Hello from Hawaii

[Florence Fennel]

Hello and a very warm, though somewhat belated, welcome to the Vine

[alldigging]

I've learned that volcanic soil is not necessarily rich in nutrients. However, I am remedying the soil here by cycling it through my outhouse. And the plants really love the resulting soil.

Composting toilet I assume...?

[yummersetter]

Hello, it'll be interesting to read your inputs.
How could people ask you if you've met Elvis but not Barack ?

Or is that like people in Alabama asking a Brit if they know the Beatles?

[Ranger Smith]

Aloha! : ) OK, well, what I've learned here in a dry spot in Hawaii is not to waste my time growing veggies, because they need a lot of water, and the bugs are gonna eat them before I do. So now I grow a few flowers and a few fruit trees. As far as pictures are concerned, I attached one that was taken on the side of my house about six months ago. But if you have something specific that you'd like to see, let me know.

Aloha! Can't believe I'm the first!

Did you meet Elvis when he was there?

Welcome to the vine ranger smith.....we look forward to hearing of your successes and booboos!

Pics! (photographs) please!

[Ranger Smith]

"Composting toilet"? Well, YES, of a sort. You know, the details are quite gruesome, and I'm not too shy to share my system, BUT, it might be a bit offensive to some. But, if you really want to know, I'll explain all the juicy details when I hear back from you with your answer. : )

[Ranger Smith]

That's very kind of you to be interested in what I have to say. I've noticed that most of the posts in this forum are from people growing vegetables. But sadly, I'm not in a position to grow veggies due to lack of water, lack of soil and TOO MANY BUGS. I live in a dry microclimate on this island, which means little water for veggies, and a dearth of native soil due to minimal weathering and breakdown of lava rock. On the rainy side of the Big Island, soils can be several feet deep. But where I live, shallow pockets of soil are interspersed with lava fields. So, I am in a multi-year process of digging up native soil, using it in my outhouse, and then dumping it where I want to grow stuff at. No, I never saw Elvis here, and I wouldn't go see Obama if I had the chance to. You mean you DON'T know The Beatles???

[Ranger Smith]

Hi Chris! Sure, you can move here. When I was a taxi driver, I met some Canadians that took advantage of the six-month limit for visiting foreigners, to stay here and make themselves part-time residents. Brits could stay here for up to six months at a time, without a visa. But if you wanted to stay here permanently, you'd need a visa of course. But that's only if you cared about legalities, which millions of foreigners and millions of AMERICANS don't care about.

Aloha, welcome to the vine! I love Hawaii - we went there for our honeymoon. Am planing on taking my family back when they're old enough to learn to surf

I'd love to move out there!

[Newton]

Hello, it'll be interesting to read your inputs.
How could people ask you if you've met Elvis but not Barack ?

Or is that like people in Alabama asking a Brit if they know the Beatles?

Forgot about Barack........it was a bit of fun yumm! And you newer know.........funnily enough......sir Paul Macca has a house near us which he visits every new year.....he bought it for his father in 1964.... I've bumped into him a few times......Not met him formally though....

Anyway
Elvis is more famous than Barack!

[alldigging]

"Composting toilet"? Well, YES, of a sort. You know, the details are quite gruesome, and I'm not too shy to share my system, BUT, it might be a bit offensive to some. But, if you really want to know, I'll explain all the juicy details when I hear back from you with your answer. : )

If you think it's too grusome for .. erm human consumption ... then email me.

We are planning one on our allotment!

[Ranger Smith]

With all the interest in growing tropicals in Britain, I'm surprised that there is no established society to make it happen. When I was in California, in Napa, 38 degrees north, I was able to keep established tomato plants alive throughout the winter in an unheated coldframe. So imagine what you could grow in Britain in a proper greenhouse, or in maybe just a rigged up coldframe with a heater of some kind. They sell coffee seeds at Walmart here in Kona. If anyone wants some, I can get some for you for.

Fancy being able to grow your own coffee!!!! Am a bit well, jealous actually! Coffeeeee Welcom btw

[Ranger Smith]

Hi Florence. : ) Thank you. And you're not that late. However,I can be slow in responding, because there is no internet service up where I live, and then I have to come down to civilization and find a hotspot to use.

Hello and a very warm, though somewhat belated, welcome to the Vine

[Ranger Smith]

Hi Moop. : ) I had a little mango tree for about two years, that I started from seed. It never got more than about ten inches high. I watered and fed it, but it sulked, and then I eventually pulled it up. My guess is that it is too cold and dry where I live. All the nice mango trees here in Hawaii are in the low and moist areas. The record low temp at my place is 46 degrees farenheit. As for pineapples, I haven't tried them, but I probably should. The pineapple tops that I threw in my compost pile stayed geen and healthy for months, before they finally gave up. If I took care of them, they'd probably do well.

Hi RS, I'm pleased to hear it's not getting you down about the things you can't grow due to your climate. I would love to grow mangoes and pineapples but don't think they'd work for me, how would you get on with those?

[Ranger Smith]

Outhouse pictures

Newton asked for pictures, and alldigging is interested in composting toilets, so I put two pics of my outhouse system here. My apologies to those of you who might have wanted pictures of luxurious, tropical plants. But, I will have to find my camera and go looking for some.

[PyreneesPlot]

Belated aloha and bonjour from me too.
Any pics of visiting wildlife would be appreciated too. Birds?
Not saying I don't like the outhouse pictures, mind. I'm planning one for our outdoors facility. Mr PP doesn't know it yet

[muddyfeet]

Hi Veggie! : )
Well, you never know, until you try. The things I grow here won't survive outside in Britain, BUT, if you have a coldframe or a greenhouse, you can always try. Of all the things I mentioned, papayas are the toughest. Seeds that come out of a ripe, store-bought papaya, germinate very easily, so give it a try. Papaya plants might survive in Britain outside in the summer, and it seems possible that it would make it through then winter inside a coldframe.

I tried growing sweet potato in the greenhouse this year, but they didn't come to anything. Another year it might have worked but this year was too cold this far north, even in the greenhouse. I might try papaya, what do you do with it?