Soil – First rule of gardening (Start with good soil)

Whether you are planting from seeds ,cuttings or  grown plants  the soil determines how the plant will grow.

Most of the areas of the Yucatan have poor soil and usually is only a 4-5 inch cover over a  limestone base. The limestone  often covers cenotes and caves. The winter months are generally dry and the summer and fall months wet. Any hurricanes occur from July to October. Lately hurricanes have been rare.

Surface water is rare. Instead the water flows underground in channels and caves made when the limestone dissolves from the acidic water. Cenotes are formed when the roof of an underground cave collapses allowing access to the underground water and were used as sacred places by the Maya.

The soil is full of minerals including salt which can prevent the plants from absorbing the water they need and is generally not conducive to growing plants plus the shallow soil cover prevents many types of plants from growing, In the jungle, you will see deeper levels of soil due to the decompensation of leaves, branches and other organic matter and often find good soil.

Raised beds solve a lot of problems plus decrease any insect and critter problem.

The bed should be filled with good soil. If you get soil from a Vivero (nursery) be sure you are not buying the dirt they sell for planting sod that gets very hard. You want loose black dirt. Into this you can mix leaves to keep it loose or mix in the peat moss now available at Home Depot. You may also want to mix in some good potting soil that has fertilizer mixed in, Remember that this is the basis for everything you plant .