6/11/2001 : First update
Since we opened our web site to the public we have added a total of 21 species. At this time you can look up 29 trees, 15 palms, 16 ground covers, 40 shrubs, 2 grass varieties (under sod), 7 succelents and 2 vines.
For all information about our climate visit www.meteo.an.
Here we mention those climactical conditions which are important for the landscaping of your garden. In general Curaçao has a semi-arid and very windy climate with an average rainfall of only 550 mm/year (22 inches/year). There are no high mountains only a few hills with the highest point at 375 m (1,230 feet).
Rain
Our rain season is from October till January where 60 % of the total rainfall
occurs. Much of the rain falls in heavy down pours and this means that most of
the rainwater runs off to sea. Some of it is collected in man made collection
areas, where the water gets a chance to drain into the ground, but where most of
it evaporates at a rate of 7,1 mm per day (0,28 inch). Our yearly rainfall is
subject to the effects of El Niño. Every 5 to 7 years we have a very good rain
year. The last one was 1999 when over 1.100 mm (43 inches) fell. But on the
other hand we experienced three years of less then 300 mm (11 inches) prior of
1999.
Wind
The wind is a mayor factor to keep in mind, when gardening in Curaçao. Our
average maximum wind speed throughout the year is: 45 km/hour (28 miles/hour),
while the average wind speed is still a good 25 km/hour (16 miles/hour). And on
average the wind direction is from 088º (from the east) 90 % of the time.
It is sometimes necessary to plant windbreak hedges or place wind break screens
to be successful in gardening in other areas of the yard.
Temperature
The average maximum temperature for Curaçao is 31,0º C. (88º F) and the
average minimum is 25,3º C. (77,5º F), which is high for night temperatures.
Because of the small difference (5,7º C) between day and night temperatures and
the high night temperatures the plants do not get to ‘rest’ and therefore
keep growing. The effect for example of this on St. Augustine grass is that it
needs to be mowed twice a week to keep it manicured looking in the gardens of
the Marriott Hotel here in Curaçao, while in San José, Costa Rica the same
grass is mowed only once in two weeks.
The average minimum temperatures there are 15º C (59º F) with 11º C
difference with the average maximum temperature of 26º C. (79º F). The same is
true for cutting and trimming plants. It simply never stops. Garden maintenance
is a weekly task if you want a ‘tropical looking garden’. These notes are
important to understand why garden maintenance in Curaçao is so labor intensive
and thus expensive.
Sun
While people living in areas out site the tropics (north of the tropic of cancer
or south of the tropic of Capricorn) will always keep in mind where respectively
south or north is, in respect to the position of the sun, when they design their
garden. Gardeners within the tropics do not need to. Simply because the closer
you are to the equator the more you will have the sun right over you and about
as much sun in both the north and south side of their garden. Curaçao is at
12º North and thus we have the sun twice a year overhead of us. In April when
the sun is ‘traveling’ north and in august ‘on its way’ south. Still,
some plants will show ‘signs’ of our ‘winter’ period. For example
Bougainvilleas planted against walls on the north site of a building will flower
less then in our ‘summer’, when the sun is north. On average we have 8,4
hours of sunshine per day.
(Well) Water
When gardening in Curaçao you probably need a well to pump water from in order to irrigate the plants. The other options are: municipal water which is very expensive NAfl. 14,00/m3($ 0.03/US gallon), in cisterns collected rain water (won’t last very long) and septic tank water. The latter is of course very dirty water, biologically and mechanically. Only a very well designed filter system will keep your drip irrigation system from getting clogged all the time. This water smells of course very bad and is full of bacteria.
The quality of the well water varies from garden to garden and even from well
to well. In general this water always contains calcium carbonate, which turns
everything white when pumped through sprinklers into the wind and onto the
grass: neighboring plants, windows, tills, walkways, fences etc. Further the pH
(acidity) of well water is always high. The pH of, in this case water, is a
figure between 1 and 14. A pH of under 7 means the water is a little acid (pH=6)
to extremely acid (pH=1). While a pH of over 7 means the water is alkaline.
Our well water has a pH of 8,5 and so it it alkaline. A high pH in the soil
prevents some plants (Ixoras, Heliconias) from taking up elements like iron and
boron into their system. This results in yellowing of their leaves. Rain water
on the other hand has a pH of 6 or lower (acid).
Rain water therefore dissolves the elements in the soil and makes them available
for all plants. Our plants always do better in the rain season, simply because
of the lower pH in rain water. Our municipal water is distilled sea water and is
of excellent (drinking) quality. Like rain water it has no salts in it so you
may think it is good for the plants, just like the rain water. Municipal water,
though, has a pH of 8,5 to 9,0!! So it has the same negative effects on the
elements in the soil as well water.