GARDENING IN THE TROPICS: A BEGINNERS GUIDE (TIPS AND TRICKS)
GARDENING IN THE TROPICS: A BEGINNERS GUIDE (TIPS AND TRICKS)
I want to start by saying that I was neither a gardening expert before nor am I now. Gardening in the Tropics takes patience, research, and passion.
Growing up in southern Texas, most of my green thumb skills derived from the nearest Lowes or Garden store. I didn’t have much experience with gardening when we moved to Panama. When we bought our 3 acres of paradise, I was intimidated, shocked, and oddly enough, inspired to take on the vast project of turning our hill of dirt into a Tropical Lush Garden.
In the beginning, there were times where I often felt like a true gardening goddess. Yet, there were other times where my gardening dreams shriveled up like dried-up green pepper plants on a hot summer day. Hopefully, this blog provides you some good insight and inspires you on your homesteading gardening ventures.
LESSON #1 OF GARDENING IN THE TROPICS – KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT
“Planting is so simple in the tropics! You just stick it in the ground, and things grow!” This was the advice we were given continuously from the nearby locals and our fellow ex-pats.
I spent so much time and energy trying to plant all the wrong things. I would go to the produce store to buy peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers, hoping that my self-sustaining homestead life would thrive within a few months. However, no matter what I did, things were just not growing.
I would get sproutings that would die within days of transplanting. The ones that did make it would bear tiny fruits and wither away. I kept asking myself, what am I doing wrong? After several attempts and a ton of research, I concluded that the primary reason things were not growing was heavily contingent on the harsh Tropical Environment.
Gardening in the Tropics 
THE WEATHER KILLED MY PLANTS
What’s one common issue when gardening in the tropics? Well, The weather here is entirely unreliable. We have the open ocean on one side of the islands and the mountainous mainland on the other, making every day a crapshoot of what kind of forecast we will get.
One thing we can count on, though, is heavy rains. We get over 200 days of rainfall that average over 100 inches of rain a year and experience torrential downpours that feel neverending. The kind of downpours that you hear coming before you even see it. Winds pick up and knock trees down, and your baby seedlings will fight for their lives to not drown.
When it isn’t a crazy rain pour, we experience dry spells where you have to decide if watering your garden is worth not having water to do laundry, flush toilets, or other crucial choices. The inconsistency and drastic changes can make it nearly impossible to get things right.
TROPIC SOIL IS NOT “BLACK GOLD”
Just like the weather, the soil is fickle as well. Each island has its pros and cons. Islands and areas near the mainland are fortunate because they tend to grow giant plants due to the soil being more fertile. However, on our island, Isla Solarte, the earth is a thick, muddy, red clay. Most plants (ornamental or agricultural) tend to like the rich dark brown and fluffy soil. You would think that the soil here would be rich with minerals and goodness. Unfortunately, Gardening in the Tropics isn’t that simple.
The local hardware stores carry black soil. But, the consistency is so moist, my seedlings would rot. I went as far as ordering potting mix from Amazon for a few months, which got expensive, real quick. My last attempt was importing from garden stores from Panama City, such as Discovery Center https://www.discoverycenterpa.net or nearby towns like David or Changuinola from Melo Pet and Garden https://melopetandgarden.com. Still, even that was resulting in too much of a hassle.
SO, WHAT DO YOU DO?
I quickly turned to the indigenous people with my tail between my legs. I had to pay close attention to what was being sold in local fruterias, instead of being sold in supermarkets. It was then, that the apparent truth smacked me hard in the face. Loads of plantains, pineapples, yucca, taro root, mangos, papayas, and a bunch of things I had never seen before were always available, frequently overflowing the shelves.
The simple answer was, If you want to make an effort to grow things that aren’t local, you will have to spend a lot of time and money investing in green housing, elevated gardening beds, fertilizers, and a whole list of things. It absolutely can be done! Just prepare to dedicate a lot of time and work to it.
For me, I chose the easy route. Rather than fighting it and trying to recreate an environment, I embraced what grows here naturally. Instead of Googling, I went straight to the well of knowledge I had at my disposal and listened to the locals.
I took the time to work with my gardener and friend Bernardo, who lives on my island and has a bountiful farm that feeds his entire village. Being able to pick my fruits and creating a beautiful bouquet directly from my strenuous efforts has got to be one of the greatest feelings in the world, and even four years later, it never gets old.
LESSON #2 OF GARDENING IN THE TROPICS – BE PATIENT
Let’s break down an excellent quote a fellow gardening lover told me when I first got here…. Slow, Grow, Woah.
SLOW (0 – 6 MONTHS)
No matter which gardening method you choose (greenhouse vs. working with what you got), you will have to be very patient. Things here tend to take a while to root and bear fruit. For example, Bananas take about nine months to fruit.
Mangos and Avocados are said to take up to five years. In the meantime, you can make sure your young plants have enough nutrients to stay healthy during the waiting process.
What is the best way to amend your existing soil? That’s right! Good old-fashioned Composting!
Not only does it help productively eliminate organic waste, but it also gives you a steady supply of potting mix for your gardening needs and saves you a ton of money!
GROW (6 – 12 MONTHS)
You have spent your energy planting, cultivating, as well as amending the soil. This is where the fun of gardening in the tropics really begins! Usually, around this mark, you will start to see all your hard work quite literally GROW!
Right around this time, Hopefully, by this point, your ornamental plants will be thriving naturally and some can even begin to be propagated.
WOAH! (12 MONTHS)
Finally. All the sacrifices, blisters, broken shovels, and countless composted eggshells later, life is a little greener. At this final stage, it has become nearly impossible for me to take care of the gardening and landscaping on my own.
Pruning is a constant activity and harvesting is done on a regular basis. Never would I have imagined that my mud pile would turn into an Island Oasis for which I have immense pride.
QUICK GUIDE TO SIMPLE COMPOSTING 101 FOR GARDENING IN THE TROPICS:
Sailing on a boat and living on an island has many similarities. When you are on a boat, there is no trash guy to pick up your bags (unless you’re in a Marina), and your sink probably won’t come with garbage disposal either. This was a huge adjustment for us at first. Things such as bones, meats, rice, or any leftover table scraps need to go somewhere other than a trash can.
Otherwise, you get pests and unwanted passengers aboard. So for that, we throw those things into the ocean and the fishies get a nice meal. The best solution for everything else like eggshells, coffee grounds, veggie scraps, and fruit scraps is composting!
- Find a good spot
This is the first step as the location will heavily affect your results. You want to make sure your composting area is in an excellent and dry place far away from your home as not to invite unwelcome critters.
Remember, when gardening in the tropics, your biggest obstacle is your weather patterns. You also want to create a fence, or box, of some sort to keep those same critters away and out of your compost as much as you can. - Experiment on your rations
Traditionally, you want a good mix of “greens” vs. “browns. Otherwise, you run the risk of your strenuous efforts turning into a dry, mushy, stinky mess. Unfortunately, composting in the Tropics requires a skill of its own due to the heavy rainfalls.
If you live in such areas, a good recommendation would be to keep the compost bin covered if it is in a location exposed to the elements.
- Churn and Turn it
Depending on what you throw in there and the climate, it is good to check it and turn it to promote even “cooking.”
How do you know when it’s ready? You’re looking for a nice fluffy pile of black and rich soil. You should no longer see any bits and pieces of any of the items you have thrown into it. It will be two times smaller than your original pile, and it will smell like nice clean dirt that just got rained on.
EASY TROPICAL FRUITS AND ORNAMENTALS TO START WITH FOR GARDENING IN THE TROPICS
PINEAPPLE ( BEARS FRUIT IN 9 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR)
– “If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain…” Easiest thing you will grow in your life. I promise.
Find the tastiest pineapple you can get from the grocery store. Eat it, make a drink with it, or enjoy it in a smoothie. Cut the head off and stick it in a container with water. In a week, you will see roots coming from the bottom.
Once you have a nice bunch of roots, stick it in the ground. That’s it! No tricks!
PAPAYA ( BEARS FRUIT IN 6 TO 9 MONTHS)
– You will find many tips online on how to germinate the seeds from a Papaya. I had the most luck by simply spooning out the seeds, placing them in a cup with warm water to loosen them from their “jelly sacks” for about an hour. Then, transfer them to a soft cloth and carefully rub the seeds until the sacks come off.
Place them directly in the ground, or put a few (2 to 3 seeds) into your preferred germination potting. Once your plantings are about four inches high with two developed leaves, you can transplant them to your desired location.
Tip: These little guys DO NOT like to be transplanted multiple times. Be sure to know where you’ll plant them and commit to that location.
AVOCADO ( BEARS FRUIT IN 10 TO 12 YEARS)
– If you are Latin, or just love Latin Food this is a MUST for gardening in the tropics! There are 4 main methods to grow these buttery delicacies. The most popular being the “toothpick method.”
This simple method asks for you to take the seed carefully out of the fruit, place toothpicks in the side of the seed, and balance it over a container with water until the seed begins to root.
This method is pretty neat because you can see the day-by-day progress. Once the seed roots from the bottom, and begins to form a stem at the top; simply plant it in the ground. If you need a bit more guidance, here is a tutorial that really helped me out.
GUANABANA – “SOURSOP” ( BEARS FRUIT IN 1 TO 2 YEARS)
– This by far is our favorite Tropical Fruit in our garden. It is refreshing, sweet, and goes a long way. Once ripe, a single Guanabana fruit can weigh up to 8 lbs! The consistency and taste are that of a soft pear mixed with pineapple.
It’s great to eat as a snack. You can make juice out of it (Kurt particularly likes to make Guanababa Coladas with them) Lastly, due to the creamy texture, if your a sorbet/sherbet fan, this is definitely the fruit for you.
You will want to soak these seeds in water for at least 24 hours to soften the shell. Then, place them (no more than one seed per container) in some potting mix until they germinate which takes about 2 weeks. Once the seedling produces 4 leaves, transplant them to your desired location.
TROPICAL “TI PLANTS” (MATURES FROM CLIPPINGS IN ABOUT 30 DAYS)
– One way to add brilliant color to your landscape are Ti Plants. These plants are hardy and grow rapidly making them a great addition to your yard and easy for gardening in the tropics. Find a tall, mature plant to get your clippings from. This will ensure faster rooting for the clipping without any hormones.
Cut down at least 8 to 12 inches of the woody stem and from this. You can either directly plant it in the ground to create one plant or, cut the long stem in sections (as seen in the picture below) to get multiple plants out of one clipping.
Tip: Wherever you cut it from, two more heads develop. If you want a bushier and fuller look, cut down the heads of the plants several times a year.
HIBISCUS ( MATURES FROM CLIPPINGS IN 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR)
– Propagation from cuttings is the preferred method for growing these ornamental plants. An array of different colors and types grow all over the islands.
On my property alone I have over six varietals that I have simply snipped from friends’ gardens, parks, nature walks, etc. and they have all grown bountifully and easily no matter where I put them.
When using cuttings to propagate hibiscus, start by taking the cutting from new growth or “softwood.” The softwood should still have a little green color to the stem.
Remove about 40% of the leaves from the cutting and place them in a container full of water until you see roots starting to form at the base of the stem.
Tip: You will want to remove several leaves from the cutting to allow the energy of the plant to focus on developing the roots, rather than fighting to keep the leaves green. (seen on left.) Once roots have developed, dig a hole big enough to not to disturb the fragile roots and plant.
ADIOS, MY ISLA BONITA
I have learned more than I could have ever dreamed about when it comes to gardening in the tropics and will miss being able to continue this hobby onboard SV Gypsea. I will miss waking up to my beautiful landscaped home.
When I walk down our dock, I am engulfed by the tropical fauna that fills my heart and soul with love. I am grateful for all I have learned and will take my lessons with me to hopefully one day, create another Garden of Eden to call home.
“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.” – May Sarton.
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