When I moved here from California I thought 'oh, I can grow anything here, without any problems' LOL I discovered that there was another huge learning curve involved and I've had many failures. I am still figuring out the nuances of keeping things alive with the abundance of insects and the huge difference between the wet and dry seasons. Watering is a matter of divination even during the wet season. My friends joke that I must have a special connection with the Mayan rain god, Chac, because every time I give up and water in the summer we have a huge monsoon shortly thereafter. Plants die from too little water and from too much water, and in between they are consumed by bugs. In addition, the alkalinity of the water and soil is a big consideration. There are some plants that are very difficult to grow because they really need acidic soil. I tested the rain one year and it had a PH of over 8!! I don't know how but my guess is that the dust in the air is off the limestone and that is the cause. It also appears to rain algae in the summer, keeping the pool clear was another learning experience. As a kid who grew up with a pool in Calif and always had one as an adult I thought I knew something about that too. Heh! I'm happy learning new stuff though, keeps the grey cells busy.
