How to prepare a natural insecticide and fungicide
In Rancho Delicioso we are experimenting with several recipes in order to create organic products to treat plagues from various insect pests, or to prevent them. We believe that there are harmless ways to treat these frequent problems of the gardens, rather than using chemicals. We came across to this recipe to create a powerful […]
What’s Growing at Rancho Delicioso
Gallery of Edible Plants That Will Grow in Costa Rica Finally I’ve been able to find the right way to display most of what we’re growing here at Rancho Delicioso. I was guessing that it must be up to 100 different edible plants, but it’s far more than that. As of this writing, many of […]
Beets – How to Grow Them
How to Grow Beets in Hot Tropical Areas of Costa Rica Spanish Name: Remolacha Seeds: Each seed is a cluster. Soak in water 12-24 hrs before planting Soil Type: Sandy, high phosphorous, raised beds Ph: 6-7 (Neutral) Germination Time: 5-10 days Spacing: 1/2″ deep, Very Close: 2-4″ between plants and 12-18″ between rows Water: Daily, keep soil moist […]
Cultivar Zanahorias Orgánicas en los Trópicos
Geoff vive y dirige la comunidad ecológica Rancho Delicioso. Él tenía la visión de creer esta comunidad fuerte y sostenible en la península sur de Nicoya en Costa Rica. Geoff es el CEO de Anamaya Resort de Yoga. A parte de agricultura, le encanta escribir para sus varios sitios de Internet, surfear y creer estructuras […]
Growing Carrots in the Tropics
How to Grow Organic Carrots in the Tropics Note: This article is also available in Spanish/Español Seeds: Very small, planted shallow Soil Type: Sandy not clay, not rich in Nitrogen, excellent drainage Ph: 6-6.5 Germination Time: 4-20 days Spacing: Rows 25cm apart. Plants 10-15cm apart Water: Daily Sun: Full Sun Harvest Time: 12-18 weeks History […]
Giant Cucumbers
Cucumbers seem to grow very easily here, and to tremendous size. And contrary to popular belief, we’ve found that even the largest cucumbers till taste great. Did you know that cucumbers are covered with prickly little spines before being picked? They are easily knocked off and aren’t too sharp, but they give a bit of […]
Caterpillar That Eats Passion Fruit Leaves
This beautiful orange and black butterfly looks sweet, but it lays hundreds of eggs on our passion fruit vine leaves. At first, the eggs are bright yellow, but after a time, they turn a browner shade before hatching. The tiny caterpillar babies favor these passion fruit vines leaves (maracuya) and will quickly grow much larger. […]
Papaya Leaf Cure for Dengue Fever
With the number of people catching dengue fever seemingly on the rise every year in Costa Rica, especially during this rainy season, the demand for a simple and inexpensive remedy has never been higher, and as with so many common ailments, the modern medical system is not very helpful. The good news is that researchers […]
Giant Mushrooms
We found some mushrooms growing in the corner of the shade structure, seemingly connected somehow to the roots of a large Melina tree. We thought they were gigantic to begin with, but they just keep growing larger and large and now are much larger than the original huge size. They’re by far the largest […]
Natural Predators as Allies on the Farm
Here I’m creating an ongoing article exploring the symbiotic relationship between our farm, and the natural creatures that live in the jungle around us. How can we help each other? What can we do to encourage the right type of critters to come to dine on the bugs and beasts that bother us? The following […]
