Several different nuts and nut-like plants grow well in Hawaii and can be grown without going nuts. Today, the Sanctuary of Mana Kea Gardens is sponsoring an event offering advice on growing macadamia nuts as well as the nut-like coconut. Both of these are established staples in the Hawaiian diet as well as being important plants in our economy. Both produce delicious and nutritious food and valuable products.
Several different nuts and nut-like plants grow well in Hawaii and can be grown without going nuts. Today, the Sanctuary of Mana Kea Gardens is sponsoring an event offering advice on growing macadamia nuts as well as the nut-like coconut. Both of these are established staples in the Hawaiian diet as well as being important plants in our economy. Both produce delicious and nutritious food and valuable products.
Mac nuts are edible fresh and even tastier when dried and roasted. Salts or sugary coatings add to their wonderful flavor. They can also be substituted for other nuts in savory dishes like pesto or added to desserts including pies, puddings and cakes. Next time a recipe calls for nuts, buy and use local mac nuts. You won’t be sorry.
Coconut is a standard ingredient in dishes wherever the trees grow and produce well. In Hawaii they do best at lower elevations. Short varieties are available that make the maintenance for maximum production easier. Dishes including tasty curries, creamy soups, fruit salads and desserts rely on coconut for added flavor. All parts of the “nut” are used including coconut water, coconut cream and oil as well as the meat, fresh or dried. Though always popular on tropical islands, coconut products are now in high demand worldwide.
Information on growing these two valuable Hawaiian crops will be available today at Going Nuts for the Holidays at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay convention center. The free event goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Executive Chef Steve Rouelle of Under the Bodhi Tree restaurant will offer a “nutty” demonstration of macadamia nut and coconut recipes. Additional talks about nuts and nut-related foods will join with more ono food, entertainment and fun for the whole family including a hula performance just before the evening fundraiser.
Following the nutty event, a new low-power FM radio station will hold a fundraiser in the same location. Dance music starts at 5 and goes until 8 p.m. Come support the new local radio station and consider offering suggestions for what you’d like to hear on the new KONA 1005 LPFM. A $5 cover is requested with a suggested donation of a $20 membership to support the community radio. For information on advance tickets, contact randyldna@earthlink.net or call 936-5233.
Nut lovers will be able to learn about growing native Hawaiian kukui nuts and acquire a tree at the annual Arbor Day tree giveaway at Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Nov. 8. Though the nut is only edible in very small quantities, the oil it contains provided Native Hawaiians with a source of light, thus the common name candle nut. Today, the oil is used mostly as a cosmetic moisturizer. Polished nuts are made into lei and Hawaiians still make inamona relish by pounding roasted nuts and salt.
Most of the species of native Hawaiian trees offered at this 15th annual Arbor Day celebration have many cultural uses as well as adding beauty to a landscape. The ohiaai, or mountain apple, offers tasty edible fruit; a thirst quenching delight fresh from the tree on a hot day or sliced and baked into a pie or pastry. Its relative, the ohia, thrives in the hot, dry, rocky landscapes of Kona and offers powder puff blooms nearly year-round.
You can also consider taking home a majestic koa tree or a smaller alahee that sports fragrant white flowers in fall and winter. The kokio keo keo is a large shrub in the hibiscus family that produces beautiful white, flowers with a striking magenta stamen and a delicate fragrance. Another hibiscus relative is the official state flower, mao hau hele. This attractive shrub produces yellow flowers with brown stamens and blooms nearly year-round. A third hibiscus family plant, the hau, flowers profusely in small yellow blooms that transform from orange to red before dropping in a single day.
These are only a few of the 14 varieties that will be available at the Arbor Day giveaway — a total of 500 trees in all. Come for a tree and stay for some expert advice, garden tours and woodworking demonstrations using native Hawaiian woods. All the activities offer the experience to learn more about native Hawaiian plants. The event is supported by a grant from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program.
Tropical gardening helpline
Linda asks: I have planted young coffee trees on a steep slope on my new coffee farm. The recent rains have caused some erosion of the bare soil. Can you recommend a ground cover that will be manageable, discourage weeds and can help curtail the erosion?
Answer: Many ground covers are used in coffee land. One of the best choices for your needs, however, may be the Tropical Lalo variety of paspalum grass (Paspalum hieronymii Hack). This grass is very good at controlling soil erosion in orchards. It is a low-maintenance plant that forms a dense mat, which crowds out weeds and does not require frequent mowing once established. It is propagated by tough, course stolons and can tolerate heavy foot and equipment traffic.
The grass grows best in full sun, but will do fine in partial shade as your coffee trees get larger.
It is tolerant of many soil conditions but does best when it receives regular watering from rain or irrigation systems. More information on this grass and photos are available in one of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources’s publications, available online at https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/CoverCrops/tropiclalo.pdf. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also has an information sheet on this grass, available online at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/hipmcrb10853.pdf.
The best way to get Tropic Lalo established on your farm is to find farmers who are growing it and ask for stolons from them. The grass was introduced to Hawaii through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Plant Materials Center on Molokai. It does maintain a block of this grass and it can be made available to commercial growers or those interested in large-scale production. You may be able to get names of local farmers using this grass from the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District at 322-2484.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by certified master gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living on an organic farm in Captain Cook.
Gardening events
Monday: USDA Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment receipts are due. Call Farm Service Agency Director Lester Ueda for more information at 933-8341.
Monday: “Improving Coffee Mill Efficiency” meets from 3 to 5 p.m. at the UH Cooperative Extension Service in Kainaliu with Brazilian mechanical engineer Fernando Vicentini on ways to reduce costs and manage pests and diseases. It is free, but reservations must be made with Gina at 322-4892 or ginab@hawaii.edu.
Friday: 45th annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival begins. The 10-day festival includes farm tours, cultural events and more celebrating 200 years of Kona coffee. A $3 festival button is required for entry to most events. For more information on events and button locations, visit konacoffeefest.com.