What grows in Spain?

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23 Oct 2012 2:44 AM by gerrryuk Star rating in Mezquitilla, near To.... 179 posts Send private message

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On Wednesday I travel to Spain to look at properties for me to live &  have an eye on a property with a fair amount of land.

I have always harboured the idea of having an allotment in England & growing potatoes, runner beans, carrots, swedes, cabbages & even lettuces & salad vegatables.

Now I know it is totally different in Spain with lemons, oranges, bananas, grapes, olives etc being the main things grown.

But my question is what grows in Spain consistant with things grown in the UK?

Water I suppose is a problem, so is the intense sun at certain times of the year, but what's everybodies thoughts? 



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23 Oct 2012 8:33 AM by philevans Star rating in Axminster Devon & Sa.... 187 posts Send private message

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These might be worth a look

 

http://www.allotment.org.uk/grow-your-own/allotments/growing-vegetables-spain



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23 Oct 2012 8:47 AM by tamaraessex Star rating in Colmenar, Malaga. 508 posts Send private message

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Tomatos, cut-and-come-again lettuce, green peppers, more tomatos.

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23 Oct 2012 9:08 AM by elviriadreamer Star rating. 99 posts Send private message

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Hi Gerald

You can grow virtually anything you want. You hit two nails on the head by thinking water and sun are your biggest challenges BUT they can be overcome. Also read up on certain pests in Spain...some will eat you out of house and home! 

Re the water, you can actually buy water retaining crystals...just make sure you get ones suitable for edible products, NOT just plants. Obviously you will have to still water more than in the UK, but they do work. Also a good fruit/veg feed should be added.

Re the sun, you can build some sort of canopy as protection (natrual would be best ie grape vines over a pergoda but they will take some time to reach maturity) but it must be something that whilst blocking the hot rays allows the light through.

Also make sure the earth is suitable. If not you can buy peat/compost etc and mix it up to make your own. Although stinky, chicken pellets are fab for fruit and veg growth, especially strawberries.

A friend had real problems with herbs but I think this was down to lack of watering and sun scortch.

HAPPY GROWING if you go ahead with the purchase...nothing is more pleasurable than eating your own home grown stuff.





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23 Oct 2012 11:46 AM by johnzx Star rating in Spain. 5242 posts Send private message

Gerry:-

 

Answer:-   potatoes, runner beans, carrots, swedes, cabbages & even lettuces & salad vegatables and a lot more things.





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23 Oct 2012 12:09 PM by gerrryuk Star rating in Mezquitilla, near To.... 179 posts Send private message

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 So John its not as difficult as visualised, just water, the sun & pests being the obsticles. That's good news.

 


This message was last edited by gerrryuk on 23/10/2012.

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23 Oct 2012 12:15 PM by tamaraessex Star rating in Colmenar, Malaga. 508 posts Send private message

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 " just water, the sun & pests being the obsticles."

....... so, pretty much like anything else in Spain then!



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23 Oct 2012 12:30 PM by eos_ian Star rating in Valencia. 509 posts Send private message

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Hi 

Here you have a link for the main fruit and vegetables grown in Spain and their seasons

 

http://www.alimentacion.es/es/campanas/frutas/frutas_verduras_temporada/tabla_de_verduras/default.aspx

 

http://www.alimentacion.es/en/campanas/frutas/frutas_verduras_temporada/tabla_de_frutas/default.aspx

 

Hope it's helpful!



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23 Oct 2012 12:32 PM by llegaralasestrellas Star rating in United Kingdom (BHX .... 58 posts Send private message

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Hi Gerry

Long term, I've been thinking along similar lines, though more for a hybrid aesthetic-practical garden. The follow is for the Murcia/Almeria/Alicante area at low-altitude, from what I found out from some green fingered friends:

Fruits:

Citrus - Citrus trees do really well, obviously. In ultra-dry areas will need some water. They produce beautiful blossoms and you can usually get hybrid Orange-Lemon trees, which works nicely aesthetically and also means you won't be left with more lemons than you can realistically use.

Olives - Go without saying. Slow but very easy. Minimal maintinance, just make sure you get specimins that are already fruiting.

Dates - The Phoenix dactylifera "real" date palm does produce fruit in Spain, but is at the limit of it's range, so is less productive than it can be. Don't expect all fruit to ripen fully within the same period, etc. You can also harvest the fronds for making craftware, if desired.

Bananas - Keep out of the wind and water abundantly. They are within their thermal limits but the dryness is beyond their tolerance, so need good soil and abundant water to really get the best out of them. Won't be a productive as they are in their "real" climate, but the right varities will fruit nicely, and the leaves can be harvested too for presenting food.

Grape - Goes without saying. That said, they can be somewhat high maintinance.

Almond - Likewise. Has the benefit of being very low maintinance.

Mango - Yep, seriously. On the Med coastal plains you can make your own mango juice just fine :)

Avocado - Likewise does pretty well.

Lychee - Likewise

Kiwi - Does very well.

Pomegranite - Does very well.

Star Fruit (Carambola) - I love this fruit. My parents didn't grow it in Spain, but I'm inclined to think it should grow pretty well on the coast. It is grown in Texas and Florida in the US, which often experience cold snaps, and also in Israel which has similar climate to Spain, so I think it will work, and I'm looking forward to giving it a try one day.

Apples / Pears - In Murcia/Alicante/Almeria they are within range but beyond optimal range as they benefit from a sharper winter than the coast allows. They will fruit but don't expect the quality to be top notch.

Vegetables: Onions, peppers cabbages, tomatoes (not a vegetable but whatever!), taro andpotatoes are all good. Again you will need to water them in some regions. Tomatoes and onions in paticular grow very well in Spain. Taro isn't popular with westerners, but I'd reccomend giving it a try. It's a polynesian staple and it's popular with the locals in the Azores, so give it a try - needs plenty of water, but very tolerent of everything except severe cold. Almost all melons do very well.

Herbs/Spices: Lavender, saffron, mint, nettle, thyme, basil, oregano, coriander and bay all do well.

No-Nos - Coconut and durian are definitely out. They will not survive the winter anywhere on the mainland. I'm not sure about breadfruit, but the mainland is either beyond the limit, or on the extreme edge. I am not sure about

Hope this gives you some ideas for experimenting :)





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23 Oct 2012 1:18 PM by gerrryuk Star rating in Mezquitilla, near To.... 179 posts Send private message

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 Excellent reply Tamara, so true.

Thank you Elvira & Phil & Eos_Ian for your links...... & IIegara.. etc  for your  superb rendition really good (looked like hard work that, to me)

Off to a meeting now but on my return will certainly print these off.



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23 Jul 2015 1:44 PM by n3wman Star rating. 3 posts Send private message

** EDITED - spam **

 


This message was last edited by eos_moderators on 7/23/2015 5:25:00 PM.



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23 Apr 2018 9:02 PM by jonnysnow Star rating in Now I moved to USA.. 6 posts Send private message

Tomatoes and olives are the best there...



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