Vegetable Gardening

jpoesq1 · Mar 4, 2009

I am working on a project to create subsistence gardens for poor families outside of Santo Domingo. I am trying to find out if anyone has any experience, particularly where I might be able to buy vegetable seedlings and/or seeds.

Do you have a garden?
What do you grow?
Where do you buy your supplies?

Any thoughts appreciated!

Thanks.

John

granca · Mar 5, 2009

Vegetable Gardening con.

I started a vegetable garden last year here in the Las Terrenas area. My perpetual spinach grew magnificently and we were able to crop leaves a couple of times a week for about two months, parsley grew well and produced good size tasty leaves but it did not last long, it suddenly just died, mint grew well for several months but now is just withering away, shallots, excellent, seem to be slow growing but the one from the clump which I put back in the ground so far always takes. I don;t know where to buy seeds here but will ask the gardener on Sunday. This year I;ve planted perpetual spinach and broad beans and tomorrow kohlrabi. Not as active as I'd like to be because I dislocated a knee. I bring my seeds back from the UK once a year. We inherited a couple of platano trees and one guineo
which crop a couple of times a year.
I hope this helps, if you want updates just say so. Good luck

Hillbilly · Mar 5, 2009

You can buy seeds at many hardware stores.

Corn can be difficult due to the shorter hours of sunlight in the tropics but you will get a crop. Cabbage, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, many herbs, thyme, parsley, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, squash will grow well at near sea level. Rather than plantains, I'd plant "rulos" which are good eating and produce more than plantains. A lemon tree and an acerola (tropical cherries) tree if space allows...

HB (farmer at one time)

juanita · Mar 5, 2009

This is the best place to get seeds:

Importadora Agr?cola Rinconada, CxA
E Morillo 60, Santo Domingo
(809) 565-5344

In small amount you can buy at Supermercado Nacional (tomatoes, peppers, herbs seeds).
I have had success with cherry tomatoes, green peppers, lettuce, herbs (menthe, parsley, basil, coriander). Tomatoes gave me problems last year because of infestation of white flies; I am trying again this year. The herbs I have found in Supermercado Pola packaged with roots protected in some soil.

LindseyKaufman · Mar 5, 2009

I am near Sosua. There, I am successful with several kinds of lettuce, green peppers, hot peppers, lots of different herbs, and several varieties of fruit. Small, cherry tomatoes do well. Large ones don't for me. I have tried zucchini and yellow squash, cucumbers, and melon, but do not have much luck. They produce one or two small vegetables, then nothing.

I add new black soil (from Whirleybird's farm) about every 9 months and regularly spray with Miracle Grow. And I find that seeds which I buy here produce better than U.S. seeds from Burpee. I am told that is because seeds here are "tropicalized."

I am always trying to learn more and would welcome input from other vegetable gardeners who have found success.

Lindsey

jaguarbob · Mar 5, 2009

jpoesq1 said:
I am working on a project to create subsistence gardens for poor families outside of Santo Domingo. I am trying to find out if anyone has any experience, particularly where I might be able to buy vegetable seedlings and/or seeds.

Do you have a garden?
What do you grow?
Where do you buy your supplies?

Any thoughts appreciated!

Thanks.

John

I am using earthbox for a few years now,and work great on my roof here in SD.I have grown corn,tomatos,peppers and this year I will try spinich as well.
earthbox.com has all info you need.
bob

Nattalie · Mar 6, 2009

I'm so glad to hear that green leafy veggies can be grown in the DR. My family and I are going to try living in the Baharona area full-time next fall. I have only visited the DR and Baharona once. I enjoyed the people and the natural beauty, but I was a little disappointed in the starchy, bland fare--yucca, yucca, platanos, platanos, rice, rice, peas. The fruit is wonderful, of course, but do they ever use it in their entrees?
What other veggies can be grown? How hard is it to bring seeds to the DR? We are coming from the U.S.

juanita · Mar 6, 2009

Anyone with some good advice on how to germinate and grow Cacao?

bob saunders · Mar 6, 2009

Nattalie said:
I'm so glad to hear that green leafy veggies can be grown in the DR. My family and I are going to try living in the Baharona area full-time next fall. I have only visited the DR and Baharona once. I enjoyed the people and the natural beauty, but I was a little disappointed in the starchy, bland fare--yucca, yucca, platanos, platanos, rice, rice, peas. The fruit is wonderful, of course, but do they ever use it in their entrees?
What other veggies can be grown? How hard is it to bring seeds to the DR? We are coming from the U.S.

My regular diet in the DR, at the mother in laws includes cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, tayota, eggplant, lettuce, beets, potatoes...all grown in the DR.

Nattalie · Mar 7, 2009

Tayota?

Que es Tayota? I've never heard of that. It sounds like your mother-in-law feeds you well. Do different regions of DR have less variety?

AlterEgo · Mar 7, 2009

We have 15 tareas in Najayo Beach [San Cristobal] and over the years we have grown all sorts of things [in addition to the many limon, plantano, mango, cashew and avocado trees], mostly onions, gandules, peppers, eggplant, okra, tomatoes. We bring or send the seeds from the USA, but also buy some in the DR too. Our 'neighbors' steal some of it, and we give some to the family if they drive out there to get it. We have a Haitian caretaker, and he has permission to sell some of the produce to the community to supplement his income and give the residents cheap, fresh veggies. We've never personally made a cent from any of it.

NotLurking · Mar 7, 2009

Nattalie said:
Que es Tayota? I've never heard of that. It sounds like your mother-in-law feeds you well. Do different regions of DR have less variety?

Tayota is known elsewhere as Chayote and is a member of the squash family. Tayota are usually enjoyed in DR stewed or steamed (actually boiled but should be steamed). Sometimes you'll find it in a Dominican style salad with potatoes and hard boiled eggs or re-hydrated dry (and salted) cod fish with a simple vinaigrette dressing (vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper). YUM!

Chayote - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GourmetSleuth - Chayote

bob saunders · Apr 5, 2009

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28730583@N02/3415139080/" title="Jarabacoa Vegetable and Fruitmarket by rsaunders2008, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3347/3415139080_544207497b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jarabacoa Vegetable and Fruitmarket" /></a>

The Tomatoes look like plum tomatoes. These are all grow in the mountains and greenhouses are used also.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28730583@N02/3415137420/" title="Jarabacoa Vegetable and Fruitmarket by rsaunders2008, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3415137420_248709c16f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jarabacoa Vegetable and Fruitmarket " /></a>

good looking peppers

Fiesta Mama · Apr 5, 2009

NotLurking said:
Tayota is known elsewhere as Chayote and is a member of the squash family. Tayota are usually enjoyed in DR stewed or steamed (actually boiled but should be steamed). Sometimes you'll find it in a Dominican style salad with potatoes and hard boiled eggs or re-hydrated dry (and salted) cod fish with a simple vinaigrette dressing (vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper). YUM!

Chayote - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GourmetSleuth - Chayote

I believe they are also referred to as Cristophenes (sp?) in North America. They are a light green colour and sort of have the shape of an avocado but are hard and a little bumpy looking near the top.

juanita · Apr 5, 2009

Tayotas

dagui00 · Apr 5, 2009

i am in the produce business, there are several exporters of perishable produce in the Dominican Republic, why not contact them and see if they might be able to lend some assistance with your project, sounds like a good effort to help the locals, one company that comes to mind is Mama Mia produce in the new york area i am sure they have a web site MamaMia Produce: The Natural Choice: Our Brands

debbs · Apr 5, 2009

Great thread and thanks for the pictures bob!!!

What is the botanical name of the perpetual spinach you grow there successfully? There are several Asian and New Zealand varities I was gonna try.

So eggplant grows well there? Obviously. Same family as tomatoes. I understand not having luck with curcurbits. Has anyone tried a vigourous squash variety called Zucchetta Rampicante Tromboncino?

Picked young they taste like zucchini and then they harden up like a hard squash if allowed to mature. Super high-yielding with rampant vines!

Search

Search

Vegetable Gardening

jpoesq1

New member

granca

Bronze

Hillbilly

Moderator

juanita

Bronze

LindseyKaufman

Silver

jaguarbob

Bronze

Nattalie

New member

juanita

Bronze

bob saunders

Platinum

Nattalie

New member

AlterEgo

Administrator

NotLurking

Bronze

bob saunders

Platinum

Fiesta Mama

Bronze

juanita

Bronze

dagui00

New member

debbs

New member