HUERTOS (GARDENS)
General Overview
Huertos are poly-culture gardens. In other words, they have
a mix of different types of perennial and annual agricultural
plants. They tend to be for subsistence production (i.e.,
for use by the families who own them), but some market gardening
also occurs. Species grown in huertos include a variety of
fruit trees, coffee trees, banana plants, sugar cane, corn,
yuca (cassava), grains, beans and lentils, and garden vegetables
such as tomatoes, peppers, onions, cabbage, etc.. (Since coffee,
sugar cane and corn are also grown as monoculture crops, they
are further discussed under the Cropland
landscape system.) Fruits grown include a wide range of
citrus, such as lime, sour and sweet lemon, oranges, and mandarins.
Tomato de arbole is also popular. Trees such as the guaba
and pomarrosa (see the Riversides
landscape system) are also often found in huertos, more
for shade and humidity than edibility.
Some of the most productive huertos are found in the valley
bottom, where soils are generally deeper and more fertile,
and there is access to river water for irrigation. Huertos
are also found at mid-elevations; but year-round production,
and the establishment of many fruit trees and other perennials,
depend on irrigation. Higher-level, non-irrigated huertos
are therefore limited primarily to short-cycle annual plants
during the wet season. There is a photo of a typical huerto
in Section 2 of this site, under the heading Current
Conditions.
 A
Few Species Often Found in Huertos
Banana (Musaceae family)
Bananas, which originated in southeast Asia, are cultivated
widely throughout the tropical Americas. Though a mature banana
plant is large enough to look like a small tree, it is actually
an herbaceous (non-woody) perennial. When the bananas are
ripe, the main stalk is cut down to retrieve them. A new shoot
then grows up to provide the next crop of fruit. The larvae
of owl butterflies feed on bananas, and the very large adult
butterflies can sometimes be seen in the evening or early
morning around the plants.
Papaya tree (Caricacea family, Carica papaya)
This popular fruit tree is native to tropical America, and
is cultivated widely throughout Ecuador, up to an elevation
of about 1500 m (5000 ft). It contains papain, which is a
digestive enzyme and a chelating agent. (See Waters of Longevity
in Section 1 for an explanation.) Papain is used as a meat
tenderizer, and is the active ingredient in some creams used
for relieving itching and stinging from insect bites and rashes.
Papaya leaf tea (starting with an infusion of one small leaf
and building up to stronger doses) helps rid the body of intestinal
parasites. The fruit and the seed can also contribute to cleansing.
 Passion
fruit, maracuyá (Passifloraceae family, Passiflora
edulis)
This woody vine is not limited to huertos, but grows on trees
throughout the valley. Passiflora edulis originated in tropical
America, but is not native to Ecuador. Its large white flower
is very striking; almost alien-looking. The oval fruit (ranging
in size from an egg to an avocado) changes from a speckled
green to yellow when ripe, at which point it falls from the
vine. The pulp has a rich, appealing smell, and a concentrated
sweet/sour taste. It makes an excellent juice, especially
in combination with sweeter fruits, or simply mixed with sugar
and water. The larvae of an orange-and-black-winged Heliconia
butterfly feed on passion fruit leaves.
 Cassava,
yuca (Euphorbiaceae family, Manihot utilissima)
The cassava originated in South America, and is grown all
over Ecuador, up to about 2000 m (6500 ft). It is an essential
subsistence crop not only throughout tropical America, but
also over large parts of Africa. Over 6000 varieties have
been identified. In flavour and consistency, its starchy tubers
are a cross between potato and parsnip. Once the tubers are
recovered from the roots, the stem is cut into pieces that
are simply re-inserted into the soil to produce the next harvest.
Cassava is grown in huertos, but quite large areas of land
are also sometimes devoted to it.
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