Puna vs Hamakua

[mikereilly]

Mahalo, Haunani. What a wonderfully positive way to explain how to integrate on the Big Island. Too often we tell people what not to do instead of what they can do.

On the topic of value of land, many have made good points. My cottage is in lava zone 3, which is supposed to be safer than Pahoa (where the flows made it to the outskirts in 2014 and took down a house, cemetery and part of the transfer station. Even so, the current flow is just a mile behind our subdivision (Eden Roc). Fortunately, it is unlikely to come our way for quite some time due to the lay of the land. Soil on my property is only about an inch or so thick on average over top of a 250 year old pahoehoe flow. This means that you need to import black cinder and mulch to build up areas you wish to plant for optimum results, but things still just grow. For example, I pitched a couple of avacado pits out the first year and 4 years later they have grown into decent sized trees. Things just grow. The warm temperatures combined with plentiful water and regular light (despite the rain there is sun almost every day) provide excellent growing conditions.

More soil can be advantageous for growing, but with 160" of rain (Mountain View and higher) you end up with mud if you are walking and/or driving over it very much as people who live Mauka of Hwy. 11 can attest. Raised beds on ripped lava can be a pretty good choice, although there are issues with the amount of rain with good drainage leeching nutrients from the soil.