Growing a Vegetable Garden?

[Shadrach]

I would like to start a discussion about Growing vegetable, herb, flower garden here in Bali. I have been trying for a few years now, and have had mixed results. I tried to grow vegetables in pots, down in Padang Bai. It was difficult due to either it being always Hot, or too much Salt in the Air. Now I am higher in the Hills near Mengwi. It is cooler so some things seem to grow better and others not. Chilis, Eggplant, lemon basil, Bok Choy, Orchids, seem to like it here, but plants like Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Thai Basil, Tomatoes, don't seem to like it. For example, I bring home a nice healthy Thai Basil plant, and replant it in a bigger pot, using potting soil I buy from a local factory, and slowly it starts to get leaves that turn black. I take these off, and the problem come back! Now I have moved the plants into more sunshine, hoping this helps. I have a problem with Whiteflies on my Eggplants. I try Neem oil, with a little dish soap, but it doesn't seem to help much. I just made a batch of chopped up Ginger and Garlic, to see if a spray of that might work? Tell me if any of you have luck growing Brassica's, Etc, please tell me how you do it!
So if anyone out there is interested in this Subject, please Comment!

 

[jstar]

Kale, sprouts, carrots, cauliflower and to a lesser extend broccoli are good examples of vegetables that like cold. Night frost even improves the flavor. Obviously you can’t have that here so after years I gave up on these. I’m not gonna move for my vegetable garden.

For pumpkins, melons, etc. I noticed that a friend is doing very well. I gave up on those also. But in fact he has a glass house. How ridiculous it might seem in this country, probably better to control the temperature and water supply. Talking about that; he switched to aqua culture completely for salads etc.

Bali soil sucks big time, also very salty. Even a frangipane has difficulties, only the sanseveria’s grow very well. So I buy a lot of black soil. In Jakarta it’s all red clay and I use a lot of egg shells and regular river sand.

 

[Shadrach]

Kale, sprouts, carrots, cauliflower and to a lesser extend broccoli are good examples of vegetables that like cold. Night frost even improves the flavor. Obviously you can’t have that here so after years I gave up on these. I’m not gonna move for my vegetable garden.

For pumpkins, melons, etc. I noticed that a friend is doing very well. I gave up on those also. But in fact he has a glass house. How ridiculous it might seem in this country, probably better to control the temperature and water supply. Talking about that; he switched to aqua culture completely for salads etc.

Bali soil sucks big time, also very salty. Even a frangipane has difficulties, only the sanseveria’s grow very well. So I buy a lot of black soil. In Jakarta it’s all red clay and I use a lot of egg shells and regular river sand.

I agree about not wanting to move for a Garden. I moved from the Coast up to the loer highlands, Ubud, Mengwi, Tabanan area, and notice a big difference. I am abke to get a few Bak Choy to make it, i noticed there are those little white cabbage moths flying around. Today I found a Small green horned worm on my Gardenia plant wanting to eat the top new leaves. The Worm looked similar to those huge Green Horned worms that are found on Tomato plants. I find ants bring aphids and scaly bugs, to live on my plants, so they can suck the nectar off the aphids bodies! To help solve that problem, I put a tray below the pot and fill it with water. I just have to make sure the plant doesn't touch anything else, close by!
I am hoping the Dry season would come, but lately, every afternoon, it's been raining! A good rain once a week would be ideal!

 

[Nicho]

Had a half hectare veggie plot here in South East Java for several years , Constant battle with the salty environment , soil , brackish ground water and "ANTS " , if they weren't infesting everything with aphids "ants farm the aphids for the sweet nectar they secrete", thripes etc they were burrowing into the base of eggplants , marrows , pumpkins etc . Tried growing corn , it grew ok until the cobs started to develop then the ear wigs and white moth got into it . Had several coconut palms but very little fruit due to ants again , the big fire ants fed on the sweet young nuts . Tried painting with lime wash with no luck . Chillies , tomatoes , shallots did no good due to the salty soil and brackish groundwater . Had what I thought was a good crop of peanuts until harvest time , big healthy plants but all the peanuts had been eaten by beetles or ground mites , fruit trees did no good due to ants and termites , brown leaf mould/fungus , lime wash on the trunks , copper spray for the brown mould had no effect , organic insecticides only seemed to put the ants and other bugs into a breeding frenzy . Only thing that thrived was passion fruit vines . Gave up on it , leveled the block and sold it . Guy now runs goats , sheep , chooks and ducks on it .

 

[Shadrach]

Had a half hectare veggie plot here in South East Java for several years , Constant battle with the salty environment , soil , brackish ground water and "ANTS " , if they weren't infesting everything with aphids "ants farm the aphids for the sweet nectar they secrete", thripes etc they were burrowing into the base of eggplants , marrows , pumpkins etc . Tried growing corn , it grew ok until the cobs started to develop then the ear wigs and white moth got into it . Had several coconut palms but very little fruit due to ants again , the big fire ants fed on the sweet young nuts . Tried painting with lime wash with no luck . Chillies , tomatoes , shallots did no good due to the salty soil and brackish groundwater . Had what I thought was a good crop of peanuts until harvest time , big healthy plants but all the peanuts had been eaten by beetles or ground mites , fruit trees did no good due to ants and termites , brown leaf mould/fungus , lime wash on the trunks , copper spray for the brown mould had no effect , organic insecticides only seemed to put the ants and other bugs into a breeding frenzy . Only thing that thrived was passion fruit vines . Gave up on it , leveled the block and sold it . Guy now runs goats , sheep , chooks and ducks on it .

I'm sorry to hear about your efforts, and disappointments! It seems that everything I like to eat, the critters like also! Plants like Bayam, Kunyit, Nettles, Lida Buaya! Anggrek, Lemongrass, (Serai), all have something in them that the Bugs don't like! Unfortunately, I prefer nice Leafy Greens, Tomato's, Carrots, Broccoli,Cauliflower, Etc!
So I Dread to think how on Earth, the Produce, We Buy in the Markets, and Supermarkets are being Grown? They must be spraying some nasty chemicals on all of it, to get it to grow, and look so Beautiful on display for Us to Buy!
Even in The US, I had problems growing food. I planted 600 Garlic, and Onion bulbs, in a Regular Garden bed, Not Raised! By the time it came to harvest. The Gophers, had come from underneath the Earth and ate every Bulb! I only got 10 Garlic Bulbs! Also the little White Cabbage Moths, were so persistent that their caterpillars devastated my Broccoli's, Cauliflower's, and Red and Green Cabbage's! I was able to harvest some! It was not all doomsday though, I was able to harvest many Garlics, Onions, Tomato's, and Greens, but that was from a Garden close to the Canadian border. But up there, the Gophers did eat all my Potato's from underground! Zucchini plants seem to do better, except for Powdery Mildew, which can be controlled with a spray mixture of Milk, and Water!
I know it seems foolish to continue to try to grow my own food, but I Love doing it, and when I am able to Harvest my own Organic Food, It gives me Great Satisfaction! And I know it is Not Full of Chemicals! I hope you will continue to grow food even if it's on a smaller scale!

 

[jstar]

I’m very hesitant to try to grow veggies with green leaves like bayam (spinach). Not sure if it’s a conspiracy theory or hoax but I’ve always learned those plants absorb quite a lot of heavy metals from the air. And in polluted areas as Jakarta…

Of course it makes you wonder how ‘healthy’ the veggies in the supermarkets are. Esp. in a country where terms as ‘bio’ and the use of insecticides is not well regulated and the governmental follow up is iffy at best.

Just like chili peppers, I had rather good results with something like paprika and eggplant. And of course all local ‘fruit’ as papaya, mango, rambutan and jambu grows like crazy.

 

[Shadrach]

I’m very hesitant to try to grow veggies with green leaves like bayam (spinach). Not sure if it’s a conspiracy theory or hoax but I’ve always learned those plants absorb quite a lot of heavy metals from the air. And in polluted areas as Jakarta…

Of course it makes you wonder how ‘healthy’ the veggies in the supermarkets are. Esp. in a country where terms as ‘bio’ and the use of insecticides is not well regulated and the governmental follow up is iffy at best.

Just like chili peppers, I had rather good results with something like paprika and eggplant. And of course all local ‘fruit’ as papaya, mango, rambutan and jambu grows like crazy.

I don't know about Dark greens absorbing Heavy Metals, but I do know they are packed with tons of Vitamins, and minerals we don't get enough of! One thing about Spinach is that it contains Oxalic Acid, which is not good for you in large amounts. It helps to dissipate it, by Boiling. So basically don't eat a lot of it Raw!
As you said, this country is really bad about educating the People about Pesticides,,Herbicides, and Insecticides! SE Asia has been Bamboozled by the large Corporation Monsanto! They developed a variety of Rice, that grows quickly, so the Farmers can get 2 or 3 crops a year. Which they think is a Big Bonus, But this variety of Rice is developed to require lots of synthetic fertilizers and Herbicides, and Insecticides! Have you ever noticed the Rice Farmer walking amongst the rice spreading White Granules all over the Paddy? Thats Urea, a Synthetic fertilizer, and then later walking amongst the Paddy, Spraying something all over the Rice? That's some kind of Insecticide and Weed Killer to get rid of Pests, and unwanted Weeds! unfortunately the Poor Farmer hasn't been told How Deadly that Shit is, He is Spraying Everywhere, without any protective clothing on, to protect Him from Exposure! I'm sure it is Not Beneficial to His Health!
Then of Course, these Chemicals, enter the final product, Which We All Eat! So back to Gardens, since it is so difficult to Grow food now, especially on an Industrial Scale, Most of the Food We Eat. contains a lot of things, We are unaware of! The best we can do is, try to grow your own, Organically, or buy Organic, and when you bring the Food home, Wash it all very good before Consuming! Good Luck, and Enjoy your Next Meal!

 

[Wisnu]

Growing vegetables, fruits, and other agricultural plants for personal use is not difficult. It's very possible to do it completely organically. Hydroponic systems are also not difficult and are very suitable for leafy green plants and other plants. I even tried hydroponics for marigolds.
So far, I've been quite successful growing green beans, long beans, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, chili peppers, Italian sweet peppers, eggplant, basil, mint, lemongrass, turmeric, rosemary, and for hydroponics: bok choy, romaine lettuce, kale, and water spinach.
For fruits, my passion fruit plants produce a lot of fruit. Papayas are quite okay. Mamey sapote, sapodilla, star fruit, coconuts, and kaffir lime are also doing very well. Mangoes, avocados, durians, and water apples have not yet produced fruit.
For food crops, it's not easy to go fully organic. Currently, for rice, I use organic base fertilizer, but the subsequent fertilizers are a combination of organic and chemical. Pesticides for rice - no way for full organic.
I also planted a fairly large number of marigolds, about 500 plants - using a combination of organic and chemical methods - and I also use them as a refuge for other plants.

 

[john madden]

Growing vegetables, fruits, and other agricultural plants for personal use is not difficult. It's very possible to do it completely organically. Hydroponic systems are also not difficult and are very suitable for leafy green plants and other plants. I even tried hydroponics for marigolds.
So far, I've been quite successful growing green beans, long beans, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, chili peppers, Italian sweet peppers, eggplant, basil, mint, lemongrass, turmeric, rosemary, and for hydroponics: bok choy, romaine lettuce, kale, and water spinach.
For fruits, my passion fruit plants produce a lot of fruit. Papayas are quite okay. Mamey sapote, sapodilla, star fruit, coconuts, and kaffir lime are also doing very well. Mangoes, avocados, durians, and water apples have not yet produced fruit.
For food crops, it's not easy to go fully organic. Currently, for rice, I use organic base fertilizer, but the subsequent fertilizers are a combination of organic and chemical. Pesticides for rice - no way for full organic.
I also planted a fairly large number of marigolds, about 500 plants - using a combination of organic and chemical methods - and I also use them as a refuge for other plants.

@Wisnu - would you agree that cherry tomatoes are the only variety worth attempting? Others are too subject to disease?

 

[Wisnu]

@Wisnu - would you agree that cherry tomatoes are the only variety worth attempting? Others are too subject to disease?

@john madden
All plants subject to disease/pest, but some are more susceptible than others, and this depends on the location and season too. We must manage them effectively whether yellow trap, manual removal, organically, or chemically as a last resort. In the rainy season, tomatoes and chilies are more susceptible than green beans, long beans, or eggplant. Which are still good. I only planted six cherry tomatoes, and two of them had to be removed, while previously from 20 plants only 2 had been removed. Likewise, all the fig trees suffered from leaf rust, so I had to remove most leaves.

 

[jstar]

Have a friend in South America who has a company which is using hydro. And even if it looks very clean and healthy, there are many additives necessary to get some better taste. It was rather bland. And the chemicals used for cleaning…

Durian and jackfruit take many years to bear fruit, I completely gave up on those, for figs it’s too hot. Jambu and obviously mango and avocado are much easier. The latter is a bit like a grape with the possibility of keeping it in bonsai format. Talking about that, the same for coffee plants. Curry also grows rather well but the sticky mealybugs are a disaster; huge work to apply a mix of spritus and sabun cuci piring.

 

[Wisnu]

Figs are very good here, produce fruits quickly within 3 months, the only problem is fungal rusty leaves during rainy season.

 

[ChrisOnBali]

I was running a couple of hydroponic racks last year with 60-odd plants in each, mainly Basil, Pak Choi, Sawi Sambong(?) and a couple of others, plus tomatoes in soil. Worked really well, we were self-sufficient in salads and Pak Choi for a while and had enough for my wife's parents too. Am a bit busy to keep it up at the moment and the rain is a pain as it dilutes the nutrient solution and can be quite destructive to infant plants when it's heavy, but will be restarting when the rain goes away.

The main tip I'd pass on is to bury the reservoir (make it bigger than you really need, 2 or 3 times as big if possible; keeps it cooler and easier to get the PH etc. correct and stable) of nutrient in a shady place if possible and pipe the liquid to/from the hydro rack. I had one reservoir shared between the 2 racks and a few metres of PVC pipe in-between (with a fairly powerful pump in the reservoir and the pipe splitting in two near to the racks and same in reverse for the return feed), helped keep the temperatures down a lot and meant only one body of liquid to measure and maintain and less electrical cabling too (though risks both racks if it gets yucky - I used 2 little UV lights and a good bit of bubble generation in the tank, never had that problem).

I probably won't restart with the tomato plants, easy enough to grow but quite labour intensive with the pruning and last time I asked her, my missus said they were 4,000 a kilo at the farmer's market she goes to in Denpasar so actually cheaper to just buy the bloomin' things !

Apols if I don't respond to any comments, am only on Reddit for a short while, might not log in again for months, just thought I'd throw in my 2p's worth, hydro veggies work really well here, even for the beginner I was at the start.

 

[ChrisOnBali]

@Wisnu - would you agree that cherry tomatoes are the only variety worth attempting? Others are too subject to disease?

I got a good bit of 'blossom end rot' with mine at first, which is primarily about not enough calcium, mashing up used egg shells and steeping them in water, plus mixing them in as-is with the soil for long-term seeping worked pretty well, didn't get rid of it completely but made a big difference.