Hello from Dakar

darla.stewartjones 9/11/2012, 9:16 am

Hello,
I am just joining this Forum and taking an on-line class. I am currently in Dakar, Senegal. We've been here 3 months. We moved her from Germany. I tried doing SFGing there, too, with mixed results. It's hard to find Mel's Mix there as it will be here.
Darla

**rowena___.** 9/11/2012, 11:30 am

welcome, darla! i'd love to hear all about dakar and what you are doing there (if it isn't double secret or anything). don't worry about mel's mix--start with what you have, which is likely to be compost and some natural materials. please forgive me, i don't know the area well enough to know what those would be--but you're looking for things like manure from herbivores, and plant materials such as dried leaves, straw, etc. you don't even have to turn them into compost to start gardening--make a pile, with the top layer being a thick mulch of dried plant materials, and start gardening directly in it! over time, you'll improve the conditions but you might find this so easy and effective that you opt for it first.

Nonna.PapaVino 9/11/2012, 11:40 am

Welcome, Darla, We're looking forward to your posts on gardening half-way around the world from here--not to mention the totally opposite seasons. It may be more difficult to find vermiculite, but the opportunities to explore different composts should be extensive and fascinating. Are you in a city, or near the country? Perhaps you can connect with some old-time gardeners who can point you to sources of composts. Some thoughts: goat droppings (we used to call them 'nanny berries'), cow flops and chicken yard scrapings(must be well composted), horse/mule/donkey 'road apples' (less 'hot' than cow/chicken). Of course, you'll probably start your own compost pile with the vegetable and fruit peelings, etc. Congratulations on your new home! Nonna in Oregon, USA

darla.stewartjones 10/7/2012, 6:16 am

Thanks ladies. Dakar is in the savanah and near the equator so my seasons are not as opposite as they were when we lived in Botswana, near South Africa. We are still in the hot, wet season but in the next month it will cool off and dry out, so almost the same as North America.

I am waiting till it cools off to start my garden. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to put in it. I have some Vermiculite and I know I can buy potting soil. Other than that....?

I'll keep you posted.
Darla

Nonna.PapaVino 10/7/2012, 8:57 pm

Darla, thanks for the kind words. My thought: your climate may be much closer to those in Northern Florida, parts of Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana, and various areas of Texas. Were I you, I'd keep tuned in on their experiences and choices of vegetable/fruit varieties to plant. Having lived many years in Texas, I shall keep watch on your posts. Always wanted to find a way to live in Texas during the winter and in Oregon during the summer. Sigh. Nonna

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Hello from Dakar

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	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.