Growing Vegetables In The Tropics

The Control of Sunlight

By R. R. Hanselmann, of Madang, N.G.

In the P.I.M. of June, 1934, there appeared an article by Mr. R. R. Hanselmann, of Madang, New Guinea, in which tropical resi dents were given a most valuable hint on how to grow vegetables by means of “raised gar dens.” There was so much interest in the subject that Mr. Hanselmann was invited to write more about gardening in the tropics, and he has kindly supplied the following hints to growers of vegetables and fruit.

DEAR Gardeners, —A number of friends, besides the gentleman in Daru (No vember P.I.M.) have responded to my article on Raised Gardens, and I would be only too delighted to hear more of honest trials made, for my experiences are truly satisfactory. No matter whether in town or on an isolated station, everyone can manage to have a few square feet of raised garden. Fresh parsley and mint, occasional crisp lettuce, or a few radishes, will make the bachelors smile; and, hus bands, your efforts will be repaid by a happier housewife.

In regard to varieties that grow best in this climate, I have come to various conclusions, but they are somewhat con ditional, depending upon locality and season. However, I can safely say that vegetables which mature more slowly— the winter cabbage, large variety of car rot, beetroot, the giant tomato (1¼lb. was my record), the purple kohlrabbi, and mignonette lettuce —give best results.

Earlier varieties seem to rush to maturity without much quality. After having used seeds from both America and Europe, I find that one Sydney firm offers a noble selection, and with zinc packing, present us seeds fresh and unspoiled.

Proper control of sunlight will give astounding results. Mignonette lettuce, planted on a raised garden, without any shade, grow in long stalks driving for seed; while that permanently under coco nut fronds (three feet above the soil) had fine leaves. The lettuce we left in per manent shade of a calico roof was crisp and very tender, but that under a latticed shade (a roof of two inch wide laths every two inches) delighted us with plants with a heart like a very loose leaf cabbage head. Carrots, again, do better without any shade.

So, gardener of Daru, here is ample room for extensive experimentation.

Incidentally, I found that our general method of gardening in the open soil is not too adaptable for this climate. Pos sibly, more than is being realised, the tropical sun evaporates the moisture of the soil. Garden beds well dug up and tilled are soon after the downpours so dry that the seeds cannot sprout, or the little shoots become parched and wither in the dry, loose soil. Indeed, shading helps greatly; but I dig six-inch-deep ditches, sow the seed in the bottom and have the boys trample down the soil. As the plants grow up, we will fill up the ditches with more soil, and it is surprising what different results are soon to be seen.

Pineapples, being an old stand-by in this country, possibly a hint here will not be amiss. About every three months, a lot of, say, two hundred suckers, planted, will give ripe fruit practically all year round.

Planted three abreast, in ditches 3 feet wide and 10 inches deep, with 4 feet wide alleys, will give the plants good footing by the time the ground is even again, soil being added as the growth requires. Here, however, is the real trick; instead of just breaking the fruit from its stem, cut leaves and suckers off even with the ground, and hardier suckers will follow.

Allow only two or three to come up and the patch will serve for many years with out its products losing in quality or size.

A few Cavendish bananas, planted in the alleys, will guard against insipid or sour tasting (sunburned) pines.

Seven years ago, our oranges and man derins were of age to bear, but as the following year brought no fruit we applied commercial fertilizer. The next year the trees were simply laden with fruit, but the crops have now diminished, so that many trees have only about a dozen or so of oranges. We are anxious to see what a new application of fertilizer will bring forth.

Coming back to “raised gardens": On an old cement floor, soil was boxed in, but nothing more than from an ordinary garden was the result. The few degrees

difference of the soil in the raised garden during the night must be of utmost im portance; and naturally, soil over nine inches deep in raised beds will prove detrimental. The better control of in sects in off-the-ground gardens must not be forgotten, either. Sheet iron, covered with a good coat of tar, or a mixture of water and cement with linseed oil, will guard against the very rapid rusting.

I wonder what the raised garden beds have in store for tobacco planters. Boys examining tobacco plants on my raised garden exclaimed: “Strong bilong white man e come finish long this fella brush.”

Raised beds also offer good nurseries for kapok, coffee, and fruit trees.

Rev. James Edwards, from Mala station of the Melanesian Mission, on Malaita, British Solomon Islands, arrived in Sydney on furlough by the Malaita on January 21.