Below we share our working ʻĀina Exotics Garden Rotation Plan. This information shares with you the seed varities that have proven to work well for us in Hāmākua, at about 500 feet elevation. We hope this provides some insight into how to organize your tropical garden planting. We will update this as new varities and vegetables are introduced into our regular rotation. Your comments, experiences and advice is welcome.
Acronyms
(j) Johhny’s Selected Seeds
(O) Osborne Seeds
(out) Outside pride seeds
(DTMS) days to maturity from seedling
D2MT days to maturity from transplant
We propose to have by the end of the year and in rotation…
7 beds, 80 feet x 4 feet
2 short-term direct sow crop beds in constant rotation
2 medium term crop beds
2 long-term beds
1 perennial bed
SHORT TERM DIRECT SOW CROPS, 30-90 days
List of Seeds for direct sowing in short term bed
Radish – Cherriette (O) 26 DTM
Spring mix – 28 DTMS – Allstar gourmet (j)
Mustard – Florida Broad leaf 45 DTMS, Red Giant (J) 21-47(D)
Turnip – Scarlet Queen (O), 43 DTMS
Kai choy- 45-50 DTMS can be eaten before maturity – thinned this way
Pak Choi – Joi Choi F1 (J), 45-50 DTMS can be eaten before maturity – thinned this way
Daikon – Chinese, Minowase (O) and Alpine (J), 50 DTMS
Young beet – 55 DTMs – red atlas (O), Merlin (J), 48 DTMS
Bush green beans (provider (J) 50 DTMS – harvest for 3 weeks)
Lettuce – Coastal star (J) 57 DTMS (subtract 10-14 days if transplanting.)
Carrot – Bolero (J), 75 DTMS; gold finger f1 (O) 90 DTMS
Method for short-term direct sow crop beds – every 3-4 weeks
- plant radish (25 days), turnip (43 days) mustard (45 days), kai choy and pak choi (50 days), bush bean (50 days) daikon (50-60 days), beets (55 days), carrots (75 days)
- Harvest radish – replace with bush beans
- Harvest mustards/choys replace with lettuce starts
- Harvest daikon – replace with spring mix
- Harvest carrots/beets – replace with radish and spring mix (if applicable)
=> Once day hundred comes around we have bush bean, spring mix, radishes,
Do this type of bed 3-4 a year by rotating parts of the bed
Example
1st planting of bed [radish, turnip, mustard][choys, daikon, bush bean][carrots][beets]
2nd planting of bed [beets][carrots][radish, turnip, mustard][choys, daikon, bush bean]
MEDIUM TERM CROPS, 60-90 days
Transplant/sow new bed every 6 weeks
List of seeds for direct sow in summer
Bean long – Gita (J) 78 days to maturity
Corn – UH Sweet, lowlands 76-81 days to maturity
Soy beans – 75 DTM for early, 104 DTM for late)
Cowpea 60-90 DTM for fresh peas, 110 for dried
Okra, 70-80 DTM
List of seeds for direct sow (all year)
Cucumber – General Lee, (J), 55-90 DTMS – but we tend to start these in 4″ pots and plant out at 2 week.
Medium term seeds starts
Chinese Cabbage, Rubicon F1 (J), 52 D2MFT
Head Cabbage, Ruby Perfection (J), 85 D2MFT, Green Presto (O), 62 D2MFT
Celery – Conquistador (J), 80 D2MFT
Broccoli – 80 to 100 D2MFT
Cauliflower – 80 to 100 D2MFT
Chard, Fordhook Giant (J), 25-50 D2MFT
Long lettuce
Herbs
Flowers
Method and Steps:
- In part of the bed sow seeds on list directly above
- Transplant items on list above all at the same time if possible
- Harvest napa/chinese cabbage, replace with lettuce starts and bush beans, chard
- Harvest head cabbage replace with spring mix
Do this type of bed every 2 months
Rotate brassica/cucumbers/lettuce/bush beans
Use beneficials up the middle of the bed and along the sides
LONG-TERM BEDS 70-120+day
Sow new long-term every 3 months/12 weeks
Seed Starts:
Eggplant, Galine F1 (J), 65 D2MFT
Parsley, Giant of Italy (J), 75 D2MFT
Peppers, use local
Tomato, use local cherry tomatoes
Kale – Aina Ola ,65 D2MS
Tomatillo, De Milpa (J), 75 D2MFT
Direct sow
Basil, 78 DTMS; Amethyst Improved (j), 60 DTMS
Green bunching onion, White spear (J), 65 DTMS
Shallots, need to find heat tolerant variety
PERENNIAL BEDS
Direct Sow Perennial
Chives- Nira (J), 90 DTMS
Long Bean
Transplant Perennial
Kalo
New Zealand Spinach, (Out) 55-65 D2MFT
River Pepper, Laupahoehoe Heirloom
Pachyrhizus (jicama relative)
Sunny Edges:
Pintoi peanut (perennial peanut)
Vetiver
Chayote
Gliricidia
Pigeon pea
Shaded Edges:
Cardamom
New guinea impatiens
Transplanting
Seed starts:
Every 6 weeks
- Cabbage
- Cucumber
- Lettuce head
Every 8-12 weeks
- Tomato
- Eggplant
- Chard
- Peppers
- Kale
- Basil
