Jump to content
Chapala.com Webboard

Plant Catalogs


Recommended Posts

Hi. 

Can anyone recommend as many retail plant catalogs as possible that will mail/deliver here. I brought about 20 packages of seed down here last winter in a carry on. I just moved to a new place, the last place had soil like sand. Also does anyone know anywhere in the Ajijic area I can buy some miracle grow soil and compost. I cant get to Guadalajara to the Home Depot. I wish they sold clay soil in bags. Its hard to work with but once seeds or plants got going they grew twice as big and fast as they did where I grew up in southern New England. 

Thanks for reading and have a good day. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of the soil here has too much clay. It has what some locals call " chiclets" , gum size chunks which absorb water. The sand, or jal ( limestone pea gravel) has to added otherwise the roots can't grow, and the water runs off, and the earth cracks in the dry season.

Our gardener sells a rich, growing soil. 65 pesos a big bag. It is natural soil, fertilized with sheep manure. He is totally against the use of horse manure. He only speaks Spanish and has a truck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Laura, at the Garden Center, by the 711 in Riberas has a product called Happy Frog. They have a potting soil but you can buy an enhancer which you mix up to 15% with sterile soil for great results. Also ask about worm castings.

Get your seeds started soon. The hot dry summer will be here before you know it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good advice, as usual Mudgirl. That is the thinking behind TPS, true potato seed. Each plant is not an exact clone, like when they cut up potatoes. If some disease strikes, like the Irish potato famine, some are likely to survive and adapt. I just received some organic TPS seeds. The farm was very generous and gave me 6 fresh seed pods. No idea on genetics other than they enjoyed growing them and eating them. Anybody want to grow some spuds? I decided to only grow a couple plants this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Freshly dug potatoes definitely have a taste advantage, but since potatoes keep well, are easy to come by, and are relatively cheap, I've never bothered growing them much. Same with onions. I tend to use whatever limited space I have for things like salad greens, tomatoes, and since moving to Mexico, stuff that's harder or impossible to come by in local stores, like arugula, acorn and yellow crookneck squash.

Also like to grow a lot of basil, make fresh pesto and freeze it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/26/2021 at 1:56 PM, ajijicbound said:

Baker Creek heirloom seeds from Missouri. https://www.rareseeds.com/?SID=01b4238e6c1995d4ed933ae267a0c39b

Sometimes take a few months, but they can ship here.

Hysop p

I've  used Baker Creek for years and would recommend them as well.

I have many packets of fresh seed from Baker Creek - tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs, etc. PM me if interested in trying a few dozen.

SunFan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Several of the garden center stores (Lauras & Vivero Verde for example) carry a variety of seeds (flowers, vegs, herbs). Jane Holdren (on Hacienda Labor towards San Nicolas) has aged horse manure for sale by the bag. You can also buy bales of peat moss locally.  I found that if I mix local bagged soil with peat moss and a little slow release fertilizer my potted flowers are quite happy.
Not everything will grow here in same season or conditions as they did NOB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've bought multiple flower seed packages from the Riberas Garden centre and so few produce even a single plant that I've given up trying. I did manage a baby Moringa tree from their seed tho. Successful plants are the best source, so mostly I gather my own where I can, roadside or from friends. Have a couple baby lychees from fresh fruit seeds and also a pomegranate. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...