10 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, October 22, 2021
gardening
You can do it!
I
have been lucky to be islandhopping the last few weeks and I have been reminded about the amount of growing talent that we have locally and how lucky we are to be in a location where we can grow year-round. I was reminded while in Spanish Wells, Russell Island and North Eleuthera, which are all loaded with fruit trees and can boast of successful gardening against the odds of poor soil and little rain, that we can grow what we need, and more. Great Exuma, where again, there is little rain and difficult soil conditions, there are melons growing in rocky, sandy soil with very little water. I’ve seen a male papaya tree that turned to a hermaphrodite and has borne fruit on what would typically be a non-bearing male flower. Do not let them say that we cannot. We can do it; you can do it! The resilience of fruit trees to
grow in salty, rocky, sandy conditions continues to amaze me. I have been being amazed at nature since I can remember. Wherever the avocado, mango, soursop or coconut tree originally came from does not matter, but that we have so many and yet we continue to underuse them, to me, does matter. Coconut coir is one of the most popular growing mediums in use in many parts of the agricultural and horticultural industries worldwide. Everything from hemp (why is it still illegal to grow?) to orchids are grown in coconut coir. We have lots of land that is unused, and coconuts grow with little to no attention. The processing of them is a different story, as coconuts are very hard on traditional equipment such as mulchers. It will take a decent investment into the correct equipment before a serious effort can be made to utilize
methods, plant culture and source. Guarantees are there to be had, and they are spectacular when they come to fruition, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the only way to do it. Just don’t be disappointed when the fruit from a seed grown tree is not very good or not as good as expected. WITH some investment and the right equipment, Bahamians can The vegetable produce an extremely sought-after material: Coconut coir growing season is in full swing. the very same cocoWhatever it is that nuts that go unused all you wish to grow, get around us. seeding or get growing. Tomatoes growing Every day and week through the summer that it is delayed now is season? Yes, it is possia missed day or week of ble. Grafted plants last harvesting. I am still harthrough the summer vesting beets that were heat when tended corgrown last season, they rectly. As with anything too made it through the that we try to grow here summer. Don’t let online in the summer, shade is blogs dictate your grownecessary to help keep ing style or patterns. temperatures down Most of them are written slightly. Strawberry is by folks that are not in another fruit crop that our region, and they are we can grow successalso often trying to sell fully. A cool growing something. environment with a bit of misting Underwatering is most often safer helps with success rates, and it will than overwatering, but be careful soon be time to plant strawberry, with tomato plants, for example. more towards the middle of NovemThey require a certain amount of ber when it will be a bit cooler, when they will be able to move into the full water to be successful, while too much water can create fungus issues sun for the winter. and rot. Remember, blossom end Back to avocado and mango, I rot will not be cured by Epsom salts. have mentioned many times that the Use a complete fertilizer (containing best fruit comes from grafted trees, macro and minor nutrients) when and this remains mostly true, but with one side note that all trees origi- planting and reap the rewards. As I sit indoors here in Exuma, nally came from seed at some point. the rain is coming down and the dust The chances of getting an amazing fruit from a seed grown tree are slim, is being washed off the leaves, and but it is possible. If you want guaran- those folks that have their veggie gardens planted already are grinning. teed results, buy a grafted tree, but Are you composting yet? As always, if you are willing to take a gamble I wish you happy gardening! and you have lots of time, space, and patience, then by all means, grow from seed. If one does grow from • Adam Boorman is the nursery seed, it is most likely and statistically manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. true that the fruit will be inferior to You can contact him with any the mother tree, but maybe you will questions you may have, or topics be one of the lucky ones! Maybe. you would like to see discussed, at There are no gardening rules that gardening242@gmail.com. at garare set in stone. Microclimates play dening242@gmail.com. a large factor in success, as well as
