Published on Saturday, June 7, 2025

By Victoria Torley

So you like to garden. Hey, me too! Have problems with your garden? Me too!


Actually, it’s more like I have problems with myself when I garden. I like plants that will grow in our climate.


Things like peppers. The only trouble is, I don’t really like eating cooked peppers and there are only some peppers you can eat raw before your body asks: “Why are you doing that?”


Right now, I have peppers from last year in the freezer and a new crop on the way. This has to stop because I am wasting garden space.


What does all that mean? It means we gardeners need to figure out what we like and find a way to grow it. Let’s face it, growing a lot of what you aren’t going to eat (even if it’s pretty like my purple peppers) makes no sense.


So, what do you like? Sadly, I like a lot of cool weather crops. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, snap peas, and asparagus, all need special care. Even tomatoes need care as they suffer from too much rain. What’s a gardener to do?


Well, mainly, don’t give up! Hang out shade cloth or plant under trees, mound or raise your beds, garden in moveable pots and, most of all, read! There is a lot to be said about reading what other people wrote concerning their failures and successes with tropical gardens.

Take a Costa Rican class! There are a lot of them online and many are free. If you do take a class, do what they tell you to do. A lot of gardeners learn something new and then seem to forget it when they get home (okay, okay, I am guilty).


Visit your gardening neighbors or a local restaurant that grows a lot of its own produce.


Find out what you like that grows well in your climate. Me, I like zucchini and spaghetti squash and both should do well in my garden, provided I watch out for vine borers. Fortunately, a cone of aluminum foil over the base of the plant usually prevents infestation.


Finally, remember that we’re not in Kansas anymore. Unless you moved here from a tropical climate, try to forget what you know about gardening and pledge yourself to learn it all over again.


It’s a pain, but oh those garden fresh veggies are worth it.

Tip for the week.  The palm beetle larvae, or Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) pictured below. I have talked about the beetle before but this is the first time I have been able to find and detain one. They are huge! Eggs are laid on the top of the tree, so prevention starts there.

According to the U.S. Center of Invasive Species Research, Red Palm Weevil is widely considered to be the most damaging insect pest of palms in the world. RPW’s are usually attracted to unhealthy palm trees, but they will often attack healthy palms too.  The larvae feed within the apical growing point of the palms creating extensive damage to palm tissues and weakening the structure of the palm trunk. 

Good sanitation practices are needed to prevent the insect spreading from infested palms.

------------
Find more interesting stories about gardening in Costa Rica on the AM Costa Rica Garden page. Questions on this article, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached by emailing victoriatorley1@gmail.com
--------------