New And Nutritious Crops


 For St. Croix


 By
 Jay Reynolds
 Blue Chip Farms, Frederiksted
 The tropics contain more different types of plants than
most of the world. In our island of St. Croix, however, we
use only a fraction of the great variety of plants which grow
here. The purpose of this article is to mention several vege-
table plants which grow on the island successfully and to
share with you my experiences with them.
 Two green vegetables are available which are vigorous,
fast growing, and nutritious. Two root crops are also men-
tioned which are productive and space saving. All of these
can be grown in a home garden and one is suitable for con-
tainer or hydroponic growing.
Amaranth
 The green vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus dubious, A.
gangeticus, A. hybridus) is an extremely ancient plant once
cultivated by the Aztecs as a grain. The amaranth I am
writing of here is known as vegetable amaranth, "spinach",
Kallaloo, or Bajee. It already is collected here in St. Croix
from wild plants and is a common ingredient in local kalla-
loo stews.
 The reason for mentioning it here is because, while most
wild amaranth only grows short (1-3 foot) plants with small
leaves, other varieties which grow to 6 feet tall and with 8-10
inch leaves are now available by seed and in several forms
growth and color.
 Amaranth has another distinctive feature, it grows fast! A
plant only 6 inches high, when well supplied with water, can
grow up to 12 inches in one week, and after cutting it back,
be ready for harvest in two weeks. The long stems and
leaves of the young plant and the top 8-12 inches of older
plants are harvested and the taste is vaguely like spinach,
but no chalky aftertaste. The interior of large amaranth
stems provides a crisp treat similar to broccoli stems.
 One drawback, however, in growing amaranth is pest
control. All amaranths, wild and planted, will require con-
trol of caterpillars (worms) weekly or else they will
destroy the crop. They can be easily protected, however, by
a safe, organic spray of Bacillus thurigiensis (Bactospiene)
which can be used up to the day of harvest and is harmless
to man, animals, and other insects. This productive, fast
growing green is a natural for this island, it's always been
here wild and new varieties make it better.
Water Spinach
 Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) is an edible green
which is a member of the same family as sweet potatoes.
This plant prefers a life in a swampy environment, but some
varieties can also be grown in soil with adequate moisture. It
grows as a sprawling vine if left uncut but if cut produces a
clump of shoots which grow back after cutting. It can be


easily propagated by seeds or cuttings planted 6 inches
apart.
 Due to its ability to grow in wet swampy places many
schemes of cultivation are possible. In Malaysia, it is grown
in fish ponds, the spinach is fed to pigs, the pig manure is
used to fertilize the ponds, and thus three products, fish,
spinach, and pigs can be harvested at the same time. A
friend of mine grows it on a portion of concrete pation in 1-
2 inches of dirt which is frequently flooded with water
from a leaking roof gutter. I believe it could be grown in any
container holding water or hydroponically at home with
ease.


Water spinach grows in moist rich soil or water. The leaves
can be used for salad or kallaloo and has a mild pleasant
flavor.
 The young shoots of the plant 6-12 inches long are cut
back, the leaves and hollow stems are chopped for use in
salads, stir fries, soups, and stews. They have a mild olive
spinach flavor but also no aftertaste. The fresh leaves have a
protein content of 2-4.5%. Amaranth and water spinach
contain low levels of oxalic acid, unlike other spinach which
can block calcium absorption in the body.
Jicama
 The jicama is native to South America and is grown com-
mercially in Mexico. It is a unique plant which grows like a
vegetable but produces a turnip shaped root which tastes
like an apple! The plants are grown from seed spaced one
foot apart and mature roots are up to 6 Ibs. in 120 days. In St.
Croix, my jicima have grown to 2 Ibs. and are excellent used
raw in salad or in stir fry dishes. Jicama is a member of the