Gardening in the Tropics

I am learning to work with the land.

My backyard

When I decided to live in Colombia, I didn´t realize how completely different it would be to garden. 

My ultimate goal for my farm, even before I had a farm, was to be almost completely self-sufficient. I set small goals, so my six-month goal is to buy less in town and, in the future, nothing. 

That is a far-off dream, and some days, when I am in the garden, I think how easy it is to go to the store, buy things, and come home. 

I think the same thing about how much easier having a 9–5 is versus being an entrepreneur/writer/creator. I never realized how easy my old life was; I was also bored to tears.

Easy does not always mean better.

And I would choose hard over easy any day. 

So yesterday, I took my machete, shovel, and trusty companion, my puppy, and we collected yuca and plantains. 

The other day, when I was walking around the property, I noticed that a few trees had fallen from all the rains we have had lately. It is not rainy season, but it rains almost every night, which is why it is so lush and green here.

I know you can grow yuca and plantains in the US, too, in places where it is hot all year round. However, here, it is never below 60F, so it is optimal for almost all plants—except the ones that like it cold. 

I plan on testing that theory, though. I am convinced that the grounds here can grow anything. Everything grows.

I don´t have a green thumb, but the one thing I am good at is fixing the soil. Which to me appears to be the secret to growing anything. 

I used to think it was the plant’s or the seed’s fault for not germinating. Then, one day, I thought, if the soil I plant into is unhealthy, nothing will grow. 

So, I hyperfocused on my compost and learned how to work with fungus and bacteria. I also learned what types of plants grow well together; some complement others better than others. 

It is also important to plant what is native to the lands and learn about the indigenous cultures and what and how they cultivated the lands.

You can also tell what grows well, such as plantains, bananas, yuca, coffee, and avocados. As well as you can tell by what types of foods the locals eat. We eat a lot of arepas. 

An arepa is a ground corn flatbread typically eaten in Colombia and Venezuela. However, the two arepas are made differently. The arepa we eat here in Colombia are flat, and many people complain they do not like them. 

They are perfect if you are gluten-free. It is a corn flatbread. 

We eat them every day; I love them. This also tells me that corn, beans, and squash will grow in this area. Also known as the three sisters crops that almost all natives in this area grew.

The three sisters are complementary crops, just as coffee, yuca, and plantains are complementary crops that grow well together.

I see growing food as a system, growing together. 

The mindset of monoculture is the worst way to grow food. Instead, I will use the soil in a give-and-take method when growing together. Learn to work with the soil instead of against it, which is one of the reasons the jungles are so lush. 

When you walk around the jungle, you see trees and plants of all different varieties, which is how I plan on growing here on my farm. I grow plants close together, and my plants thrive; the more I pack in a tiny space, the better they do. 

I have learned this from trial and error.

Humans can learn from nature. It is not about everyone being the same but about everyone thriving and living together by being our unique selves without judging others—just a thought.

I plan on making yuca arepas and eating lots of soup. Colombians make a soup called Sancocho, one of my favorite dishes. It is a long process, always made outside on a fire and contains yuca. 

One day, I will have a local teach me, and I will report back:)

Today, there is a chill in the air, as there is a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico; we are also affected by cooler weather and rain. 

I will work on a small garden to grow beans and squash and hopefully find a perfect spot to plant pineapple. 

Tenga un buen día 

XOXO

S

I of course made a video:)