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| Oct 17, 2021 | When it comes to mango trees, it’s all about managing growth | Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
COURTESY MARK SUISO
Mark Suiso of Makaha Mangoes recommends regular maintenance, every other year, once a mango tree has been pruned to a manageable size.
Now that the l... |
| Sep 10, 2020 | First coffee berry borer beetle detected on Kauai | COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The beetles bore into coffee cherries, where they lay their eggs. Larvae then feed on the bean, which hurts coffee quality and yield.
COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The beetles bore into coffee cherrie... |
| Sep 1, 2019 | Urban Gardener: Hot summer days can create garden problems, foster mites | COURTESY DR. SCOT NELSON / CTAHR
Evidence of spider mites can be seen on damaged eggplant leaves, papaya fruit and a taro leaf.
Summer presents a challenge for vegetable growers, as many plants struggle with the heat. Lettuce may bolt, and ... |
| Jan 5, 2019 | Urban Gardener: Take care of your trees as a New Year’s resolution | COURTESY KALANI MATSUMURA
Large mango trees in Kaimuki that have been carefully thinned and reduced in height by certified arborists. The homeowner benefits from keeping the trees away from the roof while maintaining their cooling shade, an... |
| Dec 2, 2018 | Urban Gardener: It’s cool to garden this season | COURTESY KALANI MATSUMURA
A lush winter garden of chards, gai lan, herbs and other leafy greens.
The recent cool weather has reminded me that winter is my favorite time of year for gardening. The cool temperatures make it a lot more enjoyab... |
| Jul 1, 2018 | Keep cool about gardening during hot summer months | COURTESY SCOT NELSON
Avocado plants (Persea americana) exhibited leaf tip burn due to last summer’s heat, wind and a deficiency of potassium in the soil.
The days have been getting pretty hot recently. Not just the heat, but clear sunny ski... |
| Jun 3, 2018 | Insects can offer pest control without chemicals | COURTESY KALANI MATSUMURA
Be a friend to bees and other beneficial insects. Here, blooming buckwheat keeps bees busy.
At the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City, University of Hawaii master gardeners offer a help-line service where home garde... |
| May 13, 2018 | Wet weather challenges Hawaii gardeners | BRUCE ASATO / APRIL 15
The scene in Aina Haina after recent flooding in the neighborhood. The wet and unpredictable weather this spring has also been challenging for local gardeners.
The wet and unpredictable weather this spring has been ch... |
| Jan 7, 2018 | Celebrate fungus among us during wet winter weather | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wild mushrooms growing in a field under a sky full of broken clouds on a warm fall afternoon in 2014 in Pennsylvania.
Fungi and bacteria are highly prevalent in gardens and soil. Although a few hundred bacteria show themsel... |
| Oct 1, 2017 | High temperatures, less rain take toll on home gardens | COURTESY SCOT C. NELSON
The leaves of an avocado plant affected by leaf scorch.
Hawaii’s home gardens and landscapes are revealing signs of stress, signaling just how much high summer temperatures have taken a toll on plants in our backyard... |
| Sep 3, 2017 | Melon fly, pickleworm could be infesting cucumbers | COURTESY USDA
Melon flies are a type of fruit fly that attack cucumber plants.
A gardener asked me about worms infesting his cucumber plant. There are a couple of possible explanations for the cucumber infestation.
One is the melon fly, whi... |
| Aug 6, 2017 | Chayote proves simple to propogate | COURTSY KALANI MATSUMURA
The chayote (Sechium edule) is an edible plant in the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family, which includes squash, cucumbers and melons.
I am always on the lookout for healthy vegetables that are easy to grow in home garden... |
| Feb 5, 2017 | Speak the language of flowers for Valentine’s Day | With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, flowers will be seeing one of their busiest seasons, as colorful blossoms are one of the most widespread ways we show affection. Flowers can be given as single cuttings, decorative arrangements, ... |
| Jan 31, 2017 | Bounty from isle gardens flavors dishes | STAR-ADVERTISER FILE PHOTO
Ulu (breadfruit) can be used in baked ulu chips
One of the most anticipated plant sales is coming up on Feb. 11 at the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. Beautiful potted roses from Honolulu Rose Society will be f... |
| Aug 1, 2016 | School gardens prove a rich classroom for young minds | STAR-ADVERTISER / 2013
University Laboratory School had several gardens on campus in 2013, including a hydroponic garden.
STAR-ADVERTISER / 2015
Many Hawaii students will once again be working in their school gardens now that school is resu... |
| Apr 1, 2016 | Humans, not birds, likely to blame for filching fruit | Question: I had to chuckle over the mountain apple “auwe.” We had a similar situation, but it turned out that it was a flock of bulbuls that ate the whole crop in about 20 minutes. I just couldn’t believe it! Maybe your reader will reach so... |
| Feb 10, 2016 | Make your garden veggies part of the meal this week | One of the community’s most anticipated plant sales is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Urban Garden Center, 955 Kamehameha Highway in Pearl City. In addition, beautiful potted roses also will be for sale just in time for Valentine’s Day... |
| Aug 3, 2015 | Strategic pruning can boost crop production in fruit trees | It takes a lot of energy from the rooted plant to produce fruit, so properly maintaining and training a fruit tree will produce a quality harvest.
Pruning fruit trees is an art that requires practice and experience. Sometimes people prune t... |
| Aug 2, 2015 | She’s got it down to a science | DENNIS ODA / [email protected]
Ania Wieczorek, associate professor of molecular biology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, developed the Saturday GENE-ius program to help fill the need for hands-on science learning in Hawaii public... |
| Feb 2, 2015 | Mildew is the likely culprit tainting mango flowers | COURTESY JAYME GRZEBIK
The white flecks on these mango flowers and branches are mango powdery mildew.
Question: Why are some of my mango flowers turning dark?
Answer: This is a common question this time of year. According to University of H... |
| Dec 1, 2014 | Wet weather increases risk of diseases in the garden | Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
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| Oct 6, 2014 | Butterflies and honeybees are important pollinators | COURTESY PAMELA HINSDALE
The Chinese yellow swallowtail caterpillar will become a butterfly
A Chinese yellow swallowtail laid her eggs on my lemon tree, and now I have fat little green caterpillars voraciously eating the leaves on their way... |
| Sep 1, 2014 | Mushrooms and other fungi are natural and beneficial | COURTESY THATBLOOMINGARDEN.WORDPRESS.COM
Mushrooms and beneficial fungi decompose organic matter and produce nature’s fertilizer
While we are all familiar with the mushrooms we find in our grocery stores, I hear concern from home gardeners ... |
| Jul 9, 2014 | Off the News | Get aboard with some fresh talent
We’re optimistic that an era of improved government transparency has dawned with the approval of a state law that requires members of powerful state boards and commissions to publicly disclose their financi... |
| Apr 21, 2014 | Mamaki offers sustenance that native butterfly needs | COURTESY HEIDI BORNHORST; BUTTERFLY PHOTO COURTESY NATE YUEN
COURTESY HEIDI BORNHORST; BUTTERFLY PHOTO COURTESY NATE YUEN
Mamaki leaves are the main food for the larvae and caterpillars of the Kamehameha butterfly.
Question: What plants can... |
| Apr 14, 2014 | App helps diagnose papaya infection | Two screens of the Pic-a-Papaya app, developed by Scot Nelson and Richard Manshardt from the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, are shown. The app is free and available for iOS and Android d... |
| Apr 10, 2014 | Newswatch | Legislators grill hospital chief
Lawmakers quizzed the acting Hawaii State Hospital administrator Wednesday during a hearing to investigate accounts of violence and mismanagement at the facility.
State senators pushed William Elliott to exp... |
| Jan 6, 2014 | Now’s the time for planting vegetables, pruning trees | One of the advantages of living in Hawaii is that we can garden all year, and winter is actually the best season for planting a number of vegetables. It is also a time when gardeners can perform tasks that will help plants do well all year.... |
| Aug 24, 2013 | Kalakoa! Keiki can tackle science adventures at UH-Manoa, more | STAR-ADVERTISER FILE
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One can never be sure if a child will become a genius, but one thing that is certain is that a kid who attends the... |
| Dec 3, 2012 | Swap store-bought fertilizer for your own ‘green’ manure | COURTESY KIMO FRANKLIN
A "green" manure plot with Sunn hemp, buckwheat, oats, peas, rye grass and clover plants that are about 6 weeks old. They will be ready to chop down in approximately two weeks.
Fertilizers for home gardens c... |
| Apr 16, 2012 | Sew good | JAMM AQUINO / [email protected]
Sheilah Lee, left, folded fabric during a sewing class at Chic Mode in Pearl City as instructor Miwa Adachi, right, is seen in a reflection.
JAMM AQUINO / [email protected]
Instructor Cheryl... |
| Feb 7, 2011 | Proper soil and planting spot help roses flourish | Although roses are thought of as plants for temperate climates, they have long been grown in Hawaii. For many years the University of Hawaii’s Kula Station in Upcountry Maui has participated as a demonstration garden for the independent pla... |
| 2011 | Da Kine | Explore the deep sea
The Creatures of the Abyss exhibit at Bishop Museum ends its three-and-a-half month run Jan. 9. Discover the mysterious and unique deep-sea creatures, check out the 26-foot-long life-sized model of a colossal squid, and... |
| Oct 4, 2010 | Master gardeners to offer advice on plants, insects and diseases | After more than 28 years of free public service to home gardeners in our communities, the University of Hawaii Master Gardeners will host its first statewide conference Oct. 15 to 17.
The Master Gardener Program in Hawaii started in 1982 wi... |
| Urban Gardener: Be a friend to pollinators with native plants | COURTESY WILLIAM HAINES, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
A Kamehameha butterfly rests on a mamaki plant.
A manicured lawn and the standard tropical landscaping that is often seen these days unfortunately does not do much to attract or support a health... |
| Pumpkins, winter squashes signal arrival of autumn | STOCK.XCHNG
stock.xchng Pumpkin varieties mature in about 100 to 120 days, so seeds should be planted in July to allow them enough time to grow for Halloween.
The autumn season in temperate regions like the mainland is a time for the trees ... |
| Cooperative Extension marks 100 years of service | Changes in agriculture during the past 100 years have been countless. All the way from plowing with horses to tractors, the Cooperative Extension Service was there to support innovation. From raising backyard chickens to being able to buy f... |
| Agroforestry can offer cooling shade, nutritious food | COURTESY KALANI MATSUMURA
The Katuk plant.
Agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into farming systems for economic, environmental and social benefits. You can use tropical agroforestry practices in your garden to provide shade... |
| Urban Gardener: Gardeners can utilize seasons to maximize vegetable yield | COURTESY CHRISTY MCKINNON
Broccoli grows well during Oahu’s cool season.
Last month I wrote about the challenges that summer heat poses to vegetable gardeners. Though the high temperatures typically persist partway into October, we should n... |
| University of Hawaii Seed Lab a steady source of growth | Noelani Elementary School students Kolten, left, and Kallie Christensen, and Gabe and Noah Edamura grew bean and corn plants, starting with seeds donated by the UH lab.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / [email protected]
Hybrid sweet corn from the... |
| Visit UH college’s website to dig up useful information | The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR) Cooperative Extension Service assists gardeners with information, including how to start a garden, soil testing and plant pest problems.
Gardeners can fi... |
| Test your yard to prevent the spread of little fire ants | COURTESY HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Little fire ants are stinging insects that threaten public health, pets, agriculture and native species. So many of us have stories about being stung by a different type of ant, tropical fire ants, ... |
| Chives, scallions grow easily in home container gardens | CTY FARMS - Detail of green onion bunches for sale at Kats Higa's farm during first annual Farm Day in Kamilo Nui Valley held on Saturday. The open house event commemorated the secluded area's agricultural success and brought publ... |
| Fermentation is back in vogue but requires attention to detail | BRUCE ASATO / [email protected]
Examples of fermented foods include cucumber kim chee, left, chive kim chee, won bok kim chee and takuan (Japanese pickled daikon).
The making of wines, spirits and beer is considered an art form, and... |
| Growing plant pros | DENNIS ODA / [email protected]
Last month, children and their families learned the basics of home gardening in a?workshop at the University of Hawaii's Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. Above, Elora Speltz, 5, emerged from a tun... |
| For a fruitful tree, a little research goes a long way | A fruit tree can be the best gift. Visions of bountiful fruit and lower grocery bills fill the new owner with hope.
But I encourage caution at this stage — you may not know this living thing that you’ve adopted.
University of Hawaii Master ... |
| Everything’s coming up roses | DENNIS ODA / [email protected]
Naomi Inouye, vice president of the Honolulu Rose Society, and Ron Matsuzaki, a society volunteer, tend to roses at the Oahu Urban Garden Center.
DENNIS ODA / [email protected]
This is a George B... |
| Program welcomes older Gene-iuses, too | Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA
Mahina Smith, left, and Lilia Egan make dry ice during the science activities at the University of Hawaii's Gene-ius Day prog... |
| Moist conditions are ripe for fungal disease in mangoes | Question: I have a problem with my Pirie mango tree blossoms being overrun by a black fungus. I seem to be the only one with the problem; my neighbors don’t have it. Do any of your readers know what I can do to overcome this fungus?
Answer:... |
| Rain puts mangoes in short supply in isles | CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL
Mangos at Kekaulike Market in China Town.
Got mangoes?
Guard them carefully because the juicy tropical fruit is in high demand but short supply in the isles these days.
Mango growers on Oahu and Kauai say they’ve been sl... |
| Tackling tomatoes: Farmers offer advice to backyard gardeners on growing the quintessential summer crop | Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
JAMM AQUINO / [email protected]
Cherry tomatoes on the vine at Ho Farms.
JAMM AQUINO / [email protected]
Keo Panyavong, who has worked at Ho Farms for ... |
| Swarming offers occasion to increase bee population | COURTESY SCOTT NIKAIDO
Honeybee swarms are important to maintaining bee populations and should not be destryed.
Is your morning coffee from Kona or Kauai? Are cucumber, zucchini and squash part of your diet? Love lychee? You can credit our ... |
| Enlist insect allies in war against damaging pests | COURTESY KOON-HUI WANG
Young ladybeetles (ladybugs) like this one are considered beneficial insects because they feed on garden pests.
If you’ve got an infestation of aphids, thrips, mealybugs or whiteflies and you’re not squeamish about sm... |