One of the most frequently asked question we get is “What grows in South Maui?” It isn’t an easy answer but here are few thing we have learned:
- “Spring planting” starts about October. Our best growing months are December-April.
- After that, some heat tolerant species survive or may thrive in shaded areas.
- If you do try to grow vegetables through the summer, remember that the hardest issue is transpiration – when the plants lose all their cellular moisture usually due to heat and wind. You may need to water twice a day if you live where there are high winds and sandy soil.
The attached PDF provides great guidance for growing in South Maui. Vegetables in South Maui Chart
In summer most my vegies do better under the shade of my mango tree with just morning sun. A few survive the summer sun and heat include sweet potatoes, basil, Hawaiian chili peppers, and New Zealand spinach. Daily drip irrigation just isn’t enough for most. I’m in windy North Kihei with very sandy soil.
can you suggest some food crops that would do best in quite a bit of shade, up country? huge gulch to plant and not sure what to grow. thank you so much.