Callaloo, a vegetable most Jamaicans know well has been a staple in many dishes. With summer approaching, callaloo, which is also called Amaranth, is highly recommended for your list of things to plant this season.
Freedom Come Rain spoke with Daniel Mason, a Jamaican farmer who has been planting for over a decade. He attributes his love of farming to his love of plants in nature and his desire to be more health-conscious about what he feeds himself and his family. In this interview, he guided us through the process of planting callaloo during the summer season and the benefits of callaloo.
Mason said the first step in planting callaloo is to acquire the seeds. He said this can be done by purchasing them at a farm store or from someone who may have the seeds. Next, he says you must get properly fertile dirt; this could be potting soil, or you can make a small patch known as a “bed.” This is where you would sprinkle the callaloo seedlings. Mason says that within a week, these seeds will begin to sprout, and you can set them in a nursery, which in agriculture is a dedicated protected area where sprouted seeds are cared for, or you may set these seeds in seedling trays. After the seeds have sprouted and grown to at least three inches, or two to three “true leaves”, you begin the process of transplanting these sprouts to the ground.
Mason has advised that since we are in the summer season and the temperatures are higher, you must ensure that you water your callaloo sprouts frequently until they have reached full maturity. In at least a month, you will have yourself fresh callaloo! He encourages many Jamaicans to try and plant their own callaloo, stating, “It’s one of the most natural vegetables you can grow with little effort, and grows quickly.”
On the topic of clothing to wear during the hot summer season when planting, Mr Mason recommends wearing clothing made out of khaki material. “Inna hot time that keep you cool, and inna cold time that keep you warm.”
He also urged more Jamaicans to get into farming and grow their own produce, citing that with the current state of climate change, plus the chemicals used by some companies when producing these foods, these are harmful to our health, plants, and the environment. “[Farming] is one of the occupations that can never die. Farming was one of the first occupations known in the Bible.” “Commercialised farming isn’t as healthy as the home-grown plants,” said Mason.
So during this summer, try your hand at planting and growing this nutritious and easy vegetable in your garden.