Forestter Blog

If you are maintaining turf on a golf course, it has to be almost perfect. However most folks aren’t held to such high standards when it comes to a home garden. The important thing to know is that plants produce oxygen and sequester carbon thus helping to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. So grass, shrubs and trees are helping to reduce the negative effects of global warming.  Whether you have a home with a large yard or an apartment with a small lanai, plants create a more luxurious mood.  Attractive trees, shrubs and lawns actually increase the value of a home.  In fact, if you cut down that big shade tree in the front yard, you may actually be reducing the value of your property by thousands of dollars.  Just think how much it would cost to have a landscape company replace it! When trees are destroyed, it affects the whole community. The key to success is to put the right plants in the right place. Hot sunny areas of the islands require shady gardens to create a comfortable environment. Windbreaks are important to reduce excessive winds. Many tropical landscapes do not include grass. Examples may be found in books like “Tropical Asia Style”, “Thai Garden Style” and several books featuring the Hawaiian landscape. The use of palms adds even more luxuriance to the design. Besides trees, shrubs and bedding plants, one of the main elements of many landscapes is ground covers including grass.  It might be Bermuda, Buffalo, Centipede, Zoysia, Seashore Paspalum, or a mix.  Whatever type lawn it is, green and healthy is the key. It is important to remember that lawns generally require more maintenance, fertilizer and water than more deeply rooted ground covers, shrubs and trees. Thus, many communities are minimizing turf except in parks and recreational areas like golf courses. However, it is pleasing to see a healthy, well maintained lawn.  An expanse of green lawn can serve as the right setting for the homes they surround. Photo courtesy of Voltaire Moise Foundation plants by the house with a low maintenance zoysia lawn, shade trees and Areca palms as a screening between neighbors make a tropical garden lush and private to be enjoyed. When each home gardener in a neighborhood like Kahakai Estates makes this kind of effort, this creates an urban forest that all can enjoy.Sent from my iPhone Artistically, lawns serve as the plain element in a garden picture, offering contrast of simple greenness to surrounding mixtures of color, texture and form in flower and foliage.  This simplicity should be maintained by keeping the smooth sweep of lawn undisturbed by intrusions of shrubs and trees. This does not mean that shrubs and trees may not be placed at strategic spots on the lawn.  If carefully done, these may be used without disturbing the unity of the picture.  But in general, it is best to keep the lawn uncluttered and unobstructed.   From a practical standpoint in the tropics, a lawn serves a number of ends.  First, it reduces heat and glare as the sun beats down on the earth.  Green is a soothing color.  No doubt that is why there is so much of it in nature.  Second, it controls mud and erosion.  It definitely beats concrete and asphalt or gravel. The chief value of a lawn over other kinds of ground covers is that it offers a pleasing place to walk and play, as well as being artistic.  In a dry area, a grass such as Bermuda makes a successful path, or can be used for auto parking. A well maintained grass cover also offers one of the easiest ways to control weeds. Just mow frequently and fertilize occasionally, making sure the grass cover has sufficient water to keep its green color. Of course, if you want a perfect lawn that is a different proposition.   Your idea may be just a green expanse to set off the surrounding landscape. Then it really does not matter of what the expanse consists. It may be a combination of grasses kept in check by frequent mowing. Ordinarily, grass is not a good cover for steep sloping areas where it is difficult to handle the mower.  In spots such as these, it is wiser to use ground covers and shrubs. Lawns are a garden heritage from Europe.  They are not typical in the Orient except through Western introduction.  Oriental design uses moss, pebbles or sand for its plain element in landscaping.  But in England, turf is key to the landscape and has become an essential part of the garden tradition.  Mainland Americans have inherited this tradition.  They generally consider a lawn a necessary part of the landscape.  However, in the wet tropics, turf is generally not a part of the native picture, since meadows are infrequent.  Here, it is a good idea to stop and consider whether or not a lawn is an essential part of your garden. In many parts of the mainland where water may be scarce and expensive, grass is fast disappearing as an aesthetic element. Jungle effects with paths and patios tend to relate to the tropics more than do extensive lawns.  And yet even here, there is much use of the lawn in open expanses around a dwelling. A perfect lawn in the tropics is an expensive proposition.  To keep it perfect requires constant attention to weeding, fertilizing, mowing, watering, and control of diseases.  Just about the time you think you have everything under control, some new condition arises, and the lawn goes up in smoke. Today there is a strong inclination to let the lawn be more informal along with the rest of the garden.  Such a mixed green cover has its appeal, being more like a meadow than the monoculture lawn. A semi-natural lawn like this has its practical aspect also.  It reduces maintenance by eliminating most of the weeding and also the struggle to make one kind of grass grow under the varying

After 45 years of living in the cool mountain mists of Kaloko Mauka’s Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary, we have decided to move. Life at 3000 feet elevation and 100 inches of well distributed precipitation makes almost anything easy to grow except ultra tropical plants like coconut palms and breadfruit. Due to getting older, we have opted for a new experience and moved to 100 feet elevation and very little rain in Kahakai Estates. Now the children and grandchildren are taking over the teaching at the Sanctuary. You may still visit the Cloud Forest by checking out the website, konacloudforest.com. In the meantime, we are dealing with a whole new environment. Temperatures seldom go below 70 degrees and the sun is intense. This requires planting for shade and supplementary irrigation. The soil is rocky and young that is low in organic matter.  That said, mulch is a great way to build soil that retains moisture. When weather conditions are dry, it is a good time to explore ways to conserve water.  Organic material is essential to good soil.  Well decomposed organic matter helps increase water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil. Materials like leaves and clippings used as surface mulch can help conserve moisture and keep weeds under control.  Nematodes, those little microscopic worms that feed on your roots, will do less damage in a high organic soil.  Organic matter may also increase the minor element and microbiological activity of your soil.   For these reasons, save your grass clippings and leaves.  They are like money in the bank.  You can store these materials in a corner of the garden. Decay of plant material deposited in a compost pile can be hastened through the use of fertilizer. For each bushel of leaves, grass clippings or pruning tips, add two cups of balanced fertilizer and one cup crushed coral or hydrated lime. Build the compost pile in layer-cake method, a layer of plant material six inches deep.  Continue until the pile is four feet high or so. After the pile shows signs that decay is well under way, usually 4 to 5 weeks, mix the pile by turning it over.  A pitchfork would come in handy at this point.  The compost is ready to use in about three months.  It is an excellent material to mix with soil for vegetable gardens and new plantings. Anthurium and many other aroids especially thrive on well drained compost mixed with volcanic cinder. They love that high organic, well-aerated mix with good water retention capability, yet good drainage.  A good mix needs to be able to anchor the roots and stem so that the plant will not topple over as it grows upward yet provide sufficient moisture, nutrients, and aeration to the plant.  Cinder or crushed rock added to composted wood shavings, sugar-cane bagasse, macadamia nut shells, or peat or tree bark will serve to better anchor the roots. Even with composting and mulching, you will still need to fertilize your garden. Many Hawaiian soils are very young and low in nutrients.  Larger amounts of fertilizer are needed for growing plants and lawn grasses, than where soils are older and better developed. The soil is not only lacking in the primary elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but it is deficient in the “minor elements” such as copper, zinc, and boron. When plants are grown in these mineral deficient soils and fertilized with ordinary plant foods, they often develop various deficiencies. Several years ago, plant doctors studied these deficiencies and learned not only how to recognize the affected plants, but they learned also that they could be corrected by spraying with the mineral solutions in which the plant was deficient. But what average gardener has the training that enables him to recognize deficiency symptoms in plants? To overcome this problem, nutritional spray was developed.  It is a mixture that contains about all of the minerals in which a plant can be deficient. At first it was necessary to add lime in order to neutralize these solutions; but now garden stores have mixes that require no lime. Some plants are more subject to mineral deficiencies than are other plants.  Especially vulnerable to mineral deficiencies such as dieback, mottled-leaf, small-leaf and yellow-leaf are hibiscus, gardenia, mock orange, ixora, mangoes, avocados, macadamia, coffee and citrus. Two to three times a year is usually enough to apply a nutritional spray. Commercial growers apply the nutritional spray as a preventive measure.  It is easier to prevent deficiencies than to correct them. In new gardens, it may be necessary to apply a nutritional spray about every three months for the first year in order to keep ahead of deficiencies. Along with the nutritional spray, it is a good idea to use a soil application of the minor elements.  Magnesium, iron and zinc are the most important elements, but occasionally we find plants with boron, manganese, copper and other “trace” element deficiencies.  There are several “shot gun” combinations available at your garden supply store.  Some plants require larger amounts of certain elements than other plants.  As you get acquainted with our tropicals, you will find for example that iron is especially important on ixoras, hibiscus, azaleas, and gardenias or that magnesium keeps leaves of coconut and areca palms from getting orange colored and dying prematurely.  Zinc is the vital element in growing Queen palms, Royal palms and palms in the date group. Photo courtesy of Voltaire Moise Magnesium deficiency of Areca palms causes leaves to turn orange and die prematurely .This may be corrected by regular soil  applications of magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts) at 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. Increasing your soil organic matter and using a “shot gun” treatment as a spray or soil application or both will keep your plants from having these deficiencies under most conditions.  Remember to follow directions on the label.  Too much of the important plant nutrient materials can be as bad as too little! For further information call the UH College of Tropical

The old saying that March comes like a lion and leaves like a lamb usually holds true, but this year, only time will tell. Spring flowering trees are on schedule like the cherry blossoms of upland Waimea. Check them out soon before they disappear for another year. As they begin to fade, blue jacaranda, silver oak and ohia will begin to brighten the landscape. Coffee trees in Kona and other parts of our island are in bloom as well. Later in the spring, royal poinciana and rainbow shower trees will brighten our streets and gardens. The African tulip trees will also be making a spectacular display of red, orange and the rare yellow form as the weather warms. The genus Tabebuia, or trumpet tree, is well represented in Hawaii with many species. Most come from the Caribbean and Central and South America. They flower best where there is a defined dry season like West Hawaii. There was a time when forests covered much of the lands that are now grassland and desert in Hawaii. However, with the introduction of grazing animals, our forests began to shrink. The vast koa forests of the Kohala mountains, mauka Kona and East Hawaii are now mere remnants of their past glory. Loss of forests affects the climate, making it hotter, dryer and windier. Even areas like Hilo experience extremes of flood and drought when forests are removed. Lucky for us, some folks know the value of forests and windbreaks. Our progressive ranchers are planting some koa and eucalyptus at higher elevations. Then there are groups like the Outdoor Circles, 4-H, Scouts and Lions clubs that are doing what they can to reforest. Unfortunately, the Kona Outdoor Circle that did so much to make Kona “clean, green and beautiful” is no longer active. However, all it would take to revive this important organization would be to have a few energetic community leaders get the ball rolling. Back in the 1980s, there were almost a thousand members who worked with the landscape industry and developers to encourage tree planting, underground utilities, and reduce the number of ugly signs and billboards. These amazing citizens were also involved in the overall planning and development of West Hawaii. Now, well-planned areas like Mauna Lani, Waikoloa and Mauna Kea Resorts are literally being transformed into tropical oases. The coconut palms planted along Hilo’s Bayfront, Punaluu Black Sand Beach, the old Kona airport and numerous other projects were the result of organized community effort, but all this is just not enough. So, how can we as individuals help beautify and make our environments more enjoyable? One example, is residents in areas like Kaloko mauka, Kona are getting involved in the Forestry Divisions’ forest stewardship program, Hawaii Island Land Trust and Moku o Keawe. Even small lots add up. By planting trees in your garden, you can actually change the micro-climate and make your neighborhood several degrees cooler in the summer. If you place your trees just right, you can even create a garden climate that is milder during cool, windy periods. It’s really interesting when you expand these basic principles. What happens when everyone in your neighborhood or community plants shade trees? Well, you can actually change the climate over fairly large areas. Foresters have research data that supports the theory that reforestation may increase local rainfall and modify temperature extremes. By the way, urban reforestation is what is happening when lots of folks in a neighborhood or town plant trees. Now, let’s look at the tree planting from another angle. Visitors bring millions of dollars to Hawaii each year. Our sunny winter skies are a big attraction. It used to be that our beaches and tropical woodlands were part of that appeal. Now, with urban sprawl on Oahu, some of our best beaches are disappearing. Our main salvation from endless asphalt alleys there, and here, is abundant landscaping. Planting trees to give shade and beautify our communities isn’t the complete answer, but it can help. Shopping is miserable when streets are barren and parking lots are hot and uncomfortable. Hotels, restaurants and gas stations that are attractively landscaped with shade trees, shrubs and grass attract customers. Even grocery and department stores are finding that landscaping pays off. Do an experiment by taking a thermometer around noon to one of our local parking lots, and place it in the shade under a tree. Then place it on the asphalt. It will probably read a temperature in the low 80s in the shade and more than one 120 degrees in the sun! In tree-planting activities, remember, proper planting is important, as well as a knowledge of the tree’s requirements. Maintenance is the limiting factor as to whether or not street planting is practical. Be sure to choose trees that fit the space in which they must grow. In some new developments, underground utilities are installed. This allows freedom from wires and poles. In such well-planned areas, street-side shade trees may be planted to minimize the negative impact of asphalt and concrete. In Hawaii, we have a wide variety of plants, both native and non-native. Those plants that arrived in Hawaii before the first human contact are considered natives. Those plants that arrived with the aid of Polynesians, Europeans, Chinese, Japanese or other groups of people settling here are considered introduced. Therefore, we have a wide variety for beauty and as a food source for both humans and our wildlife. By keeping abundant vegetation as an integral part of our human communities, we actually find a constant connection with our natural world. For more information on flowering trees to consider, contact the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Master Gardeners. In West Hawaii call (808) 322-4893 and for East Hawaii call (808) 981-5199.

March has a lot of history, hope and lore associated with it. For some superstitious folks, “Beware the Ides of March,” a quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, brings a sense of foreboding. Searching history, you can find yourself going down the rabbit hole seeking where it all started. The Book of Esther refers to the evil Haman’s plot to destroy all Jews in the days of Moses and the Pharaoh. This occurred in mid-March. Depending on which calendar you follow, mid-March is significant in the Quar’an where Haman’s ways are mentioned several times. He was not a good guy! Mid-March is also significant in Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism of India, but the focus is light overcoming darkness. Needless to say, it is easy to get over your head in all of this, so let’s move beyond ancient history and focus on our gardens and the arrival of spring. For most home gardeners, it means the joy of spring is just around the corner when grass, shrubs and trees begin active growth. This means hungry plants, so it is time to fertilize. It has been a dry winter for many parts of the Island, but in the past few weeks, some localities have had heavy rains that have leached our soils of nutrients. This makes it difficult to make general recommendations that apply to all locations. Parts of the windward side received enough precipitation to remove nutrients like nitrogen and actual topsoil as well. West Hawaii received much less but with our excessively porous rocky areas, even an inch of rain can leach important elements essential to plant growth. Where rains in some locations leached nutrients from the soil, farms, lawns and gardens may need fertilizer now. Warming temperatures and longer days cause active growth of coffee, ornamentals, macadamia and most other plants. Active growth requires a good supply of nutrients to assure abundant crops and healthy plants. If you have not applied fertilizer recently, now is an important time. As a general rule, new plantings should receive fertilizer every three to four months. Established landscapes may need less depending on the condition of the soil. Where rains and irrigation are sufficient, fertilizer applied now will perk up your garden. However, where there is insufficient moisture, fertilizing will aggravate the water stress condition so hold off unless you can irrigate. Here are some additional fertilizer tips. Be sure not to over-fertilize, nor wait too long between applications. Of course, the correct amount to use depends on the formula. The higher the formula, the less should be used. For example, a typical 20-20-20 is much more concentrated than an 8-8-8. Another thing to note is that the fertilizer may be a slow release or a quick release type. A formula that contains the three major fertilizer elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in a 1-1-1 ratio is a common one that is sufficient for many uses. For example, you might use a 16-16-16 or 14-14-14 or 8-8-8 for shrubs and other ornamentals. Use according to directions on the label. For the lawn, the turf specialists usually suggest enough fertilizer to give one pound of actual nitrogen per one thousand square feet. The formulation used for grass is usually high in nitrogen such as a 21-7-14, 16-6-8, and 28-3-5. The first number in the formula represents nitrogen. This nutrient is very likely to be deficient after heavy rains. Number of applications per year depends on type and grass and soil. Centipede grass does well with 2 or 3 applications, but hybrid Bermuda may need 6 to 12 if you want a golf course quality lawn. Don’t be confused by the vast array of fertilizer brands and formulas available. Most plants are not so specific in their nutritional needs that they can’t use and thrive on the same or similar fertilizer mixtures. The numbers represent the percent of nutrients in a bag. A mixture with a 1-1-1 ratio is very satisfactory for the majority of plants including potted houseplants. Some folks are upset when their garden supply dealers suggest a 10-30-10, 18-5-12, 20-10-10 or some other formula than a 1-1-1 ratio fertilizer. Plants will respond about the same for 18-6-12 as they will for 16-16-16. However, the middle number, phosphorus, is sometimes locked up in certain types of soils and is not available to plants. Phosphorus is the element that encourages strong roots and cell development. Homeowners who use lots of fertilizer containing phosphorus may over a long period of time build up too much in the soil. They would do better to use a low phosphorus fertilizer, if it has been supplied year after year in high amounts. Plants like macadamia trees and their relatives the Proteas are particularly sensitive to too much phosphorus. A formulation high in phosphorus and potassium like 2-8-10 has less nitrogen than most other formulations and has a tendency to stimulate flowering and fruiting of many plants. This type is commonly referred to as “bloom aid” or “fruit trees special.” When citrus fruit are puffy and dry, it is usually a sign of too much nitrogen and water. A 21-7-14 or 28-3-5 is quite high in nitrogen and has a tendency to stimulate leaf development. This type is often used on ornamental shrubs, trees and grasses. The minor elements, magnesium, zinc, and iron are also important and should be included in a good fertilization program. Chemical fertilizers are the most readily available and are the least expensive, but if you don’t mind the cost, organic fertilizers are often a better choice. Organic and other slow release sources of nutrients seem to have added benefits, since they last longer and do not over stimulate growth that may be more susceptible to insect and disease. Organics are also beneficial to the soil micro flora and fauna. Many ornamentals need extra applications of the minor elements, especially acid soil loving plants like ixora, hydrangea gardenia, citrus and many palms. Royal palms, queen palms, arecas and pygmy date palms in particular

A trip to less industrialized tropical and subtropical regions of the world can be very enlightening in some unexpected ways. By visiting these places, we can learn more about what tropical fruits are integral to the colorful cultures of the world. Most may be grown in Hawaii with our varied climate from tropical to temperate. There are literally hundreds of fruits yet to be found in the forests and local markets throughout South America, Africa and Asia. Many of these fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and energy. So the lesson for us may be instead of pies, cakes and cookies, consider fruit for your sweets. Those vitamin pills on your shelf, besides being pretty expensive items, are not nearly as palatable and eye-appealing as fresh fruit, especially when it is grown in your own back yard. You can purchase books on fruits of Hawaii from local garden centers and bookstores that give descriptions, nutritional value and uses of most of these fruits. Take Vitamin A, for instance. One papaya is supposed to contain 4,000 IU’s (International Units) while 5,000 IU’s per day are listed as adequate. Passion fruit and relatives like banana poka, poha, avocados and surinam cherry are other South American fruits high in Vitamin A. Other South American fruits to consider are rollinia, cherimoya and white sapote, just to mention a few. Some fruits famous for their contribution of Vitamin C are guava, papaya, soursop, poha, various cactus fruit and passion fruit. One of the fruits highest in Vitamin C is the acerola or Barbados cherry. The fruit is not a cherry but a member of the malpighia family. The family is a fairly familiar ornamental shrub in many gardens and bears the highest known Vitamin C content fruit. As a comparison, oranges average 49 milligrams of vitamin per 100 grams of edible fruit (100 grams is about 3 1/2 ounces), while the Barbados cherry, picked as they are turning green to red, average over 4,000 units per 100 grams! Don’t forget the pineapple. Even though we see them commonly in the stores, it is fun to grow your own. The pineapple will produce several crops a year if you have a large number of plants; varieties like Red Spanish, Smooth Cayenne, Queen and Abakka are found in our gardens. When grown in the home garden, they tend to be much sweeter than the commercial fruit found at the supermarket. In addition, there are dozens of less known fruits, like the Mountain Apple and its relatives that make outstanding ornamental shrubs and trees as well as fruit producers. Although the Mountain Apple is native to India and Malaya, Jaboticaba, Pitanga and Grumichana are also very attractive with delicious fruits. The common Surinam cherry, also in this family, has fruit that vary from tasty to terrible depending on seedlings. Another favorite in its homeland is the Sapodilla, Chicle or Chewing Gum Tree. It is an attractive shade tree that grows to about 30 feet. The dark brown fruit is about the size of an orange and tastes like a combination of brown sugar and butter. It will tolerate wet or dry conditions and will grow from sea level to 2,000 feet. Before you plant, remember, the adaptability of a fruit tree to moisture, temperature and wind conditions will be important factors determining selection. For example, West Indian avocado would have a chance of success in warmer, lower areas, but would be a definite gamble in high, wet inland locations. By the same token, Mexican strains are desirable in the higher, cooler areas. In addition to adaptability to temperature conditions, there are other factors to consider in selecting fruit trees. Fruits for home use should be selected on the basis of eating quality, rather than for their market appearance or shipping endurance. Pollination requirements must not be overlooked in selecting fruits. Solo papaya need no pollinators, but avocado varieties should be chosen with regard to assuring proper pollination. Pest resistance as a factor in selecting fruit trees is more important to the homeowner than to the commercial grower because the commercial grower has equipment for pest control while the homeowner may not. The less pesticides required, the better. Selection of fruits for the home grounds should assure a long season of available fruit by use of a series of varieties of early, mid-season, and late production within the range for the species. There are hundreds of fruits that can be grown in our Hawaiian gardens, and thanks to the Hawaii tropical fruit growers efforts, we are soon to have many more. If you need help on selecting fruit trees, contact the Master Gardener Helpline at 322-4893 in Kona or 981-5199 in Hilo.

Some might disagree, but recent travels in the tropical world to discover a better place has brought me to the conclusion that we are blessed and should appreciate what we have here at home. Foremost is the aloha expressed in the way we treat one another. When it comes to our natural environment, our islands have few dangers except for rare volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. Excessive exposure to the sun can be dangerous and people drown every year by being careless at the beach or hiking in the mountains. Although there are very few poisonous native plants, some common exotic landscape plants are toxic such as oleander, crotons and angel trumpets. Some people can experience skin reactions like exposure to poison ivy from cashew and mango trees. When it comes to animals, most folks don’t know that we have a native very poisonous snake. The yellow-bellied sea snake is found through out the tropical Pacific, including Hawaii. Then there are the giant cane toads or Bufo marinus that some have confused with bullfrogs. The toad’s skin is toxic so eating them is bad news! We also have a cute green and black poison frog on Oahu. It is not a good idea to play with them. There is another kind of peril that isn’t quite so obvious and it is the destruction to our environment by accidently introducing diseases and pests. Many of the plant diseases we have today did not exist before humans arrived. Once here, they are not easy to control. The best disease prevention measure you can take with ornamental plants, fruits and vegetables is to start with healthy or disease-resistant plants. A common fungus referred to as Plumeria Rust is showing up on many garden plumeria when we have wet weather. This disease is relatively new to Hawaii. Symptoms show up as a rusty appearance on the underside of leaves. This causes premature yellowing and dying of leaves. According to University of Hawaii plant pathologists, once a plant becomes badly diseased, it is difficult to nurse it back to health. For this reason, every effort should be made to prevent introduction of disease causing organisms on plant material or in soil. Many common plant diseases are caused by fungal organisms. Others are caused by virus and bacteria. Identifying the cause is vital to knowing the proper cure. Plants in poor growth are usually more susceptible to these diseases. Good cultural and sanitation practices will help prevent trouble such as removing diseased parts like leaves or branches as soon as they appear affected. Treat pruning wounds with a specially prepared material to stop entrance of wood decaying organisms and wood feeding insects. For treatment of fungus diseased plants, fungicide applications should begin when disease development first appears and should continue as recommended by the manufacturer. Algae commonly grow on the surface of soil that is moist for periods of time. This is very common during the rainy season. These minute green plants often develop in such profusion that it forms a rather thick, greenish to blackish mat. Growth of such magnitude in a turf planting is detrimental to the grass because algae actively compete with the grass for both space and nutrients. In addition, if the algae mat dries, it forms a crust that retards or prevents the movement of water into the soil. If this occurs, the grass is subjected to a moisture stress directly due to the presence of the algae. The same conditions that favor the growth of algae also favor the growth of fungi that cause turf grass diseases. In fact, a close association has been noted between frequent disease outbreaks and the presence of algae. Therefore it is desirable to control both these problems with one practice. Reducing the moisture level would be the ideal method, however, in many situations, this is not possible. Other control measures must be used. The use of fungicides that are effective against both turf diseases and algae is an efficient method of control. Your local garden supply or nursery can assist you on the correct material to use. You may also call the Master Gardener hotline at the UH College of Tropical Agriculture. In Hilo, the main number is 981-5199. In Kona, the main number is 322-4892. You may then be directed to extension staff or Master Gardeners to assist you. Bacteria, fungus and algae are not always doing harm. Our edible Limu is an alga, yogurt is the result of a certain type of bacteria, and those delicious mushrooms on your steak are a type of fungi. These beneficial organisms are important to a healthy soil, and to healthy nutrition. Many that are yet to be discovered may be key in developing new drugs to fight disease in plants, animals and man. However, prevention of disease organisms is vital and includes keeping them out of Hawaii. Some folks are unhappy when they find they can’t bring certain plants or seeds to Hawaii, or if they can, they have to go through all kinds of red tape, fumigation or extended quarantines to introduce new plants. They might smuggle a few plants thinking it won’t make any difference. This attitude couldn’t be further from the truth or more dangerous. If it weren’t for people bringing in disease and insect infested plant materials, our island would not be plagued with such creatures as fruit flies, burrowing nematodes and many other pests that damage food crops as well as ornamentals. There are ways to bring in new plants to Hawaii legally. The state Department of Agriculture and USDA Plant Quarantine Office can give you the details. By following the law, hundreds of new plant introductions are being made each year. These can enrich our lives without bringing with them unwanted insects and diseases that could bring disaster to our economy. Norman Bezona is professor emeritus, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

By Norman Bezona Professor emeritus, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources The dry weather from Thanksgiving to January created conditions for heavy flowering when a rainy spell in mid January stimulated a big flush of flowering shortly thereafter. When Kona has a wet winter and flowering is intermitant, it results in a longer harvest season. This year harvest shoud be concentrated thus making the harvest short and heavy if all else goes well. Coffee was introduced to Hawaii almost 200 years ago, but it thrived best in Kona where the unique climate and soils were ideal. Kona coffee has experienced a quiet birth over a century ago, growth, expansion, almost death and a rebirth that has put Kona on the map as a number one producer of top quality coffee. According to some top coffee marketers, Kona coffee is now considered to be the one of the world’s most sought after gourmet coffees. Each November our coffee festivals have been an opportunity for kamaaina and visitors to get aquainted with farmers, processors. However a drive through mauka Kona now is a beautiful sight. The fragrant blossoms fill the air with perfume, especially when our coffee is in bloom. We now have more coffee grown in Kona and the state of Hawaii than at any time in years. This expansion of Kona’s coffee is not the first time we have had a boom but now that our coffee is considered gourmet, we are working together to avoid the boom and bust syndrome of the world’s coffee industry. The Kona coffee industry was born with a few coffee trees brought over from Oahu. They were first planted in 1828 by a missionary and teacher, Samuel Ruggles. These were descendants of plants that came to Oahu from Brazil a few years earlier. During the next almost 200 years, Hawaiian coffee has had many ups and downs, but creative marketing and cooperative efforts have insured a bright future. Coffea arabica is the species grown here exclusively. Other species of any commercial importance, but not grown here, include Coffea robusta and Coffea liberica. Examples of these and several related species may be seen at the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agricultre and Human Resources Experiment Station in Kainaliu. Call 322-4892 to arrange a visit. The extension and research staff there has been instrumental in the success of the coffee industry. Kona coffee is comparable to the finest of Central American mild coffees. The beans are heavy and flinty, with relatively high acidity, strong flavor, full body and fine aroma. It has been in demand as a blend, and in recent years as 100% pure Kona. Although coffee can be grown in many areas of Hawaii, the Kona district is ideal. Being situated on the western leeward slopes of the central highland mass of the Big Island, it is protected from the prevailing northeast tradewinds by Mauna Loa and Hualalai volcanoes. Coffee has a long history in Kona. It has persisted despite many adversities, overcome economic depressions, and for many decades was considered to be the economic backbone of the Kona District. Growing coffee has not been a limiting factor, since it grows wild in the understory of upland forests. The problems are the intense labor involved in pruning, fertilizing and harvesting. For many years, local schools allowed students vacation time to help farm families harvest the crop. When this ended farm help from Central and South America came to our rescue. The late Edward Fukunaga, a well known and respected coffee expert in Kona, pointed out to me that when he first became Kona County Agricultural Agent in September, 1941, the coffee industry was in a terrible state. The farmers were deeply in debt yet world coffee prices continued falling. Debt adjustments and government relief were the order of the day. Over 1000 acres of coffee were abandoned in 10 years following the price crash. Another 1500 acres were to be abandoned before 1950. Perhaps the most tragic thing that took place during the coffee depression was the exodus of the younger people from Kona. Only the aged were left to tend the farms in many families. However things perked up after the war as world coffee prices rose and farmers thrived through the 50’s. The awakening of todays vibrant and romantic coffee industry is complicated, but the key was teamwork. The concept of gourmet coffee, according to Curtis Tyler Jr. who was manager of the American Factors Coffee Mill in Kailua came up as early as the 50’s, but it took years to bring the concept to fruition. Wing and Mayflower Coffee companies were the first to roast and package the highest quality Kona, but it was tourism that ultimately exposed Kona coffee to the world. Pacific Coffee Cooperative led by Mr. Yoshitaka Takashiba and Kona Farmers Cooperative managed by Les Glaspey and Bill Koepke were active in revitalizing the Kona Coffee Council. Tom Kerr, as chairman of the council, was instrumental in bringing all the diverse interests of the industry together. Today we have a new breed of coffee farmers producing world class estate coffees. Some original farms have survived the years and are thriving. Others are owned or operated by entrepreneurs from the mainland, Japan, Southeast Asia and Latin America. There have been challenges in the past like lack of folks to harvest. This may be a problem again with deportation of workers. Also when new insects or diseases occur, it can affect the quality. A good example is the accidental introduction of the coffee berry borer. It was first discovered on Hawaii Island in 2010 and has severely affected production. Fortunately, there are biological controls like a tiny parasitic wasp (Phymastichus coffea) being released in Hawaii to attack the borer. University of Hawaii reseachers have deemed the wasp safe and should begin to reduce the borer damage. There are several other insects and diseases that could impact coffee production, so it is important to avoid