Fruits

Here’s what I think I know about growing tomatoes …

Can’t handle a lot of water
“Tomato Breeding in Hawaii” by Glenn I. Teves
Kalohi do well.
– determinant: more concentrated over shorter time and better with wind
– cherry. Blond Girl- healani from Volcano. and Juliet cherry, love song.
– Lots of diseases so need to find the 5 varieties that work
– blossom end rot is from calcium deficiency

My Elevation: 1000 feet

My Water: 100 inches per year

My Soil: pH=neutral, N=low, P=neutral, K=neutral

My luck growing it (as of July 2019): poor. tried 4 plants and varieties, grew for about 4 months and cherry tomatoes were great but didn’t produce much. traditional tomatoes didn’t produce or had rot on the ends

Here’s what I think I know about bananas…

“The world of Bananas” by Kepler is the Bible. 
Apple banana keiki (po huli) transplant.
Need to keep replanting.
Light winds will knock it out.
4’ spacing for a hedge but 8’ apart is a good spread.
Try to mix them so you have 1 fruiting, 1 flowering, 1 dorment.
Cut it just below the black sigitoa if there is a fungus that can come from too much moisture.
Sword suckers are the ones you want. You can cut off the root sections and they are viable. Hot dip them. Peel the stem (the ha) and chip away at the corm on the sides. The corm should not smaller than your fist for the starter. Look for and make sure to remove any banana borer. Take off all the leaves. Then let it scab over a day or two in the shade. Make sure you sterilize with a chlorine (10%) solution. May need to pot them in pro mix potting soil up 2-3 months before they take root but if they are the size of your thigh to plant in the soil.
Use an o’o to pry back the keiki so maybe a little into parent.
King of Spades is an 18” version. Take the cuttings and complete DMV (bungee top) – May need to burn them to sterilize.
Plant during the kane (almost new) moon and hua (football shaped) moon for best results.
Chop it at low tide and it will shoot straight up after.
When planting it, treat it like it is heavy and strong when you put it in the ground, it makes a difference. 
Fertilize banana in August to get them ready for the winter. 

My Elevation: 1000 feet

My Water: 100 inches per year

My Soil (May, 2019): pH=6, N=deficient, P=depleted, K=adequate

My luck growing it (as of July 2019): poor. tried 1 plant and 4 corms from PlantItHawaii on 4/12/2019 and 4 corms all died, 1 plant is still growing but nearly all the leaves die. Probably needs more water and N/P. Looks like it’s on its way out.

Here’s what I think I know about growing cacao (and chocolate)…


Hāmākua Chocolate Farm notes:
– started 11 years ago
– now has 600 plants
– agrotourism and airBnB combo
– hedge row of coffee
– Airbnb is what makes it possible. Farm tours package is popular
– growing vanilla in with the chocolate
– 6 acres
– pods are turned into mulch and back into the soil.
– got their starter seeds locally.

In General:
– 6×8’ plantings and 3 meters is the standard distance
– 350’ elevation, and can grow higher, but fermentation problems at higher elevation.
– 3 years to go from seed to harvest.
– 10 harvests a year
– hoops for rose beetles
– likes overcast
– hates wind
– they are under story trees so keep them 10-12’ high and easier to harvest
– maintaining trees for access during harvest is key
– the Felco pruning tools are the best.
– requires a midge to pollinate because the flower is so small.
– it’s ripe when you scratch it and it’s saffron colored and no green but need to know each individual tree.
– black pod rot is a big problem.
– larger hoops (for beetles) for air and so the split that bears fruit
– cold/wet causes disease
– don’t get kriyoyo because it’s picky.
– calculate 20% loss will be Normal
– 6 months from flower to ripe fruit
– Varieties: Forestero was what Hershey used, Trinitario from Trinidad. dozens more.

My Elevation: 1000 feet

My Water: 100 inches per year

My Soil: pH=neutral, N=low, P=neutral, K=neutral

My luck growing it (as of July 2019): ok. tried 2 seedlings from Island Seedlings and Saplings. I didn’t give it appropriate love initially and so my fault really. one of the two is still trying to hang on. I have been giving it more love lately so hope that helps.