our coolest weather. After I moved, I had very limited garden space and full sun from only March through October. In the spring I can still grow some paste and cherry varieties if they're heat and sun tolerant.

From seeds to ripe tomatoes within 3 months.

In mid-March, I trialed micro dwarf tomatoes. Surprisingly, these tomatoes grew really fast and produced an abundance of small to large cherry tomatoes on miniature plants. Depending on the variety, they grow around 1 ft tall.

These were the tomatoes I trialed this spring:

Orange Hat

From Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They grew so fast, were the first to flower and produced an abundance of small yellow-orange cherries. At 2.5 months, these plants were so full of fruit - I had to stake them to keep them from falling over. They were really sweet. In late June, the tomatoes were smaller due to the rising summer temps.

Blaue Zimmer

I purchased these seeds on Etsy. They flowered later than Orange Hat and produced large blue-red cherries with a blocky shape. Typical of blue tomatoes, they took longer to ripen and had a tart and moderately sweet flavor. However, they started cracking when the temps reached 85 plus in late June.

Golden Hour

This is a Wild Boar Farms creation. They flowered and produced fruit later than Blaue Zimmer but ripened earlier. The fruit were a variegated orange and shaped like a mini-paste tomato. They had a sweet citrus flavor. They also grew smaller when the temps reached 85.

Golden Hour - Blaue Zimmer - Orange Hat

At 2 months Orange Hat was already producing fruit.

I planted two plants in each 5 gallon container to hopefully get at least one plant to grow as I have a lot of issues with powdery mildew attacking my tomato plants. Amazingly, none of these plants were affected.

Tomatoes really do need a full day of sun. If you have limited garden space but sufficient sun I recommend trialing these. They take up far less space, are resistant to powdery mildew, need less water and fertilizer and produce a lot fruit on very small plants.

In Kihei, October through mid-March are the ideal months to plant these seeds so they're ripening by mid-June. The temps and sun intensity increases during the summer and most varieties of tomatoes stop producing fruit.

I found a few tomatoes with blossom end rot. I recommend adding an all purpose fertilizer at least twice per month and including some agricultural epsom salt with each fertilizer application. It really does correct this issue.

One other issue I had was birds. The plants were loaded with fruit that were very accessible. The birds were most aggressive at sunrise. Since these tomatoes were planted in small containers a brown paper bag easily fit over the plant and top of the container. I put it over the plants in the evening and removed the bag in the morning. 

I saw other varieties online. I suggest searching the term "micro mini dwarf tomatoes". There are a lot of seed vendors now on Etsy with very competitive pricing and free shipping.

Moving Back to Keonekai

Sadly, the cute cottage I was renting in Maui Meadows was sold in November of 2021.

Peppers & Tomatoes Growing in Containers

For 9 years, I was so lucky to have a lot of space to garden. I trialed numerous varieties of veggies and I was able to get garlic to grow successfully.

Squash & Tomatoes Growing in a Garden Bed

Some of the lava rocks in this border were over 12" high.

The Garden Bed in December of 2021

Covered in some places with more than 12 inches of mud.

On December 4th, a few days after I moved, there was a torrential rainstorm on Maui. A massive watershed came down the mountain into Maui Meadows. Many homes sustained damages from the rivers of water and mudslides. According to my neighbors, it was pretty scary that night as there was no escape route to get out. Mudslides crossed the property where I had been living and my garden bed was basically gone. Good thing I had to move by November 30th!

There has been a huge wave of migration into Maui since March of 2021. Rents and housing prices have skyrocketed and rentals are in very short supply. It's funny but the only rental I could find in November was in Keonekai. That's where I lived and started this garden blog prior to moving to Maui Meadows.

 Unfortunately, I only have a gardening space to the right of my front door and on my rear deck. Now that I've grown garlic successfully for 8 years, maybe I can get it to grow near sea level. I'll continue to update my blog posts with any new information or photos.

Food and fertilizer shortages are a serious concern worldwide for 2022. I encourage anyone that can to plant some veggies. See my previous posts from April 2022 for suggestions on what to grow if we encounter a food crisis on Maui.

My Favorite Fertilizer
Genius Eggshell Hack for Gardening

Vegetables to Grow in a Food Crisis - Eggplant

In the 2000's food sustainability on Maui was a hot topic. We were told that Maui 

had at best 7 days of food on island. Right now we aren't experiencing a food shortage on Maui - just rapidly rising inflation affecting food affordability.

Aswad

Eggplant is one of the most versatile veggies. There are so many ways to prepare it and it can even be dehydrated to store for future use. Numerous recipes for eggplant can be found online or in Mediterranean cuisine cookbooks like the Ottolenghi series.

Eggplant is easy to grow but does need adequate sunlight, water and fertilizer. Most varieties don't tolerate the rising temps of spring/summer and the intense sun. If you're planting now, I recommend the Japanese Long Eggplant that's available as a seedling plant at the box stores.

Japanese Long Eggplant

2 months from transplanting

I've grown many different eggplant varieties successfully from seeds but I've found this one to be the most heat/hot sun tolerant of any I've grown in Kihei. It's labeled "Japanese Long Eggplant" and I don't know what it's actual seed name or origin is. 

Eggplant is one of the veggies that does well in our Kihei soil and it can also be grown in a 15 gallon or larger container. Here is a link to my post with more info.

Growing Eggplant in Kihei

Ottolenghi Eggplant Recipes

Vegetables to Grow in a Food Crisis - Easy Salad Greens

Tatsoi

If you have little to no space, and not much money to spare, here's a link to a very low cost and simple method for growing salad greens.

An Inexpensive Hydroponic Method for Growing Salad Greens 

Vegetables to Grow in a Food Crisis - Sweet Potatoes

Food shortages are expected to begin impacting the US this summer. I encourage anyone 

who has some space to at least have a small container garden or even plant some 

edible veggies interspersed in your landscaping beds where they might not be 

noticeable if you have a strict homeowners association.

Japanese Red or Purple Sweet Potatoes

(Creamy white inside)

Sweet potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow at the lower elevations. However, I don't know how they grow Upcountry. They do need adequate water but are forgiving if they experience a dry spell due to lack of county water, rainfall or not having time to water.

Japanese Red and Garnet Starts

(aka slips)

One store bought sweet potato, placed in a container half filled with water, will produce

a lot of plant starts in a short period of time.

Growing in 15 Gallon Fabric Pots

I've only grown sweet potatoes in containers and the recommendations in my sweet potato posts are for container growing. Use at least a 15 gallon capacity pot. I prefer fabric pots which are widely available now at very affordable prices. It's easier to reach into the potting soil in a fabric pot to find the tubers that are large enough to eat.

 

Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes

(Purple inside)

I've had the best results with the variety known as Japanese Red or Japanese Purple.

They're available in markets just about everywhere. They're reddish purple on the outside and creamy white inside.

Stokes Purple is my second best recommendation. Second only because they have a limited distribution on Maui but can usually be found at Down to Earth, Whole Foods and probably other natural food stores. Sometimes they're just labeled as "Purple Sweet Potatoes".

They're purple inside and out.

Young Sweet Potato Leaves are Edible

In a food crisis it's best to give priority to calorie dense veggies unless you have a lot of growing space and adequate water. One of the very cool things about sweet potato plants is the young leaves are edible and can be used as a salad or cooked green.

There's also a looming fertilizer crisis. If that should impact Maui I have a few recommendations to add nutrients to the soil. If you cook fish/soft shellfish, save 

the skins/shells and add them directly into the containers or compost them in 

a separate container with some potting soil. If you poach or boil fish/shellfish 

in water you can use the water for your plants.

If you eat eggs, save the shells. When dry they can be crushed and added to the potting soil.

The shells can be soaked in water for a few days and then used to water plants.

Gardener shares genius eggshell hack to keep tomatoes thriving: ‘We use this throughout gardening season’

For more specific growing information check out my post about sweet potatoes.

Growing Sweet Potatoes

Sunchokes ~ Jerusalem Artichokes

Sunchoke Flowers

In April I put 2 sunchokes in a shallow dish of water and they spouted within a few days.

I transplanted the rhizomes into a 15 gallon Smart Pot. They grew so fast

and at 2 months began flowering.

Mahalo Kathy for telling me about sunchokes!

4 ft tall at 3 months

Sunchokes are in the sunflower family and indigenous to the eastern coast of 

North America. They were grown by Native American tribes and known as sun roots. 

They can be prepared similar to potatoes - baked, boiled, fried, roasted and pickled.

However, eating sunchokes raw can cause digestive issues.

Harvested in September

at 5 months

Two sunchokes produced a prolific harvest making it a good vegetable to grow if there was ever a food shortage in Hawaii. The plants required full sun and a lot of water.

A few sunchokes still on the stalks

The stalks began to die back in August and I dug them up in September. 

I purchased the sunchoke rhizomes at Whole Foods.

They were available in March and April.

How to Prepare Sunchokes

Roasted Sunchokes

Sunchokes Breakfast Skillet

Culinary Trees: Bay Laurel - Curry Leaf - Kaffir Lime

Wow! My blog just turned 10!

I still have my garden but it's not as big as it once was.
These days I have to devote more time to working due to the high cost of living on Maui.
 However, I wouldn't trade Maui for anywhere else in the world!

Curry Leaf, Bay Laurel, Kaffir Lime and Allspice

The leaves of culinary trees add dimension and flavor to many dishes.

Bay Laurel

Bay leaves are the most common culinary leaf that's used in America. Bay Laurels actually grow into a large tree but can be grown successfully in a 15 gallon or larger container. Their roots seem to be comfortable in a confined space and it doesn't affect the quality of the leaves like it does with citrus.

Lots of New Bright Green Leaves
1 month after pruning

My bay laurel has been growing in a 15 gallon container for over six years. If I don't prune it for a few months the branches will grow well over 6 ft. I keep it trimmed so it produces new fresh leaves. It's been low maintenance and heat and drought tolerant. I fertilize the container once a month and this tree is very forgiving if I forget to water it.

Bay laurels are grown from cuttings. I purchased my seedling plant from
Kula Hardware and Nursery.

Curry Leaf

18 Months From Germination

Curry leaf trees can be planted in the ground as well as a large container. I've found they outgrow a 15 gallon container in about two years and begin to produce poor quality leaves. They produce a lot of seeds in the summer and fall so it's easy to start a replacement tree.

Flowering in May

Curry leaf trees are native to southern India and they're very compatible with the Kihei climate. The trees can be grown from seed when they are very fresh. It can take them several weeks or more to germinate and they grow slowly during the first few months. They're heat tolerant but not very drought tolerant and need a lot of water during our hottest months as the tree will wilt without adequate water.

Maturing Seed Heads in July

If you don't have access to fresh seeds, it's easier to grow a Curry Leaf tree from a seedling plant. They're available on Amazon and ebay.

Seedling Plants

If you live on Maui I usually have several seedling plants that I can share if you would like to grow one. My email is in the "About My Blog" on the upper right side.

Some of Ottoleghi's popular cookbooks have recipes that include curry leaves.

Kaffir Lime


Lots of Growth
16 months from germination

Kaffir lime trees are grown for their unique leaves which are used predominately in Thai cuisine. These trees are smaller than other citrus and can be grown in a container for several years before their roots become too stressed. They aren't as heat tolerant as other citrus and struggle during our hottest months with tip burn and curled leaves.

Kaffir Lime Seedling
5 months from germination

It takes a  l o n g  time to grow a kaffir lime tree from a seed. The seeds have very low and slow germination and seedling plants grow very slowly during their first year.

I purchased a kaffir lime tree from Ki-Hana Nursery and planted it in a 30 gallon container. It produced limes during the second year. After three years the tree became too stressed to produce good quality leaves or fruit due to it being confined to a container. This seedling plant was the result of seeds I planted from one of the limes.

Kaffir lime trees need adequate water but they are more drought tolerant than a curry leaf tree.

Growing an Allspice Tree

Allspice

at 15 months

Since 2013, I've tried to grow an allspice tree from local cuttings, seeds, a bare-root plant purchased on ebay and then a 4" seedling plant from Amazon. Finally I had success with the 4" seedling I planted last September but it struggled with leaf rust for over 4 months.

Allspice
at 6 months

I don't know why allspice was so difficult to germinate or grow. Maybe it's sensitive to

 increasing and decreasing daylight. This was the first photo I took because it grew so

 slowly and didn't look healthy until February. Since then it has

 outgrown the leaf rust and grown exponentially.

At 6 months the leaves were large enough to cut. The scent of allspice leaves is intoxicating and it imparts a unique flavor when added to vinegar.

Citrus Fennel Pollen Pickled Cucumbers

Flowering in early June
at 21 months

A male and female tree are required to produce allspice berries. I only have one tree and it started flowering the first week of June. When the flowers opened they looked like dandelions before you blow them away but as soon as the flowers were gone no seeds had formed.

Seedling Plants on Amazon
Basics About Allspice Trees

Allspice - One Spice - The Spice of Life