Lake Chapala Garden Club

Growing Vegies

Veggie Growing Experiences

Presented by Ross Mitchell
Lake Chapala Garden Club, June 2006

 
SEEDS
  • Problem with buying seeds here that don't germinate
  • Get variety from Canada or US
  • My best source here is the chemical store in Joco across from the church
  • Keep seeds in the freezer
SWEET CORN
  • Get seed from up north
  • When 2" high spray with raid
  • When 1 ft high spray with metham, hill them up, fertilize with 17 17 17
  • Then spray every 3 weeks with metham
ASPARAGUS
  • Started from seed and had a plant in 1 yr.
  • Then replant in a 1 1/2 ft deep hole, spreading the roots out, cover with soil and add soil up to ground level as the plant grows
  • No fertilizer
  • Needs lime twice a year
  • Susceptible to fungus, use a fungicide
CUCUMBER
  • In a deep hole put manure then soil and then plant seeds
  • Put 4" of soil on top of the seeds
  • Plant under a screen
SQUASH
  • Start and plant same as cucumbers
  • Gets white fly, spray with raid 3 to 4 days in a row
  • Don't spray when there are flowers
YAMS
  • Do not plant in cold weather, Dec to Mar
BEANS
  • More exotic types susceptible to white fly
  • Ordinary variety need almost no care
  • Fertilize with 17 17 17
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
  • Very easy, grow up on a wire frame
  • Fertilize with 17 17 17
TURNIP, BEETS, CARROTS
  • Very easy
  • Prepare the soil with diazanon
TOMATOES
  • Not much luck but trying again
  • This time preparing the soil with diazanon, planting in plastic with holes
  • Use fungicide weekly until fruit appears
  • Fertilize with 20 20 20
FRUIT TREES
  • Plant at ground level and water daily for 1 week
  • Then water weekly
  • Every 6 months spray with malathion
  • Prune on the inside to open up the tree
  • Insufficient water - dry fruit
MANGO, FIG AND PAPAYA
  • Susceptible to fungus
  • Spray for 3 weeks in a row when fungus appears with a fungicide
BANANAS
  • No fertilizer but use compost
  • Need good drainage
  • Lots of water
  • When stalk forms and appears to have as many bananas as you want, cut off the flower and cut all but 1 banana off the last hand of bananas
  • Thin trees to 1 new plant after harvesting bananas, cut trunk high and leave to feed the new plant