We hope to be moving to the Caribbean shortly & will have about 1 acre of ground.

We shall be planting potatoes,tomatoes,yams,onions,watermelons .Already growing on site are limes,shaddocks,grapefruit,soursop,breadfruit,oranges,guava, banana & sweet apple.

There are a few well established coffee bushes growing off site.Can these be transplanted ?

What kind of pests & diseases should we expect? We noticed that the limes had sooty mould & some sort of aphid was attacking the sour sop.

Advice gratefully received.

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), September 11, 1999

Answers

Chris,

I think I've figured it out! Are jam pot covers the same thing as canning lids?

Don't forget coconuts, mangoes, loquats, kumquats, pineapple, green beans, squash, strawberries and peppers, if you like them. Congratulations on your move! I can't recall any significant problems growing these things (in south Florida), but others will know more.

Have fun, and hope you gettled settled in before The Change.

-- Jill D. (jdance@mindspring.com), September 12, 1999.

Jill, Jampot covers in the UK consist of a circle of greaseproof paper & a circle of cellophane.If you are making a jam (I think you might call it a jelly ?) such as marmalade,you pour the marmalade into a glass jam jar(recycling say a pickle jar),put the greaseproof paper on the surface of the marmalade & then cover the top of the jar with the cellophane.This is secured by a rubber band.Jam stored in this way will last about 6 months in a cool dark place.

I'd forgotten the mango tree and the coconut palms !I was reading that an an essential prep before a hurricane is to fetch down all your coconuts.How we are going to do that I do not know as they are fully mature palm trees.Monkeys appear to be the worst pest as are loose cows.

This autumn I am following the hurricane watch sites for the first time as I shall be leaving in a couple of weeks.Last year Georges really devastated the Island.BTW,good luck with Floyd.

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), September 12, 1999.

Chris, did Taz give you the good hurricane watch sites? If not, ask her!

Also Florida State U should have lots of growing info on tropical stuff. Avocadoes come to mind immediately. I don't like them but Sweetie would commit crimes for them. If I find anything, I'll come back and post it.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), September 12, 1999.

Looks as if I hit pay dirt! Found a Florida Ag forum with all sorts of great posts you'll love! One of them asks about growing conditions in Jamaica, another about lime diseases--right up your alley!

http://netforum.ifas.ufl.edu/htbin/netforum/public/a.cgi/1/

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), September 12, 1999.