Growing crops in Jamaica.....

[Ja. Jewel]

specifically on the seaside in clay & rocky soil. Just a few of my experiences & observations since moving to Duncans Bay & trying to grow crops.

These are the food crops I've found to grow best here:

OKRA (no insect pests that I've noticed....pods grow so fast it's hard to keep up with getting them picked before they get too big!!)

CALLALOO...extremely easy to grow, does need nuff wata...needs to be picked regularly or some kind of insect will chow down on it & the leaves end up looking like lace!!....will reseed itself everytime, so you can have a constant supply.

PUMPKIN: We throw seeds in the empty lot across the road & just go over there to water when they get started....at some times of the year some insects will eat all the leaves, but it seems that right now nothing is bothering them. Really not much work but have to keep an eye out so you get them before somebody teif dem!

TOBACCO:....seems like NO insects bother this plant....we just water & watch them grow tall & pretty....nice big leaves to dry & sell or trade at market.

GUNGO PEAS This is a very easy plant to grow & just seems to need to be watered & it will produce nuff!!

SCOTCH BONNET PEPPERS These are also pretty easy to grow & don't seem to attract many pests, but even though we watered them I feel the drought has affected them because none a dem hot for some reason....think it must be the drought!...neva had a crop so mild before!

TOMATOES My all time favorite & also the one crop I've had the most problem with because of insect pests (don't like spraying my food crops with poison)...I've only had one good & prolific crop of tomatoes & that was when I first moved here and planted in Aug. or Sept. By the time they were producing nuff I had to go back to the States & all the workmen had a nice haul of tomatoes....ah soh ie goh! Since then I have tried 4 times & if it wasn't the insects, it was fungus! I actually concocted my own spray by boiling chopped scotch bonnets with garlic, straining & adding dish detergent to the mix....seemed to be working OK, but then my spray bottle bit the dust....just go get a next one, you might say....well, Walgreens is NOT just around the corner & sometimes it takes us awhile to find items like "empty plastic spray bottles'....anyway, by the time we got one it was too late!! I have planted more seeds in a large pot...we'll see what happens with them.

SORRELL It's been awhile since we had this crop, but when we did have it, it grew well here & didn't seem to have pests bothering it.

BASIL This is again one of my favorite herbs, because I like to make marinara sauce for pasta & pizzas. I have had problems in the past starting seeds & even keeping plants someone gave me alive....needs NUFF wata....cannot dry out & definately benefits from a good soil mix. This last time i've planted "purple" basil seeds in a separate pot with good soil so the ants wouldn't eat them before they sprout, which is what happens when I plant them directly in the garden. I had good luck before with purple basil & they grew into big bushes, so it must be a hardier variety....anyway, have now transplanted them to the garden & they are doing great!!

CILANTRO Another herb I like, so have planted some in a pot & they are doing OK....need to go into the garden soon. I need it to make salsa....so many nice fruits here along with tomatoes that can make nice salsa! I'm eyeing my neighbors stringy mango tree because it's loaded & they are perfect right now to use for salsa....fit but not ripe, but of course, my cilantro is not big enough to cut.....but by the time it is, probably one of our two mango trees will provide what we need for the salsa.

[Laurel]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

kool ... nuff working hard to keep up with all of this -

[kia027]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

Have you tried Lettuce? Romaine, Boston, Butter varieties?

[Ja. Jewel]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Have you tried Lettuce? Romaine, Boston, Butter varieties? </div></div>

Yes Kia....I've got mesclun mix planted right now and it looks like only one jaggedy leaf variety of it has come up....sometimes I think the ants get the seeds before they sprout, so sometimes NOTHING comes up....and that was planted in a pot too, not in the ground!!

I've had a little romaine in the past &amp; just recently planted some seeds again...any lettuce needs nuff wata, but seems to do OK here as long as it doesn't dry out.

I miss CRUNCH in my food so much living here &amp; romaine is something I really would like to have a steady supply of....really can't find it at the market, so I guess I will have to give my seedlings lots of attention when they come up so I can get some CRUNCH!! lol!

Keep in mind, I have to beg the seeds from guests coming down because I never see lettuce seeds around this area in stores....guess maybe in Mobay in a garden shop they would have them.

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

Ja-Jewel maybe try planting that flower that kills bugs chrysanthemum

I don't know if it will work but Raid uses it to make bug spray and I know the spray works (I use it all summer long)

[Ja. Jewel]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: diabolical_Tanya</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ja-Jewel maybe try planting that flower that kills bugs chrysanthemum

I don't know if it will work but Raid uses it to make bug spray and I know the spray works (I use it all summer long) </div></div>

Thanks for the tip, Tanya....will try it. I know they will grow here because I did try them once, but not with my veg. crops....NOW I just have to find the seeds!!

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

It grows wild in Jamaica but it does not kill the bugs.
They avoid it, that's all.<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: diabolical_Tanya</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ja-Jewel maybe try planting that flower that kills bugs chrysanthemum

I don't know if it will work but Raid uses it to make bug spray and I know the spray works (I use it all summer long) </div></div>

[johnnycakes]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

Ja. Jewel,

Nothing bothers tobacco because the nicotine is a poison.

You can take tobacco leaves and old cigarette butts and throw them in a bucket of water and make a tobacco tea solution that you can then strain and spray on other crops being bothered by insects.

Cheap and readily available.

Try it out and let us know how it goes.

[Ja. Jewel]

Re: Growing crops in Jamaica.....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ja. Jewel,

Nothing bothers tobacco because the nicotine is a poison.

You can take tobacco leaves and old cigarette butts and throw them in a bucket of water and make a tobacco tea solution that you can then strain and spray on other crops being bothered by insects.

Cheap and readily available.

I just now saw this post Johnny....have a feeling that might not work with my tomato plants though....I used to work on an organic farm in Vt. &amp; the owner strictly FORBADE for any of the workers in the tomato field to smoke because he said it was poison to the tomatoes???...I think I would be afraid to use the spray on them! Maybe it would work on other crops though.....still gotta remember to get my next spray bottle.

Try it out and let us know how it goes. </div></div>