Looks like I have a cashew sproutling ☺️.

pic 1 shows the sprout, pic 2 shows the fruits it came from. i planted the seed (at the bottom of the fruit). the pic of the fruits is from june, so that's how long it's been.

the fruit was gifted to me from @saltphoenix who planted a bunch more and got a bunch more sproutlings. i think her technique is more successful because she kept the seeds moist until the nut split (i just put mine in the pot before waiting for it to split). tbh i'm kind of surprised i got a sprout at all.

#TropicalAg #gardening #plants #hawaii

A very nice interview with a scientist who's mapped the ecological impacts of past coconut plantations on Pacific atolls: https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/the-conversation/2024-12-30/new-study-looks-at-the-impact-of-coconut-plantations-across-pacific-atolls

It was fascinating to learn the different ecosystem effects depending on whether an atoll had random coconuts washing ashore and taking root, vs indigenous residents bringing coconuts when settling the area, vs coconut plantations that clearcut large areas of forest to plant a monocrop.

#pacific #ecology #ecosystems #coconuts #TropicalAg #tropical #science

Doing a little light weeding today 🙄

Friends, I recommend that you NOT let guinea grass develop at your place. And definitely don't let it get 12 ft tall or spread across an area.

It's highly aggressive, grows very tall in thick patches, the roots are very difficult to remove, I had to use a literal saw to get through the thick stems, and it's covered in these hairs that are sharp and horrible and get on everything (like fiberglass fibers, if you've ever had the misfortune of dealing with those).

#plants #weeds #InvasiveSpecies #gardening #grass #tropical #TropicalAg #hawaii

Big, orange pumpkins are an expensive import product here on Hawai'i Island (since they don't really grow here), but there are plenty of tasty local varieties, like the one pictured below.

I love local pumpkins. They're tasty, cook quickly, and have a long shelf life without needing to be refrigerated.

The Hawaiian word for pumpkin is pala'ai and here's some more info from the Hawai'i 'Ulu Cooperative:

"While palaʻai originates from the Americas, there are numerous varieties that perform well in Hawaiʻi. Kabocha squashes are the most familiar varieties to consumers in the islands and can often be found at farmers markets or grocery stores - there are several varieties to this family of squash. However, Kabocha varieties tend to be both less productive and susceptible to pest or disease infestations. Squash in the moschata families, presenting as large and round with a dark green flesh, are a tougher tropical variety which are less disease-prone than kabocha types, while Pepo varieties do well at higher elevations with variability in shape, color and form and are able to be eaten either mature or immature." - https://eatbreadfruit.com/blogs/farming/growing-squash-in-hawaii

#pumpkin #hawaii #halloween #october #fall #autumn #agriculture #TropicalAg #plants #food #gardening #farming

A very nice article about breadfruit in Wired, but they describe it as bland and paste-like! It sounds like they've never actually tried breadfruit because it is actually delicious!!

Breadfruit does best in the tropics, but if I lived in a subtropical climate, I might plant one now, because by the time it matures, that climate will have gotten hotter.

https://www.wired.com/story/breadfruit-caribbean-pacific-climate-change-super-food/

#breadfruit #plants #tropical #tropicalag #agriculture

A new pineapple plant is growing at the place where I harvested the last one. When it gets a little bigger, I can break it off and plant it in its own soil.

If you didn't know already, you can plant the top of a pineapple. Now you know!

#plants #gardening #garden #tropical #tropicalag

Do you know inga edulis (ice cream bean, although "cotton candy bean" would be more accurate because it simply DOES NOT taste like ice cream)?

It's a tropical fabaceae tree that grows easily on poor soils (like the non-soil I have at my place). It's a nitrogen fixer, so it can be used to improve soil, and due to its size, it can provide windbreak.

Pic 1 shows the pretty white flowers that have a faint scent.
Pic 2 shows the whole tree.
Pic 3 shows the inside of one of the seed pods. The edible part is the white fluff around the seeds. This is a paltry example, but in a good one there's a lot of fluff. It's got a pretty mild flavor and there's not much to each one, but it can be a nice snack.

Note: it is considered a weed in subtropical parts of Australia: https://www.milkwood.net/2015/04/02/foraging-ice-cream-beans-inga-edulis/

#plants #trees #tropical #nature #tropicalag #flowers #bloomscrolling

View from the kalo 💚

#kalo #taro #hawaii #TropicalAg #offgrid #plants #gardening #garden #farm #farming

Taro appreciation post featuring @saltphoenix & one of her massive taro 💜

#taro #kalo #hawaii #plants #food #farming #gardening #TropicalAg

#ForestForensics #plants #pests #tropical #TropicalAg @plants
i found this part of a leaf on my trail and immediately thought "uh oh!".

why did i think that? what did i see that made me concerned?

hint: it's part of a banana leaf