# Mexico gardening



## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

After hijacking another thread it appears that several members here like to garden, even if it is in pots on a balcony or a window. Mexico has great opportunities for gardening because of the variety of unusual and beautiful plants. Even if you don't have a yard there is always room to grow something to add a little color to your home. A lot of plants need shade or indirect light and will die in the full sun. English Ivy grows great indoors or in the shade and is called a "telephone plant" in our area, not telephono, but telephone.








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Also, pottery is so cheap here. We find really big pots for 150 pesos. I like Terra Cotta because even though it is baked hard it is still porous so you can see from the color if it is retaining water. I'm no chemist but logic suggests that if a pot can absorb water it will also release a little water back into the soil when you are gone for a few days. You can see the amount of water in these different pots.








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What are you growing?


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Another bonus is fresh herbs. In the states we could buy fresh basil but not here so we are growing it. Traveling south along 180 when you pass Coasta Esmeralda you will see "La Mancha" an ecopark. Actually it is just a beach with a cove and tables along the beach. Before the beach there is an Italian restaurant, the owner is actually from Rome. We sat outside and placed our order. The cook came out and plucked some leaves off of a potted plant and we asked whet it was, "basil" she said.

So we have planted some and it is coming along well in just a few weeks.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

More shade loving plants.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

Zorro2017 said:


> Also, pottery is so cheap here. We find really big pots for 150 pesos. I like Terra Cotta because even though it is baked hard it is still porous so you can see from the color if it is retaining water. I'm no chemist but logic suggests that if a pot can absorb water it will also release a little water back into the soil when you are gone for a few days. You can see the amount of water in these different pots.


First off - your links are not working very well... (for me anyway)

Whenever we get new terra cotta clay pots I paint them inside and out with red 
impermeabilizante.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

My wife often goes out and plucks herbs from the garden while cooking. She also has some various chilis as well.

What are we growing ? Let's see : Blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, pink and white grapefruit, pomegranates (granadas), mangos, limes, lemons, navel oranges, tangerines, juice oranges, pepper, guava, plums, peaches, avocados. We have 4 types of palms, perhaps 30 or so cacti, perhaps 40 or so orchids, ferns, assorted other flowering trees, a huge poinciana. It all adds up to a lot of work. (We do not have a particularly large property).


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

horseshoe846 said:


> My wife often goes out and plucks herbs from the garden while cooking. She also has some various chilis as well.
> 
> What are we growing ? Let's see : Blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, pink and white grapefruit, pomegranates (granadas), mangos, limes, lemons, navel oranges, tangerines, juice oranges, pepper, guava, plums, peaches, avocados. We have 4 types of palms, perhaps 30 or so cacti, perhaps 40 or so orchids, ferns, assorted other flowering trees, a huge poinciana. It all adds up to a lot of work. (We do not have a particularly large property).


Horseshoe, were most of your fruit trees and bushes already on your property when you bought, or did you plant them? If the latter, where specifically did you purchase them? (Since we are in the same neck of the woods, this info is pertinent to me.) I'm familiar with some _viveros_ around Yautepec, including the eponymous "Vivero Yautepec". Also, if you planted them, how long from planting to fruit-bearing for the various fruits? I really look forward to the day when I just go out to my yard to get my morning grapefruit, berries, etc. Thanks!


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

OK, let me try again, is this image showing?


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

Zorro2017 said:


> OK, let me try again, is this image showing?


Not for me - but this site is not very friendly when it comes to user security and I tried to limit its abilities. Perhaps that is keeping me from seeing your links ?


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

horseshoe846 said:


> Not for me - but this site is not very friendly when it comes to user security and I tried to limit its abilities. Perhaps that is keeping me from seeing your links ?


That is odd as the link works well on other forums.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

horseshoe846 said:


> Not for me - but this site is not very friendly when it comes to user security and I tried to limit its abilities. Perhaps that is keeping me from seeing your links ?


I'm not able to see the links or photos, either, just a message from "photobucket" stating "Please update your account to enable 3rd party hosting".

I normally have no problem viewing links and photos.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

ojosazules11 said:


> Horseshoe, were most of your fruit trees and bushes already on your property when you bought, or did you plant them? If the latter, where specifically did you purchase them? (Since we are in the same neck of the woods, this info is pertinent to me.) I'm familiar with some _viveros_ around Yautepec, including the eponymous "Vivero Yautepec". Also, if you planted them, how long from planting to fruit-bearing for the various fruits? I really look forward to the day when I just go out to my yard to get my morning grapefruit, berries, etc. Thanks!


We picked up the blueberries, grapefruits, plum from Vivero Yautepec. They brought in the blueberries from someplace north of here special. To be honest we have only gotten a few berries to date. The grapefruits I think rendered fruit within a year. We have been trying to deal with the thickness of the rind - ours is too thick relative to the core. There is a fertilizer I have been applying (which I can't recall at the moment) to deal with that.

We picked up the granadas, and berries from conaplor in Cuatla. We made two trips there this week for arecas and alamedas. Noticed the downed trees near Tepoz. It really isn't the end of the world. The trees were downed near the highway - not near Tepoz itself. To be honest that whole highway interface has seemed a little hokey to me - particularly coming from Cuatla. 

We very rarely hop on the autopista in Cuernavaca because we think it is now scary - but we did today to meet up with some friend for brunch. We went to an incredible place - Camino Real Sumiyo. It was a very expensive brunch (415 per) but the offerings were amazing. It is a massive complex and was apparently established by an heir to the Woolworth fortune out of Houston. Totally Japanese. And the brunch offered a lot of sushi. 

There is a small garden shop (for chemicals etc), very near the IMSS on plan de ayala in Cuernavaca owned by a Japanese family who are very helpful and knowledgeable. They have been there for at least two generations. Iwamoto.

Sorry for rambling.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

horseshoe846 said:


> We picked up the blueberries, grapefruits, plum from Vivero Yautepec. They brought in the blueberries from someplace north of here special. To be honest we have only gotten a few berries to date. The grapefruits I think rendered fruit within a year. We have been trying to deal with the thickness of the rind - ours is too thick relative to the core. There is a fertilizer I have been applying (which I can't recall at the moment) to deal with that.
> 
> We picked up the granadas, and berries from conaplor in Cuatla. We made two trips there this week for arecas and alamedas. Noticed the downed trees near Tepoz. It really isn't the end of the world. The trees were downed near the highway - not near Tepoz itself. To be honest that whole highway interface has seemed a little hokey to me - particularly coming from Cuatla.
> 
> ...


Thanks for replying. I'm glad to hear how quickly the grapefruit began to bear fruit, and that they could order in the blueberries for you. I love my blueberries. We already have some blackberries on our land (presumed wild, since the back part of our property has never been developed). Our microclimate is a bit cooler than most of Tepoz, since we're part way up the mountain, so that might be better for the berries, but hopefully still warm enough for the tangerines and other citrus. Unfortunately, my husband says it's not warm enough for decent papaya. Oh, well, you can't have it all. Still pretty much a paradise with spring-like temps year round. And where we are in Barrio San Pedro is still not over-developed, so we have lots of surrounding trees, and within about a 5 minute walk we can be in the national forest.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

ojosazules11 said:


> Thanks for replying. I'm glad to hear how quickly the grapefruit began to bear fruit, and that they could order in the blueberries for you. I love my blueberries. We already have some blackberries on our land (presumed wild, since the back part of our property has never been developed). Our microclimate is a bit cooler than most of Tepoz, since we're part way up the mountain, so that might be better for the berries, but hopefully still warm enough for the tangerines and other citrus. Unfortunately, my husband says it's not warm enough for decent papaya. Oh, well, you can't have it all. Still pretty much a paradise with spring-like temps year round. And where we are in Barrio San Pedro is still not over-developed, so we have lots of surrounding trees, and within about a 5 minute walk we can be in the national forest.


I believe we are at 5800 feet (or so) - looking at a map I think we are a little higher than San Pedro in elevation. We also are about a 5 (maybe 10) minute walk to the forest. Just to the south of us (virtually adjacent to our property but perhaps 100 feet lower) are horse stables where they provide tours through the forest - it is not a commercial enterprise . (We have only done it once thus far). 

So your blueberries - they are very shaded ?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> Thanks for replying. I'm glad to hear how quickly the grapefruit began to bear fruit, and that they could order in the blueberries for you. I love my blueberries. We already have some blackberries on our land (presumed wild, since the back part of our property has never been developed). Our microclimate is a bit cooler than most of Tepoz, since we're part way up the mountain, so that might be better for the berries, but hopefully still warm enough for the tangerines and other citrus. Unfortunately, my husband says it's not warm enough for decent papaya. Oh, well, you can't have it all. Still pretty much a paradise with spring-like temps year round. And where we are in Barrio San Pedro is still not over-developed, so we have lots of surrounding trees, and within about a 5 minute walk we can be in the national forest.


Do you have a spare room I could rent when I want to get away from the big city for a few days?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

ojosazules11 said:


> Thanks for replying. I'm glad to hear how quickly the grapefruit began to bear fruit, and that they could order in the blueberries for you. I love my blueberries. We already have some blackberries on our land (presumed wild, since the back part of our property has never been developed). Our microclimate is a bit cooler than most of Tepoz, since we're part way up the mountain, so that might be better for the berries, but hopefully still warm enough for the tangerines and other citrus. Unfortunately, my husband says it's not warm enough for decent papaya. Oh, well, you can't have it all. Still pretty much a paradise with spring-like temps year round. And where we are in Barrio San Pedro is still not over-developed, so we have lots of surrounding trees, and within about a 5 minute walk we can be in the national forest.


The 5 minute walk to the forest sounds great. I have a 2 hour walk to a major canyon (500 m or 1650 ft deep). But considering that I live in the middle of a huge city, that seems pretty good to me, and I do it once a week. There is also a huge protected forest in the other direction as well. Both accessible by bus for when I don't feel like the urban walk to get to them.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Do you have a spare room I could rent when I want to get away from the big city for a few days?


We will, Isla. Right now, the place needs a bit more tidying up after the most recent construction (a bedroom on the second level - currently at the "obra gris" stage) but hopefully sometime next year, we'll be able to have it nice enough that you could come to spend a few days. That would be lovely. 

We have various "future construction projects" planned. We knew when we purchased this property that it would be a multi-year project, _poco a poco_. I can only tolerate my husband being in Mexico while I'm in Canada for so long, and then it's "that will have to wait to next year!". It also gives us time to save up money for the next step in the construction.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

horseshoe846 said:


> I believe we are at 5800 feet (or so) - looking at a map I think we are a little higher than San Pedro in elevation. We also are about a 5 (maybe 10) minute walk to the forest. Just to the south of us (virtually adjacent to our property but perhaps 100 feet lower) are horse stables where they provide tours through the forest - it is not a commercial enterprise . (We have only done it once thus far).
> 
> So your blueberries - they are very shaded ?


Based on the website "elevation.net", our house is at just over 1900 m (6300 ft). So we are a little higher. 

I don't have blueberries, yet. (When I said, "I love my blueberries" I was referring to the blueberries that I have every morning for breakfast in Canada.) Planting blueberries in Tepoztlan is part of the "future projects" list. We have a mix of sun and shade. Our property is actually on a bit of a rise and in a clearing, so we get a good amount of sun and don't feel closed in. There are some houses in our neighbourhood which are built more in a dell with lots of closely surrounding trees. That would be too claustrophobic, dark and damp for me. I can be on our terrace and enjoy the green canopy of trees on surrounding properties, with a close up view of one of the _cerros_ right in front of us, while still getting lots of light and sunshine, which are essential nutrients for me.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> Based on the website "elevation.net", our house is at just over 1900 m (6300 ft). So we are a little higher.
> 
> I don't have blueberries, yet. (When I said, "I love my blueberries" I was referring to the blueberries that I have every morning for breakfast in Canada.) Planting blueberries in Tepoztlan is part of the "future projects" list. We have a mix of sun and shade. Our property is actually on a bit of a rise and in a clearing, so we get a good amount of sun and don't feel closed in. There are some houses in our neighbourhood which are built more in a dell with lots of closely surrounding trees. That would be too claustrophobic, dark and damp for me. I can be on our terrace and enjoy the green canopy of trees on surrounding properties, with a close up view of one of the _cerros_ right in front of us, while still getting lots of light and sunshine, which are essential nutrients for me.


It sounds like you've found the perfect location!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ojosazules11 said:


> We will, Isla. Right now, the place needs a bit more tidying up after the most recent construction (a bedroom on the second level - currently at the "obra gris" stage) but hopefully sometime next year, we'll be able to have it nice enough that you could come to spend a few days. That would be lovely.


It would be, indeed! Looking forward to spending time with you in the not too distant future.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> It sounds like you've found the perfect location!


It is certainly perfect for me. The more I'm there, the harder it is to leave. It's my "happy place". It is still too early for me to retire, but if I won the lottery...


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Well I solved the picture problem, Photobucket no longer allows you to link to your photos unless you pay $400.00 per year. This is huge as literally millions of pictures on thousands of forums and how to sites no longer appear. I was hoping we could share some pictures of our gardens and plants.

Limes grow well here, they are everywhere. Our caretaker planted a papaya tree that was really producing but my wife hated where it was so I dug it up and tried to transplant it in the back yard but it didn't survive the move. Mangoes drop on the road here on the way home and bananas are everywhere, we have two on our land.

I will continue to explore the photo thing with alternatives.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Mercado Libre has a photo sharing website that we can possibly use here. I am exploring it.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Citrus are being decimated by a plague from Thailand right now and we are affected in Ajijic so watch out for it. we have arange, grapefruit limes and lemon trees and they are looking like they gor it.. I am sicj about it but that is the way it goes I guess..


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

citlali said:


> Citrus are being decimated by a plague from Thailand right now and we are affected in Ajijic so watch out for it. we have arange, grapefruit limes and lemon trees and they are looking like they gor it.. I am sicj about it but that is the way it goes I guess..


Hopefully they will come back, remember the lime blight two years ago? Prices skyrocketed.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

We will see our tree guy does not think so but future will tell.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Finally got a window to mow the grass.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Way to big, one more time.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

I'm sorry about the size of the picture, I'm still working on it. I can't even delete those two so if they are burning up too much bandwidth please delete them.

One more try.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

I give up.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

OK, this forum's own photo uploading feature works great, it resizes the pictures automatically. This is what I was saying about terra cotta pots holding water and showing how wet the soil is. If you want to paint the pots they need to be sealed on the inside to keep the water from seeping in and bubbling up the paint. These all grow well in the shade such as our porch.


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