Gardening in mountain view BI (trees, vegetables, avocado)

[Frozen Sky]

Originally Posted by terracore

What I recommend is finding a place you like, and then learning what stuff grows well there. If your search is based on what grows well, you might not like that place. We found its best to grow a few things that grow well here, and use them to trade for dozens more things that other people have better luck with.

Well price is a factor too. And within the places that have the lower land prices mountain view seeps to have the better lava zone.

[steiconi]

We're at 1500 feet. They're right, forget mango.
citrus has done well, avocado, lilikoi, beans of all kinds, including yam bean.
my ulu (breadfruit) tree is about 10' tall, no fruit yet.
also good luck with cabbage, kabocha, poha berries, strawberries, basil, catnip, lemongrass...

If you provide shelter from the endless rain, you can grow tomatoes and zucchini, as well as many other common garden veggies.

[leilaniguy]

When I moved I had to leave several Cacao and Coffee seedlings that were growing like mad, looked like they would thrive. Never had luck with tomatoes or zucchini, beautiful plants but maggots from fruit flies ate everything, but I didn't have a screenhouse.

[Frozen Sky]

What about growing mangos in a container under an overhang to shelter them from the rain? or is it more of a temperature issue at that elevation?

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by Frozen Sky

What about growing mangos in a container under an overhang to shelter them from the rain? or is it more of a temperature issue at that elevation?

There are plenty of mango varieties that grow well in wet areas, such as Fairchild, Lalee Jewo, Mapulehu, White Pirie, Pope, and Rose Gold. As for container growing, many of the dwarf varieties do well, such as Cogshall, Fairchild, Kook Lom Krong, and Rose Gold.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

There are plenty of mango varieties that grow well in wet areas, such as Fairchild, Lalee Jewo, Mapulehu, White Pirie, Pope, and Rose Gold. As for container growing, many of the dwarf varieties do well, such as Cogshall, Fairchild, Kook Lom Krong, and Rose Gold.

Do you have personal experience growing these in Mountain View area?

A friend of mine planted Mapulehu and Fairchild at 1,000 ft., below Mt. View on Highway 11, and hasn't seen a single fruit from them, now 12 years later.

Dunno about putting a Mango tree in a bucket under an eave. They might not get enough sun there. Maybe a high green house roof would work.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

Do you have personal experience growing these in Mountain View area?

A friend of mine planted Mapulehu and Fairchild at 1,000 ft., below Mt. View on Highway 11, and hasn't seen a single fruit from them, now 12 years later.

Dunno about putting a Mango tree in a bucket under an eave. They might not get enough sun there. Maybe a high green house roof would work.

Fairchild, Lalee Jewo, and Mapulehu did well at my lot at the 1100 ft. level in Mountain View; however, the Mapulehu did better at my slightly drier lot at the 900 ft level near Pāhoa.

[Frozen Sky]

So lots of micro climate it looks like.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

We grow mangoes very successfully at our house at 1200 feet in Ka'u. A lot drier than Mountain View, but elevation doesn't seem to be a problem there. Never figured out what kind they are, though. Just delicious!

[terracore]

"Never had luck with tomatoes or zucchini, beautiful plants but maggots from fruit flies ate everything, but I didn't have a screenhouse."

One of the things we learned the hard way is never plant the seed packets that are sold at all the regular stores. You have to buy seeds that were developed specifically for growing in Hawaii. For example, we didn't know that there are two types of corn, temperate and tropical, and "mainland" corn is temperate and will not grow well here. (We had one good crop during winter, but not during the rest of the year when the leafhoppers are spreading maize mosaic virus).

Here's a link to buying seeds directly from the University that develops Hawaii-specific strains of seeds:

https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/seed/seeds.asp

We grow their tomatoes, corn, and other crops. Much better success than getting seeds from mainland companies.

On the other hand, we also grow things that "shouldn't" grow here, like apples. We've only been experimenting for 5 years and we learn more every day. Some crops that require a "winter" to set fruit can be fooled by defoliating the leaves by hand rather than cold temperatures to do it, easy to do if it's a dwarf tree (and especially easy if your goats get out of the fence and defoliate the tree against your wishes)

ETA: You mentioned that you had fly strike, the co-op in Hilo sells pheromone bait for them and there are easy instructions on the internet on how to turn a 2-liter pop bottle into a trap. The instructions might even be included with the bait (I don't remember) If you place them near your garden it can make a huge difference. We used to have a big lizard that camped out on the pheromone trap and ate the flies as they got attracted to the trap. He barely had to open his mouth for a quick meal. It was one of the fattest creatures I've ever seen in my life. We named him Gordo.