Gardening Latin Style By Jerry A. Chenault, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Lawrence County

As immigrant populations continue to grow in America, so is the demand to produce food from their native countries. Gardening is a great way to target these audiences and vegetables generally grown in Hispanic countries are always in high demand. But first, let's consider some gardening tips.

One consistent factor in urban areas is inadequate space to grow crops, so you must plan before you plant! Note which vegetables go in the ground early and when they can be replaced by other crops. Remember, veggies that can be trellised or caged take up less space than their sprawling cousins. My advice is to grow vertically! In smaller plots it is often more effective to plant in blocks rather than the traditional row style. The compact nature of block planting reduces weeds and increases production per square foot. Block planting also eliminates much of the unused walkways or paths.

In addition, it is wise to place the garden in an area with full exposure to the sun and to incorporate lots of organic matter into the soil such as manures, rotted sawdust, and leaves. Consider raised plant beds since they are more productive than poorer soils and easier to maintain.

Here are some ideas to curtail gardening expenses:

• Composting
• Using rain barrels and downspouts to catch rain water
• Collecting old timbers for raised beds
• Shipping pallets for compost bins
• Obtaining free mulch like woodchips from tree companies & municipalities
• Saving seeds & dividing plants
• Collecting last year's seeds from seed companies
• Using farm manure

Common Hispanic Garden Plants

Vegetables that come from Hispanic or Latin countries that do well during Alabama's hot climate include: Cuban sweet potatoes or boniatos; the herb callaloo; jicama (hee-kah-mah), which is a Mexican turnip; tomatillos, a small husk-type tomato; peppers of all kinds; a vegetable pear called chayote; and squash blossoms.

Boniatos are from the same family as the ordinary sweet potato, but they have a distinctive white interior. They can be started from vine cuttings, slips, or from the boniatos itself after bedding it into the soil. The 8-10-inch long vine sections are planted at 12-inch intervals in rows spaced 3-4 feet apart. They mature in about 150 days.

Callaloo is a spinach-like green vegetable that is boiled rather than eaten raw. It is planted by broadcasting seeds and later thinning to 3 inches apart.

Jicama is a large, bulbous root vegetable with a thin brown skin and a sweet, nutty flavor. Its texture is similar to water chestnuts.

Tomatillos are grown as regular tomatoes. In small areas the cherry or grape tomatoes (caged, of course) are a more productive and efficient use of space. Tomatillos resemble little green tomatoes, but the papery husk is the big difference. The flavor is like a combination of lemon, apple, and herbs.

Chayote is a perennial gourd that was a principal food staple of the Aztecs and the Mayan Indians. It has a white to pale green skin and is commonly prepared similar to summer squash. Chayote is shaped like a mango.

Squash blossoms are relatively easy to produce here in Alabama. Both summer and winter squash can be used. Squash blossoms are used as garnish and to add flavor and color to salads and other entrees. The most common cooking method is to coat them with a light batter and to sauté. They can also be stuffed with cheese and then baked, battered, and fried ­ que bueno!

Remember, eating is something most people like to do. Growing fruits and vegetables from other cultures is a great way to expand our horizons, to teach good nutrition, and certainly, a method to reach immigrant audiences.

References

Davis, Jeanine M. (October 2001). Specialty crop production: Vegetables, herbs, and other uncommon crops. Mountain Horticultural Crops. Retrieved March 31, 2008.

Greene, Juliet. (April 5, 2006). Introducing Latin American vegetables. Food Product Design. Retrieved March 31, 2008.

McAvoy, Gene. (2001). Latin and Caribbean cultures contribute vegetables for summer. Retrieved March 31, 2008.

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