HAWAII GARDENING

Artichoke Lei

2011-03-04T13:17:00.005-10:00

I grew up next to the beach on Oahu, and occasionally living in the chilly uplands gets a little wearisome especially toward the end of February when snow can still dust Mauna Kea and I’m huddled around the fireplace for yet another night. However, I have found there is one advantage to living in the damp, cooler climes of Hawaii’s higher elevations: Growing artichokes! Yes indeed, it’s possible to grow choke (pardon my Hilo pidgin) artichokes in Hawaii if you have the right conditions, as in what Volcano offers.

Artichoke likes cool, misty weather, lots of space (about six feet apart), full sun and good drainage. I planted mine as a seedling from a local nursery, purchased on whim, and alas I no longer know the variety since I planted it over a year ago and lost the label. I never really expected it to do well either, because at first it was besieged by tiny green caterpillars and I had planted it in a wooden half-barrel since I read somewhere artichokes can grow in containers. Of course, anything will live in a container, but I soon realized that planting an artichoke in a half-barrel is like keeping a baby hippo in a bathtub -- it works okay for a while but very soon no one is happy about it. Artichoke plants get big, and they have pokey things on them – they’re thistles – so brushing by one in a pot usually isn’t a pleasant sensation. (Yeah, I was kidding about the artichoke lei.)

Spring is the best time to plant artichokes, and since planting it directly into the ground my ‘choke is pest-free. If you live in a warmer lower elevation, you can try planting artichokes in an area that gets some afternoon shade. Who knows, you may get lucky.

At Your Convenience

2010-10-27T16:08:00.005-10:00

Right outside my kitchen I keep herbs and greens handy. I have mizuna, bok choy and tatsoi in window boxes so I can drop them into hot ramen or add last to stir fries. There's container celery to flavor soups and salads, "Red Sails" lettuce for sandwiches and salads. Two kinds of mint: spearmint for mojitos and peppermint for, well, whatever. Of course, there's the ever-perservering aloe plant, loyally braving the Volcano cold so that I'll have it ready for those occasional burns when I'm a klutz around the Wedgewood stove, and for sunburn when the beach fries my brain and I bask too long in the sun. Sweet allysum and petunia are there on the deck...just because. Oregano -- Greek and stick -- rosemary, and Thai basil are also among my grab-and-go potted favorites.

Rain!

2010-09-30T22:10:00.003-10:00

We've been having a terrible drought here. But tonight just before sunset we got a shower! My thirsty plants on the lanai, in the garden and the rainforest are so grateful. Ahhhh....

Forks for Felines

2010-09-24T07:03:00.003-10:00

I admit I love critters of all sorts. Until they start biting me or messing up my food. And I have always adored the animals in my care, which happen to be kitties at the moment. However, my two cats, Kiko and Cosby, seemed to be overjoyed at the expanded garden. They concluded that it is actually a kitty outhouse, though I adamantly beg to differ. Hence the fork in the road. Or, I should say, in the garden.

I had some plastic forks to reuse, and it looks like they will make my point that my garden is not to be used as a litter box. I don't know if this is 100 percent effective yet. I don't think the kalij pheasants will mind them at all, unfortunately, but who knows, maybe they'll find the forks a bother and go into the neighbor's yard where it's easier to dine without them. I presume no one will interpret my crop of forks as an invitation to snack on my veggies, which are starting to look quite healthy and on their way to harvest. (By the way, that is lemon balm in the photo, not catnip. I'm not that mean. Usually.)

So, here's a Rethink and Reuse Tip: Instead of using throwaway plastic utensils, try carrying your own with you for when you dine out. Using your own special eating utensils can actually enhance your dining pleasure. Seriously. People will also either think you're a looney or will be envious. Or want to show off their own set. I have a wooden spoon and some chopsticks in a handy little case I keep in my purse or backpack. My coworker has a handsomely carved wooden spoon with a beaded handle from Africa that she's carried for 20 years. But on the odd occasion when I end up with a plastic fork in my possession, I'm saving it for the garden. No butts about it. So far.

Seedling Fairy Strikes Again

2010-09-19T21:06:00.006-10:00

Yay! The seedling fairy left me some presents on the stairs! Poof! Like magic, I'm reappearing in my garden again.

My horticulturalist/educator friend loves to propagate, and I am the lucky recipient of her joy. This time it's nutrient-rich greens: mizuna, Swiss Chard, tatsoi, bok choy. Some for the garden, some for containers.

Seedlings make such simple, thoughtful gifts. My fairy seedmother is on a mission to make sure people in her community have plants that are acclimated to our growing area and free of the pests that could be introduced from buying plants areas outside of Volcano.

Back in the sixties, my Hawaiian seedling fairy was a homesteader in a remote area of Canada. There she grew food to feed a community of Vietnam war conscientious objectors. What she couldn't grow, she bought in town with what little money they all pooled together. Armed with an impressive Chinese cleaver and the resolve to stretch ingredients to fill everyone up, she whipped up comforting meals which no doubt would have made her hanai Chinese mom proud. It was a hard life, she remembers, but the memories are priceless.

Today I tracked down the seedling fairy at the farmers market and gave her some Seminole pumpkin seeds, which do better in a warmer, lower elevation. She has a garden at an elementary school down in Hilo where she teaches. Hopefully I'll get to visit it sometime around Halloween and see some more magic, maybe even see the Great Seminole Pumpkin arise this year.

Pele's Grounds

2010-05-19T19:21:00.020-10:00

The thatch was thick and tough to spade. The black, sticky stuff beneath it was even harder to break up. Since it clung to the blade of the hoe, even the cultivator, in big heavy chunks, I figured it might be clay. So I headed down to my favorite garden supplier, who suggested amending with gypsum, which helps loosen clay soils, and mixing in a little black volcanic cinder for better drainage.

But I had a hunch that something else was also going on, so I rang up my favorite UH extension agent, whose family has farmed the Volcano area for generations.

Was that mud really clay? I asked.

"Organic matter," he replied. "You probably have about 6 inches of it."

Apparently, in the Volcano Village area, soil that hasn't been worked in while such as where I live has an impressive layer of organic matter built up over years, composed of composted rainforest leaf litter, ferns and other vegetation. This layer is usually rich in nutrients -- I was thrilled to see so many earthworms feasting on this rainforest "fudge." Farms in the area no longer have this layer; it has long since been broken down and used up through many planting seasons.

Under the organic layer typically is a lighter sandy and/or cindery layer, evidence of the previous volcanic activity from Kilauea volcano. The uncultivated areas of Volcano still have layers upon layers of cinder and ash intact, revealing each period of the thousands of years of volcanic activity in the area. In the Niaulani forest behind the Volcano Art Center, layers have been dated between 1400 to 1650. The undisturbed top layer of the Niaulani old-growth forest, which you walk through while on a very pleasant 1/2 mile trail, has been carbon dated to 200 to 300 years ago.

So. In my backyard I wasn't really dealing with clay per se, but primarily something akin to muck. How was I to break up that stubborn, moist sod? Would gypsum -- which I had already purchased -- help do the trick?

Well, it couldn't hurt, said the extension agent, adding that I should also throw some lime into the mix, since the layer of organic matter usually has a pH of 4 or 5. Acid rain and vog also makes growing conditions highly acidic, so liming the soil with dolomite would also help make the garden more alkaline and better for growing vegetables.

The gypsum wasn't that cheap -- $7 for 5 lbs -- and I had already purchased it, after traveling 30 miles into town to get it. But fortunately I was turning a small area, only 5 feet by 10 feet, and needed only 10 lbs (20-40 lbs per 100 square feet was the recommended application.) I sprinkled it on, came back a few hours later and voila, it did get a little easier to break up the clods. Not by much, but at least I was encouraged to continue the project.

Besides, it was a glorious, sunshiny day in Volcano -- an opportunity too rare to stay inside. While digging up the sweet 'aina I was basking in the splendor of native beauty: Listening to the gravelly call of the 'oma'o. Watching flashes of crimson as the 'apapane flitted through 'ohi'a. Sampling 'ohelo berries, and admiring the delicate half-blossoms of the naupaka kuahiwi.

At some point, work in a garden no longer seems like work, and by the end of the day there's a transformation, even in your own shadow.

Native Birds, Up Close and Personal

2010-03-17T12:20:00.007-10:00

My kitchen window overlooks a deck, and right next to it I have an avocado tree that never bears fruit but sets flowers. This morning I happened to be out there on the deck, coming back to the house while holding the aerial roots of an 'ohi'a tree, something I collected to show a class.

Suddenly, three 'apapane swooped down and alighted upon the avocado tree. They were singing excitedly as they started thrusting their sharp ebony beaks into the avocado blossoms, sipping up sweet nectar. They were only 10 feet away from me! I stood very still and held 'ohi'a roots in front of my torso, thinking that maybe they'd consider me something forest-like and benign, that I was some sort of mutant 'ohi'a tree.

So I thought I'd experiment. I whistled back them, trying to imitate their song. And, oddly enough, they seemed to answer. They couldn't possibly be regarding me as friendly, I thought. Usually these birds are shy and keep their distance from humans, preferring the upper canopy of the forest. I decided to dismiss that romantic idea for the moment.

But then, just for kicks, later in the day, I thought I'd try to call them back. So I went outside with a long lens, picked up the 'ohi'a roots, and whistled the same call I'd heard earlier in the day. To my amazement, two 'apapane quickly reappeared and flew into the avocado tree, drawing near as though I had announced lunchtime! Then those two flew away, and to my astonishment three more immediately took their place.

Whether my clumsy bird imitations did the trick or no, for a few magical minutes I was treated to a rare close-up glimpse of how these brilliant crimson creatures move about and interact. Simply enchanting!

Yes, 'apapane feed on native and nonnative plants, but you don't see these birds at lower elevations due to several factors, including avian malaria. (Mosquitoes are rare at 3,500 feet elevation -- it's too cold.) I have to admit, though, that although these native birds will feed happily from many kinds of plants, more often than not they prefer to take up residence in native Hawaiian trees.

Native Birds in Your Backyard

2010-03-16T11:26:00.005-10:00

Native Hawaiian Rainforest Birds in Backyard, Volcano, HI
'Apapane, 'Amakihi, 'Oma'o

How many native Hawaiian birds are in your backyard? If you live in a coastal area and have a big, grassy lawn, you might get an occasional visit from kolea, or golden plover. Kolea winter in Hawaii August through April, so now they are earnestly raiding urban lawns - don't worry, they aren't doing any damage, just fattening up on insects, getting reading for their return migration to Alaska. Kolea are highly territorial and usually return each year to the same place, so if you have one in your yard chances are you'll see it again next year. If you don't have a dog or cat, that is.

If you like to put out fancy bird feeders and fill them with commercial seed imported from North America, of course you will attract North American birds, plus other former pets/escapees that have done very well in Hawaii's balmy climate. In the most densely populated areas of Hawaii, it's now rare to get a glimpse of native birds in your backyard. Natural habitats have been so altered by humans that native Hawaiian birds, which are often highly specialized, can't survive.

But if you are lucky enough to live in an area where there are native birds, instead of putting out a bird feeder consider planting native bird food plants. 'Amakihi, for example, are generalists that feed on a variety of native plants, and there have been reports of 'amakihi populations reestablishing in the lower elevations of the Puna district on the Big Island. Many native birds like sipping from 'ohi'a lehua blossoms, and 'ohi'a is easy to grow in wet, humid locations.

Since I live in a rainforest, I rarely see marine birds in my area, though this past year I think I heard a shearwater's odd groaning call above my house. That bird uses moonlight to navigate at night and, sadly, most likely was it disoriented by the bright lights in the upland areas now inhabited by humans.

How many bird songs can you identify in your backyard? And how many are native?

Hawaii Backyard Conservation Booklet

2010-03-15T09:49:00.005-10:00

An excellent reference for every homeowner, Hawaii Backyard Conservation is FREE and available for download here. It's chockful of fabulous ideas and suggestions for low impact, environmentally conscious, sustainable gardening.

Sponsored by City and County of Honolulu
Department of Environmental Services Storm Water Quality Branch, Hawaii State Department of Transportation Highways Division, Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources
Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management.

Read it and be inspired!

Flowering Cherry, Cool n' Mauka

2010-02-07T18:29:00.017-10:00

Cherry blossoms fall,

Hulihuli smokes our hair,
Bees ignore our lunch.

How can you tell when spring is arriving in Hawai'i? If you're upcountry in Waimea where the temps are cooler than in most places around the state, you'll get a clue from the bare cherry trees that begin bursting into pink blossoms, contrasting with the bright green lawn in the center of the town's church row. This past weekend, Waimea staged its 16th annual Cherry Blossom Festival, celebrating the cultural heritage and contributions of its long-established Japanese community.

There were historical displays...

...which also included propagation advice from the old-timers...

... and bonsai - sugoi! I think this bougainvillea, trained by one of the skillful members of the Waimea Bonsai Club, aptly resembles a miniature flowering cherry. Stunning!

Of course, as is often the case with cultural events in Hawai'i, there were multicultural comestibles galore. From the Filipino roadside stand my 'ohana took away some generous plates of broke da mout' hulihuli chicken, which we munched on while sitting under the trees to do the obligatory cherry blossom viewing -- hanami, Hawaii-style. At one of the booths I was lucky enough to purchase a couple of gorgeous tea cups from Waimea's extraordinary potter, Fumi Bonk. One cup was fired with kiawe wood and ash, the other with 'ohi'a wood and ash -- a lovely celadon, wabi-sabi style, locally made from Hawaii's botanical heritage.

Wondrous Wing Beans

2010-01-01T22:34:00.031-10:00

Last fall I received some wing beans (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), and I became an instant convert. If they’re available, I’ll take wing beans any day over plain old green beans. These were from a bumper crop in the Hawai'i Island Master Gardener demonstration garden at the UH CTAHR Hilo extension service.

Slice up the pods French style, lengthwise, and stirfry lightly with garlic, soy sauce, chicken, shrimp, tofu, or whatever protein you like. Fry only until pods are still bright green and firm – don’t overcook. The result is light, crunchy, slightly sweet and very tasty. Wing beans are popular in Thai and Filipino dishes, and they’re highly nutritious, too. The roots, leaves and flowers are also edible, but I have to admit I like the beans best. I don't eat the other parts anyway because if I do, that reduces the bean harvest.

Be it resolved that this year I will grow even more of my food. I'll plant wing beans, since they're incredibly easy to grow – they’re perfect starter plants for beginner gardeners and children who need almost guaranteed success to stay motivated. The plants are vigorous growers and extremely prolific here in East Hawai'i, which is not surprising since the plant does best in warm, humid areas with high rainfall – it's native to Papua New Guinea.

The roots fix nitrogen, and the plant needs very little fertilizer to flourish. I’ve had very few problems with insects and diseases. Soak seeds 24 hours before planting to soften the hard coat and hasten germination. Grow them in 3-4” pots to transplant when the second set of leaves appear, or directly seed into the ground. Wing beans need at least 12-hour days and seem to produce better in late summer and fall. Plant them in full sun in well-draining soil and provide something tall for vines to climb; wing beans will easily take over a fence or trellis.

Sustainable Guava Stick Trellis

2009-12-04T16:25:00.006-10:00

First, an apology. It has been over a month since my last post – sorry. My absence in blogsville was due to a few personal changes in November. Primarily I’ve been busy with other activities, working with youth in the community and concentrating on writing projects. The first snows are on the peaks of Mauna Kea, which means here at 3,500 feet elevation we’ve started lighting up fireplaces and hunkering down for the cool rainy season. Of course, plants have also slowed their growth, so I have to admit I haven’t been doing much hands-on gardening lately.

However, I did have a little time to do a sustainable mini garden project: making a trellis out of wood from an invasive species, strawberry guava (waiwi).

(But wait - am I suggesting that waiwi is in some way desirable? Absolutely not. There is way, way, too much waiwi here. If anyone says they’re depending on it for food, I’d like to know how many acres they’re consuming, because despite their supposed waiwi cravings they’re obviously falling down on the job and letting a lot go to waste. Ah, I see - pity there are only so many strawberry guavas one can partake of before nature claims your bowels – ‘fess up folks, the rest, as you well know, goes to fattening up wild pigs.)

In my neck of the woods, a good strawberry guava tree is a dead one. And when you cut down invasive trees, it makes sense to dry the wood and then do something useful with it. Especially when it's something that takes forever to rot in the compost bin, like waiwi wood. Sure, you could burn it. But I'm one of those creative types. Andrew Goldsworthy isn’t worried, I’m sure, but I’m quite satisfied with my handwoven trellis of waiwi branches and twigs a la the fort in the movie “Where the Wild Things Are.”

In the wooden half barrel are snow peas and some young collard greens, planted in organic potting mix (2 parts potting mix to 1 part black volcanic cinder for fast drainage). I also wove into it some sisal twine to help the tendrils grab hold and climb. All in all, my rustic creation seems to be holding up fairly well against constant rain we’ve had in the past few days.

Little Fire Ant ups the Ante

2009-10-28T18:32:00.006-10:00

Little Fire Ant, an invasive species with a painful sting, is spreading quickly along the coast of East Hawai'i, creating havoc for gardeners, farmers, and pretty much anyone else who has the misfortune of discovering colonies. Little Fire Ants establish colonies usually in potted plants, trees and lawns, but will also enter all kinds of buildings - including homes, schools and businesses. Read about it in my article in the Oct. 28 issue of the Big Island Weekly -- click here.

USDA photo

Hawai'i School Gardens: Pa'auilo School

2009-10-26T18:48:00.020-10:00

At the Hamakua Alive! festival held at Pa'auilo School this weekend, I saw many excellent ideas demonstrating sustainability in action, but most impressive was the school's garden itself. Above is one of the school's milk goats. (Would you believe it was love at first sight? Sigh.)

Here are the greenhouses and gardens...

...here's Donna Mitts, garden educator,
and the school's ever-expanding vermicomposting facilities ...

I couldn't help but admire the efforts of Donna Mitts. She's gearing up to do mid-scale vermicomposting using cafeteria waste, making this the first school on the island to take this bold step toward sustainability.

Hawai'i Island School Garden Network director Nancy Redfeather counts Pa'auilo among the school garden jewels dotting the island that are part of the Hawai'i Island School Garden Network.

"Donna's 10 year old program is certainly an example of the integration of various types of agricultural work into a small model that can be worked by the children," says Redfeather. "When a public/private partnership is formed, as I hope to see someday, communities around the island will be able to lend their voices to the decision."

To get the full story about this amazing outdoor learning lab -- "Wormville" and all -- read this insightful blog by Hawai'i Island investigative journalist Alan McNarie - click here.

Fall Container Gardening, Hawai'i Style

2009-10-25T17:55:00.005-10:00

I'm not like most people in Hawai'i. Most residents live near the coast. I live at 3,500 feet elevation on the island of Hawai'i, atop an active volcano, Kilauea. While the rest of the lowlanders are sweltering around the state, I'm experimenting with mainland-style, cool-weather spring/fall herbs and veggies. Here the volcanic plume of sulphur emissions from Halema'uma'u crater, the home of Hawaiian goddess Pele, creates constant acid rain, which presents a challenge for gardeners in the Volcano area. In winter the rain is heavy, which is another problem for residents trying to grow edible gardens. To protect their bounty from acid rain and vog damage, many here resort to greenhouses and container gardening.

Though I haven't yet constructed a greenhouse, at the moment I'm keeping quite a few plants on a protected area on my lanai.

Here's what’s growing on my lanai:

Red shiso (Perilla)
Mexican tarragon
Sweet marjoram
Upright rosemary
Greek oregano
'Windowbox Mini Basil' (Renee’s)
Thai basil
'Patio' tomato
Aloe vera
Strawberry
Scallions, 'Delicious Duo' (Renee’s)

Just seeded:
Cilantro
Horenso (spinach )
Komatsuna (Brassica rapa, Seeds of Change)
Collards ('Green Glaze', Southen Exposure seed)
Oregon Snow Pea (Seeds Of Change)

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

DIY Watering Can

2009-10-06T11:59:00.006-10:00

Happy Birthday, Dear Hawai'i Gardening Blog!

It's the second anniversary of this here blog thing. To celebrate, let's make ourselves a very thoughtful, very inexpensive gardening gift.

Watch it in action. You'll want one.

DIY WATERING CAN

Stuff You'll Need

Plastic laundry detergent bottle

Drill with bit that makes tiny holes

Utility knife

Rinse out bottle thoroughly. Drill plenty of holes in the cap. To allow air to flow into the bottle and keep the water free flowing, cut a hole near the cap in the handle – not to close to the cap, otherwise the water spills out there, too.

I make these and donate them to community and school garden projects. Makes a nice cheapo gift for any gardener who doesn't like to drag out the power tools themselves. Sure, laundry detergent bottles are #2 recyclable. But if you have to have those bottles anyway, reuse is better than recycle.

Edible Gardens, HI Lux Style

2009-09-16T20:52:00.012-10:00

To eat well, it's best to learn how to grow well. Hope you'll enjoy reading my article about Edible Gardens in the August/September issue of HI Luxury Magazine, a glossy periodical published by StarBulletin/Midweek. To read the article, click here.

There are some great tips from two esteemed Hawai'i Island gardeners: renowned artist Mayumi Oda on her Ginger Hill Farm and Retreat Center in Kealakekua, and permaculture farmers Tom Baldwin and Shannon Casey at Uluwehi Farm in Hawi.

In the photo above is an edible flower, butterfly pea, Clitoria ternatea, that adds a splash of bright color with edible flowers and pods in Tom's sustainable garden. Cabbage and amaranth are just a couple of wonders growing in Mayumi's lovely mandala garden.

I hope you'll be inspired to cultivate bliss at your own doorstep.

Hawaiian Mint, Pokeberry, Raspberry

2009-09-14T21:37:00.013-10:00

Are you a plant sale addict? Are you so afflicted that you'd buy plants instead of some yummy local-style grinds? If you’re like me, tables loaded up with transplants means emergency surgery on the wallet. This past weekend I succumbed to some hard-to-find natives at Volcano Art Center’s Forest Education Festival. Of course, it was a fundraiser for the center so I was just being supportive, right? Never mind that in seconds I ended up with only loose change in my purse and I had to go home for lunch instead heading for the food booths….

Mintless Mint, Stenogyne sp.

Without grazing animals to predate on them, many endemic Hawaiian plants put less energy into creating defenses such as thorns or unpleasant tastes. Thus Hawaiian mints, such as this Stenogyne, don’t have a minty taste or smell. However, as you can see in the photo, they do have the square stems characteristic of the mint family. This trailing mint prefers filtered light and moist areas, so I’m planting it under some ‘ohi’a trees in the backyard. The plant I bought has one long vine so I can get a few cuttings, too - I’m getting more than one plant for my money. Hooray!

Hawaiian Pokeberrry, Phytolacca sandwicensis

Who says native plants aren’t colorful? The first time you see Hawaiian Pokeberry, or Popolo ku mai, it will stop you in your tracks. I first saw these attractive, rose pink blooms and deep purple berries on a hike through Kipuka Puaulu, a mesic forest in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I love the deep purple venation on the leaves, too. It likes full sun it needs moist soil, so I’m planting it in a sunnier, open area farther from the house. I’ve been told it reseeds itself, so I’m looking forward to having a nice stand of pokeberry someday.

Hawaiian Raspberry, Rubus hawaiensis

Look, ma, no ow-ees. The endemic raspberry, known as ‘akala in Hawaiian, certainly has prickles, though it isn’t as nasty as the introduced varieties. The flower is dark pink and the fruit is usually large and tart, ranging from deep red to bright yellow. Hawaiian raspberry grows only at high elevations, usually in mesic and wet forests, and in woodlands, so maybe I'll have a chance at coaxing this one to take root here in Volcano Village at 4,000 feet. The kalij pheasants will probably find it unpleasant to peck at it despite its wimpy prickles, but looks like some chewing insects have already nibbled at the leaves; I’ll have to keep an eye on this transplant under the ‘ohi’a trees, too.

Ginger, Nice but Naughty

2009-08-21T09:23:00.013-10:00

Gorgeous, isn’t it? Such a pity something so nice is actually a pest. Kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum) is in full bloom now, rioting all over Volcano Village, including my yard. Its heavy perfume is an evening serenade, a fragrant backdrop for romantic stargazing on clear summer nights. Oddly enough, my cat might be allergic to it – he’s developed a rapid, machinegun-like kitty sneeze. Personally, I think the scent has a nicotine-like undertone and is inferior to white and yellow ginger. That, and K-ginger's invasiveness, permits me to charge full force with my machete. Snicker-snack!

The first Hawaiians brought "shampoo" ginger, which they called awapuhi (Zingiber zerumbet), to these islands. However, so-called “Kahili” ginger, like other gingers that have naturalized here, was brought to Hawai'i as an ornamental in the early 1900s, and since then it has created enormous environmental problems in the native rainforest, crowding out other plants. Heard of the invasive Himalayan raspberry? This is Himalayan ginger – no kidding. “Kahili” is a misnomer; it’s not Hawaiian at all. Sad to say, it’s just someone’s clever way of marketing a nursery product by co-opting a Hawaiian identity. Again.

Himalayan ginger is well-adapted to rainforest environments. It is shade-tolerant, is tall and has broad leaves to block sunlight from reaching competing plants, and it spreads by rhizomes and seeds, which makes it even more successful. Birds are attracted to the bright red seeds and spread them around to other areas.

Sure, you can keep hacking it back, but it’ll only laugh at you. At the nature trail of the Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani campus, volunteers spend every third Sunday of the month digging out the rhizomes in order to preserve the rare native species of the old-growth forest there. A good ecotourist activity if you’re interested, by the way. Click here for more info.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park uses another method: They cut the plants down to the rhizomes, and then they spray an effective (but expensive) chemical pesticide until the point of runoff. (I won’t say which pesticide it is – sorry. But you can ask them yourself, if you’re really desperate and have a big problem.)

Recycling on Your Own Turf

2009-08-10T19:10:00.010-10:00

I'm away from Hawai'i now, spending some time in the San Francisco Bay Area on family business. Every time I travel to the city I'm amazed at how rural practices can get wildly out of hand in urban contexts. Take the concept of recycling, for example. "I'm a big-time recycler!" My city pals are fond of saying this. What it really means is that every week their curbside pickup consists of 3 colored bins: a blue one for recyclables, which they do not sort ("they have people who do that," they explain); green for "compostables," and gray for plain old "garbage," whatever that means. And, among my pals, there's competition for bragging rights to keeping the most out of the gray bin. Does this deter them from buying overpackaged items? Not necessarily -- because, hey, every week almost everything is "recyclable," right?

Apparently, in the city, recycling isn't necessarily connected with composting at home. Take for example the condo owner who lives next to my friend in the city of Alameda. That's his green bin in the photo above. He decided he no longer wanted a postage-stamp lawn and wanted a concrete patio instead - the way it was originally - so he ripped it out the grass and disposed of it just as it had come to him, sod piece by sod piece. Well, I guess he thought it is compostable, and so it made some kind of logical sense to him to stuff it in the "green" bin. But to me it somehow seemed a bit bizarre to see turf rolled up and stuffed in a garbage bin like a bit of old carpet, even though it would go to the green waste facility. Big time recyclers? Not quite, I don't think so, at least not yet.

Which makes me wonder: When it comes to recycling, how are we doing on our own turf, Hawai'i?

Mughal Gardens, Hawai'i Style

2009-07-28T11:54:00.018-10:00

I’m thoroughly convinced that everything we choose for our outer surroundings reflects our inner landscape. Private, tasteful, extravagant, anachronistic, oddly out of place yet beautiful – that about sums up Shangri La on O'ahu and its creator, tobacco and hydroelectric power heiress Doris Duke.

Built in 1937, Shangri La sits high on Black Point on Diamond Head, the volcanic crater and tuff cone named Leahi (brow of the tuna) by the ancient Hawaiians. Indoors at Shangri La, there is an extensive collection of rare and priceless Islamic treasures that are the envy of world-class museums. As a gardener, though, I was naturally drawn to ponder the landscape outside: A natural Hawaiian reef and coastline that was forever changed through the unlimited wealth of one woman and her passion for the aesthetics of the Mughal Empire. To me the result is nothing short of astonishing, albeit tempered with a bit of melancholy, given the history of the person and the location of the estate.

Duke wanted to recreate the feeling of Mughal gardens, and while the hardscape mimics those traditional designs, the plants used are tough, drought tolerant, tropical types, typical of what you see around Hawaii’s lowland and beachfront homes exposed to salt spray and wind.

Are there earth-friendly, sustainable practices in these gardens? Only if you're musing the possibility that some vegetation choices might have been made in the context of xeriscaping. Other than that, hardly. But a visit here is interesting, nonetheless, especially because Islamic influences are rarely seen in Hawai'i.

Plants at Shangri La include:

Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus)
Tiare, Tahitian Gardenia, (Gardenia taitensis)
Naupaka kahakai (Scaevola taccada), a native Hawaiian species
Hibiscus
Bougainvillea
Oyster Plant (Tradescantia spathacea)
Joyweed (Alternanthera sp.)
Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

This Mughal garden design at Shangri La was inspired by
Shalimar Garden, Lahore (now modern Pakistan.)

Although Doris Duke was reputedly an orchid breeder to the highest degree, you won’t see any of her orchids at Shangri La. You might have a chance, though, if you travel to New Jersey to see the Orchid Range at Duke Farms.

To visit Shangri La, you must make reservations through the Honolulu Academy of Arts. For more info, click here.

Pa'ina and Pa'iniu

2009-07-07T09:31:00.009-10:00

As usual, Volcano Village was abuzz with its July 4th celebration this past weekend at Cooper Center. Of course, there were booths with post-parade onolicious grinds for brunch -- malasadas, Thai curry, and pulled pork at 10 am. But first, quite naturally, I was sucked into the Lehua Lena Nursery booth selling an outstanding selection of native Hawaiian plants, such as native mint-less mint (Lamiaceae), olomea (Perrottetia sandwicensis), and kukaenene (Coprosma ernodeoides).

I was very excited to get one of my favorite natives, pa'iniu (Astelia) to try out in my yard. I’ve been in love with it ever since I saw it in bloom on a hike around Kilauea Iki. Its luminous silvery leaves and unusual flower spikes are quite striking among the deep green of the native forest.

I was also relieved to find a small seedling of ko'oko'olau (Bidens sp.). I needed one badly, right away, before my ku'u ipo returns from an out-of-town trip, since I accidently weedwhacked to a premature death the one that was in his yard : “Zeeeep! Uh oh, oh sugars.” That, and perhaps sharing some of my arugula, might help make amends. I hope.

Secret Seedling Exchange

2009-07-07T09:16:00.011-10:00

Looks like while I was out the seedling fairy dropped by. I've been gifted with plants that have been grown in my neighborhood, coqui-free and quite possibly adapted to the growing conditions here. In my goodie box there are starts of arugula, lettuce, native Hawaiian peperomia, and something else that looks edible though I haven’t figured out what it is yet. Just the motivation I needed to get a high elevation garden going after abandoning plants from my lowland residence. Sharing seeds and seedlings are a great way to keep the gene pool strong with varieties that grow best in your area. A good way to make new friends, too.

I’m going to have to track down the giver of this thoughtful housewarming gift. I have an inkling of who it might be – an expert horticulturalist and devotee of plants that do well in my cool, acid rainy microclimate. She frequently holds seedling exchanges at her home, and though I’d love to give her credit I have a feeling I’d be chided if I revealed her name here. Let’s just say for now that I’m grateful that there are such generous spirits in the world, caring people who are committed to propagating life and beauty around us. Plant people are magical, indeed.

Reuse and Rethink

2009-06-29T09:54:00.023-10:00

This quaint greenhouse and potting shed is nestled in the delightful organic garden of Leslie Laird of Volcano. Leslie’s greenhouse features recycled materials such as reused windows from a coffee shack in Kona. One big multi-paned glass window is mounted sideways on hinges on one side of the greenhouse, sort of like a cold frame; it lets in light and can be opened or closed to regulate air circulation and temperature.

Her garden is a diverse display of her adventuresome approach to gardening. If it sounds intriguing, she’ll try it. Hugging the stepping stone path leading up to the greenhouse are plants she has grown for the first time...

Cleome. Before the blossoms appeared, her son thought she was growing marijuana…

Wild arugula. Looks great, the taste packs a punch, too…

Salad burnet. Grows incredibly well in her location. She likes the way it looks, but doesn’t really like the taste, and has way too much of it.

Here’s a list of some of the other things growing.

Won bok, green onion, tatsoi, celery, purple snap beans, broccoli, mustard greens, Asclepias, snow peas, Pentas, pineapple sage, Shasta daisies, rose-scented geraniums, lavender hyssop, red and purple salad potatoes.

Leslie’s property backs up to pastureland and so she has to battle with invasive plants and animals from the other side of the fence.

A low fence in her own yard protects her edible garden from wild pigs, but it doesn’t keep out the kalij pheasants and wild turkeys that wreak havoc in her plots now and then.

Leslie removed huge clumps of rhizomatous kahili ginger, that most pernicious weed of Volcano, before she built her greenhouse, but it still comes back in certain areas. Kikuyu grass is great for feeding the cows in the pasture, but it creeps in and takes over any bare patch, so Leslie is experimenting with lemongrass and comfrey as natural barriers. Even invasive Himalayan raspberry, the bane of Volcano gardeners, will pop up occasionally through the kikuyu grass that she mows down.

The garden is now 4 years old, and Leslie has discovered a few helpful tips from the successes - and missteps, too - along her gardening path:

Grow what you like to eat. Says Leslie: “I discovered kale grows well, but I don’t eat it. Chard and lettuces, yes; kale, no.”

Grow what you’d like to try. Be bold and discover something new.

Grow what grows in your area. At 4,000 feet elevation, Volcano is cool and wet. Tomatoes are difficult to grow, rhubarb is easy. And it’s one of the few places in the world where you’ll see plums and pears growing next to hapu’u ferns and ‘ohi’a trees.

Out of Beds with Kona Coffee

2009-06-02T09:06:00.020-10:00

“I have a rain gauge in my ear – I can tell how much rain has fallen by sound,” says certified organic coffee farmer Una Greenaway. Since 1977, when she and her husband first caught the fever of the “back to the land” movement and moved to Captain Cook, Greenaway has been tuning her senses to the land she cultivates at Kuaiwi Farm.

Her well-honed sense of place has paid of well: In 2007, Greenaway captured first place the 2007 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival's Gevalia Kona Classic Cupping Competition, and in 2008 the farm won 2nd place.

This was the seventh time in the last 10 years that an organic farm had taken highest honors, and it was yet another crowning moment for farmers and gardeners who have long asserted that organic methods lead to superior results with regard to nutrition and taste. I toured the farm recently with a group attending the “Sustainable Saturday” workshop hosted by the Kona Outdoor Circle - they had invited me to do a presentation earlier that day on sustainable container gardening,

Greenaway’s farm is small – only 5 acres – but it provides income and more than enough food for her small family. Only two acres are planted in coffee – the rest of the land sustains fruit trees, cacao, macadamia nuts and several small kitchen plots. I was duly impressed with her methods and choices for growing a variety of veggies.

Una begins her greens with seed planted in Black Gold organic potting mix in window boxes. She says that for her microclimate she finds that varieties that do well in the southeast U.S. continent are also good for Kona. She chooses greens that she likes to eat and that grow well with a minimum of predation from insects and don’t get powdery mildew, such as tatsoi, ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ lettuce, ‘Green Glaze’ collard greens and dinosaur kale.

The farm is part of an ancient ahupua’a and kuaiwi, a Hawaiian field system on the mauka side of Kona. The soil is deep, and to prevent erosion Una plants a ground cover around each bed. This tiny variety of wandering jew forms dense borders that can be rolled back and tucked in around the beds.

Ancient ti plants of the kuaiwi provide leaves for mulch to keep the soil moist and cooler; she harvests the ti leaves and lets them turn brown before using them. She waters the beds well before placing the leaves between the plants, otherwise the leaves tend to shed the rain. For smaller leaved veggies, Greenaway uses brown mountain apple leaves instead. The tree on this visit was festooned with an incredible profusion of bright pink blossom - looks like a bumper crop of 'ohi'a 'ai this year!

You can visit Greenaway’s farm, or take one of her workshops on chocolate candy making – to see the Kuaiwi Farm website, click here. If you go you’ll no doubt be convinced that a broad understanding of how the ecology of a place fits together – the soil, water, insects, topography, sun and wind exposure, climate and temperatures throughout the year and so forth – is the key to growing a productive, successful garden.

Slowing Down in Volcano

2009-06-02T09:01:00.002-10:00

Here’s an interesting snail, identified by a local malacologist as probably a native Hawaiian endemic one, cruising on a kahili ginger leaf in my yard. A nice reminder to slow down when life gets too hectic, as it was this past May for me. If you’re wondering why it’s been a month since my previous post, it’s because I was moving. I’ve just moved to Volcano, Hawai'i Island, where I’m finally beginning find my gardening chops again. I’m discovering that in Volcano you do weeding with a machete, gardening is actually forestry, and you can always blame acid rain and vog if you can’t figure out how to make something grow. And it’s still very lonely to be a coqui frog here.

Hawaiian Heritage Landscaping

2009-05-03T07:14:00.026-10:00

If you’re looking for ideas on how to use native plants in landscaping around your home, pay a visit to the nonprofit Manoa Heritage Center on O'ahu. The Cooke family has established a native Hawaiian garden that wraps around their estate in Manoa Valley and mimics natural settings. That is, native trees are underplanted with shade-loving native shrubs and herbs, just as they occur in the wild, which results in a more pleasing aesthetic.

The garden features some common, easy-to-grow natives from a wide range of vegetation zones from makai to mauka, as well as some rare and endangered species. Here are some of the native plants you’ll see at Manoa Heritage Center.

Hau kuahiwi, (Hibiscadelphus distans) an endangered plant. This O'ahu variety has smaller blooms than the one I've seen on Hawai'i Island...

'Awikiwiki (Canavalia galeata) climbs the side of the reconstructed heiau, adapted to the hot, dry conditions.

Munroidendron, ( Munroidendron racemosum) an extremely rare and endangered plant, is doing well with ample water. Here are the unusual seed pods.

There is also a garden of “canoe plants” important in Hawaiian culture, for example kalo (taro), 'uala (sweet potato), 'ohi'a 'ai (mountain apple). The garden includes native pili grass (Heteropogon contours) shown below, which was used for thatching homes.

The stately Tudor-style home called Kuali'i was built from bluestone lava quarried on site in 1911. It is adjacent to a recently restored agricultural heiau, Kukao'o, most likely dedicated to the Hawaiian god Lono. This heiau was one of many that were in Manoa Valley in ancient times. The heiau was reconstructed from the original stones under the guidance of historic preservationist expert Nathan Napoka and the crew of Billy Fields, specialist in the pa pohaku masonry of ancient Hawai'i. To read more about this heiau, click here.

Manoa Valley once cradled acres of taro fields that fed the population of a sizeable ahapua’a that stretched all the way to Waikiki. Before the arrival of agriculture, native plants flourished in the valley; today, Manoa is an upscale suburban neighborhood where introduced species make up the verdant lawns and precisely pruned hedges.

The Cookes have created a culturally rich, memorable experience for Hawai'i’s keiki who might not otherwise have the chance to see and experience native fauna in their urban environment. MHC is an excellent location to begin a discussion about the use of pohaku (stone) in building and architecture in Hawai'i - how it all fits together historically, literally and figuratively. It’s a unique educational opportunity for Hawaii school children to experience the flow of historical events and the impacts of change on the landscape. Students can feel what the landscape might have looked like before the arrival of humans and its appearance during pre-contact Hawai'i; they can also compare the changes in the ways of life for ensuing generations.

If you visit, please be aware that this is private residence of the Cooke family. The interior is closed to the public, but someday will be open to the public as a museum. For information and reservations, call (808) 988-1287 or email manoaheritagecenter@hawaiiantel.net. For website, click here.

Tropical Garden Labyrinth

2009-05-03T07:00:00.011-10:00

Above is the entrance to Awapuhi Labyrinth. This past week the Big Island Weekly published my story about the unusual garden labyrinth in Kea'au here on Hawai'i Island, however they didn't publish any photos due to lack of space.

(No, this isn't anything like the touristy Dole Pineapple Maze - don't go if you want that.)

Here are a few more photos to give you an idea of this garden experience.

Christie Wolf maintains the center of the labyrinth...

A lunation, a double headed axe figure representing lunar cycles...

Although World Labyrinth Day has passed, you can still walk Awapuhi Labyrinth on your own. Contact Christie Wolf at awapuhil@aol.com or (808) 982-5959 for directions.

Fruit Flies and Pantyhose

2009-04-27T14:06:00.018-10:00

I often troll Freecycle Big Island, a wonderful local online recycling community moderated by Sonia Martinez through Yahoo Groups, to pickup freebies for my garden and to disperse my reusable items to fellow treasure-seekers. Today I spotted someone’s request for old pantyhose to be used as fruit fly control, which intrigued me.

I never liked washing out pantyhose, let alone wearing them for the, ahem, pun intended, brief time I worked in the corporate world. And in Hawai'i, whoever wears them must have to work at an extremely unpleasant place. So let’s make this official – wearing pantyhose in Hawai'i is hereby declared a serious crime requiring aggressive rehab, unless innocently worn by a vegetable that doesn’t know any better.

That said, I think, perhaps, here is some advice with real legs.

Call your local University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension office (UH CTAHR) and talk to the UH Master Gardeners – the numbers are listed on the lower right hand column of this blog. First, they can help you identify your particular fruit fly – Melon, Mediterranean, Oriental or Solanaceous. Then they can recommend effective steps for control. There are different traps, baits, and lures depending on the species. UH master gardeners are collecting data on fruit fly infestation and control and are currently providing free information to the public; they also have low-cost lures and traps available. Click here for “How-to” pdfs you can download from Hawaii Areawide Fruit Fly Pest Management Program (HAW-FLYPM). Navigate to UNI-FLY-VERSITY, 'Take Home' Material.

Here’s another successful tip. One master gardener I know swears by the mosquito netting he buys from the local army surplus store - he drapes an insect-proof tent over his container-grown tomatoes.

Hawaii Island Master Gardeners will have a fruit fly information display in their booth at the Puna Sustainability Fair in Pahoa Village on Saturday, May 9, 8 am to 5 pm. Check it out if you’re in the area.

Pining for Pineapple

2009-04-13T14:28:00.019-10:00

Acres and acres of grassland and Cook Pines -- they look like Norfolk pines, those living Christmas trees we like to grow in Hawai'i -- but no pineapples. That’s pretty much all you see when you fly into Lana'i these days. Gone are the vast stretches of black polyethelene plastic mulch with spiky pineapple plants poking through. Maui and O'ahu still have some commercial production, but Lanai’s economy is now based in the hospitality industry, primarily the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele and Four Seasons Manele Bay resorts.The Koele resort’s garden walk is quite stunning in scale and scope, not to mention its unusual English style...

Quite a stark contrast to the local-style home gardens seen around town, which sort of run the gamut from this...

...to this....

So are there no pineapples at all on Lana'i? Of course there are. There are some nice ones at Alberta de Jetley's place, the only farm left on Lana'i (pop. 3,000) I'm told. Alberta is using organic methods on her diversified farm.

Speaking of diversified agriculture, this past Easter in Lana'i City's town center there was a tree bearing some exotic fruit -- not to be confused with eggplant, the Lana'i plastic eggtree...

Growing pineapple in your backyard is fairly easy. Save a crown from a delicious one you’ve eaten, and you’ll have a tasty clone to munch on. Let the crown dry for a few days before planting. Pineapple likes acid soils, fair weather – not too wet – and has high needs for nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and iron (Fe). If you fertilize organically with animal manures, you can skip applying iron. Pineapples usually begin flowering in December and are harvested about 6 to 8 months later.

Want to know how pineapple is grown commercially in Hawai'i? Click here.

From Lana'i, with Love

2009-04-13T14:20:00.007-10:00

Just got back from a first-time visit to beautiful Lana'i, where Mike Carroll Gallery hosted a fantastic book-signing event for Pulelehua and Mamaki. Over 80 people attended – the whole island has a population of only 3,000 so that’s a pretty good turnout, I’d say.

Mike and Kathy Carroll and their staff did an incredible job in making this an event to remember for honorees and guests, complete with butterfly cookies and “book cover” cookies! Congratulations to all the Lana'i school children who participated in the art contest – nice work!

Short Circuit in the Lo'i

2009-04-10T08:14:00.022-10:00

Shades of "Silent Running" -- MIT students have created gardening robots. Google that, and you'll come up with even more.

The idea, they say, is to create workers to do the difficult work of agriculture. It's hard to resist the seduction of technology, but of course such inventions are really just sustaining the model of agribusiness and large corporate farms.

If they can get robots to wade without getting stuck in the mud of a taro patch to pick off all the apple snails, maybe I'll be convinced. But let me plant my own huli -- I need the exercise, sunshine and fresh air.

Plant Yourself at Lyon Arboretum
If you’re on Oahu this weekend, check out the Lyon Arboretum Plant Sale at the Blaisdell Center, Saturday, April 11. There will be plants, plants and more plants for sale -- 30 vendors, and native plants from the arboretum -- educational displays, and children’s activities. Call (808) 988-0472.

Classes at Lyon Arboretum in April:
Water Gardens 2, Saturday, April 18, 9:30 to 11:30 am, $15
Flower Arrangements: Outdoor Installations, Friday, April 24, 9:00 to 11:30 am, $10
Call (808) 988-0461 or (808) 988-0465.

Register now for summer keiki camps for K-4:
Summer Science Explorations, June 15-19, 8 am to 2:30 pm $175
Nature Discovery Camp, June 22-26, 8 am to 2:30 pm, $175

For more info on classes at the Arboretum, click here.

Here Today, Gone to Maui
This Saturday I'm at Borders in Kahului at 10 am; on Lana'i at Mike Carroll Gallery, 3 to 5 pm. See you there!

Native Butterfly Garden: Kipuka Puaulu

2009-04-01T14:24:00.017-10:00

To have a true native Hawaiian butterfly garden, you'd have to plant a Hawaiian forest, or live near one. There are only two native butterflies, the Kamehameha Butterfly (Vanessa tameamea) and the Koa Butterfly (Udara blackburni). Both of these butterflies, adults and their larvae, feed on native plant species. At lower elevations especially, predators, parasites, and human activities impacting habitats have contributed to diminishing native Hawaiian butterfly populations, or even eliminating them.

Kipuka Puaulu is one of the few places easily accessible to the public where you still stand a chance at seeing living native butterflies. At Kipuka Puaulu, also known as Bird Park in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, you'll find native plants typical of the mesic forest growing in old, deep ash soil on Mauna Loa: koa, manele, 'ohi'a lehua, papala kepau, palapalai and other ferns, 'ala 'ala wai nui, and of course, mamaki. These natives, with the exceptions of perhaps koa and manele, are fairly easy to grow in your backyard with adequate water, rich soil with good drainage, and half the amount of fertilizer you normally use with non-natives. Although at Kipuka Puaulu was grazed by cattle, pigs and goats into the 1950s, today it is an example of successful resource management, a healthy forest that has been protected and replanted.

VIDEO: A walk through Kipuka Puaulu and a reading of excerpts from Pulelehua and Mamaki, at the mamaki grove under the koa trees, with yours truly.

Pulelehua and Mamaki is featured in this week's Big Island Weekly. To read the article, click here.

Grow Your Own Container Greens

2009-03-26T16:40:00.008-10:00

Growing in a wooden barrel in my backyard now is some arugala and lettuce - red oak leaf, and a local variety called Anuenue, a kind of Manoa lettuce. Looks like the light rains and cool temps we're having in Hilo are the creating the perfect conditions for a flourishing crop.

Living on the windward side sometimes presents unique growing conditions. Take my friend living in a rainforest in Volcano Village, for example. He has installed window boxes around the deck and filled them with a premium potting mix and an organic fertilizer to grow greens. Although there appears to be adequate sunlight, his plants are rotting from the roots up. What is the problem? Possibly too much water.

Commercial potting mixes tend to be high in peat, which is excellent for retaining moisture. However, in high humidity locations, you should add perlite or fine cinder to the mix to improve drainage. Incorporating perlite also has the advantage of making hanging planters lighter in weight. A plastic container sometimes can have an attached saucer or tray that compounds the drainage problem. If you don’t have to worry about water spilling out onto the area below it, remove the container’s attached catchment by simply pulling it off – usually it’s a snap-on piece.

Rat lungworm infection is a concern for many salad-lovers these days, especially in East Hawai'i. Growing greens in containers can make slug and snail control much easier – the critters are easier to spot and hand-pick, and you can use a non-chemical control measure such as copper tape barrier around the container. Instead of a metaldehyde-based snail bait, use one made from iron phosphate, such as Sluggo, which is more earth-friendly and breaks down into nitrogen, plus it isn’t attractive to pets and wildlife. Also, if you’re growing your greens high up off the ground the snails are less likely to find it. No matter how you grow your greens, however, always inspect and wash them carefully for safety’s sake.

O-bama, O-rganic, Oh!

2009-03-21T16:56:00.008-10:00

Hurray! There’s now a kitchen garden on the White House lawn. But no beets – Barack doesn’t like them (uh-oh, remember what happened to Bush and broccoli…). Michelle Obama broke ground on a new organic garden at the White House, something that hasn’t been in existence since the days of Eleanor Roosevelt. See my earlier blog on the campaign for this symbolic support for food sovereignty and sustainability here.

And gosh, what a coincidence – Michelle and I wear almost exactly the same designer black knit pantsuit when gardening. Okay, okay, so I’ve actually been known to wear denim, but no, those aren’t my tats in the above photo taken at the Hamakua Alive! festival last year.

Governor Lingle, it’s your turn to jump on the bandwagon. I’d be glad to come by and give you a hand, as I am sure many school children would, too. The Hawaii Island School Gardens Network is up 50 participating schools now. You'll be hearing more about them on my blog this year.

For 10 easy to grow veggies for kids, click here.

BIAN Plant Sale

2009-03-05T20:33:00.005-10:00

The Big Island Association of Nurserymen will hold its semi-annual plant sale at the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, in Hilo, on March 6, Fri. from 5 pm to 9 pm & March 7 from 9 am to 2 pm. This sale is usually a good opportunity to buy fruit trees and unusual varieties of ornamentals. In previous years they had some gorgeous vireyas for sale, like the one you see here. But of course you have to get there early, before the primo plants are gone.

Admission is free, and part of the proceeds goes toward funding scholarships for agriculture students attending University of Hawaii at Hilo. There will be educational booths, too, including Hawaii Island Master Gardeners who will be on hand to provide info on fruit fly trapping.

Mamaki, Hawaiian Nettle

2009-03-05T19:53:00.011-10:00

When early Polynesians sailed their great double-hulled canoes to the pristine sands of Hawai'i, they brought with them a way of life that had sustained them in the ‘aina they left behind. The plants and animals they had chosen for the journey provided them with food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and other basic necessities. However, the strange new landscape offered its own unique bounty of flora and fauna never before seen by human eyes. The resourceful settlers found some of these forms of life particularly useful; thus, the first Hawaiians became part of a native ecosystem, joining a web of life like no other place on Earth, isolated in the middle of the Pacific.

Unlike nettles elsewhere, the endemic Mamaki (Pipturus albidus) is a nettle without prickles. It evolved over thousands of years until it no longer needed to expend energy creating a defense against the grazing animals that later impacted the landscape along with the humans who brought them. The healing properties of nettles are well known in many cultures across the globe, and some Hawaiian uses for mamaki are similar to those found elsewhere.

The mamaki in my backyard has perfect, large, shiny but hairy leaves, but since I live in town at 400 feet elevation there’s little chance that Kamehameha butterfly larvae will ever visit. However, just in case they ever do decide to drop in, I’m happy to say I’m ready for them.

Traditional Hawaiian Uses
Fiber: Inner layer of bark yields fiber for kapa (barkcloth)
Medicine: Leaves made into tea, tonic. Taken to reduce high blood pressure and high cholestrerol.

Habitat
Mamaki grows on all islands except Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe, usually on the edges of the understory of mesic and rain forests, at altitudes between 1500 to 4000 feet, sometimes to 6000 feet.

Host Plant
Primary food source for some native insects, including the larvae of the endemic Hawaiian butterfly, pulelehua or Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea)

Propagation
Best by seed – after separated from the berry they sprout easily and usually stronger plants result. Also can propagate from cuttings. For propagation tips, click here.

Landscaping Use
Can be shaped into a tree to 10’ in wet conditions; grows as a spreading, low bush in dry conditions. Not aggressive and usually takes well to pruning if no more than one-third is removed. White mulberry-like fruit attractive to birds, which spread the seeds. Plant in nutrient- rich, well-draining soil in semi-shaded to shaded location.

Sources
Common Hawaiian Trees, Kaulunani Friends of the Urban Forest
Growing Hawai'i's Native Plants, Kerin Lilleeng-Rosenberger
Growing Native Hawaiian Plants, Heidi Leianuenue Bornhorst
In the Gardens of Hawaii, Marie Neal
Plants in Hawaiian Medicine, Beatrice Krauss

New Book: Pulelehua and Mamaki

2009-02-13T13:13:00.007-10:00

I’m happy to announce that this month my new book is available throughout Hawaii nei!

Published by Bishop Museum Press, Pulelehua and Mamaki is my first children’s picture book, beautifully illustrated by native Hawaiian fine artist Harinani Orme. It’s a narrative about the life cycle and relationship of the native Hawaiian butterfly and its host plant, the mamaki (Pipturus albidus), an endemic nettle with many Hawaiian ethnobotanical uses. These two native species coevolved as part of the unique ecological webs found in Hawai'i rainforests.

I’ll be doing my first reading and book signing at Bishop Museum’s Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook, Hawaii Island, on Saturday, February 28, 9 am to 2:30 pm, in celebration of the 5th Annual Grow Hawaiian Horticultural Festival. The reading is at 10:30 am, and there will be other fun educational activities, so bring the keiki!

The official book launch will be in March in Honolulu, followed by more reading/signing engagements in the coming months, including the 4th Annual Hawai'i Book and Music Festival at Honolulu city hall grounds in May. Pulelehua and Mamaki will be available soon through online retailers, too. You’ll be seeing updates on this blog. I hope I’ll meet you on the trail!

5th Annual GROW HAWAIIAN Horticultural Festival
Saturday, February 28, 9 am to 2:30 pm
Presented by Hawaii Forest and Trail

Schedule of Events
MAIN PROGRAM (big canopy)

Emcee: Tom Cummings
9:00 - 9:30 Opening, Greeting and Pule Virginia Isbell, Danny Akaka, Kanu o ka ‘Aina

9:30 - 9:40 About Amy Greenwell: Meg Greenwell

9:40 - 10:20 Botanical Gardens Round Table: David Orr (Waimea), Lisa Raymond (Maui Nui), Chipper Wichman (NTBG), Alice Kitajima (Lyon), Naomi Hoffman (Honolulu Botanic Garden); Peter Van Dyke (AGG)

10:20 - 11:00 Hawaiian Tattoo: Keone Nunes (Author, artist)

11:00 - 12:00 Cultural Round Table: Moderated discussion – Hannah Springer (moderator), Billy Parris, Bobby Punihaole, Sonny Keakealani

12:00 - 12:40 Micronesian singing and dancing

1:00 - 2:00 Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance: Bernice Akamine (Moderator) Marie MacDonald, Rocky Jensen, Moana Eisele

2:00 - 2:30 Closing and Pule (Kanu o ka ‘Aina)

GARDEN TOURS (meet at kukui tree near the Garden office)
10:30 Conservation and horticulture tour - Guide Bill Garnett
12:00 Ethnobotany tour - Guide Bobby Camara
12:00 Taro tour - Guide Jerry Konanui

***BOOK READING***
10:30 Pulelehua and Mamaki by Janice Crowl

OTHER ATTRACTIONS (drop in any time)
Ask a Scientist (near main canopies):
Plant Identifications - Clyde Imada, Marie Bruegmann, Shelley James
Strange Fruit ID - Ken Love
Insects - Pat Conant, David Preston, Ron Englund
Plant Doctor - Scot Nelson
Propagation & nursery care - Bill Garnett
Grafting demonstrations - Sunao Kadooka
Master Gardeners
Kalo - Jerry Konanui
Botanical Gardens - National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Lyon, Honolulu Botanical Garden, Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Maui Nui Botanical Garden

GARDEN ARTISANS (near main canopies)
Weaving - Lehua Domingo, Debbie Toko, Jim Skibby, Shirley Kauhaihao
Wood Working - Kala Willis
Ipu Gourds - Elroy Juan
Kapa making and dying - Pam Barton, Lisa Raymond, Bernice Akamine, Moana Eiseley, Marie MacDonald
Quilts - Harriet Soong
Lei - Patsy Ivy,
Cordage - Larry Kuamo‘o
Pohaku shaping - Gavin Rin, Kaipo Kalua‘a

BOOK SIGNINGS
Herb Kane, Craig Elevitch, Janice Crowl, Marie MacDonald, Lucia Jensen

HULA DEMONSTRATIONS - Ulalia Berman

LOMILOMI DEMONSTRATIONS - Hawai'i Lomilomi Associaton

KEIKI ACTIVITIES: Nose flutes - Albert Carbonel; Ohe kapala - George Place; Makahiki games

COMMUNITY GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER FRIENDS of Amy Greenwell Garden have displays and information tables throughout the garden.

Near Garden office:
LEI DISPLAY (under kukui tree )
SUPER J’S HAWAIIAN FOOD
NATIVE PLANTS SALES

Water Gardening In Hawai'i

2009-02-02T16:40:00.022-10:00

Here's my shot of Steve Stephenson's water garden in Volcano, Hawai'i, which I mention in "Oasis," my story in the current issue of Hana Hou! magazine.

If you’re traveling via Hawaiian Airlines this month, you can simply reach into the chair pocket in front of you for the February/March issue and meander through some enchanting Hawai'i water gardens at the same time you're cruising the stratosphere.

You can read the story online here, but be sure not to miss the printed version, which has additional stunning images by photographer Jack Wolford.

Some tips from the pond enthusiasts I visited:

If you are newbie, you can begin with a small pond, and then add on.
Join a local water garden club. It’s a great way to meet other gardeners and trade plants and fish. If you don’t have a club in your area, start one.
Aquatic plants grow fast, and some are high maintenance. You’ll have to divide and fertilize water lilies and lotus once a month to keep them healthy and encourage blooming.
Water lilies are either day bloomers or night bloomers. If you work all day, include some night bloomers, which open from about 7 pm to 10 am.
Koi and catfish like nibbling on the roots of plants, so use netting or barriers to prevent damage.
Biofiltration saves energy and reduces monthly operating costs.

I'll have to admit I had a fine time on this assignment, visiting beautiful gardens, talking story with gardeners and enjoying their warm hospitality. (I know, tough life.) Here's a few more of the many water gardens I visited.

In Puna, the pond under the 'ohi'a trees of Big Island Water Garden Club president Bob Peck and his wife, Mitsue...

In Volcano, the peaceful sanctuary of Naomi Rubine and George Winiarski...

...and something the public can enjoy, Victoria lilies at the entrance of Panaewa Zoo. These weren't in bloom when I took this photo, but I think the gigantic lilypads are impressive nonetheless.

Feeling inspired? Good luck. You might make a few mistakes. Just breathe deeply.

In the Garden, All A-Twitter

2009-01-26T17:36:00.011-10:00

I'm feeling virtuous today, having freed this native koki'o 'ula (Hibiscus saintjohnianus) from its weedy prison in my backyard. While the buzzing of the weedwhacker lulled me into something between zen and a bored stupor, it suddenly occured to me that there indeed may be some merit to Twitter, that so-called "social messaging utility" on the web that allows the whole world to see just how self-involved you really are.

I've added Twitter to the sidebar of this blog as a way to keep me honest about what I do in my garden. However, it isn't a webcam -- you'll just have to trust me. I'll try post whenever I do a garden-related activity; this, I'm hoping, will steer me toward more twitter and less twit out in the garden, that is, it should keep me from doing silly things like planting beefsteak tomatoes or avoiding those things I should be doing, like weeding and pruning...and pretty much everything else.

2009-01-24T23:07:00.009-10:00

ALERT: Rat Lungworm

Rat lungworm, a parasite, causes angiostrongyliasis, a rare form a meningitis that has no treatment. It has been in the news lately because several people on Hawai'i Island have been stricken with severe symptoms after eating raw vegetables from their backyard gardens.

How do you avoid getting sick? Wash raw produce thoroughly; cooking thoroughly also destroys the parasite.

Read all the facts in the official press release from the Hawaii Department of Health in a pdf -- click here. For more info from the Center for Disease Control, click here.

A Hawaiian Victory

2009-01-21T23:39:00.015-10:00

Victory gardens sprouted in backyards across the nation during WWII, and lately the concept is being revived and promoted as a way to feed our families during the current economic recession. I received this email, a post on livablefutureblog.com, from Michael Pollan, the author of Omnivore’s Dilemma:

“The Washington Post reports that efforts by Eat the View and TheWhoFarm to get food grown again on the White House lawn have made it into the top 30 ideas submitted to the change.org contest. The idea is one of over 7000 proposals submitted.

"Ideas for Change in America is a nationwide competition to identify the best ideas for change in America. The top 10 ideas will be presented to the Obama administration just before inauguration day and form the basis of a nationwide advocacy campaign to turn each idea into actual policy.

"In the entry, Victory Gardens 2.0, 'thousands of Americans and people from the around the world are asking the Obamas to lead by example on climate change, health policy, economic self-reliance, food security, and energy independence by replanting an organic food garden at the White House with the produce going to the First Kitchen and to local food pantries.

The many successes of the first Victory Garden movement were the result of effective public policy, bold leadership at a time of national crisis, and the commitment of millions of citizens who were ready to roll up their sleeves for the greater good.

There's no better, more symbolic place for launching a new National Victory Garden Program than at the White House, "America's House". There's no better, more urgent time than now. And there's NOTHING that can beat the fresh taste of locally-grown, home-cooked foods.

Cast your vote at Victory Gardens 2.0.'"

Should the Governor of Hawai'i have a victory garden? Perhaps we could call it an “’ohana garden,” or some other catchy name instead. What do you think should be planted in it? My organic farmer friend on the Big Island says taro, coffee, and papaya for starters.

How does a victory garden in Hawai'i differ from one on the continent? If you already have one, what’s growing in it? Or, if you could have one, what would you plant? Imagine Governor Lingle entertaining visiting heads of state at the mansion. She could provide a dinner that features fresh produce from her own victory garden to showcase Hawai'i’s agricultural endeavors – what would that include? I’m not suggesting that she has to work in it herself, but surely an organic garden would be a better model to follow than the current grass moat and it would at least demonstrate some symbolic support for sustainability in the Islands. Eleanor Roosevelt had planted one on the White House lawn in 1943, over objections of the USDA, and today governors in other states such as Massachusetts have already established theirs.

Community Gardens of O’ahu

2009-01-21T23:04:00.012-10:00

Kohlrabi and orchids. Taro and roses. Ung choi, chayote and daikon. These are growing side by side in downtown Honolulu at the Foster Community Garden, adjacent to the parking lot of Foster Botanical Garden. In 60 raised beds wedged between concrete highrises and the vestiges of paradise, the culinary flavors and aesthetics of the city’s diverse cultures intermingle and thrive; within each bed is a story of ethnic identity and pride.

The need for community gardens is growing as unemployment continues to rise nationally and locally, and more people struggle to meet their nutritional needs. Fresh produce is often the most expensive part of the food budget, and for many seniors and others getting by on fixed or low-incomes, community plots provide opportunities to get healthy food, fresh air and exercise outdoors.

Visit a community garden in Hawai'i and you'll get a glimpse at how ethnic groups here historically have had to adapt and to cooperate with each other. Each garden is governed by a set of rules: make sure your plot isn’t overgrown and encroaching on your neighbor’s; don’t use herbicides (presumably because your neighbor might be harvesting); no excessive watering (instead some gardeners use 2-liter soda bottles to provide supplemental irrigation); and no matter how well-intentioned you think you are, don’t work in someone else’s plot without their permission, and so forth. Break the rules or forget to pay your dues and you’re out.

Of course, there usually is a waiting list. For more information, contact the Community Recreational Gardening Program.

Superferry in the Garden

2009-01-09T08:07:00.005-10:00

Love it or hate it, one thing is certain about the Superferry: It spreads invasive species. That has always been obvious to me, and many nursery owners, prior to the Superferry launch, even though operations began without a draft environmental impact statement. Now that the draft EIS has finally been made available, what’s it all mean? Well, it could possibly mean that all those tax dollars were spent on building up something that may just prove too costly to operate anyway. It could fizzle out, investors pack up, and we would get stuck with the bill and a further degraded, shrinking native environment.

Gardeners take note: The gorgeous non-native Mtssa. Dark Star 'Orchidworks' above is not an invasive species. However, imported potted ornamental plants, probably palms, are how coqui frogs and little fire ants first hitchhiked to Hawai'i, and undoubtedly it became easier to spread these invasive species via potted plants transported interisland through the Superferry.

It takes some doing to smuggle a potted plant aboard an interisland airline – not as easy as macadmia-nut shortbread cookies. By law, the plant has to be inspected; if it passes, it gets a sticker. Federal inspectors from the USDA are usually stationed at airline terminals and check only plant material going on flights between the mainland or abroad, whereas the Hawaii state Dept. of Agriculture is a separate office and inspects only items going interisland.

Supposedly, invasive plants aren’t allowed on the Superferry, and any plant going onboard has to be inspected by the Hawaii DOA. What I’d like to know is, who is monitoring the Superferry dock now, and how thorough are they really?

On an airline, potted plants are considered baggage; logistically, you’re limited to transporting just a few pots. However, if, say, Mr. Plantfreak wanted to do some serious nursery shopping on a neighbor island he could load up a car, truck, or van with many more potted plants and drive right onto the Superferry with his booty, possibly for even less than what he’d have to pay a regular shipper. He doesn’t even have to be a certified grower.

Compost this: Does the DOA inspect every plant? Does Superferry check the back of every car, truck and van? Or does that just slow loading down way too much? A commercial entity, Superferry wants government agencies to be responsible for inspections and foot the bill for the measures to prevent the spread of invasives. As if there’s piles of money in the public coffers for such things. I don’t know about you, but that just makes an organic gardener like me ponder the inevitability of having to buy little fire ant poison.

Koa in the Mist

2008-12-22T22:01:00.014-10:00

This past weekend I spent a frosty Hawaiian winter solstice with the Moku Loa chapter of Sierra Club while on an overnight camping trip at Keanakolu cabins along historic Mana Road on the slopes Mauna Kea. By night there were clear skies filled with billions of stars and a bright mohalu crescent moon; by day, several trails yielded endless opportunities to explore the native flora of the cloud forest.

The dominant tree in this area is the majestic koa (Acacia koa), and in these old-growth forests the trees are over a hundred feet high. As you can see in the above photo, many have developed into the twisted wild forms that make bonsai practitioners shiver and sigh with delight.

Abundant and perhaps apropos for the Christmas season was native Hawaiian mistletoe, hulumoa, an unusual, primitive-looking parasitic plant that lives on koa.

Many a suburban gardener would love to plant a koa tree in the backyard, however, seeing these specimens in the cool, misty upland pastures reminded me that dwarf koa, or koai’a, is probably a better choice for our human-inhabited, drier lowland landscapes.

Koai’a (Acacia koaia) looks like koa but has longer seed pods and a lower, more rounded shape only 15 to 25 feet high; it does well in hot, dry areas. Koa roots tend to send out suckers, but koai’a grows more slowly and is not as aggressive. Unlike regular koa, koai’a is drought tolerant and can tolerate a fair amount of wind and salt.

Note how the crescent-shaped koa "leaves" (actually phyllodes) compare with the pink feather-like leaves of nonnative eucalyptus – quite a difference.

Recently I was impressed with some striking specimens of koai’a in the Waimea Nature Center, a native garden maintained by the community and the Waimea Outdoor Circle. These plantings are an excellent example of how to utilize the distinctive look of koa in residential yards and landscaped areas intended for public recreation.

On the internet, there’s lots of info on growing koa and koai’a.

If you’d like an overview on what the University of Hawaii is doing to save our native forests, click here.

To learn how to propagate koa, click here.

Also, here’s a few superb books to consult:

Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree, by Craig Elevitch and Kim Wilkinson

Growing Native Hawaiian Plants, by Heidi Leianuenue Bornhorst

Lyon in Winter

2008-12-01T09:57:00.006-10:00

In the holiday spirit, here's a lovely poinsettia for you -- actually, it's a relative, a double chaconia, Warszewiczia coccinea. Read about this botanical gem, and the other amazing things flourishing at the Lyon Arboretum in Manoa Valley, O'ahu, in my article in the December '08/January '09 issue of Hana Hou! magazine (in-flight publication for Hawaiian Air). If you don't plan on flying in the next two months, you can read it online -- click here.

Cool Weather Crops, Hawai'i Style

2008-11-30T16:38:00.008-10:00

Of course it’s warm year round here, but now on some days there’s actually a nip in the air in the very early mornings here on the Big Island, which reminds me that cool weather crops are starting to develop sweeter flavor. Swiss chard is getting tastier, for example. My friend Carol likes to grow Swiss chard in a big plastic container that’s set upon one that’s turned upside down. This keeps the plants off the ground, away from snails and slugs and at a workable height.

More on cold weather crops later. Right now, a botanical conundrum.

Why is Swiss chard called Swiss? Is there such thing as Hawaiian chard?

And what is chard, exactly?

Since gratuitous slacker googling is now good for your brain, I felt justified in wasting part of a Sunday researching this heretofore superfluous plant-geek question. As it turns out, there’s more than one explanation floating around in cyberspace.

Wikipedia claims Swiss chard was named that by a 19th century seed company that wanted to distinguish it from French charde or chardon, a spinach. Swiss chard didn’t actually originate in Switzerland, but in Sicily. That’s right, it’s Sicily chard. So I guess if you were growing it in Hawai'i, you could call it Hawaiian chard, though maybe you’d have to serve it squid lu'au style to get away with it.

However, this theory just brings up more questions. Did the seed company anticipate some negative marketing issues associated with that southern Italy region? Did it therefore do some 19th century style marketing and rebrand the chard as Swiss to give it wider appeal among European tastes?

One google leads to more, and pretty soon dinner is late. Again.

Oh, and here’s also why more googling can be bad for your brain. One website claims Swiss chard is called that because the botanist who gave the plant its scientific name, Beta vulgaris Linnaeus subsp. cicla, is Swiss. Sorry, but I’d bet my meatballs that this was written by someone who flunked Botany 101. Carl Linnaeus, the famed father of modern taxonomy, Mr. Genus species himself, is Swedish.

Cool Weather Vegetables and Fruits

Carrot
Chard
Lettuce
Snow Peas
Bell Pepper
Radish
Cole crops: broccoli, cauliflower, kale

Also, don’t forget Citrus – cool nights make better fruit.

The Pia in Haupia

2008-11-18T11:41:00.011-10:00

I don’t often see pia growing in home gardens. However, I was able to obtain some tubers of this relative of the bat flower at the seed exchange at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Kona earlier this year, and I’m pleasantly surprised by its unusual inflorescence and how easy it is to grow.

Pia (Tacca leontopetaloides, Polynesian arrowroot) is a “canoe plant,” brought here by the first Polynesians who sailed to these islands. I’ve been told that if you go through the trouble of preparing them correctly, pia tubers can be made into a dried starch and used as a thickener that is more nutritious than cornstarch. According to Isabella Aiona Abbott’s La'au Hawai'i, the tubers have to be carefully processed: First grated, then soaked and rinsed many times until all trace of bitterness is completely gone, then strained through the fibers of 'ahu'awa. “The resulting starch was then shaped into cakes and dried in the sun,” writes Abbott.

Whew. I get exhausted just thinking about all that work, so for now I just like looking at my pia, which is planted in a raised bed next to some young kalo from Waipi'o. Still, I’m curious about the potential nutritional payoff.

Traditionally, dried pia starch was mixed with water or coconut cream and baked in an imu. Haupia, the melt-in-your-mouth sweet coconut dessert, is thickened with cornstarch but no doubt has its origins in the healthy Hawaiian diet that included pia.

For a great haupia recipe and more explanation, click here.

And of course, pia was also used in traditional Hawaiian medicine.

For more ethnobotanical info on pia, click here.

If you’re experienced in making pia starch or have info on any scientific documentation of its nutritional value, I’d love to hear about it.

Community of Sustainable Gardening

2008-11-11T11:58:00.007-10:00

This past weekend was packed with things to do on the Big Island, including the first E Malama ‘Aina sustainability festival in downtown Hilo. Visitors swarmed the Hawaii Island Master Gardeners booth, picking up free seedlings of edibles such as tomato, eggplant, sweet basil and jicama, and buying locally grown UH seeds for dirt-cheap. A display on sheet mulch “lasagne gardening” showed how to make rich soil to enable growing a garden atop solid lava rock, and I was there with container gardening displays of a hypertufa pot, herbs and a hanging cucumber grown by master gardeners.

What got the biggest response was the simple yet effective fruit fly traps made of empty soda bottles baited with pheromone – flies fly in, and they never check out! It was great to see so much interest in easy organic gardening methods.

If you didn’t get to the festival, you can still call the HIMGA helpline at (808) 981-5199 if you would like more info on fruit fly trapping and to purchase a fruit fly trap kit.

Here’s a short video on some of the happenings at the festival, courtesy Big Island Video News.

Hui Malama Ola Na ‘Oiwi was also there with info on their excellent Mai Ka Mala’ai program, a 10-week educational program for Native Hawaiians with diabetes to encourage healthy steps toward managing the condition. The program teaches clients how to grow fresh vegetables in small, easy-to-maintain raised box gardens and containers. They also provide a health support team: nutritionist, community health educator, fitness trainer, outreach workers, pharmacist, dentist, podiatrist and other professionals.

“In the beginning of the class, everyone is shy and quiet. But then as they learn, share, and start working in their gardens, they all start to bond,” says Edna Baldado of Hui Malama Ola Na ‘Oiwi. “ By the end of the 10 weeks, everyone can’t stop talking – no one wants to leave!”

If you are Native Hawaiian and interested in participating in the Mai Ka Mala’ai program to learn to grow your own health-sustaining garden, call the Hilo main office of Hui Malama Ola Na ‘Oiwi at (808) 969-9220.

Here's another video from the festival. Guess who's talking about the Master Gardener helpline about the 2:42 mark.

Roselle, My Cup of Zing

2008-11-06T10:16:00.006-10:00

I’m a big fan of hibiscus. We always had them in our yard when I was growing up in the islands. In the morning I’d look for a bud just about to bloom and I'd take it to school to give it to my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Chang. Throughout the school day I’d watch the bud slowly, slowly unfold, until it was a huge red blossom worthy of the Kodak Hula Show when the final bell rang and it was time to go home. I never saw her do it, but of course she tossed the spent blossom before she headed home, since the flower lasts only a day. Who knows, it probably even made my teacher a little more forgiving of my transgressions, too.

Now I grow several native and introduced hibiscus in my backyard, and this year I added an edible one called Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa. A fellow gardener gave me some seeds in the spring, and to my surprise they actually germinated and grew into something quite spectacular and delightful this fall.

Like other hibiscus, this robust shrub is easy to grow. Its lovely pale blossoms tinged with pink are a favorite of those big black carpenter bees, but I don’t mind sharing. I’m after only the calyx, which makes a delicious tea – it’s the main ingredient in the Red Zinger you buy in the store, and it’s used in favorite beverages all over the world. Check out its other uses here.

To make tea, break up a few calyxes (discard the seed capsule), bruise up them up a little, add boiling water and let steep 5- 8 minutes. You can add sweetener, but I like it as it is just as well. So 'ono with some of my
honey-sweet Navel oranges that I share with friends and family.

To make roselle sauce, put clean calyxes in a pan with enough water to cover and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes, then add sweetener to taste. Cool and serve with your favorite dessert – ice cream, cheesecake…oooh.

What We Take For Granted

2008-11-06T10:02:00.005-10:00

First, let me say that these are Okinawan oranges, and no, this isn’t my backyard.

There’s a lot of talk about sustainability these days, and once in a while I hear someone say sustainability is a buzzword. That’s like saying sleeping is popular.

For many concerned, pro-active citizens, sustainability is a way of behaving, a way of thinking responsibly. But it also appears it’s a way for some enterprises to wear a nice and fuzzy cloak of trendy ideas while riding a potentially profitable bandwagon.

So here’s an opportunity to put on your critical thinking cap. This weekend you can check out the 'E Malama 'Aina sustainability festival on Saturday, November 8, 8 am to 3 pm, in downtown Hilo’s Mo'oheau Park. Cruise the booths, get ideas, and see what is being proposed in your community.

I’ll be there with the Hawaii Island Master Gardeners who will have info on fruit fly trapping, sheet mulch “lasagne” gardening, growing edibles in containers, of course, seeds and more. Stop by and talk story little bit. Here’s a link to the website of ‘E Malama ‘Aina Festival.

By the way, don’t let your bumper crop fall and rot. That attracts fruit flies. Harvest your bounty and share it with friends – kindergarteners tell me that’s a great way to make new ones, too.

Hawaii Island School Garden Network

2008-11-02T12:08:00.011-10:00

Fill in the blank:

Kids nowadays ___________.

If you answered “like to plug themselves in and play indoors,” then you obviously remember a time when it was cool to play outside, where the wild things are.

In my coastal neighborhood in suburban O’ahu, my mom planted green onions next to the pomegranate bush while I lifted rocks and played with sow bugs and earthworms. I watched sassy red cardinals swoop in and peck out snacks from our brilliant yellow sunflowers growing all in a row taller than our clothesline. I chased hapless termites and geckos on hot summer nights, sucked on oranges grown at sea level that stayed green but were sweet nonetheless.

That seems like eons ago, yet the memories remain indelible. I remember the warmth of the sun and salty ocean breezes, the sweet-tartness of the lemonade I made and sold in the front yard for 3 cents a glass, the buzz of honeybees circling around the dazzling magenta portulaca along the sidewalk in front of our house. Why are these images so vivid in my mind’s eye even now?

Children experience the natural world in a very direct way; unlike most adults, their sense of wonder and appreciation of the beauty of nature is still intact. Young minds are not jaded or cynical, young bodies do not ignore the sensations of everyday phenomena the way that desensitized adults’ do.

At the Hamakua Alive! Festival at Pauuilo School, I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Koh Ming Wei, director/educator of the Hawaii Sustainable Eduation Initiative, a Waldorf-based program in Honoka'a, and HSEI student Serafima Carlson, age 11. Serafima presented me with bookmarker she decorated with her own scientific drawing of the life cycle of a butterfly, and then proceeded to explain the different herbs she had potted up and offered for sale. Meanwhile, another student practiced his math, counting up cash and figuring out the profits for the day. Whoever thinks gardening with kids is only an opportunity for socialization has some serious waking up to do.

Nancy Redfeather, program director of the Kohala Center's island-wide Hawai'i Island School Garden Network, was also at the festival with luscious produce from a one-acre market farm being worked by twelve high school students from Kohala. These youth are learning skills to make a living and gaining self-confidence through real-life, hands-on experiences. This is but a glimpse of the beauty and magic that is evolving here with kids and gardens, and it makes me proud of the spirit and energy of those involved: students, teachers, farmers, activists, and all other deeply concerned citizens of our community.

For more information on the Hawaii Island School Garden Network, contact Nancy Redfeather at the Kohala Center.

Got Genki Balls?

2008-10-21T22:53:00.015-10:00

Last week Hawaii Island Master Gardeners attended a presentation at Kea’au on EM-1, Dr. Teruo Higa’s Original Effective Organisms, a patented product.

I know what you’re thinking. We have all the fun.

Tim Lloyd, Hawaii Island distributor of EM-1 Microbial Inoculant, showed how to mix wheat bran and EM-1 activated with molasses to make Bokashi. This mix is added to kitchen scraps in a 5 gallon bucket, for example, to make an intensive, odorless composting system that is completely food-grade safe. Seems like a very convenient way to compost for apartment dwellers, too.

That’s just one way to use EM-1. Close your eyes and make a wish.

Now read this partial list of what it does:

Intensifies composting
Can be used with worm composting
Can be used with chemical fertilizer – reduces amount needed
Prepares garden beds with no-till/weed prevention method
Improves health of plants
Clears ponds and water features
Neutralizes odors from animal waste
Eliminates cat litter box odor!
Spray on your dog to improve health, deodorize (yes, even Labs)
Improves the efficiency of your septic tank – pour down the drain

What’s in EM-1? Active cultures of microorganisms: Lactobacillus sp. (the kind in yogurt) Bacillus sp., and actinomycetes, (which aid in winemaking) plus a tiny bit of molasses. One activates the EM-1 by adding molasses or sugar and dilutes according to recommended ratios.

EM-1 is food-grade safe; you can drink it, though it won’t make you give up Starbucks. You don’t need to wear protective equipment while spraying EM-1.

Okay, all this sounds too good to be true. However, this formulation has been around for 30 years and proponents say there’s plenty of documented scientific evidence that it works. So, I’ll be trying it out over the next 6 months and letting you know my experiences. If you try it out yourself, let me know your results, too.

Oh yes, and Genki Balls. That’s Bokashi mixed with clay and formed into balls. These are being used to remediate sludge and slime in lakes in Japan -- just toss 'em in, and they disintegrate and get to work. One ball can clear a 6-foot radius. Now, that’s really genki.

EM-1 is available on the Big Island from Tim Lloyd at tlloyd@easthawaii.net, (808) 937-9874. Here a link on some more info from EM Hawaii, with contact info for other islands.

Plant Bloggers Have Feelings Too

2008-10-21T21:53:00.012-10:00

Warning: This will probably be of no help to you at all.

Are your plants trying to tell you something? Maybe you should let them blog.

Blogging is so darn easy, a potted plant can do it. In fact, one sitting in a doburi café in Tokyo is doing it right now as you are reading this -- check it out here. It’s a Hoya kerrii, not to be confused with hara kiri, or Hello Kitty. (It's actually from Thailand, common name Heart-leaf hoya.)

This hoya has the help of a scientist who stuck probes in the soil to record data that’s translated by algorithms into Japanese blogospeak. Personally, I prefer using my keyboard instead of probes.

Here's an explanation in English.

I don’t think this is sustainable in any way yet. Unless the restaurant is bokashi-ing.

"Today was a sunny day and I was able to sunbathe a lot... I had quite a bit of fun today,” says Midori-san the Potted Plant. Or: "It was cloudy today. It was a cold day."

So you think this potted plant’s blog is better than mine? Yeah, well, just wait until I learn how to photosynthesize.

Hawaii connection: My friend Carol, who’s a professional hoya grower – she exports them from her Aloha Hoya nursery in Puna – would probably tell you that even though hoyas seem to have minds of their own they really can’t write. (But don’t tell them that, they’re very fussy and take offense at everything – shhh.) Hers climb up palm trees and blossom wherever and whenever they feel like it, even though she is an amazing hoya whisperer – take a look at this red beauty I saw at her place last week.

Hala, aka Screw Pine

2008-10-12T22:10:00.027-10:00

“Are those pineapples on that tree?”

No, you say gently, mentally forgiving the bewildered tourist before proceeding to tell him that the native Hawaiian hala tree (Pandanus tectorius) has many important cultural uses, but festooning a ham with its pineapple look-alike fruit isn’t one of them. Although the hala fruit was indeed eaten in times of famine in Hawai'i, the edible part wasn't considered all that tasty.

Hala is popular as a native landscaping tree for good reasons. It adds a tropical touch to your landscape -- the distinctive prop roots add to the visual interest -- and it makes a handsome shade, accent or a specimen tree. It does well below 2,000 feet elevation; it's relatively easy to propagate and stands tough against salt and wind exposure. Hala can grow quite big – 10 to 30 feet, with a spreading habit up to 40 feet wide – so if you do plant it, give it plenty of space.

Since ancient times, Puna, Hawai'i, has been famous for its dense forests of hala that fill the air with the perfume of blossoms and ripe fruit. There the native 'ekaha (Bird’s Nest Fern) grow to giant specimens on many branches of towering hala trees – quite an impressive sight, as you can see in this photo taken off Old Government Road on the way to Kapoho.

As a child I saw hala trees in my coastal neighborhood but I didn’t really know much about them other than that I needed to stay away from the leaves, which have some nasty spines on the edges. However, this past weekend I had a wonderful experience learning about the many valuable attributes of hala from Aha Puhala o Puna, a lau hala weaving club in Puna that generously shares its mana'o (ideas) with the community.

Club members guided beginners – more than 40 of us – through the process of cleaning, de-thorning, softening, and stripping the leaves so that they could be woven into a variety of simple items such as bracelets, slippers, even Christmas ornaments. I knew I’d be all thumbs at weaving, but nonetheless I’m so proud of the fan I made – suitable for taking to Merrie Monarch, don’t you think?

The fibrous sections -- “keys” -- of the fruit are made into lei that traditionally symbolize transformation; a good friend gave me one because she knew of some big changes that occurred recently in my life. The fruit slowly changes from orangey to grey-brown and hardens – a reminder that Hawaiian wisdom is born of the observation of nature.

And, just in case, here’s one more reason to plant hala. There’s the old Hawaiian magic of using the pollen from the male flower as an aphrodisiac – you’re supposed to dust your intended lover with it. At the very least it will get his or her attention. Just in case.

Bamboo-zled

2008-09-26T23:37:00.012-10:00

The Hawaii Bamboo Society held their annual festival at the Papa'ikou Hongwanji, giving the public an educational look at the many uses of bamboo. This sustainable, eco-friendly plant can be grown not just for ornamental purposes, but also timber, screen, fencing, flooring, textiles, musical instruments, food…and the list goes on. HBS members are ardent in extolling the virtues of bamboo -- some seem to even express a devotion that’s akin to a spiritual awakening.

HBS president Lennart Lundstrom says as transportation costs rise, local bamboo plantations could provide alternative building materials for affordable housing and furniture, if approved by the county. Currently the only permitted bamboo housing construction are prefab homes that are made in Vietnam and shipped to Hawai'i. HBS hopes to encourage the public to learn more about bamboo and stimulate interest in it as a renewable local resource.

Of course, the festival was an opportunity for enthusiasts to add to their collections, with many non-invasive, clumping bamboo varieties on sale from Gaia Yoga Nursery.

Hawai'i Bamboo Society meets on Hawaii Island every 3rd Sunday of the month.

Sandalwood Guy

2008-09-26T22:28:00.020-10:00

You might forget his name, but you won’t forget his mission. “Every plant makes a difference in absorbing carbon,” says Mark Hanson, who once went to Washington, D. C., to give 5,000 oak trees and 110 cherry trees to every member of U.S. Congress.

Mark is perhaps better known locally as Hawai'i’s ambassador and passionate advocate of native Hawaiian sandalwood. Some might say he’s blessed with an obsession -- great for our native ecosystems when you consider the tree hasn’t had much help since the sandalwood trade nearly wiped it out completely in the 1800s. Native Hawaiian sandalwood isn’t endangered; there are still some stands hidden in mauka forests, but in the inhabited lowlands native sandalwood is a rarity, and native plant enthusiasts consider it quite a triumph when they’re able to grow a tree to a substantial size.

The problem, says Mark, is that native sandalwood is adapted to native soil, which doesn’t really exist in the lowlands any more due to human activities such as agriculture and building construction. Thus, to grow sandalwood successfully you have to baby it a little, as though it were an exotic fruit tree, he says. Pour on the TLC and you too may one day have boasting rights to your very own Hawaiian sandalwood tree in your backyard.

Mark was selling sandalwood seedlings at the Maku'u Farmers Market last week. With proper care these seedlings would be ready for planting in ground in another 4 months.

Mark’s down-and-dirty tips for planting out Hawaiian sandalwood seedlings:

Keep the pH at 6.5 to 7.
Plant it with chelated iron – just a pinch of Growganic 40% or Ironite.
Keep grasses away, which tend to choke out sandalwood seedlings.
Add pH balanced topsoil to the planting hole.
Cut back on cinder but make sure soil drains well and contain compost.
Sandalwood is sort of a parasitic plant, so plant it with "helper" plants. A'e a'e, a native groundcover, is an excellent companion. Also good is 'ala 'ala wai nui, and native shrubs such as 'akia, a'ali'i and aweoweo. Similar non-native plants work just as well, too.

Mark’s latest exciting project is an “Ecodome” made from cement, volcanic cinder, blue rock, and barbed wire. It’s the first green permitted residence ever in Hawai'i County. From the looks of it, maybe Luke Skywalker really does live in Puna. Cool.

Varroa Bee Mite

2008-09-14T09:24:00.009-10:00

Here’s an inspiring sight from a hike last year: a non-native honeybee pollinating native ko'oko'olau flowers along Chain of Craters Road in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Makes me ponder the roles of honeybees in our native ecosystems and how they will be impacted by the recent arrival of the varroa bee mite.

Until recently, Hawai'i and Australia were the last places in the world that were still free of the varroa mite, which feeds only on honeybees and destroys entire colonies. However, the varroa mite is now widespread on O'ahu, and last month the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture recorded the first sightings on Hawai'i Island. So far there’s been no detection on Maui, Kaua'i and Moloka'i.

A varroa mite is very tiny, only 1-1.5 mm, but magnified under a hand lens it sort of looks like some weird Pokeman character, a freaky, hairy, flattened reddish-brown jelly bean with legs. Small populations have been discovered on feral bees in the Hilo area in five locations, according to Clayton Nagata, plant quarantine inspector with the HDOA. At the Kino'ole Farmers Market this weekend, Nagata talked to the public about the HDOA’s efforts to control the spread of the varroa mite. They're using swarm traps made from pressed paper pots baited with beeswax and pheromone. So far there are 150 traps placed within a one-mile radius of where the mites were first found near the Hilo Airport.

Some locations where the varroa mite has appeared:

Near Hilo Airport, by Verna’s plate lunch stand and Hilo Seaside Hotel
Banyan Golf Course
Along Kamehameha Avenue, near Suisan
Near the Waiakea Fire Station, old refueling depot in Keaukaha

Only 8 to 12 individual varroa mites have appeared in each wild colony. If the Big Island becomes heavily infested it could be devastating for local beekeepers and fruit growers who depend on these important pollinators. A reduced bee population means local farmers and gardeners would see poor yields and low quality produce. In addition, the varroa mite is bad news for the local industry in Kona that raises millions of queen bees for export to agricultural ventures worldwide; the cost of buying honeybees to release in nurseries would most certainly increase. And what will be the impact on the cost of food?

If you are reading this and you are a honeybee, stay away from airports. The HDOA is trying to establish a honeybee-free zone around airports, and unfortunately, to find out if a hive is infested with the mite the HDOA has to kill the entire colony. The HDOA doesn’t know to what extent the varroa mite has spread on the Big Island.

There is a way to partially eliminate the mite from a commercial hive by using a sticky tape with a miticide; it touches the bees and kills the mites, but this doesn’t help our producers of organic honey.

If you see honeybees or beekeeping equipment being moved between islands, or on the slim chance you are one of the few sharp-eyed gardeners who like seeing bees up close and personal (certainly not me, I’m allergic) and you see what you think is a varroa mite, contact the HDOA at (808) 643-PEST (7378).

Learn more about the varroa mite from the HDOA website here and here. Download a HDOA PDF publication on the varroa mite here.

Sustainability at 3500 Feet

2008-08-16T18:05:00.016-10:00

When it comes to experimentation with native plants in gardening, Bonnie Goddell, proprietor of Volcano Guest House, is enthusiastic and fearless. Around the perimeter of her huge duck pond in Volcano at 3500 feet she has planted native Hawaiian plants normally seen only at sea level wetlands, and they’re thriving suprisingly well.

'Ae 'ae, (Bacopa monnieri) or water hyssop, an indigenous Hawaiian plant also used in Ayurvedic medicine, is spreading along the edges of the pond, as is makaloa, 'uki'uki and other native sedges.

The pond and landscaping around it are only about a year old, but it looks like it’s off to a great start. Bonnie’s goal is to create an eco-friendly, agriculturally productive aqua-farm – it’s stocked with tilapia and koi, and yes, the ducks are for consumption.

The biggest surprise was a native sedge I'd never seen before. It looks like a giant green onion, and Bonnie says it's quite aggressive around her pond, so much so she’s had to cut it back several times. It's a very handsome specimen indeed, and I'm wondering how it would do in other island water gardens.

I could be wrong, but I don't think these lowland wetland natives naturally occur at this elevation. It will be interesting to see how they perform in a manmade system within the surrounding mauka native rainforest ecosystems. So far it's quite impressive.

Lichen Limerick

2008-08-07T22:10:00.004-10:00

Plant geek poetry, courtesy of Honopua Farm.

Whee-ha, Waimea

2008-08-02T21:49:00.025-10:00

I always pick up lots of tips and ideas at farmers markets, so I couldn’t resist stopping by the Hawaiian Homestead one in Waimea. Growers here take advantage of cooler upland conditions to raise all kinds of ornamentals and edibles that lowlanders like me only dream of, so I knew I’d be in for a real adventure on this unscheduled side trip on the way to Kona.

Tootsie Weller of the Burdon family is the guiding force behind Ainahua Florals, a family-run business on Hawaiian Homestead farm lots in Waimea. Their artful, Hawaii-style flower arrangements are mainly composed of locally grown flowers. I couldn’t believe the freshness of the plant material and the creative combinations of bright colors and complementary textures. Pure eye candy!

A few booths down I was allured by the scent of lavender at the booth of Ken and Roen Hufford of Honopua Farm. “Look at your feet,” said the amiable fellow there, greeting me with a big, easy smile. “You’re stepping on it.” Sure enough, a layer of lavender cuttings lay on the ground beneath my sandals, the leaves blackened from being trodden on all day by a steady stream of patrons. “That’s our herbal chum – or herbal palu, as we call it in Hawai’i. Draws in the big fish,” he said, revealing one of the tricks of their trade. As if that weren’t enough, he brought out a sample of their pikake essence body mist with coconut oil base and sprayed a cooling shower around my neck. “It’s like wearing a pikake lei,” he declared. Of course, right then I was hooked – I convinced myself I couldn’t live without this heady indulgence and bought a bottle for $15.

Roen Hufford sat behind the tables laden with organic greens and other enticing comestibles. She told me her family has been growing organically and selling at the Hawaiian Homestead market for an impressive 16 years. The mild pink radishes they were selling on this day were a bonus crop of Asian radish called Hong Vit, which they grew mainly for the young tender greens because the leaves aren’t hairy like other radishes and they add a delightful spiciness to the Honopua Farm salad mix.

Right about now you might be stewing some lowlander envy of the kinds of plants upland gardeners of Waimea can grow. If it's any consolation, Roen told me a grower from Kea'au had packed up early that day because he had sold out of everything he brought, all the things that he can grow but Waimea people can't, like anthuriums and papayas.

Heading back to my car I saw some preserves from Eko Farm that looked quite yummy...

...and then I had a close encounter of the botanical kind – the kind made out of pantyhose, moss, and grass seed, and a really out-there puffy paint job. Take some of these babies home, add water, and in a few days you have an attack of the turf people of Waimea. Scary or tasty? You and your kitty can decide.

Native Water Garden

2008-07-24T21:14:00.013-10:00

I rarely see a variety of Hawaii’s native plants being used for landscaping outside commercial buildings, so I was pleasantly surprised with the recently installed plantings outside Kawaiha’o Plaza, the administrative offices of Kamehameha Schools in downtown Honolulu. This multi-level raised planter seems to be designed as a miniature ahupua’a.

Mauka plants such as naupaka kahuahiwi, palapalai, and koa were planted at the top level...

Kalo was growing in a tiny lo'i at midheight along with native sedges...

Even 'ihi'ihi was there, an unusual endangered native fern that resembles a four-leaf clover. In the wild it grows in vernal pools, so naturally it's a good plant for the water garden...

At the very bottom were plantings of makai plants such as alula...

hala pepe and 'ae'ae...

As the landscaping matures it will be interesting to see how many of the plants will have to be removed or replaced, if any. The koa seemed planted too close to the building, and I was surprised to see the naupaka kuahiwi was still thriving even though it was at this low elevation. Nonetheless, I have much to learn from this landscaper -- I’m impressed! I’ll have to revisit in the future to check up on this very akamai and inspiring native water garden.

A Bittersweet Tale

2008-07-14T20:03:00.007-10:00

Bittermelons look like what hedgehogs would be if they fell under a wizard's spell and became vegetables.

Once in a great while I like bittermelon Chinese-style with furu, fermented tofu. My Filipino neighbor loves bittermelon. Birds love his ripe bittermelon fruit and scatter the seeds, so occasionally I find vines growing in the middle of the lawn, which I mow anyway. However, now there's a bittermelon vine growing on the fence between me and my other Filipino neighbor. I'm sure neither of us planted it, but I'm not entirely sure if he's eating from it. He hasn't sprayed it, and usually he sprays the fenceline. It's actually my fence, so I guess I could just rip the vine out. But I don't want to spoil my neighbor's enjoyment, that is, in case he is in fact enjoying it. I suppose I could ask him, but he never answers the door when I go over.

So the vine just grows. Is it a weed? Some people would say if someone has found use for a plant, it isn't a weed. So I guess it isn't, because for me right now it serves as a reason to get to know my neighbor a bit better.

Half-Weed

2008-07-14T19:37:00.011-10:00

Look! Is this Drymaria a half-dead or a half-alive weed?

Does limonene work as an herbicide? Two weeks after spraying I've decided the answer is yes...and no.

The label on the pesticide says that it is most effective on annual weeds shorter than 6 inches. I wanted to see what difference weed whacking would make before spraying, so I used a string trimmer to cut most of the weeds to ground level. I also left one patch uncut.

I found that the herbicide appeared to affect the foliage of some weeds that were whacked that weren’t affected when left intact. However, weed whacking before spraying didn’t seem to make any difference for hardier weeds. Limonene appeared to cause foliage to burn on some weeds but it didn’t outright kill them; the affected weeds put out new growth within 2 weeks.

For example, garden spurge greater than 6 inches that was sprayed looked healthy and unaffected, however buttonweed foliage burned though the stems seemed unharmed. Nutgrass sedge seemed to be unaffected by any of the treatments.

Limonene seemed to affect foliage of some weeds quickly. Oxalis turned yellow immediately upon spraying, as did Drymaria. I mowed sleeping grass (Mimosa pudica) in the lawn, then sprayed it; the weed and the grass surrounding it turned brown, but new growth appeared within 2 weeks.

Okay, so all of this is anecdotal and not so scientific, but you’ve read this far so you might as well read the rest of this half-baked report.

Unless someone convinces me otherwise, I’m not using limonene as a weed killer again. I’m sticking to my electric string trimmer and propane flamer for weeds that aren't kept in check with mulching and hand-pulling. Spraying limonene was a pleasant, fragrant exercise in weed abuse, but certainly not worth $21.99 as a weed control strategy. My conclusion: When life gives you lemons, don’t make weed killer.

De-lovely, De-weeds & D-limonene

2008-07-03T12:07:00.016-10:00

A couple of weeks ago I happened to be wandering the “organic” aisle of my local hardware store, as I do every now and then to see what’s been added to the store’s inventory. In the past 6 years I’ve watched this section grow from one or two products to more than a dozen different ones filling half the length of the aisle, which I’d say is an indication of consumer demand. And on this most recent perusal I found something I’d never seen before: “organic” weed killer based on D-limonene, a citrus oil extracted from the rinds of oranges.

I’ve used other natural, earth-friendly limonene-based products: adhesive remover/solvent/degreaser, household cleaner, ant killer. Sounds like powerful stuff, doesn’t it? Since it’s OMRI-listed, of course it’ll be killing those weeds softly, shouldn’t it? However, if something says it’s “worryfree” I start getting skeptical. Is it safe, and does it work – really? I had to try it.

I usually pull weeds by hand or use a propane flamer to burn them. So a 32 oz bottle of concentrate for $21.99 nearly took my breath away – this is not cheap stuff, but then it wasn’t locked up like the Roundup was. On the way home I stopped to visit a friend. When I got back to my truck and opened the door, my sinuses were blasted with a familiar odor from small-kid time: Lemon Pledge. An oily scent, not entirely beckoning, like a crateful of Meyers with an industrial undertone. Apparently the bottle tipped, and even though the cashier had tightened it, it leaked into the plastic bag and a tiny bit spilled on the floor mat. Even a week later, each time my visiting niece got into my truck, she’d inhale deeply and sigh, “Mmm, auntie, your car smells so nice.” Not your typical reaction, but keep it out of reach of children anyway – read the label, there are some warnings.

The label says this weed killer takes care of “annual weeds” and that “perennial weeds may need more than one treatment.” I’m not sure what annual weeds are in Hawai'i though, since many plants perennialize here. When I bought the weed killer I did not know that even though it is a concentrate, 32 oz makes only 1 gallon of spray! I’ve decided that if this 70% D-limonene pesticide proves to be effective I’m going to use it only in areas next to the house where I don’t want to use flame.

Have a look at some of the weeds I’m trying it on.

(Warning: the following pictures may be disturbing to those with obsessive tendencies.)

garden spurge, koko kahiki, Chamaesyce hirta

Phyllanthus amarus

partridge pea; lauiki, Chamaecrista nictitans

bubble gum plant; root beer plant, Polygala paniculata

buttonweed (Spermacoce assurgens)

...plus oxalis and some assorted grasses and sedges.

Stay tuned for the results in the next couple of weeks!

Seeding Hawai'i's Future

2008-06-21T21:53:00.022-10:00

If the 6th Annual Seed Exchange at Amy B.H. Greenwell Garden was any indication, Big Island gardeners are eager to grow all kinds of edibles, and that bodes well in the current push for sustainability in Hawai'i. Farmers, school gardens, community gardens and gardeners-at-large offered abundant seeds and cuttings to satisfy all appetites for homegrown vegetables and herbs, and they dispensed helpful advice for growing, too.

Nancy Redfeather and Jerry Konanui opened the event, welcoming festival-goers who brought gifts of fruit from their gardens to share with the community that had gathered that day.

After the presentation of the festival's theme of the creative power of fire, there were two exquisite hula performances. This introduction was barely over when the seeding frenzy began, however. The crowd was elbow-to-elbow, crammed into the tents; gardeners were buzzing about like honeybees, collecting their botanical treasures, filling baskets, bags, and envelopes with seeds and cuttings and talking story with fellow growers.

There were also excellent expert lectures, on topics such as seed saving and ways to create abundant gardens. Personally, I saw very little in the way of exchange per se; more frequent was the altruistic generosity of the festival participants who asked for nothing in return and freely gave propagation material to any member of the general public who wanted it. The true spirit of aloha came alive through spontaneous, thoughtful action. Each seed that was passed to a new gardener was planted in the sincere heart of someone seeking to grow more food for themselves and their community.

As it happens with many transforming experiences, sometimes pictures tell the best stories….

...beans, Hawaiian poppy, tulsi brahma (purple)...

...locally grown cacao seed...

...seeds for medicinals: olena (tumeric), organic tobacco grown in Honaunau; okra seed...

...tropical 'sun hemp,' a nitrogen-fixing, green manure cover crop...

...jackfruit tasting: savoring the 'ono flesh, then saving the seed...

...Know Your Farmers Alliance was there, of course...

...and perhaps even you were there. If not, hope to see you next year!

Code Red for Green Thumbs

2008-06-17T16:30:00.001-10:00

Are you gardening by the codes? Most likely you are, but in case you aren’t, it’s time to get educated.

The Voluntary Codes of Conduct are recommended by the Center for Plant Conservation for those participating in various aspects of horticulture. These guidelines are designed to promote education about invasive species and to encourage affiliated groups to take appropriate action in preventing the spread of invasive species. One of the key purposes behind the codes is to make groups self-regulating so that there will be less need for government regulation when problems from invasive species become severe.

This week I proposed that the Hawai’i Island Master Gardeners Association adopt the Voluntary Codes of Conduct for the Gardening Public, and I’m happy to report that they voted for it. This puts them at forefront among organizations that are working to educate the people of Hawai’i about their kuleana – their responsibility – to preserve our native ecosystems and watersheds.

The Center developed several professional Voluntary Codes of Conduct. There are codes of conduct geared for five specific groups: Government, Nursery Professionals, Landscape Architects, Botanic Gardens and Arboreta, and the Gardening Public. So far over 45 major groups across the nation have endorsed these codes, including influential nurserymen and landscape architect associations, botanic gardens and garden clubs. The University of Hawai'i Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu is the first botanic garden in Hawai'i to adopt the codes. See a list of all the groups here.

I hope that you, too, will make a personal commitment to adopt the Voluntary Codes of Conduct for the Gardening Public, and tell others about them, too. Unlike the continent, Hawai’i is a small, isolated place; change, good or bad, affects us in a big way. The choices you make even in the gentle pastime of gardening can have a major impact in the quality of life that surrounds you.

Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Gardening Public

Ask for only non-invasive species when you acquire plants. Plant only environmentally safe species in your gardens. Work towards and promote new landscape design that is friendly to regional ecosystems.
Seek information on which species are invasive in your area. Sources could include botanical gardens, horticulturists, conservationists, and government agencies. Remove invasive species from your land and replace them with non-invasive species suited to your site and needs.
Do not trade plants with other gardeners if you know they are species with invasive characteristics.
Request that botanical gardens and nurseries promote, display and sell only non-invasive species.
Help educate your community and other gardeners in your area through personal contact, and in such settings as garden clubs and other civic groups.
Ask garden writers and other media to emphasize the problem of invasive species and provide information. Request that garden writers promote only non-invasive species.
Invite speakers knowledgeable on the invasive species issue to speak to garden clubs, master gardeners, schools and other community groups.
Seek the best information on control of invasive plant species and organize neighborhood work groups to remove invasive plant species under the guidance of knowledgeable professionals.
Volunteer at botanical gardens and natural areas to assist ongoing efforts to diminish the threat of invasive plants.
Participate in early warning systems by reporting invasive species you observe in your area. Determine which group or agency should be responsible for reports emanating from your area. If no 800 number exists for such reporting, request that one be established, citing the need for a clearinghouse with an 800 number and website links to information about invasive plant species.
Assist garden clubs to create policies regarding the use of invasive species not only in horticulture, but in activities such as flower shows. Urge florists and others to eliminate the use of invasive plant material.

Feel the Need for Seed

2008-06-16T21:46:00.004-10:00

Seed savers unite! Trade your local-grown seeds and cuttings of food plants and get together with other beneficently seedy types this weekend at the 6th Annual Hawai'i Island Seed Exchange at Amy B.H. Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook, Saturday, June 21, 8:30 am to 12:30 am . This event is sponsored by Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, Hawai'i SEED, and Know Your Farmer Alliance.

You'll have an opportunity to network with like-minded gardeners and learn more about what's happening in your growing community, maybe even get a glimpse at the wonder and excitement sprouting up in school gardens across the Big Island. This event promises to be fun and educational for all ages!

I'll be there in a special book signing tent with other invited agricultural authors, including Craig Elevitch and Dr. Scot Nelson. Stop by and say howzit!

Determined to Know Beans

2008-06-02T10:07:00.010-10:00

Beans are wonderful, magical, rewarding. They’re vigorous and with proper cultivation they’re fairly trouble-free, even in a container. Children especially like growing them because when they sprout the plants look sturdy and robust and it’s easy to see and describe the various parts such as the cotyledons, stem and so on. Last week my jaded 13-year-old son was still delighted to plant some Black-Seeded Blue Lake snap pole beans, certified organic from Seeds of Change, and this week they’re up. I grow them in a wine barrel with a bamboo trellis, and last year I could barely keep up with the harvest. Fresh from the garden, the taste is so…beany. I see older, tougher beans in the supermarkets more often these days than tender young beans which are delicious, so growing your own is a good idea.

I start with organic potting mix – I usually use something OMRI-approved, such as Black Gold. In large quantities that can be too costly, so sometimes I make my own mix using various media. There are several good potting mix recipes online from ATTRA that you can access here.

I add compost and some organic fertilizer, such as Bio-Flora dry crumbles, or whatever I have on hand. The key to preparing the media for beans is to not add too much nitrogen, or you’ll end up with very nice green leaves and very few beans. Insects will usually leave your plants alone if you keep them healthy.

A word about watering. Beans are susceptible to rust and bacterial diseases, so do not wet the leaves or you might spread disease throughout your plants. However, beans do need adequate water, so don’t let the potting mix or soil completely dry out. Water them as needed; morning is best, that way plants have a chance to dry out during the day. It’s a good idea to rotate your crops to reduce the chances of establishing pathogens.

I prefer to grow pole beans because they tend to produce more. There are a few varieties that were developed especially for our growing conditions by the University of Hawaii. (These aren't GMO, by the way.) Manoa Wonder is root-knot nematode resistant, which is a plus if you’re growing them in the ground. Hawaiian Wonder is rust resistant, and Poamoho is stringless. Usually you can find these seeds in garden supply stores, sometimes even in grocery stores. But if you can’t, you can order them from the UH website here.

When your beans start producing, keep harvesting them regularly so that you’ll get a steady supply all season long for stir-fry, seasoned with dill or garlic. If can, can! Most people don’t have time to do canning nowadays, so give your surplus away. Remember, with the rising cost of food your local food bank will appreciate the donation of fresh produce from your garden this summer.

Greener Air Cleaner

2008-05-27T23:15:00.010-10:00

Now that vog has started to blanket the major metro area of the Hawaiian Islands, state lawmakers are suddenly making noise about the health risks of their constituents and talking about providing care for those with respiratory difficulties. Of course, we on Hawai'i island have been telling our friends and relatives on O'ahu about how bad the vog is for years, but on the Big Island our wheels don’t squeak as loud as they do in Honolulu. I saw what the worst day of vog looked like in Honolulu recently, and all I can say about you city folks is…you guys are amateurs. Sorry, but try going for a morning run around Lili'uokalani Park when the vog is so thick you can’t even see the Hamakua side of Hilo Bay. Guarantee you’ll turn pro, or reach for some meds, or skedaddle to an air-conditioned mall.

So what really can be done to improve air quality that’s been compromised by vog? Not much it seems, except reduce human activity. On bad air days especially, you can cut down on driving, don’t mow the lawn or use other small gas powered engines to manicure your yard, don’t barbecue. But what about indoors? Health officials advise us to keep our windows and doors closed on high vog days. If you work in an air-conditioned building with windows that don’t open, that choice has already been made for you. However, such tightly enclosed spaces may also harbor high levels of air pollutants from the off-gassing of synthetic materials used in furniture, carpets, building materials, electronic equipment and more.

Luckily, there is a cheap, naturally green solution to clean air indoors: Houseplants. Sure, you think I’m just saying this because I’m a container gardening freak. Nope – there is indeed solid scientific research that was done in NASA's International Space Station that shows the benefits of houseplants on indoor air quality. Plants actually absorb volatile compounds from the air through their leaves and break them down in their roots, thus purifying the air. Amazing!

University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture professor and landscape architect Dr. Andrew Kaufman recently co-authored a helpful and informative extension publication on using houseplants to clean indoor air that you can download here.

The bulletin includes a list of houseplants with ratings of effectiveness from 1 to 10, 10 being excellent. Nothing listed scores a 10, but those plants receiving a rating of 9 include:

Bamboo palm
Boston fern
Dwarf date palm
English ivy
Florist’s mum
Gerbera daisy
Kimberley queen fern
Rubber plant

More important than ratings, however, is to choose something low maintenance if you lead a busy life, and if it appeals to you aesthetically you’re more likely to pay attention to it and keep it alive. Although there haven’t been any studies done on them yet, native Hawaiian houseplants such as papala kepau, ‘ala ‘ala wainui, and palapalai probably help clear the air, too. A Sharper Image ionizer might be more effective, but my greener air cleaners are hundreds of dollars cheaper. And, as my 80-year-old gardening guru says, “Plants are very forgiving.” Though I think if my neglected but still thriving Ficus benjimina and the peace lily in my living room could talk, I'm sure they'd have me arrested for houseplant abuse.

Holy Grail of Water Bottles

2008-05-19T10:35:00.002-10:00

The quest: A water bottle that isn’t toxic, doesn’t break, doesn’t spill, is easy to carry, is easy to find in a grassy lawn, amongst shrubs, against a log.

In the hotter, drier weather of summer it’s even more important to stay hydrated while working out in the garden. Faced with this challenge year after year, I’ve somehow acquired too many less-than-perfect water bottles. There’s one that got too old and now smells too scary and plasticky, one that has toxic BPAs, one made of taste-free but breakable glass, one that I have to tip awkwardly whenever I take a swig. These now all sit idle in my kitchen cupboard because I’ve reached the impossible dream: The Camelback Better Bottle.

This gardener gets nothing in return for this full endorsement, not a single penny, not even an empty bladder – sorry to disappoint, Camelback fans. I’m just so much in love with its quiddity, its sippy-cup-ness that I just have to spout praise for its clever design: the no-spill, taste-free Big Bite valve that neatly snaps back into the cap, the long internal straw that allows you to suck up practically every last drop, the loop that lets you clip it with a carabiner to a belt loop or backback, the eyeball-searing colors like Barbie doll pink that make it easy to find when it’s time to quit playing in the dirt and pack up. Plus it handily fits in a cup holder in the car/truck. It's a thing of beauty for the gardener, hiker, or toddler at heart.

Local Mo' Bettah

2008-05-18T21:04:00.015-10:00

Does the cost of food seem out of this world lately? Oil prices are sending imported produce prices to the moon, while locally grown fruits and veggies seem to be still down to earth these days. Locally grown produce is generally fresher, better tasting, and more environmentally friendly, and many folks who are frequenting farmers markets are discovering that it’s the cheapest way to feed themselves, too. Every time I visit Hawaii farmers markets I’m reminded of how lucky we are here on the Big Island, the bread basket – or should I say poi calabash – of the Islands.

The downtown Hilo farmers markets and the Maku’u farmers market in Puna had some excellent buys this weekend: a full basket of honey-sweet, luscious Waimea strawberries for $3; buttery avocados – Hawaii Organic Farmers Association-certified – for $1.50 each; big bags of hydroponic Manoa lettuce for $2.50. Kumu 'Aina Farm was also at Maku’u, offering local vanilla beans and chemical-free macadamia nuts for sale along with their organic tropical fruits. Yum!

Of course, the absolute freshest, cheapest produce you can get is that which you grow yourself, and farmers markets are great places to look for healthy starts for your garden. At Maku’u market small nurseries offered herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, bamboo and other tropical ornamentals at reasonable prices. Small-time growers sometimes offer plants that you might never see in a bricks and mortar garden store, such as the many unusual varieties of ‘awa being offered by Poki Fruits. And don’t forget that you can try propagating some of the fruits and veggies that you buy to eat too, by saving some seeds of fruit, or vegetatively by replanting a piece of ginger or sweet potato, for example.

As we hit the summer months it’s a good time to get some tomato starts in the ground, or even in a container on the lanai – think of those cool, refreshing salads! Remember that the most fruit-fly resistant varieties are ones with thicker skins, such as cherry tomatoes and Roma types. Short on space and time? Perhaps the easiest culinary delights to grow, provided your area gets full sun, are herbs. Try basil, oregano, and cilantro in window boxes to add to savory sauces. Don’t forget to keep a separate pot of mint for iced drinks, too. Ahh….

Learning to Grow Together

2008-05-07T09:24:00.027-10:00

What works in gardens on the continent doesn’t always make sense in Hawaii, of course, but sometimes there are some inspiring ideas that deserve a second look. This past week I was in the San Francisco Bay area and my friend Allyson Gordon invited me to a special open house at a school garden.

Allyson is a second grade teacher at Bay Farm School in Alameda, a man-made “island” in San Francisco Bay. That was an unusually bone-chilling day – couldn’t wait to get back to real island weather! Still, I had a great time partaking in all the joy represented through the work of these creative students. Their fundraiser featured handmade goods from the garden, such as yummy lavender lemonade, handmade soaps scented with botanicals, plus...

a soothing “Itchy Salve” made from beeswax, olive oil, plantain, calendula, mint, rosemary….

“Seed Balls” formed with terra cotta clay, compost and native wildflower seeds -- perfect for throwing over the fence of a vacant city lot to do some urban guerilla greening-up. Imagine tossing some seed balls of native Hawaiian plants and veggies on some bare Honolulu lots!

The school’s butterfly habitat is part of the school’s outdoor learning center, which also includes for each classroom generous plots and container gardens to grow veggies and fruits.

The program relies heavily on parent and teacher participation, and it has a part time garden coordinator on staff. Where does the money come from? Most of it is from the PTA, in addition to modest fundraisers like the one I attended.

In Hawaii, school gardens are inextricably tied to place and Hawaiian culture, which make them all the more important in our communities. Planting a butterfly garden to attract native Hawaiian butterflies is really a lesson in how many butterflies in Hawaii are not native, unless the school is already located near a native rainforest. This is because there are only two native butterflies: the Kamehameha butterfly and Blackburn’s butterfly, and both live only in native forests.

Unfortunately, even if you plant the host plants of native Hawaiian butterflies they won’t be attracted to your garden unless your locale is already near a native forest. Certainly that’s another reason why field trips in outdoor education programs are an important component when teaching concepts about native ecosystems in Hawaii.

One supporter of Hawaii school gardens is Jack Johnson’s Kokua Hawaii Foundation, a local grassroots organization offering an ‘Aina in the Schools program and mini-grants.

I’m always on the lookout for interesting community garden happenings – send me an email if you have something delightful to share!

What Are Fronds For?

2008-04-28T18:07:00.012-10:00

Are you fern friendly?

Most kama'aina are familiar with the native ferns for which we have uses. Palapalai (Microlepia strigosa), sacred to Laka the hula deity, shows up in great profusion especially at Merrie Monarch hula festival time, and hapu'u (Cibotium spp.) lends itself nicely as a living, shaded substrate for growing orchids, for example. But did you know there literally hundreds of native species of ferns and fern allies in Hawaii? Nearly 70 percent of them grow nowhere else in the entire world.

Many folks mistake the Australian tree fern for hapu’u, however it’s an aggressive invasive species that unfortunately gained popularity in local landscaping because of its robustness. It’s this characteristic that allows it to outcompete indigenous and endemic ferns and makes it threat to native forests. If you have it growing in your yard, the best idea is to prune it with a shovel – that is, get rid of it pronto. Be sure you dispose of it by composting it well and don’t let the spores disperse.

This past weekend the Volcano Art Center sponsored Tim Tunison’s workshop in fern identification, and once more he had us plant geeks scrambling for our ID keys and hand lenses, peering at spores, indusia, hairs, scales, pinnae, stipes and other clues to discover the names of some common, uncommon, and even rare species of ferns in the Volcano area. Identifying ferns is fun but sometimes can be a confounding experience for beginners because of the tiny, sometimes microscopic features and occasionally confusing variations!

If you’re someone who likes challenges and has a healthy amount of crazy gardener optimism, try growing ferns from spores. Here’s what you need:

humid growth chamber
sterile media
ripe spores

Tunison recommended these steps for Fern Propagation:

Collect ripe spores. Look at the back of the frond for ripe spores which are usually dark brown, but some may be black, red, or yellow.
Cut fertile frond and place spore-side down on some white paper, 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Place another sheet on top and press by putting some heavy books on top. Or place inside a book. After a few days, some dust – the spores – will appear. Wait a couple of weeks to harvest all the spores.
Prepare sterile media. You can use peat pellets, Sunshine mix, sand, porous brick or a block of florist’s Oasis.
Put the spores on top of the media. Try tapping the paper a little to distribute a thin layer of spores over the moistened media. (Yep, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Don’t sneeze.)
Place media in growth chamber. If you’re using peat pellets, for example, you could place them inside a clear plastic container with a snap-on lid, such as the ones they sell hydroponic lettuce in, or plastic “clamshells.” Sterilize with a 10% chlorine bleach solution and rinse well before using. Keep media very moist but not waterlogged. This needs a cool environment and no direct sunlight.

In about six months you might see the first baby ferns, which look like flat bits of leaf. Wait a little more until they are developing tiny fronds about the size of a pea, and then transplant. For a more detailed explanation, a good book to consult is Growing Hawai'i’s Native Plants by Kerin Lilleeng-Rosenberger.

Some inspiration: Check out the narrow fronds of this endemic kolokolo fern (Grammitis tenella) hanging off the trunk of a native loulu palm (Pritchardia beccariana). Note that there's also some filmy ferns and a small 'ala 'ala wainui (Peperomia sp.) seedling in the 'ohana, too.

Good luck!

Kumu 'Aina Organic Fruit Farm

2008-04-12T19:49:00.021-10:00

Three years ago, Bob and Terri Mulroy came to the realization that they weren’t getting any younger and were burnt out living the urban lifestyle of Boca Raton, South Florida. Terri quit her lucrative job in the advertising department of Office Depot, and Bob gave up his successful air-conditioning business. It’s a familiar story: On the advice of a friend who was already living there, they packed up and headed for Puna to pursue their dream of life in the slow lane. When they set eyes on Kumu 'Aina Farm in Kapoho, it was love at first sight.

Kumu 'Aina, roughly translated as “Wisdom of the Land,” was first certified as an organic fruit farm in 1987. The Mulroys are actively perpetuating and promoting the practice of non-GMO farming, and two years ago the 9-acre farm hosted a no-GMO demonstration with Greenpeace. Although Terri and Bob had always been gardeners, both were newbies to farming. However, that didn’t deter them from maintaining over 800 trees -- including 190 varieties of fruit, some of which they sell at the Maku'u Farmers Market.

The Mulroys grow mainly fruit from South and Central America and Asia, including rollinia (top photo), atemoya, cherimoya, jackfruit, sapote (white, green and black), avocado and…

…some very sexy non-GMO papaya!

The Mulroys also enjoy making cheese from their Nubian cross goats…

…and love those endearing lawn-mowers, St. Croix hair sheep...

Terri’s advice for wanna-be Hawai'i organic fruit farmers:

Plant things which will turn a profit quickly within 3 to 5 years, such as sapote, rollinea, egg fruit, pineapple, papayas, and greens.
Put more thought into the situation. Plant things within livestock pens BEFORE you get any animals. Otherwise you end up having to harvest things to feed them all the time. “Don’t take your neighbor’s offer of sheep for a telephone line like we did. Plan it first,” says Terri.

How tasty is the fruit at Kumu 'Aina? When the Mulroys brought their dog Dweezey from Florida to the farm, he actually started eating all the fruit he could get his paws on, and now he's practically a vegetarian by choice. His favorite? Jackfruit!

"Gee, dis skin is RUFF! But some ‘ono."

Fruitful Labors

2008-04-12T16:21:00.012-10:00

At Kumu 'Aina Farm, for better, tastier fruit, you first have to get past the gnome.

This past weekend, owners Bob and Terri Mulroy opened their organic fruit farm in Kapoho to the community to host a workshop with horticulturalist Dr. Mike Nagao of UH CTAHR, sponsored by the Know Your Farmer Alliance. Grafting, pruning, and air layering are some tricks of the trade fruit farmers use to get more production out of their crops, and Mike shared his mana'o to fulfill our fruity fantasies.

So you’re tired of the stringy avocados in your backyard, and your lychee tree has lots of leaves but no fruit, and you want another tree exactly like the sweet longan you already have. What to do?

Tips for grafting avocados:

Scion wood and rootstock should be about the same diameter (about as wide as a pencil or your finger) so that the cambium layers match well and grow together.
Use scion wood that is mature and bulblike. Don’t use new flush or flowering wood.
Graft two varieties that fruit at different times of the year so that you get fruit all year! For example, graft Malama (October fruiting) to Green Gold (April fruiting). UH CTAHR recommended varieties are here.
Rubber band and parafilm are maintenance-free -- use it and forget it. The rubber band eventually disintergrates and falls off, and the buds burst through the parafilm.
Don’t graft a tree that is flowering or flushing out, because it is putting too much energy toward that type of growth and your chances of successful grafts are lower.
If your graft isn’t growing in 3 to 4 weeks, give it up and start over.
More info on avocados in another free publication from UH here.

Tips for air layering (longan shown here):

Use a pair of pliers to remove the outer layer of bark to expose the cambium – it’s what fruit farmers do in the field because it’s faster than using a knife.
Apply rooting hormone powder, wrap in wet spaghnum moss, and then wrap with plastic or aluminum foil. Tie both ends with twist ties.
Roots should grow out from the cut in about 4 to 6 months. If not, prune off and start over.
Tips for pruning fruit trees:
Prune off branches growing straight vertically.
Make cuts at an angle instead of horizontal.
Prune to the “collar” so that the area heals with a donut-shaped scar. Otherwise, dieback of branches may occur.
Remove no more than a third of the growth. If you remove more than this, you might end up with just vegetative growth and no fruit.

Tips from Dweezey the Fruit Hound:

Take frequent breaks in the shade.
Make friends.
Indulge in some juicy ripe organic tropical fruits whenever you can.

Pele's Gardens

2008-04-02T14:29:00.012-10:00

She’s back: Pele in all her glory, devouring the land, crushing the lehua blossoms as she takes what is hers. Creation, destruction; the cycle inevitably continues. Here on the island of Hawai'i we are now watching a giant plume of ash and SO2 emissions rising up out of Halema'uma'u crater, the home of Pele, keeping us on alert in case of evacuation. Like other residents, when I look into the glowing red heart of Kilauea volcano, I experience awe and excitement with a tiny bit of terror mixed in. It’s all part of what makes this place so special and worthy of our respect; those who are inspired become reaffirmed in their devotion to the land. There is undeniable, ultimate power and energy manifested here.

Destruction passes over the kipuka. Within these oases ancient ones dwell; flora continue to flourish and support the next generation of fauna. And at this time each year, native forests provide for the waves of hula halau that sweep through in search of material for making lei. In preparation for the Merrie Monarch hula festival, dancers collect native plants including maile vine, palapalai fern, and lehua blossoms and leaves according to protocol. Halau have increasingly become more aware of their kuleana, their responsibility, in the forest with regard to the native plants they gather. Many have learned to take only what they need, and instead of unceremoniously dumping their adornments into the rubbish after the festivities they return plant material back to the land with understanding and due reverence. That is right action according to the knowledge and wisdom of ancestors, staying connected with the ‘aina.

Maile, palapalai , and ‘ohi’a lehua are natives of the Hawaiian rainforest that are fairly easy to grow if you live on the windward side of the islands, and it’s convenient to have them in your yard for lei making. Palapalai needs filtered sun and a wet spot in your yard. I keep mine on the lanai in a lava-like hypertufa bowl I made, and the Lyman Museum in Hilo has some planted in a shady area next to a hose bib. Palapalai tends to stay small in a container, so if you want large fronds, plant it in the ground instead.

Sago Palms and the Java Jive

2008-03-31T13:40:00.013-10:00

If your sago palm -- actually a cycad -- looks like it has a bad case of dandruff, or worse yet, has turned completely dead brown, you’re not alone. Sago palms, once popular in local Japanese style gardens, have been so plagued with cycad scale in recent years that many landscapers have given up on them entirely. Nurseries used to have to keep up with the demand for the cycads; now frustrated gardeners practically have to con someone to take theirs away.

Cycad scale is difficult to treat with chemical controls since the scale has a protective hard covering and it resides on the undersides of fronds. A brochure on cycad scale from UH CTAHR instead recommends relying on the natural and highly effective biocontrol by a tiny black lady beetle, Rhyzobius lophanthae. You can check with your neighbors to see if anyone has the beetles on their cycads. If they do, you can initiate a beetle relocation program to speed up the process – just snip off some fronds with the beetles and then place the fronds on top of your affected cycad. If you don’t do this, however, you probably will eventually get the beetles anyway if your infestation is bad enough. I ended up just boloheading all the fronds and waiting for a new flush, which also works.

However, then there’s the heartbreak of reinfestation. For this the president of the Hawaii Island Palm Society, Dr. Don Hemmes, recommends that you get yourself some coffee. No, not a double espresso, but coffee grounds cast off from your favorite barista. Spread a thick layer of coffee grounds on the soil around the base of the sago palm, and waiter, waiter, percolator, no more cycad scale! Why does it work? Hemmes says the theory is that cycad scale spends part of its life cycle on the ground, and for some reason it seems to hate coffee, thus the infestation cycle is broken.

Of course, I had to try this out for myself because I need lots of excuses to hang out in coffee shops, especially because I’m a tea drinker and write bad poetry. The good news: As you can see in the top photo, so far my sago palm is flushing out and still looking fabulous, and trust me, it smells like Starbucks. The bad news: People are catching on to the free coffee ground remedy, so you have to go early in the day before it’s all been cockaroached. So far my poetry hasn’t gotten any better, either.

Naupaka kahakai

2008-03-22T22:35:00.007-10:00

If you live by the ocean and want to create large, lush, green hedges for privacy, your best bet is naupaka kahakai (Scaevola sericea). This week I joined some friends on a camping trip to Kiholo Bay, where many of the private estates there used naupaka kahakai to full advantage in their landscapes.

Neatly trimmed hedges of naupaka kahakai, also known as beach naupaka, accentuate the strong, clean architectural lines of Dr. Earl Bakken’s estate.

In contrast, naupaka kahakai grows in its natural form at the entrance to Paul Mitchell’s Bali house, complementing its informal, exotic design. Naupaka kahakai also provides a low-maintenance windbreak against onshore winds here.

The seeds of this indigenous native most likely floated to Hawai'i centuries ago. Experiments have shown that naupaka seeds will sprout even after soaked in saltwater for 250 days. This succulent is possibly the easiest native plant to grow, and it’s a cinch to propagate it from seeds or cuttings. Naupaka kahakai withstands salt spray and sandy soil, and it has few diseases and pests.

If you enjoy snorkeling – and if you go to Kiholo Bay you’ll definitely want to -- you can use the leaf of the naupaka to defog your mask. Crush or break a leaf and rub the inside of your mask with the sap.

As always, respect the privacy of residents and don't disturb the protected wildlife.

Native Adaptations

2008-03-20T18:25:00.015-10:00

Pity poor Charles Darwin. He went to South America, but never made it to Hawai'i. If he had, he would have not only escaped all those mosquitoes but he also would have been astounded by the incredible endemism that evolved here. Ninety percent of native Hawaiian plants are endemic, meaning that they are found nowhere else in the world. Instead of the Galapagos, Hawai'i would had been ground zero for the theory of evolution, and maybe people would have clamored to preserve native Hawaiian species before they went extinct or became endangered. Imagine rewriting every history and science textbook around the world to put the spotlight on Hawai'i!

From mountain to sea, native plant species have unique adaptations that help them survive. Take a hike to celebrate their beauty and learn more about them, and you might also get some ideas for landscaping your own yard. Remember, don't collect propagative material unless you are allowed to -- in many cases, you need permits to collect from the wild. Purchasing native plants from a reputable nursery is a hassle-free, low-impact way to furnish your garden.

This week my plant-geek travels went from a secluded sandy beach in Miloli'i to the very top of snowy Mauna Kea.

MAKAI: (Below) ‘Ae‘ae (Bacopa monnieri) and a native sedge (Cyperus sp.) blanket a semishady seep area at a beach of white and black sand. ‘Ae‘ae makes a good ground cover around shrubs in small areas and both can do quite well in most coastal home landscapes when maintained with regular weeding and adequate watering.

MAUKA: At the alpine scrub zone on Mauna Kea, pukiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae) and hinahina (Geranium cuneatum) grow together where water collects in cracks and crevices. Pukiawe is a tough plant adapted to harsh, dry conditions at low and high elevations, which makes it great for xeriscaping in home gardens, and it is slow-growing. On the other hand, this native alpine geranium is able to survive only in these cooler temperatures and won't do well at lower elevations. Just enjoy the view.

Though one wouldn’t have any success growing them even if you could plant them in a backyard, one can certainly appreciate the endangered Ahinahina in the wild, also known as silverword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense). This stunning sunflower relative has been outplanted in exclosures to keep out feral sheep and goats that love to nibble on them. Have a look at this endemic species in the area adjacent to the parking lot at the Mauna Kea visitor information station at 9,200 feet.

Both the native geranium and silversword have silvery leaves that reflect the greater levels of ultraviolet light at this high altitude, an adaptation that allows them to survive here on Mauna Kea.

Hope you get out and enjoy the true nature of Hawai'i this week, too.

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
-- John Muir

Volcanic Acid Rain

2008-03-12T22:17:00.001-10:00

Unusually hot, dry weather and increased voggy air quality is making me the only slug in my garden these days.

Watery eyes, stuffy sinuses, and an overall feeling that one should lie down like Dorothy in a field of poppies outside Oz are just some of the symptoms many Hawai'i Island residents are experiencing with the natural volcanic air pollution from the new lava flow in Kalapana. The publicly accessible flow going through Royal Gardens and down to the ocean is putting on a spectacular show for residents and tourists alike, and it’s also filling the skies with two to four times more SO2 (sulfur dioxide), a component of acid rain. Although we haven’t had substantial rain in Hilo for the past week or more (proof that it doesn’t always rain in Hilo!), when the rain returns in earnest we may have to bear of the effects of volcanic acid rain on our plants, too.

Clean air is vital to growing healthy plants, and vog and acid rain has been the cause of many frustrating crop failures on the Big Island. Foliage and delicate flowers get burnt by SO2 emissions, and entire nurseries can be wiped out. What can be done about it? A Kurtistown nursery owner told me she tries to shut the vog out of her greenhouse using curtains. Sometimes it works, but sometimes the vog is so bad it just permeates through anyway and she loses stock. "I try to trim the burnt parts off, but then everything looks like stems and sticks and I have to just dump them," she said, shrugging it off with a laugh, dealing with it like a true kama'aina.

Indeed, it’s all just Pele doing her thing, and again we’re reminded of the whims and power of nature. Unfortunately, what's a bummer for the backyard gardener is economic ruin for some farmers and the further weakening of our already fragile agriculture industry on Hawai’i Island.

Some native Hawaiian plants are adapted to survive in vog and acid rain conditions. On the trail to the lava viewing point there were pioneer plants such as the tough kupukupu fern, for example. These natives are perfect for landscaping in lava hazard zones especially in the district of Puna, where a lot of new landscaping has been going in. The population in Puna has increased dramatically in the past five years, predominately with an influx of newcomers from the continental U.S. Much to their surprise, what works in gardens back in North America doesn’t make a flourishing Eden here.

Too often landowners bulldoze from pin to pin, taking down native ‘ohi’a lehua, uluhe and hapu’u ferns. When their lots of lava are scrubbed clean of vegetation, they quickly discover that if they don’t plant something soon they’ll be inundated with weeds. So they ask the UH extension service what kind of plants are easy to grow in pahoehoe lava. Hmm…how about ‘ohi’a lehua, uluhe and hapu’u ferns, the things that you just bulldozed and that had been growing for the past 30 years or more?

If you’ve just moved there, Malama O Puna is more than happy to give you advice on the best native plants to grow and what plants to avoid in your area. Call them at 808-965-2000, or contact them through their website here.

Organic Ornamentals

2008-03-01T22:00:00.012-10:00

It was that time again. The Big Island Association of Nurserymen holds a huge annual plant sale at Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo to raise money for their scholarship fund for University of Hawaii at Hilo agriculture students, and this year’s event was held this past weekend. Plantophiles swarmed into the stadium on the first evening like Chinese rose beetles descending on a veritable feast for the gardening soul. There’s always something new and interesting at the plant sale, and it’s just fun to schmooze with plant people, see what the popular items are and say hi to friends and neighbors. For example, nurseryman Christopher Lichty of Pacific Orchid Farms drew a crowd of kama'aina anthurium collectors who came to talk story and pick up a few more varieties.

“Keep your hands in your pockets,” my wiser, frugal friend warned me at the door, to no avail. As usual, I brought out the folding green for the growing green. (At least it wasn’t Benjamins.)

Schaffer Family Farm of Glenwood, near Volcano, was also there with their organically grown ornamental plants. Organically grown food farms are booming across the nation, and organically grown ornamental plants are the next niche market ready to blossom, say some nursery industry experts. Schaffer Family Farm uses organic fertilizers and mulch harvested locally on the Big Island.

For fertilizer the Schaffers use chicken manure collected from an egg farm below Waimea, which unfortunately, is closing this year due to high operating costs, much to the chagrin of locavores. Nick Schaffer told me his family uses “beach mulch” collected near the mouth of the Wailuku River at Hilo bayfront – they wash it for about 20 minutes to remove excess salts. A bucket of the stuff looks like clean, dark leaf mold, and Schaffer says that he had it tested years ago by the National Resource Conservation Service and it was found to be especially high in phosphorus, as well as having good amounts of potassium and nitrogen.

“Plants love the stuff,” says Schaffer. This bush lily, Clivia nobilis, seems to concur. Hopefully, we will see Hawai’i nurseries experimenting more with locally available materials as demand increases for organic, sustainably produced ornamental plants.

Ivory Nuts

2008-03-01T18:37:00.008-10:00

“When people come to my place, they inevitably are drawn to the ivory nut palm I have planted in the the middle of a big area. When they see the nuts, they always pick them up and hold them. It’s like it wakes something up in them, like they’ve seen God, and suddenly have they have this connection with the earth,” says David Bennett, a grower of exotic tropical fruit, especially mangosteen, in Hakalau. Since I am a sucker reborn every minute and not one to miss out on a botanically transcendent experience, I purchased a few at the BIAN plant sale to take home: one for my brother, one to leave on my desk and meditate on, and one to try germinating.

There are several kinds of Ivory Nut palm, but this one, Metroxylon amicarum, is native to the Caroline Islands. The white endosperm of the nut is extremely hard, like elephant ivory tusk – you need a hacksaw to cut through it. It’s sometimes referred to as “vegetable ivory” and is used by jewelry makers, woodworkers, and by scrimshaw artists as a substitute for whalebone.

People concerned about the environment encourage the planting of this threatened ivory nut palm to give it more economic status, to preserve it as a rainforest species and to promote its use as an alternative to animal ivory. If you’re thinking about planting one, know that the tree can grow pretty close to heaven, about 80 feet. Read more about ivory nut palm here.

Fungi with a Fun Guy

2008-02-21T22:54:00.017-10:00

“Can you eat it?”

“Will it kill my plants?”

Beyond these two initial questions, most gardeners aren’t particularly drawn into the mysteries of the fungi kingdom. However, when Dr. Don Hemmes, foremost authority on fungi of Hawai'i, amiably spreads his abundant enthusiasm around like mycelium proliferating the soil of a thriving forest, one can’t help but want to learn more about this amazing group of living organisms.

Hemmes teaches biology at University of Hawai'i at Hilo and is co-author of Mushrooms of Hawaii, a layman-friendly reference book based on years of scientific research. On this uncommonly hot, sunny February day, he led the Hawai'i Island Master Gardeners on a magical mystery tour of mushroom heaven, otherwise known as MacKenzie State Park, not far from the active lava flows of Kalapana. (Hey man, no need to call anyone, we weren’t looking for cow-patty hallucinogenic mushrooms here, ‘kay?)

Normally there are copious mushrooms at MacKenzie due the moist windward coastal environment and the ubiquitous ironwood trees (Causurina) that make hospitable substrates of loose, thick duff for mushrooms to grow in. Even though the weather was a welcome change for most people who had to deal with the recent Hilo flooding, the dry weather did make pickin’s slim for mushroom hunting on this particular outing. We found some interesting dried-up specimens, of course, but we also came across some living wood fungi as well as a few mushrooms that sprouted earlier in the day.

Here are some of the fruiting bodies we saw…

Pycnoporus sanguineus, used by weavers to make a yellow dye...

Inky Caps (Coprinus lagopus) on a fallen coconut log….

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)…

Earthstar, dried (Geastrum sp.)

Dried-up Green-spored Parasol (Chlorophyllum molybdites). EXTREMELY toxic…

Only 5 percent of Hawaii’s mushrooms are edible and tasty. Another 5 percent are so toxic that if you eat them “you’ll be dead, or wish you were” because you’ll be vomiting violently, nonstop, says Hemmes. The rest of the mushrooms just taste terrible. Should you taste them anyway? Nope, not unless you are an expert who can ID to species, or you are with one, or you are looking forward to a liver transplant and a lifetime of medication, or you’ve updated your will.

Our native forests, mostly above 4,000 feet elevation, have only native mushrooms – about 300 identified by Hemmes, all given Hawaiian names with the help of UHH Hawaiian Studies department chair Kalena Silva. Ninety percent of Hawaii’s native fungi are endemic.

Although many mushrooms have distinctive characteristics that make them easy to identify, many are difficult to distinguish and a single mistake could be deadly. In fact, the fatally toxic Amanita marmorata, which often pops up in public parks, schoolyards, and suburban lawns near eucalyptus, paperbark and ironwood trees, is a dead ringer for the white button mushrooms sold in grocery stores and as pizza toppings. If a mushroom mix-up lands you in the hospital in Hawai'i, you’ll be getting a visit from Dr. Hemmes since he's on every hospital's list for consultation – not the way you would want to make his delightful acquaintance, but certainly you would be extremely fortunate to have his invaluable expertise and upbeat demeanor to aid your recovery.

Fungi play vital roles in the garden. Some are decomposers that break down organic matter and free up nitrogen in the nutrient cycle, others can be mycorrhizal types that aid plants in their uptake of water and nutrients. While some fungi are parasitic and kill plants, or can just be a nuisance and cause a stink in your yard, many might also have unique properties that are proving to be useful in medicine, agriculture, environmental remediation, and other human interactions.

Of the world’s 2 million species of fungi, Dr. Don Hemmes has identified 75,000. He’s always on the lookout for new species, so if you find something interesting in your garden or on a hike, send him a digital photo via email at hemmes@hawaii.edu.

Lichens, Mosses, and Fungi, Oh My!

2008-02-17T22:46:00.029-10:00

No room for a big garden with big plants? Perhaps you should get small. In the world of tiny plants, it’s a jungle out there.

“Now I know who the real plant geeks are,” quipped botanist and self-confessed lichen lover, Tim Tunison. We diehards had flocked to the Niaulani campus of the Volcano Art Center for an all-day nerd-fest, er, workshop on lichens, mosses, and fungi. Eager to explore that little-known frontier usually ignored by what might be considered the saner population, we had all prepared ourselves with mud gear and warm sweaters to stare and squint at tree trunks and lava rocks on the slopes of Mauna Loa. And indeed we got to know a little, and a lot more about little, thanks to the generous wit and wisdom of Tim Tunison.

Tim started out by giving us a rundown of terminology (Do you know your liverworts from your hornworts and mosses? Is that lichen crustose, fruticose, foliose or squamulose?) He enlightened us with a plethora of fascinating facts, such as most mosses and lichens in Hawai'i are indigenous natives found in a wide range of locations, and there are comparatively few fungi here.

Then we got down to the myths, legends, FAQs and other minutiae, such as:

"Are fungi plants or animals?"
Neither. Fungi rule! When classifying living organisms, they are placed in the Kingdom Fungi.

"Is a lichen a plant or animal?"
It’s both, but mostly it’s fungi living with algae. The algae usually can live without the fungi, but the fungi can’t live without the algae. (Had any roommates like this?)

"Help! I see lichens all over my tree, and especially on the branches that are dying. Lichens are killing my poor trees!"
Stop! Put away that fungicide. When was the last time you saw a healthy, thriving rainforest without any lichens and mosses? Your tree was probably already not doing well, maybe due to old age, poor nutrition, or a pathogen. Most likely the branches lost its leaves and thus allowed the lichens to grow. You can prune off the dead branches and/or pull off the lichens by hand to increase exposure to light and see if that alone restores the vigor of your tree. Some gardeners find that fertilizing the tree also helps.

After this introduction, we all sat in a big circle while Tim passed out samples of the Lilliputian delights he had gathered for our perusal. Armed with magnifying lenses, we could see in clear detail the amazing forms and textures we’ve been missing out on. We oohed and ahhed over the delicate beauty of these miniature gardens, their parts ruffled, fluffy, powdery, rubbery, and woody, in colors ranging from pale green to emerald, bright gold and chocolate brown.

Next we set off into the Volcano forests to search for these wonders in their natural environments, the places Tim called the “leftover habitats.” Our explorations came across many specimens of lichens, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and filmy ferns, and gave us a glimpse of some other native species in the wild. Here's a peek at what we saw.

a liverwort...

a very LARGE filmy fern...

“mintless” mint…

loulu palm (Pritchardia becchariana)…

native fern, relative of bird's nest (Asplenium sp.)…

olomea (Perrottetia sandwicensis)

This protected forest is kept clear of invasive species such as ginger, banana poka and Himalayan raspberry, and feral pigs. It was an incredibly enriching feeling to see so many healthy native plants repopulating the land here. Thanks to excellent environmental education programs promoting stewardship such as the ones offered by the Volcano Art Center, the general public has the opportunity to learn more and share their interests regarding the unique native plant species of Hawai'i, from the giant koa tree to the microscopic red algae that covers its bark with a rusty coat. Volcano Art Center classes and workshops are held throughout the year for residents and visitors to the island of Hawai'i.

Gardening tip: If you want to grow algae and mosses on terra cotta or a concrete surface, such as a planter or garden art, it’s easier if you live in a wet, humid environment but you can try to stimulate the process. Crumble a bit of moss into some buttermilk or yogurt, and then brush the mixture on the surface you want the moss to grow on. Keep the object in a moist, shady spot for several weeks or months, and voila! – you’ve created a low-maintenance, natural touch to your landscaping.

Stop and Smell the Pandan Wangi

2008-02-15T21:40:00.010-10:00

The next time you’re feeling frazzled driving through the streets of Honolulu, take a break and head on up to the Lyon Arboretum, nestled deep in the heart of Manoa Valley. It’s an easy drive and within minutes away of the all hustle and bustle you can stroll through a misty tropical rainforest, breathe in fresh O2, hear the rejuvenating sounds of a bubbling stream and songbirds performing their lusty arias. Tension just melts away as you gaze upon the renovated ancient lo’i or a quiet pond, smell the sweet perfume of plants in love. Ahh.

Speaking of love, I fell head over heels for this patch of pandan wangi, Pandanus amaryllifolius, planted beneath native Hawaiian loulu palms (Pritchardia sp.)

The incense-like scent was so powerful the pandan signaled its presence long before it came into view. I couldn't help but take several deep, relaxing breaths here. Pandan leaves add rich flavor to many Thai dishes; they're also used to make scented water for religious ceremonies.

Weaving between the pandan were betel vines (Piper betle); their dark green, glossy, heart-shaped leaves were my favorite Valentines of the week.

If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen.

--Henry David Thoreau

So. Here we are. Just sit, and breathe.

Lawns Are a Pain in the Grass

2008-01-27T23:08:00.000-10:00

Confession: I hate having a lawn. I hate mowing. It’s an activity that adds a lot to a carbon footprint. But where I live in rainy Hilo it’s easier and possibly greener to have a lawn than fight one. There are probably a dozen different types of grass around my place, including Kikuyu, Hilograss, Bermuda, and the rest of the usual stoloniferous species that always seem to creep up to the house, climb into shrubs and pop up in flowerbeds faster than mold on bread.

I’m not obssessed with my lawn. The previous owner of my house was definitely into American Green, however. The lawn was perfect when we moved in. Not a single weed in sight, it was an emerald carpet that could make a Mauna Kea Beach resort greenskeeper weep over its lush poetry. “Behold,” I announced to my family when we moved in, “you will never see this lawn look this way again.” When it comes to lawns, I keep my promises. I don’t water, use fertilizers or weed-and-feed, or anything like that. I just mow and whack. Sometimes the rain prevents that for a few weeks, too.

Desmodium spp. is a nitrogen-fixer that can enrich poor soils. Depending on whom you talk to, it is loved or hated in the grassy landscape. My friend Debbie Ward in Kurtistown has an organic fruit orchard and she’s happy when she sees desmodium growing on her farm. However, the Swifts of Mother Goose Farms in Kona found desmodium to be a persistent weedy pest while they were starting to grow certified organic coffee. Luckily, they discovered geese love desmodium, and – bonus! — geese droppings make great fertilizer. The farm saves money on pesticides and fertilizers, plus grows sustainably.

However, my pal who lives in residential Hilo is old school. He won’t put up with desmodium and admits to bringing out his cache of chemicals. My cavalier attitude is too much for him. He warns me: “If you don’t get rid of desmodium right away, the lawn mower picks up the seeds and spreads it around to other areas of your yard.” Do I listen? Nah. I even leave the clippings on the lawn so that I’m returning 3 percent of the nitrogen back to the soil. At least that’s what they used to tell us in turf management class.

A manual push mower is a good idea if your lawn isn’t too big or sloping. An electric mower has fewer emissions, but ultimately it depends on petroleum power. And here on the Big Island, our lots are, well, big. As we move toward more sustainable practices, the latest technology for the 21st century is solar powered lawn mowers and tractors. Those seem like a smart options for sunny Hawai'i, although they aren’t widely available here just yet.

My current favorite music to mow by: The entire OK Computer album by Radiohead. Pleasantly droning metal sounds to drown out another layer of droning metal sounds. Although Radiohead's "Bodysnatchers" track from In Rainbows is also pretty good, too.