For Â鶹´«Ã½ residents, a thriving home garden starts with choosing the right plants. After a virus decimated his banana plants, Kalei Hale visited the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City on January 21, to find reliable alternatives at a free seedling sharing and education event hosted by the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ (CTAHR).
Proven plants for Â鶹´«Ã½
The centerpiece of the event was distributing CTAHR-field tested Romaine lettuce seedlings, a variety thoroughly tested for Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯²õ climate.
“We¡¯ve conducted research on a number of Romaine varieties, and we know this variety does well in local conditions,” said Jari Sugano, CTAHR¡¯²õ Oʻahu County administrator. “The featured variety, Sparx, can tolerate the heat on Oʻahu. It doesn¡¯t require cool conditions, which is typically what Romaine requires.”
Beyond food crops, the event provided lei plant cuttings, including pikake, plumeria and crown flowers, and hearty foliage such as Song of India and Song of Jamaica. These selections ensure that both food and ornamental gardens can thrive despite tropical challenges and help growers succeed.
CTAHR staff and interns provided guidance on crop nutrition, weed control and fertilizer use to help new seedlings mature into full plants. Attendees, including staff from Catholic Charities Â鶹´«Ã½ who picked up plants for kupuna, were given the tools to immediately begin growing their own food or beautifying their homes.
Turning setbacks into success
For Hale, using proven plants and time-tested growing methods has already made a difference. After ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ lettuce starters he bought at a CTAHR student fundraiser grew into “huge” heads in just a few weeks, he returned to collect the heat-tolerant Romaine seedlings and straw mulch for his new aquaponics system. By focusing on research-backed varieties, home gardeners such as Hale are finding a more manageable and successful path to self-sufficiency.