Home Gardens

chiquittabanana

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When I came to Canada, like the guy next door I wanted to have my own garden...I didn't have any idea of what I was doing, but after many summers,, now I am able to preserve my own tomatoes from my garden... I still buy couple of bushels in late August,,, but during the summer all my salads, I pick from my garden.

Is there anybody in the DR with home gardens?

Once in a conversation in SD I was told that planting fruit trees in ur backyard was a sign of no-class..... and that to be "in" I only needed a pool (I don't care about that opinion), but I am yet to see tomatoes, letuce or arugula gardens in JD.

Our house construction in JD is on hold,, but I let the guy who is cutting the weeds and keeping the land clean to plant yuca and papaya and auyama,,,,every time we come down either we have some of them or he called my parents for them to share his crop.

Why is this not a common practice?

I wish I have more time in TO before the frost sets in the fall so I can have more tomatillos (late harvest green tomatoes)......uhhhmmmm if I only live in the DR.

Are there any ex-pats with home gardens?


CB
 

Rocky

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It's really tough to grow tomatoes in the low lands.
Generally, you will get much better results a few thousand feet up.
 

Chirimoya

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There is a lady in SD who teaches courses in rooftop gardening for vegetable cultivation, and I've also visited community projects of this sort in poor urban barrios.

As you say, though, most urban folks middle class upwards have gardeners and gardening is not so much a hobby as it might be in north America and Europe, but the gardeners where we live have their pl?tanos, guandules, molondrones planted amongst the ornamentals.
 

chiquittabanana

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Is it the heat?

Rocky,

I grow my cherry tomatoes in hanging pots, and in 20some years of planting, failing and trying.... if I can grow them in the TO summer heat,,, anybody can.

Tomatoes are like beach people,,,, Sun and water.

Have u try fried green tomatoes?......yummmmmyyyy Here I am wishing the fall while I watch our latest snow fall:ermm:

Chiri,,, do u have a number/address for that lady in SD? Last X-mas I planted a tomato plant on a big pot in my parents terrace and I am looking forward to see it in march.

Last August I visit MommC in North Bay and at their outside market I bought a banana tree,,, wish u guys can see it,,, so far is about 1/2 mt tall.... I am keeping it inside in my family room by the sliding door,,, it makes me feel in the DR. jijijiji

CB
 

Rocky

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Like I said, it's tough in the low lands, not impossible.
You may not be aware of this but I used to have a fruit & veggie biz here, and we had folks try to grow tomatoes around here, and they met with a certain amount of success, but it was way more difficult that in places like Constanza.

PS: Cherry tomatoes in hanging potters will grow almost anywhere, even indoors.
 

Criss Colon

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2 Reasons Why Dominicans Don't Plant "Gardens"!

Dominicans demand "Instant Gratification"! They don't "GET" planting NOW,harvesting LATER! Second,their neighbors will steal their harvest!
I planted the seed from the BEST AVOCADO I ever ate in my backyard 8 years ago. Two years ago it produced two avocados. A thief got one of them with a long stick with a can on the end of it! I caught him going for the second one later that same day! He ,of course, claimed that he didn't know they were mine! I told him I have a "Escopeta" (Shotgun) and will use it! Last year we had about 100 avocados! All just like the "Parent"!
I plant "everything"! Bananas,platanos,papayas,I have oranges,and I planted a mango tree when I planted the avocado seed. I will have fruit this year I hope!
Plant your "Fruit" trees now! You have to wait many years to get fruit!
Cris Colon
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Matilda

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I have bananas, pumpkin, oranges, yautilla,limes, papaya, chinola, basil, mint and lemongrass. All producing and all scrumptious. Plus I have planted and am waiting for grapefruit, avocado, mango grenadine and cherries. The later trees have been in for a year so no idea how long it will take, but I talk to them every day!!!

Matilda
 

chiquittabanana

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I coming down to see ur garden in March

Matilda, I really want to see ur garden, I have been told that JD is not a good area to grow veggies,,, regardless of how good "tierra negra" I get.

U r right Criss,,,,the house construction is on hold, but I managed to plant few coconut trees and some palms for shade. My Dad also planted "ciruelas" and he had some last year.

I will try to plant some more stuff when I come back in March,,,,,it is true it takes time to see, I am thinking about oranges, cerezas, avocado and mangos!!!

Anybody had luck with tomatoes, arugula or short leaves lettuces?

Dr. Chris,,,,, what do your children grow at the houses?

You guys are so lucky!!!!


CB


I have bananas, pumpkin, oranges, yautilla,limes, papaya, chinola, basil, mint and lemongrass. All producing and all scrumptious. Plus I have planted and am waiting for grapefruit, avocado, mango grenadine and cherries. The later trees have been in for a year so no idea how long it will take, but I talk to them every day!!!

Matilda
 

Lambada

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Once in a conversation in SD I was told that planting fruit trees in ur backyard was a sign of no-class..... CB

Like Matilda, then, we have no class:cheeky: - must be because we're all Brits. We have lime, banana, a cherry tree, avocado, mango, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, melons all of which have produced. Plus grapefruit & orange which we're waiting on. And we have grown a pineapple. THE brussel sprout was decidedly different - instead of lots of small brussels we got one gigantic ornamental type brussel which grew and grew and grew..............

The only thing which never really produced much was the seed packet of British countryside wild flowers which we planted. Or it did and someone nicked the poppies.......................;) that would have been the only thing usable in the local economy. :laugh::laugh:
 

chiquittabanana

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I am in the same class.... no class

But I bet u,,,,, we will never be hungry:bunny::bunny:;)

Lambada, how long have u been waiting for the oranges? I have an orange tree at my parents house about a meter tall in a big pot, but my Mom insists that I must wait to transplant it.

Did u have any luck with tomatoes like the roma variety?

CB
 

MommC

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I'll feed you arugula salad when you get here CB!

Fresh from our garden!
Short leaf lettuce also if there is any left.
We don't bother with tomatoes or eggplant anymore but there's lots of basil,parsley, rosemary, sage, cooking greens ( like turnip tops, Swiss chard, escarole,endive, chicory). We've had cucumbers also (they don't produce long), beans, green onions etc.
The trick is to have good soil (not the stuff from the cane fields which is too clay like) with good drainage, lots of sun or shade for some of the more tender lettuces, and lots of water!
We've never had to put 'abono' (fertilizer) however we do dump our coffee grounds between the rows.

Brussel Sprouts won't grow here because they need cooler temps to grow and cold temps to mature. They're best when picked after the first frost or mild snow (like turnips which won't grow here either).
We've had banana, platano, sour orange trees also.

What CC says is true...... I started a large garden at a Dominican friends house last time I was here (spend a few thousand pesos getting it in order) and came back in November to find the fencing being used for rooster cages, the dirt growing weeds and all my perennial 'bushes' dried up/dead. Lord knows where the garden tools are!?!

However the grapefruit and orange trees are doing great!:cheeky:
 

amparocorp

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if someone were to come out with a line of designer seeds for home gardens, think gucci squash, calvin klien carrots, oscar de la renta potatoes and then raised the price ten-fold on the seed packets they would make a fortune in this country. until then we are all crazy gringoes....
 

Lambada

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But I bet u,,,,, we will never be hungry:bunny::bunny:;)

Lambada, how long have u been waiting for the oranges? I have an orange tree at my parents house about a meter tall in a big pot, but my Mom insists that I must wait to transplant it.

Did u have any luck with tomatoes like the roma variety?

CB

Orange/grapefruit trees were put in the earth as small cuttings about 3 years ago. Now they're at decent tree height so growing was no problem. I've no idea when they'll produce though. Ma?ana........;) Yes we have grown normal size tomatoes, not just cherry tomatoes. And we knew about the cold temperatures needed for the brussels (we threw ice at it late at night :) ) but thought we'd experiment. It was HUGE. One brussel. We do use abono but its all our vegetable waste, potato peel, coffee grounds, tea from tea bags etc (not commercial abono). And Ramon has dug channels for drainage. Grahame pointed out a new melon growing today - they like the heavy rain we've had whereas a lot of other things don't.
 
J

John Evans

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im struggling with a courgette -the plant has been in 4 months and its onlt 2inches
 

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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We tend to have quite a lot of fruit trees - 2 types of bananas, sweet and sour oranges, grapefruit, limes, lemons, avacados, tangerines, chinolla and more. In addidtion, our own planted seed of water melon produced the most amazing fruit, sadly just one water melon but it weighed 13.5 lbs and was enjoyed by the whole neighbourhood!!!
 

MommC

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Cougette/zucchini don't do well here.....

maybe too humid or hot in the lowlands. We've tried many times but they just don't produce.

I think they do well higher in the mountains though!

Other types of squash do produce. You might try butternut or the local squash/pumpkin.