#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  What's in your garden?

## ootai

At my place we have sveral different areas of gardens out the front of the house are plants for looking good (hopefully) and then at the side of the house is the Mother in laws patch, while down the back I have made a "shade house" garden where I am trying to grow vegetables. At the south end of this is the bananas and some other stuff. I will post some pictures of different plants which for people living will most likely be boring but maybe interesting for others who haven't seen them before.

First cab off the rank is a "????" as I don't know what its called. The missus has told me that they don't eat it (unusual) because it takes too much time and effort to prepare and cook.  Maybe someone can tell me what the hell it is.

This a larger view of MIL's patch if you look hard you can see "????" in the centre.

It looks very nice actually

Clearer pictures follow but this shows the vine it grows on.

In my opinion if looks are anything to go by it should be delicious.



A different one.

Anyway I will post more pictures next time of other things that are growing in our garden/s.
To anyone who has anything growing feel free to post some pictures.

Cheers

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## toslti

This appears to be it...


Momordica Conchinchinensis

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## nidhogg

Gac fruit.

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## AntRobertson

Coconuts and mangos and... that’s about it I think

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## Davis Knowlton

I've got several mango trees, coconuts, bananas, limes, pineapple, jackfruit, tomatoes, radishes and carrots (neither doing real well), tomatoes, avocado, and some other stuff I can't think of off hand. Wife also has a small herb garden, but I don't know exactly what she grows in it.

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## ootai

Toslti and Nidhogg you guys are quick and correct as after I read your replies and looked at the link Toslti posted I went out and pulled one off the vine and cut it open. Here's the result

Once again I reckon it looks delicious but after reading it has no taste I passed on trying it.

The reason I am posting here is cause its raining and I can't go outside. When I retired the plan was to have the garden to give me something to do but I didn't realise it would require so much work. Just trying to keep on top of the weeds is almost impossible. If I could squat down like my MIL it might be easier but I have to bend over or kneel down and I'm too old and fat for that to be easy.

Anyway here are some more pictures:

This is the MIL's patch Looking left from the access to the back of our house.



and then looking right toward our house.



The first picture in the OP shows the middle between these two.

So along the fence on the house side we have:


The ubiquitous lemon grass and nearby I have planted a couple of potatoes in a tyre , the first 2 I planted just rotted so hopefully these will do better.


Not sure what this is called but it gets eaten a lot. I know its a prickly bush.


These are some sort of vine that the MIL eats with her betel nut. Again don't know what they are called.


first thing outside the back gate is Dragon fruit. The ones she grows here are the nicest I have eaten.

Cheers

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## OhOh

Too much water, currently.

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## Maanaam

> This appears to be it...
> 
> 
> Momordica Conchinchinensis


 That's it. I see them in the market sometimes. Thai ฟักข้าว I think. Fvck Cow.
I wonder why, if I see them in the market and people grow them, OP says Thais don't bother with them? 
I have not tried one.

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## Maanaam

> These are some sort of vine that the MIL eats with her betel nut. Again don't know what they are called


 I'm pretty sure it's the same family as pepper, chapru (that wonderful package of taste sensation eaten with dried shrimp, ginger, garlic, chillie, peanuts, coconut, and palm syrup), and Pacific Islands kava (piper methisticum).
I wish kava grew in Thailand.

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## ootai

Ant Robertson
quote: coconuts and mangos and... that’s about it I think

We have mangoes but no coconuts, I think some were planted many years ago but failed to grow.

OhOh
quote: Too much water, currently.*
*Luckily I don't have that issue rather not enough water around here at the moment. The rice almost died but we got just enough last week to keep it going.
When we built the house the main thing I did was to create a good drainage path for the water to get off of our place and it has worked really well so far.

Maanaam
I actually didn't mean "Thais in general" when I said they what meant was my wife's family here don't eat them, which surprised the crap out of me because I thought they eat everything that is not poisonous.

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## Norton

> That's it. I see them in the market sometimes. Thai ฟักข้าว I think. Fvck Cow


Yep. That's it. Somewhat tasteless imo.

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## Begbie

Mango, lamut, custard apple, lots of variety of banana, jack fruit, cherry, bramble, avocado, guava, mongkoot, papaya, lynchee, longan, breadfruit and a few basil bushes. Also two fruit trees I have no idea of the name. 

Currently growing some sugar cane in pots for transfer to the garden. Way too much water.

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## cyrille

No idea what it is, but it's in my garden.

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## Chittychangchang

Bamboo, potatoes, magic mushrooms,  redcurrants, blackberries and plenty of weeds atm :Smile:

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## Loy Toy

Rats, snakes, water monitor lizards, Tokays, bananas, papaya, lemon grass and other herbs and 4 dogs.

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## HuangLao

River crocs....

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## Pragmatic

> No idea what it is, but it's in my garden.


 Protea. The national flower of S Africa.

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## Maanaam

> breadfruit


 How is that going?

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## Davis Knowlton

^I've got loads...huge buggers.

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## Maanaam

> ^I've got loads...huge buggers.


Back story to my question; I posted some info about breadfruit being a super-food of sorts and asked the question about why it was not more abundant in Thailand. Further, I noted that the few times I've seen it sold in the market, it was sold immature and cut up (as if to add to a curry). In the Pacific Islands, breadfruit is ubiquitous and usually only picked when ripe. Used as a staple. It's benefits include a very good yeald per footprint of land used and once established, it's a source of food for decades. Many Pacific people plant a breadfruit tree upon the birth of a child, giving that child food for a lifetime.
Begbie was inspired to go and buy a sapling which he planted.

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## Davis Knowlton

^Wife eats it...or cooks with it. I don't like it myself.

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## ootai

Its great that people are responding on here but what about some pictures (thanks Cyrille).
I would love to see pictures of all those things Begbie has in his garden.

Anyway to continue with my walk around our place.  Here is the rest of the MIL's patch


Lots of taro i.e phuak


This I believe is called a Horseradish tree


Another look at the previous tree


Of course there is always bananas and here some galangal as well


A young Pawpaw tree


Pomegranate


A different type of Taro


More galangal


Don't know what these are called but they produce a tuber that is eaten


Again I don't know the name but this tree produces hundreds of little red "apples". At the moment it is still recovering from the most brutal haircut I have ever seen given to a tree and doing very well.


Cheers

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## cyrille

> Protea. The national flower of S Africa.



Interesting.

You could be right. The gardener reckons white is quite unusual and pink is more common.

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## AntRobertson

> but what about some pictures


That would entail me actually getting off my arse and going out into the garden!!  :Very Happy:

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## Begbie

> Its great that people are responding on here but what about some pictures (thanks Cyrille).
> I would love to see pictures of all those things Begbie has in his garden


It’s pouring rain and there’s about two inches of standing water in our “field”. I’ll have a go later weather permitting.

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## Pragmatic

> You could be right. The gardener reckons white is quite unusual and pink is more common.


 He could well be right.

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## Davis Knowlton

> That would entail me actually getting off my arse and going out into the garden!!


Same. Not that I would have posted pictures in any case. I reckon even the dimmer posters already know what a coconut looks like.

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## nidhogg

> River crocs....


Get a lot of them in Portland, do they Jeff?

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## ootai

Quote Begbie    It’s pouring rain and there’s about two inches of standing water in our “field”. I’ll have a go later weather permitting.
You are forgiven then!  For now that is looking forward to the future to see some pictures, particularly Breadfruit as I have not seen that before.  I suppose I could Google it but that would spoil the surprise.




> Same. Not that I would have posted pictures in any case. I reckon even the dimmer posters already know what a coconut looks like.


Yes Davis that is probably true but do they know what one looks like with the husk on? Do they know what a coconut tree looks like?
Remember there are people who think chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows.

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## Maanaam

> Lots of taro i.e phuak


 Another thing I don't understand why it's not a thing in Thailand is taro leaves as a leafy green dish. When done properly, it's delicious. Palusami when served at a buffet is raided first before the roast pork; THAT is an endorsement when you consider Pacific Islanders' love of roast pork.
I often see the stalks sold in the market here and my wife has promised to ask the vendor to bring the leaves....hasn't got around to it yet. I grew some taro in pots (I don't have a garden) from root tops of tubers bought in Big C and had one delicious feed of the leaves.

Nice thread Ootai.

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## ootai

Maanaam
I have never heard it mentioned about eating the leaves so I will ask and see what response I get.
Just out of interest and so I can tell the Missus how do you cook the leaves? Do you use any leaf or do you need young fresh ones?

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## Maanaam

> Maanaam
> I have never heard it mentioned about eating the leaves so I will ask and see what response I get.
> Just out of interest and so I can tell the Missus how do you cook the leaves? Do you use any leaf or do you need young fresh ones?


Glad you asked. Younger leaves are best and not cooked for a day. Taro leaves contain oxacycic acid crystals which create an itchy feeling in your mouth (which is most likely why Asians don't eat them) but if the leaves are picked and then left overnight, it seems the crystals disolve or change in some way. Better yet, after picking the leaves, pinch the tip off so some of the sap seeps out and then leave them for a day.

Classic palusami...best I give you a vid, and keep in mind it can be done in an oven in the house. You don't need the lovo/umu hot stone rigamarole. Also, you can just chop and boil with coconut cream..add tinned fish if you like (nicer).
The main thing to remember is to let the leaves rest so that the oxacylic acid crystals dissolve.

This is the Fijian-living-overseas method. (Note: I prefer the Fijian-in-Fiji method, and and count the Samoan method as ultimate.)

How to make Palusami Fiji Style ? Coconet
 This is the Polynesian method (Samoan). Add fish (fresh or tinned) or whatever meat if you like. Also, add a few drops of Thai fish sauce and chillies (Maanam cooking tip #12)

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## Klondyke

> first thing outside the back gate is Dragon fruit. The ones she grows here are the nicest I have eaten.


Keo Mongon I am breakfasting for years with Muesli and yoghurt. It is said it helps to reduce diabetes, BP, etc.  In my case it might be true.

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## cyrille

Two minutes ago, after the rain...

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## cyrille

..... :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Chico

Great Photo Squirrel, what is it.?

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## cyrille

Your last attempt at a Caesar Salad.

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## Chittychangchang

It's like spot the ball with a difference, ok give us a clue?
What are we looking for? :Smile: 
Apart from the fact it's upside down, keep practising as Mrs Fagass said to the class dunce :Smile:

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## Chico

Must of had a night on some sort of substance,poor bugger must be bouncing around today.

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## Loy Toy

> Apart from the fact it's upside down


Spat my Heineken all over my computer.  :smiley laughing:

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## HuangLao

> Back story to my question; I posted some info about breadfruit being a super-food of sorts and asked the question about why it was not more abundant in Thailand. Further, I noted that the few times I've seen it sold in the market, it was sold immature and cut up (as if to add to a curry). In the Pacific Islands, breadfruit is ubiquitous and usually only picked when ripe. Used as a staple. It's benefits include a very good yeald per footprint of land used and once established, it's a source of food for decades. Many Pacific people plant a breadfruit tree upon the birth of a child, giving that child food for a lifetime.
> Begbie was inspired to go and buy a sapling which he planted.



I believe Begbie has been attempting experimentation with breadfruit here for a time with some success - there are a couple of referenced threads dedicated towards breadfruit where he has contributed. 
Breadfruit never really took off as a societal food throughout SE Asia, yet has the keen ability to thrive here quite well. Know a couple of folks that have established trees, yet don't know what to do with it - not really marketable here - mostly of a novelty fashion. 

The odd nursery will carry it - but generally, difficult to locate. 
Been wanting to plant a breadfruit sapling for a while, but never got around to it - personally, I cherish breadfruit - especially slow roasted, as it's nutty and non-offensive flavour is attractive.

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## Loy Toy

> as it's nutty and non-offensive flavour is attractive.


Never heard of it before.

Sounds more like a vegetable then a fruit and would like to try it.

What is it called in Thai?

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## cyrille

It's like a dumbed-down version of 'The Gumbies' here sometimes.  :Sad: 

Glenn Gumby just 'spat heineken all over' his computer.

There must be a 'y' in the day.

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## cyrille

> He could well be right.


Don't think ours is a protea though. The petals are completely different.

Probably in the same family though. 

Wife says it's called 'Dalaa' and usually only grows in S. Thailand.

Perhaps S. Thailand TDers can help. :Very Happy:

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## cyrille

> Breadfruit never really took off as a societal food throughout SE Asia.


Jeff, is there a single topic under the sun about 'whom' [sic.] you can comment without seeming like an utter wanker.  :Very Happy: 




> Been wanting to plant a breadfruit sapling for a while, but never got around to it


Well you're clearly a busy guy, and, well, Portland...

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## Maanaam

> Never heard of it before.
> 
> Sounds more like a vegetable then a fruit and would like to try it.
> 
> What is it called in Thai?


It is starchy and I think classed as a fruit. In Thai it is "sa gae", can't find it in my dictionary for Thai script. Looks a lot like jackfruit.

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## Maanaam

> there are a couple of referenced threads dedicated towards breadfruit where he has contributed.


 Links please. Not to the thread I started on the subject.
Although that link would be helpful too  :Smile:

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## Loy Toy

^^ OK, Thanks for the info!

i will check with the missus.

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## Maanaam

> Perhaps S. Thailand TDers can help.


 Sorry, Mrs is in a grump tonight. I can't ask her without giving ground  :Smile:

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## Begbie

> Links please. Not to the thread I started on the subject.
> Although that link would be helpful too


He’s got you Jeff. I only commented on Manaam’s thread. 

The breadfruit tree is in good health but no signs of any actual fruit.

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## HuangLao

> It is starchy and I think classed as a fruit. In Thai it is "sa gae", can't find it in my dictionary for Thai script. Looks a lot like jackfruit.



สาเก 


 :Smile:

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## Maanaam

> สาเก


No. Tones, Jeff. Very important. 
If Mrs wasn't grumpy tonight I'd ask her.  :Smile:

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## HuangLao

Propagate more Thai Flame trees and Banyan trees...

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## ootai

So if you turn right when going out our back gate you get the MIL's patch but if you go left instead you get her other 2 patches and my shade house.


My shade house


MIL patch #2 to the left of the shed


Here she mainly grows galangal which she sells


There are a few other things about the place


Like these which are in her other patch as well but I don't know what they called


This is patch #3 and here she has bananas and grows cucumber and beans plus more taro and yams


Getting ready to plant some beans, the long ones which I call "snake" beans but are sometimes called "yard long" beans


Same but from the other side


This is what it looked like a week ago, weeds grow really well here


Here are the taro and yams, the straw I put down helps keep the weeds at bay and also helps to retain the moisture


Same place a week or so ago. Sometimes it seems like I'm digging a hole, then filling it in, then digging it again and so on.

Cheers

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## Maanaam

> the straw I put down helps keep the weeds at bay and also helps to retain the moisture


Totally the right idea.



> Same place a week or so ago. Sometimes it seems like I'm digging a hole, then filling it in, then digging it again


Perhaps a thicker coverage?

I see cassava in the background. I've got recipes for that, too  :Smile:

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## Klondyke

> I cherish breadfruit


As a boy I used to read books about explorers such as James Cook and similar where the breadfruit found on Pacific islands was always mentioned and consumed. Was wondering how it looks like.

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## ootai

> Totally the right idea.
> Perhaps a thicker coverage?
> 
> I see cassava in the background. I've got recipes for that, too



Maanaam
The pictures don't really tell the full story. The taro and yams in there were planted by the MIL but she had to go to hospital and when she came home she was too sick to do any work in the garden so in the end I decided I should tidy it up for her. She doesn't like using the straw as it attracts the chickens to come scratching but I reckon it works well and I just scratch it back in place each day. So since I put the straw it been doing the job intended, it doesn't stop all the weeds but keeps them down a lot as well as the moisture part as well.
I should say the MIL is a real trojan and works hard looking after the plants around the place, she's 75 or thereabouts and has a pacemaker.

Anyway to continue the story here's my shade house:





These are being prepared for some pumpkins, the type that are bred for producing "tips" not pumpkins.


There are 4 sections and as you can see at the top of the picture the last section is still au natural, I will get to it 1 day.


One of our dogs likes getting in there when I have just dug up some soil and put the water on it.


This is the culprit.

Cheers

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## Stumpy

We have 
Mango, 
Noi Na,
Lumyai, 
3 different Type of Bananas, 
Jackfruit
Mulberry
Rumbutan
Coconuts
Dragon Fruit
Cherry Tomatoes
Limes
Lemon tree (struggling)
Pomelo
Chilis
2 Avocado trees (young)
2 Durian trees ( Young )

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## HuangLao

> We have 
> Mango, 
> Noi Na,
> Lumyai, 
> 3 different Type of Bananas, 
> Jackfruit
> Mulberry
> Rumbutan
> Coconuts
> ...


For market, family, or general novelty? 

We've, as well, seem to be growing most everything and anything - fruits, veges, herbs, etc - for market, extended family, property aesthetics, and just for the hell of it.

Integrated are numerous flowering tree, bush, vine varieties that colour the place up.

.....and orchids, orchids, orchids.

 :Smile:

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## Stumpy

> For market, family, or general novelty?


Just for us to eat. Plus we share with neighbors and friends. 

Here are a few pics I took this AM as the dogs chased me around the property going crazy.



My FIL's chili's. He has them growing all over. He sells these to some lady who re sells at market. Its his hobby



Some Lumyai. It appears ours are large and very sweet according to neighbors. I have eaten a few. 



Noi Na's



One variety of Banana's. These are the small short fat ones. Wife dries these out on the sun or BBQ's them.



These are the "Gui Hom" variety. Typical eating banana. 



I grow the Cherry Tomatoes as I put them in salads and soups



My wifes Kra Pao herb.



My Avocado tree(Hass variety) I have 2.  I do not know if they will fruit or not. Time will tell. If not, Its OK as I like the tree in general for shade.

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## Maanaam

> We've, as well, seem to be growing most everything and anything - fruits, veges, herbs, etc - for market, extended family, property aesthetics, and just for the hell of it.
> 
> Integrated are numerous flowering tree, bush, vine varieties that colour the place up.
> 
> .....and orchids, orchids, orchids.


Photos required or it sn't true. You know that.

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## Maanaam

> Noi Na's


 Ahh, custard apples. Very nice if left to ripen on the tree.

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## Stumpy

> Originally Posted by JPPR2 
> Noi Na's
> Ahh, custard apples. Very nice if left to ripen on the tree.


My wife checks on them everyday as does my FIL.  they pull and eat when ripe.  They love them.  I do not care for them all that much.  I would like to grow Sala but they will not do well up here I was told.

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## Stumpy

> Integrated are numerous flowering tree, bush, vine varieties that colour the place up.


My wife has a pretty extensive Rose garden going.  Some 35 bushes.  It's still evolving.  We just got an arbor and the vine variety are taking it over with lots of flowers.

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## OhOh

50mm/day for weeks, I'm told it ends in November.

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## ootai

JPPR2
Thanks for the pictures, I like to see what things actually are when I don't know a name e.g. Noi Na or custard apple

OhOh send some rain to us please it is so dry here that there is not a drop of water in any of the paddies and the rice is barely hanging in.

So to continue the story, what's in the shade house at the moment?


Chillies wouldn't be a Thai garden without them.


Here's some of the produce drying in the sun


I believe this called cilantro or long leafed coriander or in my phonetic thai  phak chi doi


It has some weird flowers if you can call them that, the book I have says to trim these to promote leaf growth, prickly bastards


Some basil, not sure if it is holy basil or sweet basil as we have both around the place


From a different angle to show the tomatoes, these are cherry tomatoes same as JPPR's
edit: sorry I made a mistake these are chives.


This is sweet potatoe


This a pepper plant, we have it in another location and it wasn't growing but it seems happier here with more shade


And finally here are some onions looking very sad amongst the weeds, they were all pulled out yesterday and are being dried for later

Please post pictures as I love looking at photo's
Cheers

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## Maanaam

> My wife checks on them everyday as does my FIL. they pull and eat when ripe.


 "Ripe". That's the thing I question because all the custard apples I've seen sold in the markets were not ripe when they were picked. While still on the bush, the fruit's knobly skin starts to break apart at the seams of the rind's segments and the fruit feels delicate to touch. Very sweet and creamy, hence the name custard apple.

Aside: Does anyone else notice a difference in TD's appearance? Darker threads etc?

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## raycarey

we've got 1 santol tree, 2 kafir lime trees and 12 banana trees.

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## Stumpy

> JPPR2
> Thanks for the pictures, I like to see what things actually are when I don't know a name e.g. Noi Na or custard apple


Anytime ootai. I always ask and then go look it up. I'd love to have a navel orange tree but they seem difficult to find. I do not like the Thai oranges very much, flavor seems funny. 




> send some rain to us please it is so dry here that there is not a drop of water in any of the paddies and the rice is barely hanging in.


 I noticed in your pics that ground looks a bit arid. Man it rains up north here every day. From about 6pm on and off through out the night. The rice fields are all flooded and most are starting to turn to that vibrant green color. In fact it just started raining as I sat down to burn some time in front of the computer. The weather has been very mild for weeks now (25 to 27c). The Wang river is flowing really high. My only heartburn is I love the sun and right now its overcast every day with a few glimpses of blue skies. I want to go ride my moto and fly my drone but too wet and weather unpredictable.

I hope you get some rain soon

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## ootai

> we've got 1 santol tree, 2 kafir lime trees and 12 banana trees.


raycarey
What is a "santol tree"? Is it possible to post a picture? I know what the other 2 are as we also have them here.

JPPR2
My request to OHoH must been heard as it has started raining here, don't know how it will last but I'll take anything we get. Luckily for us we don't have to reply on the rice crop but I feel sorry for those around here who do as it is not looking good.

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## Stumpy

> JPPR2
> My request to OHoH must been heard as it has started raining here, don't know how it will last but I'll take anything we get. Luckily for us we don't have to reply on the rice crop but I feel sorry for those around here who do as it is not looking good.


Great News...I did an Indian Rain dance for ya as well. My wife said "OK thats it, I am locking up the liquor cabinet"

The micro climates here have always been very interesting to me. Can rain and flood and drop golf ball size hail and yet some 30 kms away they are having a drought.

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## raycarey

> What is a "santol tree"? Is it possible to post a picture?




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandoricum_koetjape

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## toslti

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandoricum_koetjape



Wow.... looks so like a Mangosteen... how does the flavour compare?

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## raycarey

> Wow.... looks so like a Mangosteen... how does the flavour compare?


IMO, mangosteen are far more delicious.

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## Stumpy

> IMO, mangosteen are far more delicious.



I feel the same. Mangosteen is better.

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## Stumpy

While not really "whats in your garden", but for some this river maybe in their garden soon. Part of my daily bike ride covers about 5 km along the Wang river. It rose nearly 6 to 8 feet last night. Must have had a big rain up further North of us. 





On our side of the river it would have to rise 40 feet or so, The other side in some areas its will take about 3 or 4 feet until it is in folks yards.

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## OhOh

> On our side of the river it would have to rise 40 feet or so


Foresight is a wonderful trait.  :Smile:

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## Stumpy

> Foresight is a wonderful trait.


Yes it is :Smile: . Of course I had a long list of things before I built and one was has it ever flooded here from the river rising over the banks? My FIL said never but the other side has gone under a few times in low places. I will take a picture tomorrow on my ride and show a long stretch of low areas. Its close

No rain today as of yet but its stirring up again and looks imminent.

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## Stumpy

> I will take a picture tomorrow on my ride and show a long stretch of low areas. Its close


Pics on my ride today. River dropped at least 5 feet or so.



Low side and there are homes along this side for quite a few KM's



High side. You can see it would take a lot to crest those banks.

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## ootai

As JPPR2 has taken this down a different path I thought I might follow ity as well.
Yesterday I went out to have a look at the paddies after the little bit of rain we had on Sunday but it didn't make a lot of difference as they are still dry and the rice struggling.





Even the water holes are almost empty


At the river the water is as low as I have ever seen it. It is 2ft below the spillway and way below the main overflow.


The boys came along for the ride


They enjoy a run around


and a swim


Cheers

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## Stumpy

> As JPPR2 has taken this down a different path


^I do apologize.....

BTW, Your dogs are swimmers like mine. I have a Chocolate Lab and a Golden Retriever. Show them water and see ya later....

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## OhOh

^^How long have you been without rain?

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## ootai

OhOh
It is not that we have had no rain but what we have had is just enough to stop the rice from dying. At this time of the year the paddies are usually full of water but right now they are empty, the soil has some moisture but the other big problem is with no water the weeds grow and they can take over. So whatever happens from here on I don't think it will be a very good harvest around here this year.

JPPR2
I don't really care about going off track as I am not really sure why I started this thread in the first place must have been bored.
My dogs do like to get in the water mainly I think to cool down as they don't do a lot of swimming as such, they only go 2m-3m from the shore and then back again. One will go out a retrieve a stick if I throw it out for him but if I throw it too far he says get yourself.

Cheers

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## OhOh

Thanks for the intro on rice growing problems. 

More rain here, no flooding, we have a slight slope but ponding does occur, hence the leaf dropping. The local cities and towns on the rivers are being inundated. But it's a normal amount so far.

Water is a necessity for "gardens", Thais try and squeeze in as much cash producing plants as possible, to much or too little, and steps can be taken to alleviate both. Irrigation, if too dry or drainage, if too wet. If the plants are to be kept happy many here build platforms/raised beds for the individual plants to assist in drainage/plant growth and irrigate in the Nov. to July period 



The Durian platforms are generally 600mm higher than the surroundings and 3,000mm dia.

The Durian in my back garden were planted with no platforms, by my wife's father. He has a "jungle" Durian farm on a hilly site which he "manages" and the excess water runs off. My coffee bushes, which I manage and planted there, have no irrigation but rely on annual rainfall and produce coffee beans well.

Hence now, in my "garden" the leaf dropping , due to saturated roots.

In another new "field" where some Durian plants were transplanted a month or so ago, with as I requested 400mm high platforms, they are doing well. 

We shall see in a few years,what yields/growth are obtained in both.

----------


## Stumpy

OhOh,
Interesting on Durian.  I read same about elevating them up.  I have 3 we just planted and they are elevated. They seem to be doing well at this juncture.  Our Jack Fruit appears to be diseased.  I will like yank it out.  Of course my FIL and wife say NO...We can save it.  I disagree.  Of course I can just let it go and see what happens.

----------


## Stumpy

> I don't really care about going off track as I am not really sure why I started this thread in the first place must have been bored.


I like threads like this in many regards especially with pictures.  Lots can be learned.  

Our Lumyai tree has produced so much this year.  I continually give them away.  Some have come by and want to buy them because ones in the market are small and not very good.  I told my wife Whatever....I just share and enjoy just giving them away first letting them fall and rot.  Same with Bananas. My FIL cuts them down and let's them rot versus giving them away.  I always found that Odd.  In the US I had Navel Orange and Myers Lemon and always gave them away

----------


## ootai

OhOh
Thanks for your post it is informative re Durians if I ever decide to plant any. The interesting thing to me is trying to work out what to do to get good results here. Back home (Aussie) I used to consider myself to have a bit of a green thumb, but here I'm the grim reaper.
I thought a shade house would be ideal as I have seen plant almost shrivel up from the direct sun but when I covered the whole place in with shade cloth the plants didn't seem to want to grow. It stopped the ground drying out so much but I couldn't work out whether to water them or not. I made the garden beds by digging a half metre deep trench and then putting in layers of straw covered by 50mm of soil and thought it should allow for good drainage but my mind is still open about its success or failure. The soil in there is so clayey that I think it will need a few years of adding organic material to make it a good garden bed.
Anyway the MIL kept trying to get me to open the place up and I finally gave in and opened the sides but left the top covered it seems to be working much better so far just takes a bit more watering.
The other thing I need to understand is the MIL's randomness, she just plants stuff all over the place and a couple of times I 've pulled them out thinking they were weeds.  Me being an Engineer I like thing straight and orderly. Your description of your FIL's "jungle farm" rings true to me.
By the way thanks for the rain it has just pelted down for about 2 hours.

----------


## ootai

JPPR2
Time for me to learn some more if possible as I have some of these trees here and I haven't a clue what they are.
I asked the Missus but she doesn't know in English but she said she calls them "sour leaf tree", I presume that's her interpretation of the Thai name.
What I can tell you is they get eaten alive, the MIL sells the leaves as fast as they can grow. Picking them promotes better growing.

Here's a young one


And an older one which has been hacked to get it to grow more leaves.


You can see it here next to the Jackfruit tree. This area is at the bottom of the outside kitchen which is at the back (west side) of our house

Cheers

----------


## fishlocker

The little woman came up from the garden with a big basket of beans, cucumbers and tomatos. I wish we could grow jackfruit here. I love it freeze dried.

----------


## OhOh

> I have 3 we just planted and they are elevated.


Allegedly they thrive on sloping sites as the heavy rain flows away. In the jungle where my father in law has his farm the slopes can be near vertical and his Durian normally produce a good few tons per year. This year was a poor harvest, allegedly because of low rainfall. 

He has a supply of river water available year round and we have been sent up to the farm to water the trees. This is from hoses connected to the supply pipe. Not very scientific just "experience". He did at one stage take an interest in putting in a permanent irrigation system but it was never really started.

I on the other hand researched Durian and Coffee before planting anything. I searched and found many articles both academic and ones more information and vague suggestions. I went to the local government office, who by coincidence are the Thai centre for Durian. There, through a Thai lady interpreter, I spoke to their resident expert. They were both very helpful and eager to share their experience. They confirmed what I had read. So I felt confident myself although my wife continues to consider official Thai recommendations and Asian academic research as internet rubbish.

Whilst this was going on our "back garden" was a rubber plantation. I was allotted a small area where I planted coffee trees, lemon trees, a pomegranate tree and an under-crop of Pineapples, good for my breakfast but also as a mixer for SangSom, IMHO. My FIL talked about cutting the rubber down but again nothing occurred.

At this point I returned back to the UK to care fro my father. After a six months tour of duty, my brother took over and I retuned to find the rubber trees gone and some Durian trees planted all over the place. Not one straight line, different spacings and at the level of the existing ground. I knew from experience the garden flooded every year, from the uphill properties and then flowed downhill to the next. But Pa knows what he's doing I was told. I put some more fruit trees in and where a spot was available coffee trees. 

Because these trees were MY trees I also laid some irrigation pipes from our house supply. Everybody was amused. The general idea at home and here on TD is if you have to irrigate you've planted in the wrong place or accept a varying crop according to Buddha.  Having visited well run Durian orchards, irrigation, fertilisation and good management technique I fall into the managed group.

During the "summer months" here, June to October no irrigation is required as we have more than ample rain. During November to June the trees, both Durian and coffee require 4mm depth of rain/irrigation per square metre of canopy shade per day. This is due to the evaporation through the plans leaves. It depends a bit on temperature and cloud cover as well. I bought an outdoor "weather station" and logged the min/max temp, rainfall, humidity and wind. Again the weather station was a matter of hilarity that the felang was using some method in his madness.

The info allowed for the calculation of the irrigation requirements which I have followed, usually :Smile:  

After four years I had one Durian fruit growing, it usually takes 7 years for the fruit to grow. But "somebody" knocked it off. The coffee trees produce enough coffee beans, which I pick, process, sun dry and roast for a year. Which was my real priority. The Durian this year generally are fine but one has lost all it's leaves. I'm not sure it will recover.

I've recently cleared another Rai of  land, planted some more Durian closer to home. The main farm is truck accessible during the winter months because of the river which is crossed six or seven times and the red clay tracks. Nice straight rows, 400mm high 3,000mm dia platforms and will be irrigated by November.

Taking care of my orchards is a hobby, keeps me slimmer and hopefully will provide my wife with an income in the years to come. It also allows a little quite R&R away from the village. I've a feeling she will sell it as soon as I disappear in a puff of smoke and spend the money unwisely.





> I continually give them away.


My wife's family, plenty around, when it's harvest time bring bundles of fruit and veg to share. My FIL distributes the not fit for market Durian around relatives and neighbours. If a wild pig appears one dark night that is chopped up and shared out. Luckily none like my roasted coffee beans although some have a cup of my americano, they do of course pollute it with condensed milk and extra sugar. Heathens.

----------


## OhOh

> The other thing I need to understand is the MIL's randomness, she just plants stuff all over the place and a couple of times I 've pulled them out thinking they were weeds. Me being an Engineer I like thing straight and orderly


Oh yes. My wife throws everything out. We have a mango tree two metres from my seat where I survey my back garden. I've told her it's coming out. One night I'll do it and blame the ghosts. She puts Thai vegetables in, tells me don't cut them down and then buys the same veg at the market.

Straight lines and an even ground. oh for such a world. I spend half my life tripping over discarded branches and rocks thrown all over the place.

----------


## HuangLao

All the while, Thainess prevails.....

----------


## OhOh

> All the while, Thainess prevails.....


Very true, I am but a happy traveller through their country.

----------


## Stumpy

> JPPR2
> Time for me to learn some more if possible as I have some of these trees here and I haven't a clue what they are.
> I asked the Missus but she doesn't know in English but she said she calls them "sour leaf tree", I presume that's her interpretation of the Thai name.
> What I can tell you is they get eaten alive, the MIL sells the leaves as fast as they can grow. Picking them promotes better growing.
> 
> Here's a young one
> 
> 
> And an older one which has been hacked to get it to grow more leaves.
> Cheers


It appears to be a Chamuang tree. It is used in a pork stew like dish adding a sour taste and a aromatic smell. We have one and my wife does the same. Picks leaves and waits for the new ones as they have a better smell and taste. I also heard it has medicinal values as well.

----------


## Stumpy

> Me being an Engineer I like thing straight and orderly.


Me too. When landscaping a yard needs to have some sort of symmetry. Not Thai bashing at all here but that does not seem to be part of their make up. Its plant where there is open dirt and see what happens.




> Straight lines and an even ground. oh for such a world. I spend half my life tripping over discarded branches and rocks thrown all over the place.


Things that make me scratch my head;

* Burying cans, bottles and big hunks of cement so when you go to plant later you spend hours digging up the garbage.

* Tossing little rocks everywhere so I hit them with my lawn mower and jettison them all over the place at 1,000 MPH also causing me to have to sharpen the blade regularly. I have spent countless hours getting the rocks out of our yard. My FIL (God Bless him) turns over dirt and tosses the rocks out in the yard where I get to find with my mower. I have told him. PLEASE stop that. Its getting better

* This is my personal favorite  :Smile: .... Tree Stumps. Thai's whack down trees leaving a stump about 2 to 4 inches above ground so you not only trip over them all the time but I get the joyous moment of clipping one with my lawn mower. I have dug up no less then 12 to 14 stumps ranging from 4" to 12" diameter around our place from Lumyai, Mango, Jack fruit etc. What I find funny, They will cut down a tree and right next to the stump plant another tree and they die because the stump rots and attracts bugs and termites that kill the new one. I have slowly educated my FIL that when he cuts down a tree, show me so I can dig the stump out.


All in a day of life here.  :Smile:

----------


## Attilla the Hen

> No idea what it is, but it's in my garden.


It's also called Torch Ginger. I have red, white and pink varieties in my garden.

----------


## Maanaam

> It appears to be a Chamuang tree. It is used in a pork stew like dish adding a sour taste


 That's it. An alternative to tamarind leaves when making the pork stew.

----------


## Maanaam

> When landscaping a yard needs to have some sort of symmetry.


 Personal taste. Engineering and maths background, but in nature, my garden I like no symmetry. Not absolute randomness, I put a bit of thought into the science of spacing and location, but aesthetically I like it all looking as if it just appeared there. That's with trees. Small stuff like cabbages etc it's impractical to be random and lines are essential, although there are applications where random veges can be grown, sort of like wildflowers.





> show me so I can dig the stump out.


 I agree the stump should be removed. Quickest is to dig, but easiest is to wait a year then light a bonfire over it and keep feeding the fire for a few days (if it's a big tree stump).





> Tossing little rocks everywhere


 Also not bashing, but there does seem to be little thought to the future or of consequences.

----------


## ootai

[QUOTE=Maanaam;3803593]Personal taste. Engineering and maths background, but in nature, my garden I like no symmetry. Not absolute randomness, I put a bit of thought into the science of spacing and location, but aesthetically I like it all looking as if it just appeared there. That's with trees. Small stuff like cabbages etc it's impractical to be random and lines are essential, although there are applications where random veges can be grown, sort of like wildflowers.

Maanaam
I don't have any issue with it outside my shade house. I actually think it is probably a better idea as it create a micro environment.
However within my shade house I like to keep things straight as I can then dig the garden beds and maintain the channels between the beds to allow the water to run off during heavy downpours, not that we have had many of those so far this year. The ground where the shade house is slopes south to north and east to west so that the low point is the north west corner and it is nearly a metre lower than the opposite corner. All the water flows through the shade house and out the bottom corner into drains that take it away to the drain at the edge of the road. Before I set up the drainage it used to wash channels through our cassava. Now it heads off down the hill to our neighbours I and don't have to worry about it.

----------


## ootai

JPPR2
Tree stumps don't exist anywhere where my Missus has land as I love digging them out.
None in our paddies as they damage harvestors etc.

I was tidying up one block and got this one out, so big my little excavator couldn't lift it so I pushed it to where it now reside on the side of the paddy.



Took some digging to get it out.

----------


## Stumpy

> I agree the stump should be removed. Quickest is to dig, but easiest is to wait a year then light a bonfire over it and keep feeding the fire for a few days (if it's a big tree stump).


Yeah the latter is what most seem to do here but it really takes months if not years for it to decompose that way plus the big black dead stump. I just dig them out and if really large I dig down about 2 feet or so and cut it with a chainsaw and call it a day. Its not to bad with the right tools

----------


## Stumpy

> JPPR2
> Tree stumps don't exist anywhere where my Missus has land as I love digging them out.
> None in our paddies as they damage harvestors etc.
> 
> I was tidying up one block and got this one out, so big my little excavator couldn't lift it so I pushed it to where it now reside on the side of the paddy.
> 
> 
> 
> Took some digging to get it out.


That's a "Big Sumbich". If I had one that big i'd contract a guy with a backhoe to dig.

----------


## Stumpy

So today was Mow day as a guy will bring his little dump truck on Sunday to take away my debris pile. He charges me 300 bht and comes about once a month. I never put trash in it, Its always yard clipping or tree trimmings.



I did my string trimmer to edge the lawns then fired up my mower. I set it low for side yards and much higher for front lawns.



After mow in side yard. 



I love the Husky mower I have as its a mulcher as well.



Front yard grass. Its a thin blade and loves the direct sunlight



Malaysian on side house in shade before I mowed it


These are some of the big rocks I have to avoid..... :smiley laughing:  



I am trying to teach it to mow but it definitely has a reach issue. Btw that is one of the 4 Sulcata tortoises we have that roam the property. This one follows me around a lot. It loves Mulberry leaves and I usually cut a branch for it too eat.

----------


## Maanaam

> take away my debris pile. He charges me 300 bht


 Have you considered making your own compost heap? Aside from giving back to the earth in your own garden, it's a great example to set for the locals re sustainable organic gardening.
Love your tortoises!

----------


## Stumpy

> Have you considered making your own compost heap? Aside from giving back to the earth in your own garden, it's a great example to set for the locals re sustainable organic gardening.
> Love your tortoises!



Actually Maanaam I do have a large compost pile. My FIL uses it a lot for his gardens and chili's for fertilizing them. I sometimes add cow shit to it and mix it up then cover it for a few days. Problem is that I cannot use it all so it can get smelling pretty bad. I have offered it to many of my neighbors but they just do not seem to understand its value. But honestly most of my neighbors don't garden at all. Some its due to property lot size, some just do not want to work a bit of land so they just weedwhack it when its unbearable to live in or around. So I keep a basket or 2 every time I mow and spread it around. When I mow the entire property I fill up 5 or 6 of the blue buckets of mulch. 

Thanks on the tortoises. They are cruisers and the neighbor kids love to come see them. They just walk up whenever. I have 2 Males and 2 Females. The biggest one (Pictured) is 22" shell diameter and weighs 26lbs.  One of the females is a busy body. She is all over the property and moves rather fast.

----------


## Attilla the Hen

Easy way to remove a stump is to first drill holes in it. Then pour vegetable oil into the holes. Keep adding oil for the next month, or so. Then light a charcoal fire over it. It will smoulder and burn for about three days. You can then lay some earth over it.

----------


## Stumpy

The rain just blew in again. Been pretty routine. Good down pour for 45 mins to an hour then blows out and temp drops off to 24- 25c or so.

Thought I'd post a few more things in my garden as I was out helping wife with her Rose garden...



Our 1 year old Chocolate Lab. Man is she is a handful. Gets into everything, sneaks up and kills birds. Eats Lumyai fruit until she is sick and she is like a gazelle and can blaze around the place lightening fast.



Our 9 month old Golden Retriever. This dog is incredibly lazy. Sits around with its tongue out like it worked or something.



This is the busy body tortoise. She is everywhere and is not shy and will walk right up to you. 



This is the other big female. I saw 3 of the 4 today and decided to take some pics. They come out in the afternoon and graze just before it rains. I did not see the other big male. Again these just roam the land. They are not caged and have full freedom to go anywhere and they do. The other day I was under the truck checking for a place to mount my GoPro and one walked up to me and tried to see what I was doing.

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## Maanaam

> Easy way to remove a stump is to first drill holes in it. Then pour vegetable oil into the holes. Keep adding oil for the next month, or so. Then light a charcoal fire over it. It will smoulder and burn for about three days. You can then lay some earth over it.


 That sounds like an improvement to what I suggested, and quicker.

----------


## Stumpy

So I poured me a Stout Margarita and headed out to help the wife in her Rose Garden



We found this arbor in CM and her roses seem to love it











Wifey trimmed back a bunch but here are a few still growing

----------


## Stumpy

Tomorrow it appears I will be on the ladder trimming the Bamboo around the outside kitchen area. Man that shit grows fast.....I just whacked it back big time about 3 weeks ago.......

----------


## HuangLao

Quite the gardener/landscaper, JP..

Onya..
Cheers!!!

 :Smile:

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## Stumpy

> Quite the gardener/landscaper, JP..
> 
> Onya..
> Cheers!!!


Thanks Jeff. 

Anything to keep me outdoors all is good.

----------


## OhOh

^^^How do you keep your roses looking so good. My one bush gets eaten by insects?

----------


## ootai

JPPR2
Those roses are fantastic, back in Aussie I used to grow some roses but haven't tried here. I'm afraid my front garden is a little neglected as I don't do much in it, too lazy I guess. Anytime I have any energy I go and do stuff in the garden on plants that can be eaten.  If you have a look at my latest update to our building thread it shows what's in the front.

I should also say that trying to control bamboo is like herding cats.

----------


## Stumpy

> How do you keep your roses looking so good. My one bush gets eaten by insects?


My wife has some Thai concoction she makes up and sprays on them about every month or so. I know the main ingredient is tobacco. She buys a big bag and boils it outside and mixes that liquid with other stuff. Whatever it is, it appears to work very well and is natural. She doesn't use any pesticides.

----------


## Maanaam

> I know the main ingredient is tobacco.


 I've read about tobacco being a natural pest deterrent. Rhubarb leaves are too.

----------


## HuangLao

> I've read about tobacco being a natural pest deterrent. Rhubarb leaves are too.


Yet, rhubard might struggle in the tropics - unless being a weird hybrid bred for such climes.

----------


## OhOh

> My wife has some Thai concoction she makes up


Thanks I'll ask mine if she has any friends who know about this "spray".

----------


## Maanaam

> Yet, rhubard might struggle in the tropics - unless being a weird hybrid bred for such climes.


True, I wasn't suggesting to find rhubarb in Thailand, just that there are plants that are effective.
Leapfrogging off that thought; The poison in rhubarb leaves is oxalic acid, which is also the itchy substance in taro leaves. Perhaps a gardener here would experiment with taro leaf juice?

----------


## Stumpy

> Those roses are fantastic, back in Aussie I used to grow some roses but haven't tried here.


I passed on the Rose comment to my wife. That is her hobby. She said Thanks! She has some really beautiful multi color ones that bloom. I will post pics next time I see them. She has 16 different varieties.

----------


## Stumpy

> Thanks I'll ask mine if she has any friends who know about this "spray".


She got the info of a Rose growing page in Thailand. No doubt of Facebook... :Smile: . There is a place up in CM that grows them for the royal family. Its a Huge rose nursery. We bought some roses bushes there. Its up in the mountains.

----------


## Stumpy

Well today the Bamboo trimming was out. Wife had different plans. She found a Rock quarry and wants some rock to spread around her roses. 

So off into the mountains of Lampang we went. We get to the quarry and this is really more of a commercial place and they produce sand for cement and construction companies. The rocks are a by product of filtering. My wife talked to the lady at the counter and they said go fill up your truck, no charge.



Pic of truck before I followed a dump truck to the back of the quarry to get the rock.



They have some nice rock at the place. It was hot as HELL out there loading rock into my truck



Back home and ready to unload. Being we had to load the rock by hand it was nice in that we got to pic the rock we wanted. As we left my wife gave the gal 100 bht thanking her.  I got some big ones for a future project where I want to build a rock waterfall and small pond water feature. I like large rocks around the place as well.

----------


## Stumpy

Wife jumped right on the rock deal (even in the heat which is....well.....surprising to say the least).  I first made me a whiskey Sour and then headed out to power wash up the truck underneath as I played a bit in the mud ponds and the road was a dirt mud road.

----------


## Maanaam

The white rocks remind me of a scene out that movie A Good Year (Russel Crowe inherits a vinyard in France). Apparently the white stones around the vines were heat-reflecting and were the secret to really good wine.
I mention this because, although you're not growing grapes, the white stone may affect the roses, either positively or negatively.

----------


## Stumpy

> The white rocks remind me of a scene out that movie A Good Year (Russel Crowe inherits a vinyard in France). Apparently the white stones around the vines were heat-reflecting and were the secret to really good wine.
> I mention this because, although you're not growing grapes, the white stone may affect the roses, either positively or negatively.


The belief is the same, especially during really warm summers where roses do not fair well.

----------


## Klondyke

> There is a place up in CM that grows them for the royal family.


Doi Suthep, Suwan Suwaree, near the Royal Palace Phuping. Usually open to public.

----------


## ootai

Just be careful where you leave the bigg rocks laying around the male tortoise might start humping them.

----------


## Stumpy

> Just be careful where you leave the bigg rocks laying around the male tortoise might start humping them.


Hahaha.  The 2 big males have gotten into some wars and you can hear them when they ram each other.  It's quite loud.  When they start smackin big rocks I will have to take them out...

----------


## S Landreth

Orange/Grapefruit/Lime/Lemon/Mango/Avocado/Papaya/Oak/Bald Cypress/Sabal Palm/Southern Pine trees

Lemon grass/Basil/Spring onion/Coriander/Red onion/Red pepper

White tailed deer/cattle/alligators/raccoon/possum/armadillo/hogs/Black Racer - Corn  Indigo  Moccasin  Rattle snakes/Rabbit/Box  Softshell  Redbelly turtles/Large mouth bass/Brim/Gray*  Fox squirrel/all kinds of birds but the ones we enjoy seeing are the Barred Owls, Sandhill Cranes, Whistling Ducks and Turkey




*25 less after the girlfriend declared war on them after seeing one eating the buds off one of her many orchids. #26, #27, #28 and #29 keeping their distance

----------


## Stumpy

After a 5 hour Lumyai fruit removal and trimming our friend stopped by to pick up all the clippings. I do not burn here and never will and in fact I sat at one of the mooban meetings with my FIL asked everyone to stop. It has been accepted well and no one burns anymore.

I wanted to add on edit that I got bit no less then a hundred times by the GDMF'n red ants. I hate those fkrs... :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

Today as my wife worked her Rose garden I noticed many new ones.

Here are the pics;

----------


## Maanaam

> in fact I sat at one of the mooban meetings with my FIL asked everyone to stop. It has been accepted well and no one burns anymore.


 Kudos.
I hope it's not simply because the smoke annoys residents, and that it's for real ecological reasons. Too much to hope for?  :Smile:

----------


## HuangLao

> Kudos.
> I hope it's not simply because the smoke annoys residents, and that it's for real ecological reasons. Too much to hope for?


One never knows.
Each situation and conditioned assumption will differ from the next. 


Why can't these savages resemble us better?

----------


## Stumpy

> Kudos.
> I hope it's not simply because the smoke annoys residents, and that it's for real ecological reasons. Too much to hope for?


I think most have always known but had no means to manage it, so just burn it. As the mooban has grown older the people do not like the smoke as it irritates them and when people burn, people go say something. 

When I met my FIL for the 1st time he was burning a big pile of crap. I told him, do not do that anymore. I said I will get rid of the debris but I will not have burning here. He never did it again.

----------


## Stumpy

> Each situation and conditioned assumption will differ from the next.


Indeed Jeff. Rice farmers will never stop burning just like the sugar cane growers. They say that without burning the earth lacks vital nutrients for next year. Of course that's a lot of BS but to do it takes more money for various fertilizers and they do not want to spend the money.

As a kid growing up in the mountains we always burned stuff. We had a 55 gal drum and we just tossed stuff in it and burned away. Raw garbage was taken to the dump.

----------


## ootai

JPPR2
Pass on my congratulations to your wife the roses are fabulous, especially that dark red one love it.
I have a couple of questions for you:
1. Why do you hate burning stuff so much?
2. What do you do with your household garbage?

The reason I ask is because I burn our household garbage in a pit I dug as we have no garbage collection around here.
To get it to burn properly I use the dead leaves and wood (once its dried) along with a couple of litres of diesel to make sure it burns quickly and well.
If I don't burn it the stray dogs and cats get in there and spread the crap all over the place.
I did try just burying it but soon ran out of places to dig a pit.

I try and keep the grass and weeds to mix with the soil to make it a little more organic instead of clayey but that's all.

----------


## Stumpy

I passed on the comments to my wife. Cheers




> 1. Why do you hate burning stuff so much?


I actually do not hate burning but it is not all that healthy for one to breath.  For us we live in an older Mooban and while most lots are large, burning invariably blows into someones yard and house.  I do not burn out of respect for the most part.




> 2. What do you do with your household garbage?


We have  garbage pick up twice a week. However burning household garbage can release toxic fumes from plastic or tin cans. 

I understand it's a necessity when one does not have garbage pick up.

----------


## OhOh

^

Would it be possible to ask your wife what she uses on the roses and paste it here in Thai. That way my wife might know of it.

Thanks.

----------


## HuangLao

> Doi Suthep, Suwan Suwaree, near the Royal Palace Phuping. Usually open to public.



For your next public garden outing, try The Queen Sirikit Royal Botanic Gardens - same neighborhood.

 :Smile:

----------


## David48atTD

> For your next public garden outing, try The Queen Sirikit Royal Botanic Gardens - same neighborhood.


Good suggestion ... I got those photos together in a folder only recently to do a thread for those who haven't visited.

----------


## David48atTD

> This is the busy body tortoise. She is everywhere and is not shy and will walk right up to you.


Great shots them, they are.

Ditto the Roses.

Envious, I am

----------


## Stumpy

> ^
> 
> Would it be possible to ask your wife what she uses on the roses and paste it here in Thai. That way my wife might know of it.
> 
> Thanks.


Here is what she uses. 




She boils it and and makes about 2 or 3 gallons then pour into her sprayer and mists her roses. She does this about every few months.

Sorry for the ad to Quit smoking.  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

> Great shots them, they are.
> 
> Ditto the Roses.
> 
> Envious, I am


Thanks David

Yesterday was an odd moment as I was watering my avocado trees and I turned around and 3 of the 4 had gathered together eating. They usually stay away from each other. They do seem to like the grass/weeds on this side of the property. Also they love Lumyai fruit. We had just trimmed the trees and there was fruit all over the ground. My dogs eat that as well and know how to shell and spit the seed out. Thai dogs indeed.

----------


## cyrille

My wife also uses tobacco and lao kao on her roses. A mix of both, stewed and then sprayed.

Buying them together tends to cause amusement at the market.  :Very Happy:

----------


## OhOh

Thank you, my wife and I will try and get some.

----------


## ootai

cyrille
Are those roses grown by you/your wife?
They are fantastic. One day I might have to have a crack at growing some here but to do that I will have to convince the family that you can eat them.

Anyway I thought it was about time I got off my arse and posted a few more pictures from around our place.


Not a very good picture but I was using my phone and as usual forgot to clean the lens. These are 2 of the mango tress we have in the front yard.
The one in the corner to the left of the spirit house produces great mangoes sweet and big (1.5 to 2 kg).
The one on the left is a dud and produces sweet FA. Last year I hacked it back and it actually got some fruit on it for the first time but never finished them off.


In the centre of the picture are some mango trees we have at the back of the house. They produce lots of fruit big not that big, the family like them though so I guess that's all that matters.


This is one of the Pomello (I think) tress we have.


This is the other one. They have been here for at least 8 years and up until this year never had fruit on them.
I believe the difference is that I decided to flood irrigate them once a week which was never done while I was working away all the time. They were just left to their own devices.


Another couple of palms that has got fruit on it for the first time this year. They have been in the ground since we built the house so nearly 8 years.
MIL tried the betel nuts but I haven't found out whether they were any good or not, I will have to ask.

Cheers

----------


## Stumpy

We have 3 Pomello trees Ootai and all we do is watch them grow fruit, drop fruit and rot. No one ever eats them. I told my FIL lets rip them out and add a few Lemon trees. I can use them making my various cocktails.... 

Thanks for the pics

----------


## OhOh

^^ You have a great deal of space in your garden.




> and add a few Lemon trees


Make sure you plant the thornless lemon trees. The ones I found planted whilst I was away are lethal.

----------


## ootai

JPPR2
I have some kaffir lime trees in the yard somewhere and also trying to get a plain lime tree to grow as I don't think my missus uses lemon much but that might be because we don't have them at hand. The other thing I hate here is the bloody red ants and they seem to invade every tree no matter what it is. I went to pick a couple of limes the other day and got attacked. One bite is no problem but lots of bites bloody hurt. The family try to reduce the numbers by raiding the nests to get the eggs to eat but I think that just makes the ants angrier.

OhOh
As for thornless lemon trees I will try and remember that if I get some. It seems to me that everything in this place either sticks you with a thorn or bites you.  I believe it might be in response to the fact that the Thais try and eat them all.

As for space in my garden, its not really a garden as such and all together there are 5 rai, the old house is on 1 rai and the new house is on a 4 rai block. joined to that is another 10+ rai that is used for growing cassava.

You can see the old house in the picture below, it is the blue roof just behind the round pillar on the back verandah/porch of the new house.  If you are interested ther is a lot better explanation of it all in the building thread " Ootai's wife builds a house" which I posted on here starting in 2010.



Cheers

----------


## Maanaam

> One day I might have to have a crack at growing some here but to do that I will have to convince the family that you can eat them.


 Rosehips. Medicinal and nutritious. Lots of recipes.

----------


## cyrille

> The family try to reduce the numbers by raiding the nests to get the eggs to eat but I think that just makes the ants angrier.
> 
> As for thornless lemon trees I will try and remember that if I get some. It seems to me that everything in this place either sticks you with a thorn or bites you.  I believe it might be in response to the fact that the Thais try and eat them all


There seem to be some highly developed thought processes going on in your garden.  :Very Happy: 

Pests in these parts are certainly dedicated bastards. Snails are another big problem where we are.

We had a lime tree that was very productive for a couple of years, but it gave up a couple of years ago.

Thanks for the compliments about the roses...they are all grown and photographed by my wife.

----------


## Stumpy

> I have some kaffir lime trees in the yard somewhere and also trying to get a plain lime tree to grow as I don't think my missus uses lemon much but that might be because we don't have them at hand.


We have 2 types of the Kaffir lime trees. We have the one variety that does not have thorns. We have another that has thorns that are damn near 2" long and are stiff and could be used as a weapon. They both bear fruit that is never is used (Albeit I cut them and toss in the bathroom for a nice smell). My wife does however use 3 or 4 leaves from time to time in various dishes. 

We have 5 regular old lime trees. My FIL grafted them from the large one we have but they produce very few limes and small. I recently bought 2 lemon trees and 1 has a lemon already.




> The other thing I hate here is the bloody red ants and they seem to invade every tree no matter what it is. I went to pick a couple of limes the other day and got attacked. One bite is no problem but lots of bites bloody hurt.


AHHHHHH Yes...Mot Dang (Red Ants). Brutal bastards. Relentless. I just trimmed my Lumyai trees way back and they assaulted all of us. Bite is annoying and feels like your getting a shot. Thank god no venom. Our trees had 3 BIG nests. My FIL cut each one off into a bag and took the eggs and gave them to his neighbor lady friend. From my wife she has never eaten bugs and my FIL says the same. I have zero need to try and won't.  :Smile: 




> The family try to reduce the numbers by raiding the nests to get the eggs to eat but I think that just makes the ants angrier.


Actually that does work and if you do it enough they will look elsewhere to nest up but they still will raid your yard. They are an important part of the eco system for pollinating trees here along with the bees. The good thing is they do not enter houses. They really do not want to be bothered.

----------


## Stumpy

> Medicinal




Speaking of Medicinal, Some time ago my FIL was given this herb by some Thai holistic healer massage guru... :Smile: . Anyway I do not think it has done anything for him but now he has these herbs growing all around our property. No idea what it is but they grow like crazy and he has been giving them to his granddaughter who dries them out and grinds them up and sells it. It appears to be well known as a healing herb. For me, it grows nice along walls and has big full leaves but he has it everywhere now.



My first lemon and a few new flowers so maybe a few more.



Kaffir lime tree no thorns...



Kaffir Lime tree with deadly thorns. 



Speaking of thorns, I forgot the name of this plant but I absolutely cannot stand it. The smell makes me gag. Wife uses it in a a fish dish for her Dad. I said OK Great....you use 2 branches can't we have just one bush? Besides the thorns that are razor sharp the red ants love it. They grow fast and I laugh every time my FIL trims them back as he gets bloodied and I keep saying. "1 Bush.....1 Bush" let me dig them up"...

----------


## ootai

JPPR2
The quote below was from me not Maanaam.

Originally Posted by *Maanaam*  
_I have some kaffir lime trees in the yard somewhere and also trying to get a plain lime tree to grow as I don't think my missus uses lemon much but that might be because we don't have them at hand._
As for that prickly bush (the last picture in your last post) we have several of them here. In post#6 I had a picture of one of them (see below) and if you have a look it is much more "eaten" down than yours. My Missus goes and picks off the young leaves as soon as there are a few grown back.


I also see that you have some dragon fruit cactus growing (in the picture of the lemon) have you had any fruit from them yet? That is one thing I do like eating.
I also found out today that we have some custard apple trees growing at the back of the old house. My sister in law was getting some of them down for my MIL and I seen her so I asked what she was doing and that's when I found out we had them. Learn something new everyday if you want to

Cheers

----------


## Stumpy

> I also see that you have some dragon fruit cactus growing (in the picture of the lemon) have you had any fruit from them yet? That is one thing I do like eating.


Oh Yes we have both the white inside and red inside Dragonfruit. The red inside is very good and much sweeter than the white. I would say we got maybe 20 to 30 or so off each one and have more coming. My FIL loves them and picks and eats them like I would pick an apple and eat it. 




> Learn something new everyday if you want to


Amen to that.  Many people do not seem to pay any attention to their surroundings. I am constantly looking around especially on my bike rides etc. In fact not to long ago I saw a lady with a huge Yucca type cactus plant in her yard. One day while riding by she was cutting it back so I asked her if I may take some and she filled up a bunch in bag for me. I came home, stuck them in the ground and now have them around the property and feed them to my tortoises which they love.




> As for that prickly bush (the last picture in your last post) we have several of them here. In post#6 I had a picture of one of them (see below) and if you have a look it is much more "eaten" down than yours. My Missus goes and picks off the young leaves as soon as there are a few grown back.


My wife only picks when needed. She knows the sour bitter smell does not go well with me and putting it in the fridge is not going to happen. The smell takes over everything like Durian does.

----------


## HuangLao

> Speaking of thorns, I forgot the name of this plant but I absolutely cannot stand it. The smell makes me gag. Wife uses it in a a fish dish for her Dad.


Might be the only herb/additive/food that I'm offended by in Thai cuisines - with heat, it produces this ungodly smell and taste. Usually used with fish and eggs. 
The larger leaves are almost uneatable and loose their potency, hence the young leafy stems are picked frequently to allow new younger growth to flourish, which of course are more cherished. 

Stuff grows madly wild everywhere - very hardy and known to be drought resistant.

----------


## Stumpy

Well Today was the start of my Hedge trimming. I do it in sections and stop for the day.





When we cleared our lot before our house build started then built our wall to cover the extended property I planted some 250 of these hedges around the walls. They were a mere 3 feet tall when I planted. The idea was to offer privacy while keeping the green look I like as I hate looking at a cement wall that ends up black. I had been keeping these up by myself.  however nowadays they are about 12 feet tall and take about 3 hours a day for about 5 days or so to get them all edged up and clean. Last time my wife hired a guy to come in and do them all. He did hack job.

----------


## ootai

Well I'm back from my visit to Aussie to see the grandkids. Little buggers grow quickly. So I thought I would post a bit more useless information.

JPPR2  Do you use hand clippers to trim your hedge? I have a much, much smaller hedge than you and I went out and bought an electric trimmer to do mine.
It works like a treat and lets you get a good straight edge or top. I guess I'm just trending to being lazy.

Anyway here's some more pictures for those of you who can't read.


This is my "herb" garden. The MIL is trying to grow some mint in the front ring.


This is the other brown ring with a lime tree, an egg plant bush and some other stuff they eat.


Some chives and onions


These are seedlings which were planted just before I left.



The other pictures were taken before I left but this one was taken today.
There is holy basil and red basil. You can see that while I was away there was rain and the weeds are starting to take over.

----------


## OhOh

> It works like a treat and lets you get a good straight edge or top


A clear photo or a visit from the TD CSI Botany Branch before any opinions can be formed. Did you try your weed wacker previously?

----------


## ootai

OhOh
Don't know if I can supply a "clear" photo but here's the best I could do.


Looking from the house side.


Looking from the shed side.


The open end of the hedge.


Looking down from the open end of the hedge.


My work saver.

If it ain't good enough for anyone stiff shit, it works for me.

Cheers

----------


## OhOh

Looks beautiful, :Smile:

----------


## ootai

It's raining again so I can't go out and work in the garden so I thought I would post a few more pictures to ward of the boredom.


These chives are doing real well, I might have to pull some out to slow them down.


A while ago the MIL planted a lot of cherry tomato plants and now they pop up in random locations even though I thought I had pulled them all out. Obviously some tomato's fell on the ground before they were pulled out.


Some onions the MIL planted while I was away


Along with some Dill


and Coriander


I will work out one day what these Taro need to thrive. As you can see the ones in the foreground are going crazy and the ones just behind them are at best ordinary


Some "Pak Boong" that I planted the day  before I left. I love eating this stuff.


Before I left we had some seedlings ready to plant and they have turned into...


This, which is Kale


and these which are pumpkins but not the fruiting variety, these are grown for their runner tips, which are boiled and eaten, quite nice.

Cheers

----------


## David48atTD

> These chives are doing real well, I might have to pull some out to slow them down.


If those are garlic chives then maybe get the good Missus cracking on some Gui-Shy?

----------


## GracelessFawn

This thread is making me miss the old days when I had more time to garden/landscape.  Now, I've no time to spare, not even to enjoy the blooms in my garden.

----------


## ootai

David
I didn't know what you were talking about when you said "Gui-shy" although I did recognise it as something I have seen before from your photo so I googled it.
Turns out to find it on Google you need to spell it "Gui Chai".
Anyway I asked the missus about it and her response was why would I spend all that time cooking it when I can buy it for 20baht at the market and the family does buy and eat a fair bit of it.

GracelessFawn
As with everything you have a choice, maybe one you won't make for whatever reason but the choice is always there. I read quite a lot about what is called "Choice Theory" and found it to be true. My favourite expression goes like this "Even if someone is holding a gun at your head and demanding your money you don't have to give it to them!"
However not doing so might not be the right choice.

Cheers

----------


## ootai

Time for a few more pictures for those who don't like reading too much.


The MIL has planted some cucumbers and this time she will leave them on the ground instead of having grow up on a trellis. I will watch with interest as to how they go.


The long beans I planted before my holiday are producing really well and now I have planted the next crop in front of them.
I will plant a row of snow peas in front of that as my idea is the snow peas won't be too tall that they block the morning sun from the beans behind and by time the new beans are tall enough to block the ones behind them the old beans will have finished producing. I will wait and see.
While I was away the MIL hacked down most of the banana plants, don't really know why but I seemed to get the idea that they were being blown onto the beans.


In the background you can see the MIL's taro and yams are growing really well.


While I was away the one thing that grew exceptionally well was weeds, all it takes is a bit of rain and some sun and then they overpower everything.


My idea of using straw to cover the ground to stop the weeds worked really well here, this patch is under the shade house roof and there are no weeds at all.
I am planning on planting some "Queensland blue" pumpkins here as I bought some seeds back with me.

That's it for today.
Cheers

----------


## GracelessFawn

^Not much choice when you weigh-in the interest of public service.

----------


## OhOh

You seem to have a variety of fencing types, which do you find the best. Your weed killing straw may appear to have worked for now, but they will return. Go away for another month ........

----------


## ootai

OhOh
I'm sure that the weeds would eventually prevail but I am very happy they have been conquered for at least 6 weeks now. Once the pumpkins grow over the top of the straw I am sure the weeds will also appear again.

As for the fences, yes we do have some variety.

This is the original fence around the house. I had some 2m posts made with 5mm rebar inside instead of the crappy little steel they usually use in cement posts. Barbed wire at 200mm centres. Just wanted to stop people and dogs.


However like everything there are changes to the rules in that now the missus wants to keep out chickens so you can see the additional mesh and tin to block the bottom. It doesn't really work as the dogs push their way through the mesh (and scratch their back at the same time on the barbed wire) and then the chickens just find the hole made by the dogs. When we chase the chickens out of the yard they just take flight straight over the top of the fence.


The MIL uses this string mesh and it seems to work quite well.


The shade cloth that has been left on the ends of the shade house works well but I have to be careful when I am using the weed-wacker there so as to not cut it up. I have a wire down at the bottom which I tie the shade cloth to.


When I took the shade cloth off the end of the shade house I needed something so I used this plastic fencing and while it is good in that it doesn't rust it does "tear" as shown when it is put under tension. I ended up threading a wire along the top and bottom.


The chickens haven't yet learned to fly over this plastic fence but they did quite quickly learn to go under it where I left space for the water drain. As shown I had to make a stick fence in the drain to stop them.


This fence is the first one I made for the garden to keep the chickens out but they soon learnt to jump/fly up onto the cement posts and then jump into the garden. Not so dumb chickens.


I have tried to show the main problem with this steel fence in that the wire is very thin and rusts out very quickly. It also breaks and if I forget when I am handling it I get "pricked" a lot by the fine wire. Its like getting stuck by a pin lots of times. I will never buy this crap again.


Finally this is the best "fence" the front wall keeps everything out.

If I were to build a new house fence at the back I would use the same 2m posts but put the chain mesh wire along it and bury the bottom 150mm into concrete.
Below is the wire mesh I would use. Same as what we have on our back gate.


Cheers

----------


## OhOh

Thanks for the close ups and your experience of the different types.

----------


## ootai

This is not actually related to my garden but I thought it was fascinating anyway so i thought I would share it.

Yesterday morning the Missus spots a truck going past with those big concrete water storage jars on it so she stops them and buys 2 for the farm house.
I got the job of getting on the bike and showing them the way out there, it is about 4 kms from our house. The BIL lives there and has been struggling over the past few years having enough rain water storage so here you go have 2 new "jars"
Anyway before we left I asked the missus, "How are they going to get them off the truck?"  She says to me, "Don't worry they have a way to do it."
I thought that they would have needed a crane of some sort, any way the way they did is shown below I reckon it is ingenious.


Firstly they move the jar over so it is hanging over to the edge of the truck.


They then place boards under each side of the bottom of the jar.


Once they have the 2 boards in position they pour water over the top of the boards and then they stand on the boards and let the jar slide down the boards.

I have a short (15sec) video but how can I post the video of it sliding down. The insert a video option wants a URL but it isn't on YouTube or anything its on my PC.
Help is needed.

Cheers

----------


## David48atTD

If you PM me the file, I have a you Tube account and can post it for you.

----------


## Chittychangchang

My garden is full of mushrooms at the moment, fvcking thousands of the horrible looking things.
Must be the record breaking  summer and damp mornings,  never seen so many before.

----------


## Neverna

Can you make mushroom wine, Chitty?  :Smile:

----------


## Chittychangchang

Don't be putting ideas in my head Nev, i've still not sampled the last batch I made :Smile: 

Here's the filthy fookers, overrun with them today.


Anyone ideas for exterminating them?

----------


## ootai

> If you PM me the file, I have a you Tube account and can post it for you.


David
I have emailed the file to you hope it got there. Hopefully not too big to put on here.
Thanks

----------


## David48atTD

> David
> I have emailed the file to you hope it got there. Hopefully not too big to put on here.
> Thanks


Mate, I didn't get it.

The email server handles data up to 10meg in size

I wouldn't have thought that a 15 sec video would be more then 10 meg?

Only other thing I can suggest is if you/your wife has a Line account.

Line reduces the quality a little, thus the file size.

If you have access to Line, I'll send mine through our PM

----------


## ootai

David
The fie was 33Mb but my email would only handle anything under 33Mb so I trimmed a second off each end and got it to 31Mb and it was sent but considering your server only handles 10Mb no show. I think I also sent you a pm, did you get that?
I think I will pass for now but thanks for the offer to help, maybe I should open a YouTube account.
Cheers

----------


## NamPikToot

Ootai, ref the garden fence thing. I use the green nylon mesh, bit like really thick fishing net, The twine is about 2mm and the holes are approx 2cm across, Seems to stand up to the sun well, is chicken proof, good for growing Fuk as it'll hold teh weight and if used over delicate stuff butterflies love - its stops then laying their eggs on it. Comes in c10M lengths and can be c2-3 wide. not expensive given it lasts

----------


## ootai

NamPikToot
That's the stuff my MIL uses, see third picture post #169.
It works quite well and it is what I would buy if I need to buy any more fencing material.
It also seems to be high enough to stop the chickens trying to fly over the top of it.
Cheers

----------


## NamPikToot

Oota, sorry, didn't spot that - tiz good stuff, I have put up a grid of concrete posts and use the stuff strung post to post and across the top for growing various Fuks (squashes). Earlier in the thread there was mention of some stinky greens that Thais love but it seems its the only thing FOJ doesn't like - its called *Cha Om* and its a type of acacia and you use the new growing tips - it does stink and my Mrs loves it. Its banned from the fridge and even the Thai kitchen fridge - i kin hate the stuff.

----------


## OhOh

> That's the stuff my MIL uses, see third picture post #169.
> It works quite well and it is what I would buy if I need to buy any more fencing material.
> It also seems to be high e


And the chickens getting underneath? Where does you MIL buy it from and what is it called in Thai?

----------


## ootai

> And the chickens getting underneath? Where does you MIL buy it from and what is it called in Thai?



OhOh
I finally got spoken to this morning after days in the dog house, not the TD Dog House just the one I am regularly assigned to by she who thinks she must be obeyed.

Anyway it is called "daa kai" that's the best I can do and she bought it from "a shop" in Non Sawan, more details weren't forthcoming but I am assumming it was just a run of the mill general type store that sells all sorts of hardware type stuff.  To me it is, or looks like, just a fish net.

The MIL puts string/ cord through the top and bottom and then strings that between bamboo poles.  If you tie the string tight enough at the bottom the chickens don't go under it and because it is about 6 foot high they don't seem to want to fly over the top either. Some have managed to get into the garden when the gate is left open and when they get chased they can definitely fly over the top of it.

P.S. I am glad I could help you not have a sleepless night.

Cheers

----------


## OhOh

Thanks for your reply on the netting.I suspected it would be from the "net shop down the road". I generally wander around our local DIY shops until I find what I like. Thais do seem reluctant to turn on their lights though.

WRT to sleepless nights they are starting to become shorter. The weather has changed to rain only in the late afternoon, also a lot less, so early morning is the best time for any "outdoor" work.

----------


## NamPikToot

> After a 5 hour Lumyai fruit removal and trimming our friend stopped by to pick up all the clippings.



JPPR, i put 3 Lamyai in 8 years ago, they did nothing for 4 years, not really even grew. Then spent the last 4 years shooting up. Last year and this they fruited which was great but the fruit has so heavy it bent the branches almost to the ground. I notice your are fairly upright so did you shape yours? as i think i am going to have to lop the lower branches but i've resisted doing it as i like the shape. They are currently covered in fruit which will probably be ready xmas and i think i'll have to prune them then.

----------


## AntRobertson

A bunch of coconuts... quite literally:












BTW Smegites, notice anything different about the fence?

You deluded fucks!

 :rofl:

----------


## Neverna

The fence needs a coat of paint, Ant.   :Smile: 


Just sayin' like, innit. 


 :Smile:

----------


## AntRobertson

Get on to that after the car...  :Very Happy:

----------


## NamPikToot

If you pan up there is 3 somchais in various states of decay adorning the top?

----------


## prawnograph

Saw these in a park on the weekend - first glance I thought tamarillo, wrong I'm told, not edible, but no one knew correct name. 

'fruit' is about 10cm

Name?

----------


## BoganInParasite

Enjoyed reading this thread this afternoon ootai. Picked up a couple of pointers for our fruit tree planting in about a month. Thanks for highlighting it to me. Regards, -BiP

----------


## Stumpy

I have 3 small Raspberry bushes going now. Started out 2 leaves each. Doing well in the shade area. 





I think my next project is to build a covered garden area. I can use the back wall area and then grow my Raspberries, Strawberries. My FIL prepped this area to grow some various veggies.

----------


## ootai

JPPR

I posted a question for a while back (Post #158) but I think you may have been busy on your visit back to the US, any way here's the question again

"Do you use hand clippers to trim your hedge? I have a much, much smaller hedge than you and I went out and bought an electric trimmer to do mine.
It works like a treat and lets you get a good straight edge or top. I guess I'm just trending to being lazy."

I then posted some pictures of my unworthy hedge in Post #160.

Now that I see you have reappeared here maybe you van answer my query.

As for me I am still struggling to get shit to grow. I thought it would be easier now the weather is a little cooler but it has been very dry and the ground just sets like concrete.
I was trying to turn some straw into mulch but have burnt out the motor on my wood chipper. Long story but in essence my own stupid fault but too late now.

Cheers

----------


## Stumpy

> Do you use hand clippers to trim your hedge? I have a much, much smaller hedge than you and I went out and bought an electric trimmer to do mine.
> It works like a treat and lets you get a good straight edge or top. I guess I'm just trending to being lazy."


Apologize ootai, I missed the post,

I trim my hedges with a cordless and gas hedger. The sides I use the cordless and the top I use the gas. My Hedges are friggen huge and thick now. I have to hedge them up 3 times a year and its a takes me 3 or so days a few hours a day. I do them in sections. I either do early in AM or just around evening time. I imagine the Electric hedger does a nice job as well.

Here are the hedgers I use. 



This a 56V EGO cordless hedger I brought back from the US. It works awesome. Can't say enough about their products. I have their weed whacker and leaf blower. My FIL loves the leaf blower. I bring them back in a suitcase if you can believe it. I just tear them apart and re assemble back here.



I realized that the cordless had limitations so I went out and bought the Husqvarna gas powered 128F (above). Works really good. Not too heavy and can cut through some good sized branches. It has a longer throw (Blades) then the cordless which is why I use it on top. You'd laugh if you saw how I climb up a ladder, tilt the ladder against the hedges and swing that thing cutting them off. My wife and FIL just laugh.  Funny story, one time while I was in Korat working my wife hired a guy to come do the hedges. He did them by hand. Took him five days, 8 hours a day and they looked really bad. I came home a few weeks later and my FIL was really upset how he butchered them and showed me. I said "No Problems Pops, I will fix'em up"  It took a couple of trims but have them back in top shape.

----------


## Stumpy

> Earlier in the thread there was mention of some stinky greens that Thais love but it seems its the only thing FOJ doesn't like - its called Cha Om and its a type of acacia and you use the new growing tips - it does stink and my Mrs loves it. Its banned from the fridge and even the Thai kitchen fridge - i kin hate the stuff.


I hate everything about those shrubs. The thorns are brutal. Mot Dang love the crap, it smells god awful sour and bitter. I have us down to 2 bushes now and that is 2 too many. I told my wife let me yank'em up. 

She says "No because she uses it cooking". 
I said "So then buy it when you need it. Its not like you cook with it everyday. I see the crap at every market for 5 bht"  :smiley laughing:

----------


## NamPikToot

> I hate everything about those shrubs. The thorns are brutal. Mot Dang love the crap, it smells god awful sour and bitter. I have us down to 2 bushes now and that is 2 too many. I told my wife let me yank'em up. 
> 
> She says "No because she uses it cooking". ]
> 
> 
> I said "So then buy it when you need it. Its not like you cook with it everyday. I see the crap at every market for 5 bht"


555 JPPR good luck with getting her to rip them out. They either use the tips in Nam Prik with other assorted veggies or make them into omelettes, either way God awful. You're lucky you've only got two, we have 20 and yes the thorns are brutal not huge but every time i get caught they persist with a dull pain for upto a day  - i may apply Glysophate and just say to her there must be some disease affecting them  :Smile:

----------


## HuangLao

> 555 JPPR good luck with getting her to rip them out. They either use the tips in Nam Prik with other assorted veggies or make them into omelettes, either way God awful. You're lucky you've only got two, we have 20 and yes the thorns are brutal not huge but every time i get caught they persist with a dull pain for upto a day  - i may apply Glysophate and just say to her there must be some disease affecting them



Oriental Savages.

----------


## cyrille

...foj

----------


## Stumpy

> we have 20


Lord. That is almost grounds for divorce IMHO. 




> the thorns are brutal not huge but every time i get caught they persist with a dull pain for upto a day


Occasionally when I am wheedwhacking by them I brush up against a branch.  The thorns go right through the shirt and shred your arm. Last time that happened 2 got uprooted and tossed. My wife seldom cooks with the crap because she knows I can't stand the smell. My FIL apparently loves it in fish soup. I even made a concession by saying "Let me tear them all out and when she needs some I will ride my bike down by the river where it grows in abundance wild and save her 5 bht".... No deal.    :ssssh:

----------


## NamPikToot

> I will ride my bike down by the river where it grows in abundance wild and save her 5 bht".... No deal.


You'll lose. When they sell them, they come in stick like bundles, ready rooted at 5 THB / stick. My real problem is that periodically they need to be heavily pruned and the Mrs just leaves the cuttings on the ground which I have to pick up and burn and i always get stuck. I've just planed 2 Avacado trees near some so hopefully they shade them out.

----------


## Stumpy

@ ootai,

So here are my hedges.  








You mentioned after you trimmed yours up they looked bad. The best way to thicken them from the ground up is to cut a lot from the top. Hedges will try and fill in if they can't grow taller. When I first started my hedges around our fence, these hedges were all ~1 meter tall. I let them grow to about 2 meters then hacked off a 1/2 a meter. I did this several times growing. This kept them thick. Now I keep them at about 3.5 meters tall which I use my ladder as the height guide. Now they are "trained" (if you will) to get thicker lower. They offer great privacy, a lot of green to the yard and shade along them.

----------


## Stumpy

> I've just planed 2 Avacado trees


I have 2 Avocado trees going as well. One is 3 meters tall now, the other about 2.  One was grafted from tree here in Thailand, the other from seed from a nursery in the states which I snuck on the plane. They are both doing well. The key with them from what I read is they do not grow bark to protect from the sun so around here they get torched quickly. They need sun but shade at the same time. Best place is where they get sun early morning or late afternoon but not all day. 

Now whether they fruit or not will remain to be seen.

----------


## NamPikToot

> Now whether they fruit or not will remain to be seen.


Nice, we got ours from a Thai couple who have a farm with Avacados & Durian, they don't seem to have taken shade precautions and they seem to produce well so we'll see and good luck with yours too. That hedge is a monster, are you sure it was wise in the longer term?  i suppose you can always pay someone and supervise later in life  :Smile:

----------


## ootai

JPPR

I think the problem with the hedge here is not enough water. When they were planted they started off fine but then I went to work in Indonesia and they never got watered except when I came home for holidays. It is so frigging dry here at the moment they everything is shriveling up. I will take a few pictures later so you can see.

I wish my missus had come from a different part of Thailand that wasn't so dry.  I think the best thing for me to do is rip them all out and start again following your tip to get them to thicken up.

As for your hedge it is massive, I think you should export it back to the Us so Trump can use it on the southern border instead of needing to build a wall.

I see you have the same type of ladder as I have. Did you get yours here in Thailand? I brought mine with me from Aussie.
Got any baby tortoises yet?

----------


## Stumpy

> That hedge is a monster, are you sure it was wise in the longer term?


Honestly I knew they would grow tall. I had seen that around certain areas in Thailand but told my wife its better then a ugly cement wall that turns black. We ordered 250 of the shrubs from a wholesaler down in Lopburi. They were $1.75 each. He ended up bringing 305 and my wife negotiated a big discount on the 50 extra. Not sure why he brought 55 over. Anyway we planted them ~2 feet apart.  We were able to cover the wall from the front of the house around the back and to the kitchen. As it turns out the extra ones helped out. I borrowed our neighbors Kubota mini back hoe tractor and just trenched along the wall and planted them. It was a big family event as my Dad was here with me from the states and he helped plant them as well. My BIL, SIL and Niece helped as well. Amazingly only about 4 died and I replaced them. But to your point Yes I knew it was going to be a chore to keep them nice but you know being retired I have all the time in the world and its great exercise and I enjoy it after they are done. At some point I may show somebody how to do it and let them use my tools. 




> As for your hedge it is massive, I think you should export it back to the Us so Trump can use it on the southern border instead of needing to build a wall.


Yeah, I agree on Trump wall.  It would look at lot better and I bet all the tree huggers would like it.... :Smile: 




> I see you have the same type of ladder as I have. Did you get yours here in Thailand? I brought mine with me from Aussie.


I brought it in my cargo container from the States. Great ladder. Its funny, My FIL wouldn't use it at first. He swore by his one 4 meter bamboo deal. Now, we do not have one Bamboo ladder around. He uses the aluminum one all the time. Its a bit heavy for him so I move it out for him but after that he is good to go. I extend the ladder straight out when I trim up our Bamboo groves. That too is a interesting chore. I will see if I have any pics of that job......




> Got any baby tortoises yet?


Not yet but the 2 males are humping one of the females constantly. I have had to keep her away from the bastards so she can eat and relax in peace. Its the funniest thing to watch them get after it and the noise the male makes.  :smiley laughing: . They are all very big now. The 2 big males are about 28" in diameter and weigh upwards 30lbs. The older female is about 25" and 25lbs. The other little one is about 18or so inches and 15 or 16lbs. We thought it was a female but may be a male.

----------


## Stumpy

Here is a pic of the Bamboo grove cut back. My wife really likes these. Offers shade for the outdoor kitchen and BBQ pit. They are a bit messy but I keep them cut back. This is a 2 times a year job and takes about 2 or 3 hours.





I just lay the ladder onto the Bamboo. Works perfect.



1 of my Avocado trees



Yep...you got it...a herd of tortoises. :Smile:  The 2 horn dog males chasing the female. Also when the males fight the "thud" sound they produce ramming each other can be heard anywhere on the property. Its LOUD. I have to always go check because they flip each other over which is a tactic when fighting. I have found one on its back several times.

Anyway they just roam the property and eat whats available.

----------


## pseudolus

> 1 of my Avocado trees


interesting - for some reason I thought it was too humid to grow avo's. 




> I have to always go check because they flip each other over which is a tactic when fighting.


Fit them up with a self-righting flipper like in robot wars. But don't get carried away and arm and mechanise them  :Smile:

----------


## HuangLao

Nice, JP.

Chocolate Lab? 
Not a great dog person, but the Labradors variety would be my choice.
Smart, wonderful dispositions, and a great fit with children.

 :Smile:

----------


## Klondyke

^
Not so easy to feed 4 throats, the cat expects plaa tu 



The bombs after midnight of New Year Eve are not very pleasant, so the only day the Master allows us inside.  
And he has to console the older fellows - the young son 3/4y has no problem, staying outside) 



New Year walking and swimming the river - all troubles forgotten)

----------


## ootai

Well I said I would post some pictures to show how dry it is around my place so here they are. I suppose I could use a sprinkler to water the whole place but that would almost mean having it running all day which I think is a bit wasteful.

Here's the shade house surrounded by desert. At least I don't have to cut the weeds.


This is the galangal patch how they do it I don't know but they are still going and expanding.


This was the MIL's yam patch which she has harvested and now not even the weeds are growing here.


Inside the shade house no weeding to be done and not mush greenery either.


Same, same but from a different angle.


The "backyard" looking a bit desperate.


The front yard looking even worse, I can't believe I raked up all the dead leaves 2 days ago.


Now to the masterpiece, "the hedge" or mort correctly the line of sticks.


From the other side.


A close up of the sticks.


JPPR
As you can see from the last picture I don't think these sticks will grow any leaves down low if I cut the top off so I reckon I would need to start again from scratch.


And finally for those that are more interested in looking at pussies than dry gardens here you go.



Cheers

----------


## Stumpy

> Nice, JP.
> 
> Chocolate Lab? 
> Not a great dog person, but the Labradors variety would be my choice.
> Smart, wonderful dispositions, and a great fit with children.


Yeah I have had a few Labs in the states. Great demeanor with people. People that drop by here love to see her. She is always waggin her tail with lots of personality. She is a pup still though, bout a year and a few months

----------


## Stumpy

> Now to the masterpiece, "the hedge" or mort correctly the line of sticks.


 :smiley laughing: .. Not laughing at ya ootai......Laughing with ya....




> JPPR
> As you can see from the last picture I don't think these sticks will grow any leaves down low if I cut the top off so I reckon I would need to start again from scratch.


Id say at this juncture they need some help. With really nothing to lose i'd damn hear half them off and water them well. 

As for the front lawn area, By a rain bird and water that. Really doesn't take a lot to keep some of green and healthy versus dying off.

----------


## Stumpy

Few pics from the casa......



My golden constantly wants to play fetch the ball. So here is the deal with the 2 dogs, The choco-lab loves to chase it down after I throw it while the golden watches. Once the lab has the ball the golden steals it from her and brings it to me. I avoided weeds here _ootai_ by doing a driveway...



Road Kill. She just plops down and done.



I have this big leaved tree (not sure the name). The leaves are huge. It was on its last leg and I started watering it every day. Had to cut it way back. Now it appears to be doing really well. I also fertilized it. It offers a ton of shade. 





This palm is getting huge. It looks really nice but man let me tell you, the thorns on the thing are stout. I bet if I cut one off I could cut wood with it. 



Ahhh Yes. My bearded iguana buddy. This thing is such a character. Been in this tree for easily 5 years. Has an endless supply of Mot Dang. I haven't seen his mate in the other tree recently but I have about 5 or 6 of their offspring running around the place. My lab chases them when they drop down to the ground to go to a different tree.

Just another day at the zoo

----------


## prawnograph

The daughter's garden, area 8x2m that she laid claim to (apart from funding, that was my part), straight edges, no concrete animals - this is her 'serious garden'. She chose the planters, pavers, stones, plants, and put in her share of labour in the October school hols, only casualty of the operation was me walking into a low-hanging sprinkler at a garden centre, not scalped, but enough blood for a one man horror show just pre-Halloween

Here we are:

----------


## naptownmike

Nice work.

----------


## ootai

prawnograph
I like your daughter's garden, tell her well done from me.
Any chance of a picture that shows the whole thing in one frame?

Not sure that I agree with your restriction of 'straight edges", straight boundaries yes but internally let her free spirit (i.e. artistic talent) rein supreme.

----------


## ootai

Just something a little different.

As we all know the Thai's feel the cold a little bit more than us so they usually make a fire and sit around it in the mornings.
Here is the MIL's fire place under the jackfruit tree where the early morning sun shines under the leaves.



Hopefully none of these fall while they are there.



Does anyone know the reason that they bang a stick into the top of the jackfruit for, I am told it is to make it ripen more quickly but why does it work?

----------


## Stumpy

Mani you have a HUGE Jackfruit tree. Ours is on its last leg.

----------


## Stumpy

Few pics from my wifeys Rose garden this morning.

----------


## Stumpy

About a year ago my wife and I bought a large tree at a nursery near our home. It happened to have a Bee hive in it. I drove home quite slow while the bees followed and stayed close. I planted the tree and the hive still remained surprisingly. However after about a month it left that tree and moved to another tree we have. The hive stayed there for about 3 or 4 months then was gone. However I know it had to be close by because I see the bees in our flowers and taking water from the lotus pots. Today while I was out in the yard I found the hive again. This time its back near the original tree it arrived in. Is it the same hive, I can't be certain but I will assume it is and its gotten much larger.

----------


## NamPikToot

JPPR your Avocado looks about the same size as ours c1M, ours is one year in the ground from a potted plant.

We demand more tortoise action shots. Speaking of which and i'm sure you have shared this before, where did you get them and how longs ago?

----------


## Stumpy

> JPPR your Avocado looks about the same size as ours c1M, ours is one year in the ground from a potted plant.


Ours is about 2 meters tall now and has been in the ground for about 1.5 years. The other one which is a Haas from the US has been growing slow and very different in shape. I will post a pic of it. 




> We demand more tortoise action shots. Speaking of which and i'm sure you have shared this before, where did you get them and how longs ago?


555 on Tortoises. I had to walk one male to the other side of the property earlier this morning. Sumbich just will not leave the big female alone. 

Per your request, here are few photos over the last month or so.



Ever seen a Tortoise sunbathing....Well now you have. This is the smallest one and it comes out and stretches out to warm up. 555



My niece loves to come over and feed them. The 3 big ones are waiting for the mulberry leaves that my wife was picking



2 males getting ready to throw down. 



She is a showoff.



This big male always seems to come out when I am mowing. He follows along and chows the cut grass



Some tortoise Porn. One humping and the other in her face probably talkin shit. 5555

We tracked these tortoises down from all over Thailand. 2 were from BKK where clearly they got to big and the owner had no yard. We picked them up cheap. One we got from Ayutthaya and the other in Korat. Again people forget how big they get and the room they need. they are fun when about the size of an orange. My wife is linked to some Reptile group on Facebook. They do come available.

----------


## NamPikToot

> 555 on Tortoises. I had to walk one male to the other side of the property earlier this morning. Sumbich just will not leave the big female alone. 
> 
> Per your request, here are few photos over the last month or so.
> 
> 
> 
> Ever seen a Tortoise sunbathing....Well now you have. This is the smallest one and it comes out and stretches out to warm up. 555
> 
>  We picked them up cheap. One we got from Ayutthaya and the other in Korat. Again people forget how big they get and the room they need. they are fun when about the size of an orange. My wife is linked to some Reptile group on Facebook. They do come available.


555 thanks JPPR, BTW that's not sunbathing that's post coital knackered  :Smile: 

ref buying them, i'd love a couple but would worry that they'l outlive me and me Mrs and then who could be trusted to look after them? a tortoise isn't just for xmas its for your grand children...

----------


## Stumpy

> BTW that's not sunbathing that's post coital knackered


555. Probably so.

----------


## tunk

ootai your MIL actually builds a wood fire? Here in the village its always a trash fire, they gather up plastic bags and trash from their yard and sit around a trash fire. Its good and bad. Its good to see them clean their yards but it stinks.

----------


## Stumpy

> ootai your MIL actually builds a wood fire? Here in the village its always a trash fire, they gather up plastic bags and trash from their yard and sit around a trash fire. Its good and bad. Its good to see them clean their yards but it stinks.


I totally agree Tunk.  Burning plastic bags smells really bad.  There are a few areas along one of my bike routes where they are sitting in their front yard burning bags, boxes, plastic and yard trimmings to stay warm.  It's black and surely isn't good for ones lungs.

----------


## ootai

> ootai your MIL actually builds a wood fire? Here in the village its always a trash fire, they gather up plastic bags and trash from their yard and sit around a trash fire. Its good and bad. Its good to see them clean their yards but it stinks.



Tunk
I am sure if there was any trash around it would get burnt also but I hate having rubbish laying around so for the last 10 plus years I have been telling all and sundry to pick the shit up and to put it in the bin/s.

Here you can see she has got a little stack of wood ready for the next time a fire is needed.



When we moved over here from Aussie I bought a couple of these with us as I hadn't seen any for sale here at the time. There are plenty around now at hardware stores.



The missus has her little bin near the outdoor kitchen that she uses and then empties it into the big bin.
The bag over the top is to keep any scavengers out so they don't spread the shit everywhere.



The final destination is the rubbish pit. I dug this hole about 3 years ago and it is used by us and the SIL so it has lasted well.
I put all the grass and leaves etc. in there to help burn the rubbish and then I use some diesel to help it along. If you get a good fire raging the plastic and crap burns better and doesn't smoke or smell as much. I always try and burn it when the wind is blowing away from the houses. I used to chuck wood in there to make a fire that burnt for longer but the MIL got on my case because she wanted to save it for her "campfires".

----------


## NamPikToot

> .  It's black and surely isn't good for ones lungs.


JPPR it is v bad. The FiL Buddha rest his soul used to burn plastic with the tree clippings etc and it took me 5 years to get him to stop. They use it also to light BBQs so be wary of buying meat from the BBQ vendors - the whole point is burning plastic releases Dioxins wich are cancer causing.


Dioxins are environmental pollutants. They belong to the so-called dirty dozen - a group of dangerous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Dioxins are of concern because of their highly toxic potential. Experiments have shown they affect a number of organs and systems.


Once dioxins enter the body, they last a long time because of their chemical stability and their ability to be absorbed by fat tissue, where they are then stored in the body. Their half-life in the body is estimated to be 7 to 11 years. In the environment, dioxins tend to accumulate in the food chain. The higher an animal is in the food chain, the higher the concentration of dioxins.

----------


## ootai

JPPR2
You shamed me into getting off my lazy arse and giving the yard some water. For the last 2 days I have been moving the sprinkler around every half hour. Finally finished the front yard just now.



In the PM you sent you asked a couple of questions which I thought I would answer here.

You asked, "Do you use city water or well or both?"

I just use bore water (well water for you Americans). There is village water available but the pressure is abysmal so it won't run a sprinkler so I don't use it.

I have a bore at the new house and also one at the old house. I have plumbed both into the line feeding the shade house and main garden. The reason for that was that the MIL uses the one at the main house for her garden and I use the other one so we can both water at the same time. The SIL who lives in our old house just can't use the water while I have it running in the garden, well she can but then she hears me yelling and turns hers off. I help her pay for the electricity.

The you also asked:
"Soyour dirt is really almost clay like and when it dries out, it really driesout."

The soil here is very much as you described and is the reason I am trying to built it up by adding lots of straw, cow and chicken shit etc. It will take a few years but I will get there. MIL reckons I use to much shit so she refuses to plant in my garden beds. She recently made a garden bed near our banana plants where I hadn't put anything and her plants all died so she will maybe change her mind one day.

I also try and mulch around the plants to keep the top of the ground from drying out as in this picture of my corn patch.



I tried just using the straw straight from the bales but it sticks together and won't spread very well. So I got my wood chipper/shredder out and then after 1 day it burnt out so I wen and bought another one on Thursday. It breaks the straw up as well as separating it so it spreads well.

I have a German friend near here and he makes compost so I am going to make a bin for myself and start doing that as well. He has the best lime trees I have seen absolutely loaded with limes. He grows everything in the cement rings so he can spray the weeds but not get the plants. If I want to wind him up I just mention how good his soil is, man does he go off about how crappy it is.

Cheers

----------


## NamPikToot

Ootai, we've got poor soil as well, similar to your description. When we started off i thought it would be a good idea when planting to add straw and rice husk to the soil and dig it in for water/ moisture retention especially with young plants. The problem i discovered was that all i was doing was providing termite food - so yes dig it in but keep turning it over. Around trees i leave a covering of leave for moisture retention but don't leave them touching the tree trunks, this provides perfect termite shelter and they'll start noshing the trunks.

----------


## HuangLao

> Ootai, we've got poor soil as well, similar to your description. When we started off i thought it would be a good idea when planting to add straw and rice husk to the soil and dig it in for water/ moisture retention especially with young plants. The problem i discovered was that all i was doing was providing termite food - so yes dig it in but keep turning it over. Around trees i leave a covering of leave for moisture retention but don't leave them touching the tree trunks, this provides perfect termite shelter and they'll start noshing the trunks.



Very common for countryside dwellers to harbour compost/mulch collections of one nature or another - especially as it applies to family gardens and other property horticulture ventures. 

Very simple procedures within this climate. Almost takes care of itself.

----------


## NamPikToot

> Very common for countryside dwellers to harbour compost/mulch collections of one nature or another - especially as it applies to family gardens and other property horticulture ventures. 
> 
> Very simple procedures within this climate. Almost takes care of itself.


Yes, but be careful of snakes, they love compost heaps for egg laying  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

Thanks ootai. 

I have city water that has really good pressure all the time.  I feel quite fortunate. I also have 2 wells but only pump out of one.  

I started my own mulch pit about 2 years ago.  I use the grass clippings and I also rake up all my bamboo, lumyai and mango tree leaves and with my lawn mower mulch it up and toss on pile. You can accelerate the process by sprinkling with water and cover with a black tarp.  

Once every month I spin the pile up with the rototiller head attachment head that goes on the Honda weedwhacker.  It turns it over really well.  Occasionally I add a bag of cow shit when mixing.  My wife uses it in her rose garden. The pile isn't too big as I give clippings to the old lady around the corner and she uses it for her garden.

----------


## ootai

> Ootai, we've got poor soil as well, similar to your description. When we started off i thought it would be a good idea when planting to add straw and rice husk to the soil and dig it in for water/ moisture retention especially with young plants. The problem i discovered was that all i was doing was providing termite food - so yes dig it in but keep turning it over. Around trees i leave a covering of leave for moisture retention but don't leave them touching the tree trunks, this provides perfect termite shelter and they'll start noshing the trunks.


NPT
So far I have not seen any evidence of termites attacking the straw.
When I build the garden bed I use my excavator to dig a trench about 1 metre wide by 600mm deep and then layer straw and soil back in.
I don't put any straw above the original ground level so maybe there is nothing for the termites to see to eat. I did it this way because I thought it would help improve the drainage through the clay.

Yes I do dig it by hand (most of the time) after each planting has finished and I have noticed lots of worms which is good IMHO anyway.
What I have seen that I never saw before is some bloody great big fat worms that are almost a foot long. First time I thought it was a snake.
Last time I had 2 large beds to turn over so I used my tractor and plough and then ran over it with the rotary hoe.
My original idea was to do it this way that's why I built the shade house 2.5m tall, so I could get the tractor underneath.
That idea has been compromised in some parts by the MIL's random plantings.

If I leave the bed without water for any length of time is dries out, subsides and start cracking up so to me that shows the straw is still decaying and the soil is still very clayey.

Hopefully it will be part of my legacy a nice organic soil garden for the future, unless of course I manage to live for longer than I think I probably will.

Cheers

----------


## ootai

> Thanks ootai. 
> 
> I have city water that has really good pressure all the time.  I feel quite fortunate. I also have 2 wells but only pump out of one.  
> 
> I started my own mulch pit about 2 years ago.  I use the grass clippings and I also rake up all my bamboo, lumyai and mango tree leaves and with my lawn mower mulch it up and toss on pile. You can accelerate the process by sprinkling with water and cover with a black tarp.  
> 
> Once every month I spin the pile up with the rototiller head attachment head that goes on the Honda weedwhacker.  It turns it over really well.  Occasionally I add a bag of cow shit when mixing.  My wife uses it in her rose garden. The pile isn't too big as I give clippings to the old lady around the corner and she uses it for her garden.



JPPR
You are making me jealous, it must be nice to live near civilisation where you have nice water supplied at a pressure that is useful.
When we built the house there was a village water supply tank just opposite our place so the water pressure was not so hopeless, it was still not really good enough for a sprinkler but then they moved the tank down to the bigger cleaner water dam and the water pressure went to crap.

I was having a discussion with my German mate the other day about wetting and then covering his compost but he wasn't convinced however I will do that when I eventually build my compost bin/s. I was thinking of using hessian bags instead of plastic to cover it as then I could just water straight onto the bags without having to remove the covers each time.

I like the idea of having a mechanical mixer so I might have to look into that. How deep will it mix?

Cheers

----------


## ootai

> Very common for countryside dwellers to harbour compost/mulch collections of one nature or another - especially as it applies to family gardens and other property horticulture ventures. 
> 
> Very simple procedures within this climate. Almost takes care of itself.



From what I have seen so far the MIL just stacks everything up and around the trees and plants and then lets nature take care of it.
I personally think it is more or a moisture retention plan than a composting idea as she will stack stones and broken concrete around them as well.

The other thing she does is dig out around the plants and heaps the soil up around the base of the plant supposedly this stops the roots drying out as it puts them deeper under the ground.

----------


## Crestofawave

oothai, apologies if someone has already identified this plant from page 1, but I'm sure it's what Thais call ชะอม  cha-om. The leaves are used in curries, the stem and branches have very, very sharp thorns.

----------


## stroller

Yes, my missus loves Cha-Om.
Is it a Northern thing, don't recall Bangkok mouths stinking of it?

----------


## Stumpy

> Around trees i leave a covering of leave for moisture retention but don't leave them touching the tree trunks, this provides perfect termite shelter and they'll start noshing the trunks.


That is a HUGE problem here with folks. they do not want to take the leaves away so they rake them into a HUGE pile against the trunks. This allows termites to attack the tree and fungus and mold. Very bad idea. I had to break my father of that bad habit. Another one is tying branches up using bailing wire or rope then forgetting about it. Then the tree tries to grow over it and usually that branch or trunk dies or gets diseased. Another bad habit I broke my FIL of. We had 4 or 5 trees that broke in big wind storms right at the seam mark where wire was buried into the trunk.




> I like the idea of having a mechanical mixer so I might have to look into that. How deep will it mix?


It will til down about 6 or 8". On hard ground it will bounce too much but soft or reasonably moist dirt it works really good for what it is. 




> You are making me jealous, it must be nice to live near civilisation where you have nice water supplied at a pressure that is useful.


Well we got lucky quite honestly. They added the city water line about 5 or 6 years ago, in fact right as our house was being completed. Interestingly though, many have their lines off or capped at their house because they do not want the water bill. They use the their well which I find really odd. Our monthly city water bill is 300 to 350 bht a month. Honestly its cheaper to use city water versus running a 220V water pump sucking water up from the well but the well water does have nutrients in it for the plants that city water doesn't.

----------


## Stumpy

My mulch process,





I rake up about 6 to 10 piles around the property then come mow it up into my mower bag.



I keep the pile covered but open it up once a week or so and spray it with some water or add water when I add new mulch material



This mulch is super rich and then you til or mix into the area where I plant. I do not like using the bagged mulch as its loaded with rice husks and peanut shells. Usually it has tons of mold.



Here is a bucket of grass and weed clippings from the lawn mower

----------


## Stumpy

> JPPR2
> You shamed me into getting off my lazy arse and giving the yard some water. For the last 2 days I have been moving the sprinkler around every half hour. Finally finished the front yard just now.


How is the yard area looking where you watered it? It will take a few times

----------


## Stumpy

@ ootai,

Here is the tiller head that mounts to the Honda weedwhacker( thought I posted this somewhere else but couldn't find it). iI I remember correctly, the price was around 1800 bht. 





Again, on hard rock like ground it will do nothing but bounce and skip around as there is simply no weight on it like a conventional tiller. If you break the soil a bit it does a pretty good job. If you have a mulch pit it works awesome as it really turns the pile up quickly then just rake back into a pile and cover.

----------


## Stumpy

While not growing in my Garden, They have decided to add a "sewer" system in our Mooban according to my wife and FIL. Now I will use the term sewer loosely as this is really a rain run off control......BUT........



They just cut the road and are now jack hammering it into pieces along the street to our home. 

Now I am not really sure how this is all supposed to work. If they do it like I have seen others they will trench it down about 3 feet and then cement it in with a lip then add these cement square blocks with holes in it on top as covers. That's all fine however how is this really going to work? They are adding the "Sewer" trench on the high side of the street and unless physics has changed recently water doesn't run uphill. If this is a run off its supposed to "Run off" into the river. I also find this interesting in that it never floods on our street. 

I love this place...... There is never a dull moment.  :smiley laughing:

----------


## Troy

It's time to empty the garden pond again this year. We do this every two or three years and add lime and manure before letting the monsoon fill it up again.

We netted most of the fish for New Year, but it's hot so any excuse to get in the water


and try out the different nets...



...but the easiest way is to pump out the water...



...and sit back with some lao khao



Plenty to go round



Let the girls finish the job off...



Leaving the two big 'uns with nowhere to hide....



The rest of the water will dry up pretty soon but for the moment it is perfect for ducks.

----------


## Troy

Meanwhile the vegetable plot is probably the only bit of green we have left in the garden...



The lettuce enjoyed the nitrogen from the beans...





I had a good supply of courgettes this year as well and plenty of rice in the barn. Not sure why I need to go back to work...

----------


## cyrille

To pay the gardener?

----------


## Troy

^ Ha ha...

In fact I have to dig the plots every year because they are left to ruin whenever I am away. I have given up double digging plots. like I used to do, because it was so soul destroying seeing them ruined every time I came back.

This year I ploughed the soil and made simple plots in October and grew the plants from seed. They were transplanted in early November before I returned to work so that I could enjoy the vegetables for Christmas. The wife stayed to look after the garden while I was away. 

I have a lot of trouble with compost heaps, the locals don't like them because of snakes, and we have had more than our fair share of kraits and cobras. I would like one of those quick compost makers, machines that can make the stuff in 48 hours. I'd pay handsomely for one and can get plenty of material to feed it if anyone knows where I can get one. The family are always burning my compost heap as soon as  I leave...

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## Maanaam

> to add straw and rice husk to the soil and dig it in for water/ moisture retention especially with young plants


Be aware that composting matter can create enough heat to damage young plants' roots. It needs to be spread thinly and dug in very well, and deep.

----------


## VocalNeal

I was watching QI the other day and the answer to whats in your garden could be.

A new undiscovered species. Apparently.

----------


## Maanaam

> I would like one of those quick compost makers, machines that can make the stuff in 48 hours.


I think the secret to the "machines" is actually getting the vege matter into small enough pieces and a bio-additive or accelerator.....if it's the same thing I'm thinking of.

Here's one I looked up. Uses beer!!!  :Smile: 

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-h...tor-49558.html

You may find the smell keeps the snakes away, hopefully.

----------


## Troy

^ Nah! I want a compost machine...this one would be nice but a standard powered one will do.

https://www.xxx.xxx.xx/news/rural/20...achine/8049028

----------


## Stumpy

Well we decided to thin out a section of our Banana trees today. They really were not producing good tasting bananas according to my wife. I have a small dump truck hauler guy coming to pick them up 200 bht to haul'em off. BTW those things are heavy as hell.

We got some young trees and replanted 9 today.

----------


## NamPikToot

JPPR, Deja Vu. The FiL God rest his soul put in about 50 Banana in our garden, partly to eat but mainly for him to sell for some pocket money. Whee i was over Xmas we decided to thin them out,remove all but 5 - yep you are right they are heavy - just a 13 foot tube filled with water  :Smile: . 

When i say 50 that's 50 clumps so we probably took out over 150 stens and killing them ain't really easy, had to lime them and do it a few times. The farmer we know really appreciated the leaves for his cows though, they love them. So now, we have 3 of the small bananas and 2 of  the longer variety; problem is you still have to get rid of the stems once you harvest - pain in the arse really but hey ho.

----------


## ootai

JPPR
Why didn't you use them for mulch around your fruit trees? My MIL gets me to help her cut them up and then she stacks them around trees etc.
I usually cut them into bits 1.5 foot llong and then cut those bits into halves or quarters depending on how big they are.
As you probably already know and as NPT said they are really just water tubes so they break down really quickly.

Just a couple of pictures of what we did 2 days ago. These I didn't cut up as small as usual.





Cheers

----------


## NamPikToot

> JPPR Why didn't you use them for mulch around your fruit trees?


Ootai, we did similar but even then with so many we had to get rid of some.

----------


## Stumpy

> just a 13 foot tube filled with water


Exactly. And the ones that produced bananas are always heavier right before they fall over. Its always a chore to keep them up. I don't really care for them. I can buy them cheap enough in the market. Its not like I eat bananas all the time but my FIL likes growing them and they do offer shade when big. I suspect that once my FIL moves on, I will yank them all out. 




> so now, we have 3 of the small bananas and 2 of the longer variety; problem is you still have to get rid of the stems once you harvest - pain in the arse really but hey ho


We still probably have 30 or so trees. We have 3 different types. I only eat the "Gui Hom" as they are called.  They are just like the Chiquita bananas in the states. The others my wife either cuts and sun dries or BBQ's. 




> Why didn't you use them for mulch around your fruit trees?


Honestly ootai, laying them around the trees usually invites insects and pests to attack the trunks and roots as they decay. We have huge black scorpions up here and the LOVE to hide under them. So I haul them all away.  I use mulch from my pit and fertilizer. when its needed.  I am trying to locate some citrus fertilizer as our lime trees need some "Love".

----------


## OhOh

> killing them ain't really easy, had to lime them and do it a few times.


Worked in the end eh?

----------


## NamPikToot

OhOh, 

Eventually I'm led to understand, repeated application and persistence (like making love to a beautiful woman as Swiss Tony would say). They kept throwing up babies as they were well established. Glyphosate would have been quicker but i don't like using it if i can help it..

----------


## NamPikToot

Actually on the Bananas i've found the best way to cut the big stems is ....... a bow saw - goes through like a knife through butter

----------


## Warwick

I only have a small garden but Figs grow well in a pot. I have to be quick before the birds eat them.

----------


## ootai

If anyone ever wondered what a difference a bit of water can make here is the answer.

3 weeks ago I posted some pictures of my "row of sticks"




Now 3 weeks later after trying to water them every second day they look like this.


and this they are even flowering must think its Christmas.


Unfortunately I might have to cut back on the watering as many people in the are having their bores go dry (not because of me) and the water storage they use for the village supply is drying up. My wife works at the Amphur for the village and yesterday they had a big meeting about the water supply issues.


Anyway much to my wife's angst I went out and spent some money on this.
 



Does a good job and I had to make the net you see behind it in the picture to capture all the crap it threw out.
Now to refining the compost technique.

----------


## NamPikToot

> I only have a small garden but Figs grow well in a pot. I have to be quick before the birds eat them.


Warrick i love figs, is that in Thailand?

----------


## NamPikToot

> Unfortunately I might have to cut back on the watering as many people in the are having their bores go dry (not because of me) and the water storage they use for the village supply is drying up. My wife works at the Amphur for the village and yesterday they had a big meeting about the water supply issues.
> .


 :rofl: 

Ootai causes district drought in bid to revive 3m long hedge, priceless - made my day

----------


## Warwick

^^ Yes. I bought two from a stand at the annual Red Cross Fair - 50B each. They are both doing well and I took five cuttings, which all rooted OK, from one of them a few months ago.

----------


## Warwick

These are Date Palms that I grew from seed. I did not expect them to sprout and I will probably have to find a home for them as I really haven't got room.  Planted on 22nd Nov.



Not a good picture (it was a bit bright outside with reflection off the wall) but these are Mulberries. Very tasty stirred into my morning yoghurt  :Smile:

----------


## NamPikToot

> ^^ Yes. I bought two from a stand at the annual Red Cross Fair - 50B each. They are both doing well and I took five cuttings, which all rooted OK, from one of them a few months ago.


Warrick thanks, they are now on my list to hunt down. We have quite a few Mulberries as well, easy to grow and take cutting and yep tasty and healthy but have o keep them clipped down as they shoot up to 15+ feet and then you can't reach  the fruit.

----------


## Stumpy

ootai,
Nice job on the hedges, a slight trim and some water changes everything. I even noticed the grass was greener and almost needs a mow. :Smile: 

How does the chipper work?

I looked at some but was leary. Can you toss in Banana leaves?  I saw one that you can even toss in full coconuts and they fly out as basically as dust....

----------


## David48atTD

> It's time to empty the garden pond again this year. We do this every two or three years and add lime and manure


^  mostly all Pla Nin ... and you have female fish in that.

---




> We do this every two or three years and add lime and manure


Troy, I understand the use of the lime ... but manure??

----------


## OhOh

> I have to be quick before the birds eat them.


Have you thought of a netted enclosure to stop the birds?

----------


## Troy

> Troy, I understand the use of the lime ... but manure??


Pig manure in sacks put in each corner when the rain comes. This will allow plankton to grow and create a healthy pond before adding the fish. We remove the sacks after a week and use on the veg plot. 

I have a paper on it somewhere, will try and fish it out for you. Anyway, the locals knew about it, when I explained, after creating the pond.

----------


## NamPikToot

Troy, I take it you eat some and sell the rest? Looks like a good haul.

----------


## Troy

We don't sell them, there are enough for the family when we're not there. Some are given to funerals and weddings in the village and a lot given to those less well off over New Year. 

We did have around 7 family eating from the pond for about 10 days before New Year. They had to forage for insects and fruit but it is a useful emergency measure if required.

----------


## David48atTD

> Pig manure in sacks put in each corner when the rain comes. This will allow plankton to grow and create a healthy pond before adding the fish. We remove the sacks after a week and use on the veg plot. 
> 
> I have a paper on it somewhere, will try and fish it out for you. Anyway, the locals knew about it, when I explained, after creating the pond.


"_Pig manure in sacks put in each corner when the rain comes. This will allow plankton to grow_" ... so do you rely on the plankton to feed the fish?

If so, any supplementary feeding?

Thanks

----------


## NamPikToot

> We don't sell them, there are enough for the family when we're not there. Some are given to funerals and weddings in the village and a lot given to those less well off over New Year.  We did have around 7 family eating from the pond for about 10 days before New Year. They had to forage for insects and fruit but it is a useful emergency measure if required.


Thanks for the update, i would love a pond but unfortunately the area we have is just not really large enough and we are too elevated to support the water year round
We had some other land had two ponds and grew Pla Duk etc but you have to be there 24 hours once they get to a good size, ours got cleaned out twice and we gave up and sold the land.

----------


## ootai

> Thanks for the update, i would love a pond but unfortunately the area we have is just not really large enough and we are too elevated to support the water year round
> We had some other land had two ponds and grew Pla Duk etc but you have to be there 24 hours once they get to a good size, ours got cleaned out twice and we gave up and sold the land.


NPT
I once thought about setting up a pond with fish but the idea of not being there to make sure it didn't get cleaned out was what stopped me.
I thought that if I could have set up an infra beam system that triggered a loud speaker which played ghost noises the Thai's would never come near the place.
Unfortunately I am not clever enough to set up such a thing.

----------


## Troy

> "_Pig manure in sacks put in each corner when the rain comes. This will allow plankton to grow_" ... so do you rely on the plankton to feed the fish?
> 
> If so, any supplementary feeding?
> 
> Thanks


Yes we feed them as well, they used to overfeed, which can be bad if there isn't enough oxygen in the water. I want to put a solar powered aerator in the pond and also a pump or fountain, to allow more fish. Wife doesn't want to commit to the expense. The pond can sustain plenty of fish for us as it is.

----------


## NamPikToot

Ootai, I think you can do make a go of it if you or family members can monitor it full time or make it difficult for someone to roll up with a pickup and stun the lot and clear them out but ifts pretty disheartening when you spend 6 months caring for them and they vanish in one night - think both times it was c100K and at that value its too tempting - wish i'd caught the fukers tho, i'd have properly taken it out on then and i can be a nasty fuker (well in my younger days  :Smile: ), not the money but the effort my Mrs put in and how upset she was. 

If you have room on the property you live on full time and its not at commercial levels i.e a smallish pond for you to take fish for your own consumption then i think its a goer and with hindsight i'd have liked enough room and the requisite water table to support a 10 x 10 m pond, would be enough me thinks.

----------


## HuangLao

> Ootai, I think you can do make a go of it if you or family members can monitor it full time or make it difficult for someone to roll up with a pickup and stun the lot and clear them out but ifts pretty disheartening when you spend 6 months caring for them and they vanish in one night - think both times it was c100K and at that value its too tempting - wish i'd caught the fukers tho, i'd have properly taken it out on then and i can be a nasty fuker (well in my younger days ), not the money but the effort my Mrs put in and how upset she was. 
> 
> If you have room on the property you live on full time and its not at commercial levels i.e a smallish pond for you to take fish for your own consumption then i think its a goer and with hindsight i'd have liked enough room and the requisite water table to support a 10 x 10 m pond, would be enough me thinks.



Alternatively, quite often one will find that larger fish-bearing ponds can act as a community binder where sharing is a given - 
Examples are numerous throughout the hinterlands.

----------


## NamPikToot

> Alternatively, quite often one will find that larger fish-bearing ponds can act as a community binder where sharing is a given - 
> Examples are numerous throughout the hinterlands.


Yep there's one called Lam Takong down the road from us - i'm going to get one of the small blue plastic boats, a small outboard, ice box which i will empty whist fishing and do my own community fishing  :Smile:

----------


## Neverna

> Yep there's one called Lam Takong down the road from us - i'm going to get one of the small blue plastic boats, a small outboard, ice box which i will empty whist fishing and do my own community fishing


 So you're near Pak Chong, NPT?

----------


## NamPikToot

> So you're near Pak Chong, NPT?


That's an affirmative, up in the hills but not on the big dry plain -but as far those living in sin city are concerned, bumfuknowhere - but i like it. My Mrs still has a place or two in BKK but i always find about 5 days is enough. Mrs was born and bred in BKK but she hates now, too many peeps, dirty, too loud and stinks   :Smile:  

EDIT  she was born in BKK, lived the first 6 ears in Chant then back to BKK, she remembers swimming in the klongs when they were clean - i said yeah fukin bolloix but she won't have it, i said with that water where'd ya think you got the six fingers and toes - she's great opening jars by the way.....

----------


## ootai

> ootai,
> Nice job on the hedges, a slight trim and some water changes everything. I even noticed the grass was greener and almost needs a mow.
> 
> How does the chipper work?
> 
> I looked at some but was leary. Can you toss in Banana leaves?  I saw one that you can even toss in full coconuts and they fly out as basically as dust....




JPPR
I don't think you could toss coconuts into this one the throat of the hopper is too small. I was using it today and meant to chop off some banana leaves and put them through but I forgot so next time. I did take some more pictures so here we go.

We have a few of these trees around the place I think they are called "Tagoo trees" but I could be mistaken. They make beautiful shade trees but the branches are not really well connected and they break off, especially since we cut a lot of ours back and the regrowth is not stable once they get longer.  Anyway today I cut a few small limbs off and put them through the mulcher along with a whole pile of leaves I raked up.


Here are the branches for chipping / mulching. The guy where I bought it told me to limit the size to no more than 2 inch diameter


Only leaves in the net so far.


Now there are some wood chips piling up.


Looking good, to me anyway.


A close up of the chips.


This was the largest bit I put through, the opening is 70mm x 70mm so this branch was probably 2.5inch diameter. Make it or break it?
The wood from these trees is quite soft though.

----------


## Stumpy

That looks good Ootai.  I am really considering a chipper. That pile looks great and spread out around tree wells will really help fertile them.

----------


## ootai

> That looks good Ootai.  I am really considering a chipper. That pile looks great and spread out around tree wells will really help fertile them.



JPPR2
I won't be using it around the trees just yet i am still trying to fill my 2 compost bins I made. Once they are full and merrily rotting away i will start using it mulch around trees etc.

I will also try putting some banana leaves through it for you to see how it handles them. I think at this point they might need to go through the hole where the branches go so they get chopped up better. Because the part where the leaves and sort goes through just spits it out sometimes without smashing it up because the feed is at 90 degrees to the axis of rotation.

The branches actually get cut by a blade while the others just get flailed by spinning bars.

Here's some pictures cause I know you like the mechanical stuff.

Mine is a Tru Yard CM 65 series powered by a 6.4HP Honda motor, I paid 26,500 for it. 
There is a 9.5hp model and another that runs via the PTO of a tractor of course they are more expensive.





Looking into the top of the funnel where leaves and stuff goes you can see there are 3 arms each with 6 flails on that rotate and smash the stuff fed in from above.


This view shows the cutting blade that cuts the branches that are fed in on the side. I think it would have been better with 2 of these instead of just one.


Finally here are the cards from the 2 guys at the store where I bought it in Buriram. They are both Americans so you could probably communicate with them although they don't really speak English. They told me if it is in Thailand they will get it for you and I assume for a price ship it to you as well.

----------


## Stumpy

Cool stuff ootai.  Thanks for sharing. It looks sturdy and does a good job from what it appears.

----------


## ootai

Well its been a while and a lot has happened so I thought I might provide an update on the garden.

Early in February my knee stuffed up and as a result I could hardly walk let alone work in the garden so it went wild and the weeds took over.
In April I went down to Australia to see my grandkids, don't really know why as I could not get around as much as I would have liked.

Anyway once I got back here I went to see the Doctor and then the Orthopaedic Surgeon recommended by Pragmatic (thanks Prag) and in early October I had a total knee replacement done on my left knee. Luckily I had a very successful recovery and was my knee was almost fully recovered after 3 weeks so it was time to attack the weeds.

So there was no way I was going to dig by hand the 1000sqm of garden I have so I went and bought a new toy.


Its a tilling machine and cost me 17,500


It does a bloody great job and is not hard to operate.

So here is what the garden looks like now.

Taken from the North eastern corner under the shade cloth looking South.


from the same spot but looking East


A closer look at the cabbages I think they are but might be a lettuce not exactly sure


Taken in the middle of the east side looking south west


This is my pride and joy (if you look hard) I planted some asparagus seeds and some actually grew. They are in between the rows of coriander


This is further along the east side looking west and shows pak bong(front left), tomatoes and cucumbers (on the trellace)


Some of the many pumpkins planted. This time I have installed drip irrigation to make watering easy and hopefully efficient


Cucumbers on the right and on the left Zucchini in the front and long beans at the back


On the east side looking North west



Taken from North eastern corner looking west


No longer under shade cloth, in the front 2 rows are chillies which were bought as plants and transplanted to here. Behind that is 2 more rows of chillies but planted as seeds.


On the west side of the shade house I have planted some corn which are also drip fed water. There are more rows of corn to be planted once these get bigger. the idea being a supply over a longer period rather than a glut then nothing.


This is an area south west of the shade house and I have just planted butternut pumpkin (hopefully it will grow), some watermelon, rockmelon and some honeydew melon's
There are some more rows to the right of this picture which will be more chillies. The seedling are growing right now and will be transplanted in a week or so.


More pumpkins


and more pumpkins with cucumbers (buab)along the fence.


I am reasonably happy with how its going at the moment but I still need to work on improving the soil and because it hasn't rained in months the weeds are not to bad.

Cheers

----------


## NamPikToot

Ootai, that's a great looking plot. Its my intention to have similar one day, your soil is much nicer looking however so work will be required to improve ours. Have to ask, do you spray, because of not how the hell do you stop all your greens getting munched by everything.

----------


## HuangLao

> Ootai, that's a great looking plot. Its my intention to have similar one day, your soil is much nicer looking however so work will be required to improve ours. Have to ask, do you spray, because of not how the hell do you stop all your greens getting munched by everything.


Bit of a misnomer that most leafy greens are susceptible to critter invasions - you'll find that this is the case pertaining to a greater percentage of varieties.
Know and again, but nothing terribly destructive. 

You'll find this to be true once you get into experiment and variety of what to grow. 
Nature provides/protects - needn't be applying chemical pesticides.

----------


## NamPikToot

> You'll find this to be true once you get into experiment and variety of what to grow. .


Erm Jeff i am speaking from experience, setting aside the squashes, ours get lunched.

----------


## ootai

NPT
Yes I am living in Thailand so i do what the Thai's would do, mainly goverened by my MIL as she is the one I am learning from so yes I do use spray. Not a lot and so far there have only been 2 "bugs" I have had to deal with. One is an orange beetle that likes to eat the young cucumber and pumpkin leaves. The other is a little black mite that attacks the beans.

When I retired in Feb 2017 it was my goal to make myself a garden to keep myself busy. Golfing would have been better but is more expensive and takes a 90km drive to get to the closest decent golf course in Korat.  Also one of the first memories I have of my MIL was way back in 2000 and it was of her scratching around in some shitty gravelly soil trying to grow a few plants. She is 75+ and loves her garden/s and I thought it was something I could do for her (and myself). I should point out she does a lot of work in 'my" garden. She transplants the seedlings, looks after the plants and gets into digging and pulling out the weeds.

As for the soil it has taken me 3 years to get it to the point where it is almost good enough to grow whatever I want. Lots of straw dug in along with copious amounts of cow shit, some chicken shit and my own style compost.  The problem initially was the original soil was too clayey and wouldn't let the water soak in. Plant roots can't grow as they have no room in the fine clay to put down roots.

Some of the mistakes I have made so far are, too much shade cloth in that I enclosed the whole lot i.e. roof and walls. Now I just have it over the roof and the sides basically open this lets the wind blow through and lets the insects in to do their job of pollinating. Another mistake was the amount of water I used to pour on, now I water a lot less and have added the drip irrigation, the MIL also does a lot of the watering as she gets out very early in the morning and enjoys spending the time in the garden. I sometimes think she talks to the plants (555).

For those that may be wondering if it is a commercial garden it is not. Having said that the MIL sometimes sells some of the crop around the village. She gets her great grand daughter (who lives with me and my wife) to go around on the motorbike and sell it door to door.

Sorry for the long reply, I must be feeling lonely?

----------


## HuangLao

> Erm Jeff i am speaking from experience, setting aside the squashes, ours get lunched.


Yes.
Experience.
Of course.

 :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## mikenot

great looking vegie garden there mate. Any ornamentals as well, or do you go by the Thai philosophy ...if you cannot eat it, why grow it ?

----------


## ootai

> great looking vegie garden there mate. Any ornamentals as well, or do you go by the Thai philosophy ...if you cannot eat it, why grow it ?



mikenot
I thought the Thai philosophy was "if it grows eat it".
Anyway there are no ornamentals is the garden at the back of the house only edibles.
There are some at the front but they are all almost dead as they don't get much love, attention or water. Much earlier in this thread I spoke a bit about the watering at the front and how it is almost impossible to keep up in last year's and this year's drought. As the bore for the house is only 30+ metres deep and some bores in the village have gone dry the Missus doesn't like me running the pump all day just to water flowers and grass.
The bore for the back garden is 60+m deep so is into a different aquifer than the house bore.
More efficient use of water is why I have installed quite a bit of drip irrigation.

----------


## Mendip

Ootai, several years ago we were also plagued by those little orange beetles. They attacked the leaves of pumpkins, water melons, cucumbers and courgettes which I subsequently learned all belonged to the same plant family... the gourd family. The larvae of these beetles also attack plant roots and nailed our crops of runner beans - the seedlings died before they reached a few inches long.

At the time I went to a seed shop with one of these beetles in a bottle and the guy gave me this tin can of some kind of pesticide that he said would kill the beetles. He told me to wear a mask and long trousers when spraying it.

Considering that a Thai had advised me to wear protective clothing, it must have been some pretty serious shit and I later decided not to use it. I just changed our veggie garden crop away from the gourd family.

I've also given up trying European crops, which all seemed to succumb to one bug or another, and now only grow the local vegetables. It was a shame to stop trying the English runner beans, but the Thai long bean is a close second for me.

This is our modest veggie garden now...  surrounded by chicken wire to stop the dogs digging up the seedlings. We keep chickens and periodically I dig in rotted down chicken manure, although you have to let it rot down a long time as it's too strong when fresh. I surrounded the raised beds with used building blocks (dumped around our area) to try and stop the soil washing away in the wet season...  not that we had one this year.



The crops are mainly morning glory, pak choi, some cabbagey kind of thing (ka na?), coriander and various other herbs and stuff. I've been trying to introduce crop rotation and leaving beds fallow but this seems to be a foreign concept, at least to our gardener. We will get one great crop of long beans, then he'll plant a second batch of bean seeds immediately after, along the same bed, and the seedlings don't grow past a few inches high. I keep working on this...

As for spraying these days... the gardener makes this purple liquid concoction from a combination of shrimp paste, some kind of Thai vitamin drink and lao khao. He reckons it works, but I think it smells so awful that the bugs just go away for a few days until the stench wears off. It's a worse smell than pla ra.



I'm forever finding these bottles of concoctions around the garden... there's another yellow coloured one that he makes from gone-off milk. it's no problem as it's all made from natural stuff... my main concern is that after a few Ya Dong's one night I get the bottles mixed up and end up taking a swig of rotted shrimp paste, sour milk and lao khao!

----------


## ootai

Mendip
If I didn't spray the bugs the MIL would and then I wouldn't know what the hell is being used.
As for growing different vegies I try everything to see what happens. The MIL sticks with the tried and true Thai stuff though.
Cherry tomatoes grow well here but up until this year I have never had success with bigger varieties, this year I have had some great tomatoes to eat. I love them on toast.

As for raised beds the MIL doesn't understand why I do it but when it rains it does wash the place away if you haven't channelled it where you want it to go.
I have black plastic fencing (90cm high) around the bottom and then 1.7m high fish net above that to stop the chickens getting in, seems to be working. You can see it on the right side in this picture.




As for my poisons this is what I use. The stuff on the left is for the orange beetles and you use 2.5ml in 10 litres. The other is for the black mites and I use 1 sachel in 20litres,


These are the black mites

----------


## HuangLao

> Ootai, several years ago we were also plagued by those little orange beetles. They attacked the leaves of pumpkins, water melons, cucumbers and courgettes which I subsequently learned all belonged to the same plant family... the gourd family. The larvae of these beetles also attack plant roots and nailed our crops of runner beans - the seedlings died before they reached a few inches long.
> 
> At the time I went to a seed shop with one of these beetles in a bottle and the guy gave me this tin can of some kind of pesticide that he said would kill the beetles. He told me to wear a mask and long trousers when spraying it.
> 
> Considering that a Thai had advised me to wear protective clothing, it must have been some pretty serious shit and I later decided not to use it. I just changed our veggie garden crop away from the gourd family.
> 
> I've also given up trying European crops, which all seemed to succumb to one bug or another, and now only grow the local vegetables. It was a shame to stop trying the English runner beans, but the Thai long bean is a close second for me.
> 
> This is our modest veggie garden now...  surrounded by chicken wire to stop the dogs digging up the seedlings. We keep chickens and periodically I dig in rotted down chicken manure, although you have to let it rot down a long time as it's too strong when fresh. I surrounded the raised beds with used building blocks (dumped around our area) to try and stop the soil washing away in the wet season...  not that we had one this year.
> ...




Seems to be a more common practice, Mendy - traditional natural concoctions to ward off the few that might incur.

Another technique that is employed will be alternating particular flower/plant groups [that discourage most critters] interspersed among one's garden edibles. 
Rotation with a variety of things certainly will be a plus, as well.
Applies, especially if one has extensive garden areas. 

These mechanics are old tricks and used for ages. 

Alternatives for toxic chemical additives.

----------


## Mendip

Something else we've got in the garden just now... the mango trees are absolutely covered in blossom. So long as we don't get a late cold snap or windy spell to knock all he blossom off, 2020 is looking like a bumper mango year!

----------


## NamPikToot

Snap Mendiip, our 3 bigger Mangos had next to nothing last year but this year are also covered in flowers.

This one has the mangoes that are a bit lemony and mostly 800gm in size.



This one is best eaten under ripe which i like




The nest two shots are two Lychees i plants 6 years ago. Weirdly like our Lam Yai the did nothing for 4 years and in the last two years have decided to grow so hopes for some Lychees in a few years. Love them.

----------


## Mendip

I'm going to check out all the mango trees tomorrow - I just noticed this one as it's right by the front gate. It's strange how different trees fruit different years, and you may get a glut of fruit from one tree while it's neighbour stays bare.

We also planted lam yai and lychee trees several years ago but they've never looked happy and have never produced fruit. I think maybe it just gets too hot in Korat, whereas down closer to Pak Chong it stays a bit cooler and you may have more luck. Durian, mangosteen and avocado trees I've planted have all eventually died, also I think due to the heat.

In fact our only real successes have been mango, lemon, lime, pomelo, jackfruit and of course banana!

----------


## Norton

Picked today from veg garden.  :rofl:

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## NamPikToot

^  :Smile:  Norts your nails need tending to not just the veg.

----------


## Norton

Tis my better half.  :Wink:

----------


## ootai

> Snap Mendiip, our 3 bigger Mangos had next to nothing last year but this year are also covered in flowers.


NPT and Mendip
The same thing is happening with some of our mango trees. Absolutely covered in blossoms this year and I have been trying to work out why.
I always thought Mangoes needed lots of water to go crazy but this year it has been so dry and I haven't made any attempt to water them like some other years. So do they like it dry rather than wet?
My other thought is that last month was very cool so did the cooler weather trigger them to suddenly want to reproduce?
I suppose we will need to wait and see if the blossoms actually develop into fruit.

----------


## HuangLao

> NPT and Mendip
> The same thing is happening with some of our mango trees. Absolutely covered in blossoms this year and I have been trying to work out why.
> I always thought Mangoes needed lots of water to go crazy but this year it has been so dry and I haven't made any attempt to water them like some other years. So do they like it dry rather than wet?
> My other thought is that last month was very cool so did the cooler weather trigger them to suddenly want to reproduce?
> I suppose we will need to wait and see if the blossoms actually develop into fruit.



'Tis a cyclical thing thing, Mendy. 
Kind of a survival mechanism - feast or famine paradigm.

Observations will show that most native mangoes are extremely hearty and resistant to long periods of dry, flooding, fire, the occasional natural affliction that might come around, etc. 

Most potential harmful insect invaders never stand a chance, as mango trees also act as a host for the highly protective mot daeng, which exist in a cooperative effort [among other tree species].

----------


## NamPikToot

My view is that like most things when really stressed they look to reproduce.. :Smile:

----------


## Norton

> My view is that like most things when really stressed they look to reproduce..


No doubt. See that all over in places like Patters, Patong, Nana, Soi Cowboy and numerous other locations.  :Smile: 

Mango trees here full of blossoms but we had heavy rain which always results in bumper crop.

----------


## Mendip

^ Norton, in Korat we head practically no wet season last year. In 13 years it's the first time we've had no standing water around our raised land, and I can't remember one single torrential downpour.

Yet, ten out of eleven of our mango trees are absolutely covered in blossom. The eleventh is completely bare?!! I've never seen so many of our trees with blossom in one season... usually maybe two or three at the the same time at most.



The tree on the right behind the pond produced around 800 mangoes two years ago, and it had nothing like this amount of blossom that year. Just hope all this blossom goes on to develop into fruit.



Incidentally... what do you guys do with all the mangoes in bumper years? I can just about eat 3 or 4 a day, supplemented with mango smoothies... but there's a limit. Even after the wife's family and friends have had their fill, we have loads left. The chickens do extremely well in these years!

Maybe I will have to press on with making mango cider?

----------


## NamPikToot

Under ripe for mango chutney, spicy indian style.

Or maybe if you have enough freezer space

Juice them and make sorbet and lollies.

----------


## Norton

> Incidentally... what do you guys do with all the mangoes in bumper years? I can just about eat 3 or 4 a day, supplemented with mango smoothies... but there's a limit. Even after the wife's family and friends have had their fill, we have loads left. The chickens do extremely well in these years!


About same as you. I eat several, friends and family. Wife has sister with stall in Amphur market so sis makes big profit in bumper year. 

Blossoms here about same as yours. Lot's but we will have to see if they fruit.

----------


## Norton

That doesn't seem right.  :smiley laughing:

----------


## Norton

Herbs not doing well this year.  :Wink: 


I give up. Why rotated?

----------


## HuangLao

A lovely mango/ganja condiment is in order.  :Smile: 

Damn old hippies.  :Wink:

----------


## NamPikToot

> Herbs not doing well this year. I give up. Why rotated?





> That doesn't seem right.


No so sure Norts, maybe the weeds is working  :Smile: 




> I eat several, friends and family

----------


## OhOh

> it hasn't rained in months the weeds are not to bad.


For once our rainfalls are similar, no rain here since October. Although we visited a friend just an hour north of us, the other side of the mountains, yesterday and they had a downpour in the afternoon so maybe we will get some soon.

I noticed your "shade house" what % mesh do you use on the roof? The mesh seems to be available with different % of shade/sunlight 

I mention it because I've just planted some more Durian in our back garden. A few of the older trees, planted at soil level, seemed to have succumbed to the flooding of the summer. My FIL has also planted more young Durian in his farm and had stuck 4 bamboo canes around each one slightly taller than the saplings and covered the saplings with a cut up fertiliser bag to protect them from the sun. I followed likewise only to be told after I had finished that I should have used mesh, my darling likes to see me working prior to offering advice!

You also now have an irrigation system. 

Are your supply pipes pre cut with water holes, have you just punctured them where you've planted the crops or have you individual drippers ? 

Do you open the end valves manually or have you any timing devices?

Have you a soil moisture % meter and if so what type?

----------


## ootai

> I noticed your "shade house" what % mesh do you use on the roof? The mesh seems to be available with different % of shade/sunlight 
> 
> You also now have an irrigation system. 
> 
> Are your supply pipes pre cut with water holes, have you just punctured them where you've planted the crops or have you individual drippers ? 
> 
> Do you open the end valves manually or have you any timing devices?
> 
> Have you a soil moisture % meter and if so what type?



OhOh

To answer your questions.

The shade cloth is 60%, no particular reason I went with this instead of 50% but I prefer the black to rather than green.

I cut the holes in the pipe using a "hole bit", I have a picture but the insert images doesn't seem to be working for me this morning so I will try again later.
I don't use the higher grade 2inch PVC but instead a lower grade as there is not a lot of pressure involved.
I drill the holes where I want them.
The valves are operated manually.
No moisture meter as that is too high tech for this old guy. I like the keep it simple idea but even then it is hard to train the MIL in how to operate it.

One thing I have worked out is you need to be able to control the pressure of the water coming in from the pump. My pump which is a simple Mitsubishi operates at 1.4bar and the drip line is only meant to operate at between 0.5 and 1 bar. So I bought a pressure reducer on Lazada which solved the problem.
However when I added more lines the reducer became redundant as the pump couldn't keep up with the demand so the pressure didn't build up.
What I do now is turn some lines off to get it to balance and have all the open lines dripping as they are meant to. I just change which valves are open each time I water.
I water for a short period, about 30-40minutes, in the morning and afternoon this keeps the ground a bit too wet but the plants seem to like it as the sun can be pretty hot and if they don't have enough water the leaves get burnt, my theory anyway.

I have several pictures which I will post later.

----------


## ootai

fork knows why the insert image wouldn't work for me before but it seems to be back now so here they are.


This is the hole bit I use and also shown are the rubber inserts that go into the hole, the tap is then pushed into these inserts.
I have also included in the picture a drip line joiner



This is the drip line I use 750baht for 1000m. This one has drippers every 200mm but you can buy them spaced at 300mm if you wanted.
Each dripper is rated to provide 3 litres per hour.


Here to 2 taps are both on but what I wanted to show was how the drip line fits onto the tap. The green "nut" is screwed open and the drip line pushed on to the end of the tap and then the "nut" is tightened to hold line onto the tap.  Really simple to do and works well. From memory I think the taps cost 5 baht each.



Here you can see I have 1 tap open and the other closed and then I alternate between watering mainly to get the balance of the pump water flow right.

----------


## Mendip

Something else we have in abundance just now... limes.

We are absolutely inundated with them. If the mango trees perform as well as the lime trees, I'll be a happy man!



Good size too.



So, what to do with so many limes? I have one or two a day squeezed into soda water on ice, or sodaaaaahhhh as the gardener calls it. The wife uses a few here and there in her cooking and chili sauces... but that only uses up the windfalls. 

Any suggestions please?

----------


## NamPikToot

^ Mendip is going into the the Lime Pickle business

----------


## Stumpy

Mendip,
I have 6 limes trees that produce like yours are and do. We typically give them to neighbors. I have in the past squeezed them and put the juice in a bottle and freeze it. It will last a long time. But I only keep maybe 4 bottles. The wife defrosts and will use the juice for cooking. I on the other hand use it to make Margaritas or occasionally in a Whiskey sour.

Short of that......i dunno

Same with our Mango trees. We have 8 trees of 3 different varieties and we get lots every year. What we started to do was thin them out when young so we got a nice bunch of really good ones. My FIL even gets up on a ladder and bags them to keep bugs out.  We do not use any pesticides at our house.

This is always the problem with fruit trees. You can only eat so much and then whats the point. We have 2 large Lumyai trees and after a day of my wife and FIL gorging (I do not eat them) on them they are done. Then what. so again we give them away. 

I had this same problem in the US with Lemon, Orange and Washington delicious apple trees. Sadly I spent more time picking up rotting fruit.

BTW, I have a Meyer Lemon tree that I snuck over here in a suitcase from the US that is doing really well.  I got 4 off it the 1st season. Soon it will be like the rest and too many.  They are not common here and expensive in stores but Thai's do not use them so it only has value to me. I also have a Haas Avocado tree growing. It too is doing well. No idea if it will fruit but I like the tree and they do get big.

----------


## OhOh

Many thanks for the info and photos.

I have similar on my two plots.

The supply for both is from the tesse ban system. The pressure varies but min is 1 bar max 2 bar. The reduction is due to "others" opening their taps/washing machines etc.

The primary system is generally 18mm blue PVC  piping and fittings. Some later additions use Low Density Polyethylene, 20mm dia. squishy as it's less expensive/m. All of which is buried to allow grass/weed cutting.

From the main runs I use the same Low Density Polyethylene as laterals, but only 4/6mm dia. Again placed underground and popping up adjacent the trees.

As the trees are of different ages, 6 months to 5 years, I place either single "drippers/sprayers" or 3/4 for the mature trees.

Irrigation drippers:



The drippers are colour co-ordinated with their L/hr output.

Sprayer



I used to buy at Global or Lazada but our local farm supply shop now has a good selection.

Once established and by trial and error I found a couple of hours is sufficient to keep the trees alive/happy. Irrigation is required from October to March, the water costs are about 100 THB per month.

The two older durian are now flowering or have having been fertilised by passing insects small Durian "buds". This will be year 2 of production for one tree and year 1 for the other. Judging by the increase in the number of flowers this year we will have a bumper crop.

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## Airportwo

> The same thing is happening with some of our mango trees. Absolutely covered in blossoms this year and I have been trying to work out why.


Our Mangoes are the same, wondered what was going on, thought it was my care and attention  :Smile:  
Never seen so much "bloomage"

----------


## Mendip

Something else just started blooming out of control in the garden just now... we have three of these trees and they're all getting covered in flowers.

I don't know what they're called but the flowers give off a really pungent perfumey smell. On a still night, if we leave the windows open the whole house is full of this wonderful aroma. I would recommend them to anyone.

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## Thai Dhupp

> Something else we have in abundance just now... limes.
> 
> We are absolutely inundated with them. If the mango trees perform as well as the lime trees, I'll be a happy man!
> 
> 
> 
> Good size too.
> 
> 
> ...


This has been my 'go-to' drink every day since I started *KETO*.

*Soda*, my new best friend and 15KG down as at end of the year!

Yes - we are growing lemons and limes in the new place and as you know, we purchased the *mango-land*  so I am expecting the same problem with mango *abundance* later on.

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## Stumpy

> On a still night, if we leave the windows open the whole house is full of this wonderful aroma. I would recommend them to anyone.


Mendip,
We have a few of these plants around our house and ours are flowing as well. We have numerous flowering trees and shrubs on our property to enjoy the aroma and whats nice is they bloom at different times so the smell around the property is always nice. We are slowly phasing out some fruit trees and replacing them with bigger leaf or flowering trees. We really only want maybe 2 Mangos, 2 Limes, 2 Coconut, few Lumyai, a few varieties of banana.

----------


## Stumpy

We have 2 of these trees now. I had no idea they actually produce a fruit that looks like a mini jackfruit. I just like the shade they offer and found one a few years ago and planted it. 



The leaves are huge and the tree, once it gets established, grows reasonably fast.  Surprisingly you would think with big leaves it would require a lot of water but we do not really water it much. The other one is near our outdoor kitchen and the plan is it will grow to offer shade and we will have a table under it.

----------


## ootai

> Something else we have in abundance just now... limes.
> 
> We are absolutely inundated with them. If the mango trees perform as well as the lime trees, I'll be a happy man!
> 
> Good size too.
> 
> 
> So, what to do with so many limes? I have one or two a day squeezed into soda water on ice, or sodaaaaahhhh as the gardener calls it. The wife uses a few here and there in her cooking and chili sauces... but that only uses up the windfalls. 
> 
> Any suggestions please?



Mendip
Is there any markets close by to you?  I have a German friend here in the village and he grows limes and his wife sells them on the market she has up on the Highway.
So ask at any market if they want to buy the excess limes off you, don't give them away though.

----------


## Stumpy

Wife pinged me this morning as my Lab was going crazy doing flips and jumps. She went out to see what all the noise was about and we had a visitor. A well camouflaged one.



Ahaetulla Nasuta or Green Vine snake. Pretty common. I have seen a couple in the past in my bamboo trees but not that big. They are venomous but I read the poison is more like a Scorpion or maybe a centipede sting unless you are allergic to various venom.

Of course in typical fashion my FIL wanted to kill it but he leaves them now after I got pissed off that he killed another basic rat snake a year or so ago. I told my wife leave it be. They eat Jingjoks and I hate them. 

on edit,

Another pic watching my dog.....

----------


## Mendip

It looks like a golden tree snake. We have one that lives in the chicken run and eats the mice... a very welcome guest.

They are rear fanged, that means it would basically have to chew on a finger for a while to get any venom into you, so no danger at all to humans. Not so good for a mouse or a gheko though... they will wrap around it to hold it still, and give the prey a good bite to subdue it with venom.

Well done for keeping it alive!

----------


## Stumpy

> Well done for keeping it alive!


Yeah Mendip. I enjoy reptiles, even venomous ones. I had a few western Diamondback Rattle snakes as pets for a time when I was Kid growing up around the mountains where I lived. Would find them in the big wood piles. I have never killed a snake. Usually catch them and if necessary relocate.  :Smile: 

And You are right Mendip. It was a Golden Tree Snake, not what I thought it was originally.

----------


## Mendip

I checked a couple of mango trees round the front garden today, and as I feared the blossom seems to be drying up and falling off with very little fruit development. It's got very hot very quickly... maybe that's partly to blame?



Just one baby mango on this sprig...



But then I checked the trees down by the pond. These get a bit more shade and are also probably better protected from the wind... if that makes a difference?

There are literally hundreds of baby mangoes developing on these trees. A long way to go, but a hopeful start!

Around 40 baby mangoes in this pic alone!



There's 12 on this little sprig.



One of the biggest problems preventing the mangoes reaching full maturity and ripeness is predation by the wife. She'll keep picking them while they're green and hard, for dipping in the chili powder/sugar/salt mix. I just can't understand that myself - not only does it taste awful but it gives me the chronic shits.

----------


## HuangLao

If one finds that they've an over abundance of mangoes, throw the over ripe into the mulching bin with all your other assorted organic material.
Mangoes have natural starchy acids that aid in breaking other organic material quite well. 

You can only sell or give away so many mangoes [as every property has their share] before expanding OTT.

----------


## Mendip

^ All of our over-ripe mangoes do end up in the compost bin... but via a chicken's gut. The chickens love them and get well fed in years of plenty.

----------


## Mendip

Spent the morning up a ladder cutting out the dead wood from the waterfall. Not a nice job, made even less so when you come across this...

It was hopefully just from our resident golden tree snake... but the skin looked too large for that...

----------


## Neverna

> ^ All of our over-ripe mangoes do end up in the compost bin... but via a chicken's gut. The chickens love them and get well fed in years of plenty.


Butterflies like them too, and I believe bats do too.

----------


## Mendip

Several years ago I made nest boxes and put them up all round the garden, but apart from one pair of hoopoes a few yeas ago, the only birds that inhabit them are pidgeons.

Yesterday I found a young pigeon fluttering around the garden, having left it's nest too early. A miracle the dogs didn't find it first.



So back up it went...



Another week in the nest should make all the difference, and a big clean up will follow after it's flown the nest. The mum and dad sit on top of the nest box and pass down food.

----------


## PAG

M'Sahib has always been interested in gardening, with her being cyclic in what really interests her.    For some years it was ferns, followed for a few years by begonias.   For the past year or so its been the turn of cacti, of which she now has several thousand.

----------


## Mendip

There's some beautiful cacti there. I believe a lot of those are worth quite a bit when they reach a large size.

I used to have a bed if different cacti but took them all out when my daughter reached toddler stage... it was just too difficult to keep her away from them.

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## naptownmike

Not sure what this is but it’s huge. Our caretaker says it will die now that it’s had these fruit. Forgot to mention it’s in our  neighbors land.

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## naptownmike

We seem to have a lot of mangoes too. Maybe helped on by the three honey bee hives I’ve found on our property. I found one the hard way. 

Teo are in this bamboo.

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## NamPikToot

Mrs said we had a load of wind and 20 mins of rain and looks like half the mango crops has fallen.. typical

----------


## NamPikToot

> M'Sahib has always been interested in gardening, with her being cyclic in what really interests her.    For some years it was ferns, followed for a few years by begonias.   For the past year or so its been the turn of cacti, of which she now has several thousand.


I do notice that when Thais go for something they seem to commit with a quite a bit of intensity, if only for a short while. Still, at least with Cacti they can be left for a bit whilst you are away on Hols. 

I looked and it seems you have Peyote, 3rd piccy top right tray, happy landings.

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## HuangLao

> I do notice that when Thais go for something they seem to commit with a quite a bit of intensity, if only for a short while. Still, at least with Cacti they can be left for a bit whilst you are away on Hols. 
> 
> I looked and it seems you have Peyote, 3rd piccy top right tray, happy landings.


Noticed that as well.....
 :Smile:

----------


## ootai

I just thought it was worth posting an update to show what a difference 3.5 weeks can make.

Taken 4th January


Taken this morning from almost the same spot


Here are a few other pictures


the pumpkins are taking over


Ther are a few of these appearring




The chillies are doing really well, I think they like it in full sun. I have some under the shade and they aren't going as well.


And these are doing really well, I don't know what they are called in English but in Thai it sounds like "buab".


They were planted all along the west side and have created their own "hedge"


Why are my pictures suddenly showing as small when they didn't do that before? I am posting the same way and saved the pictures the same way.

----------


## David48atTD

Here you go Mate ...




> I just thought it was worth posting an update to show what a difference 3.5 weeks can make.
> 
> Taken 4th January
> 
> 
> 
> Taken this morning from almost the same spot
> 
> 
> ...

----------


## OhOh

> Why are my pictures suddenly showing as small when  they didn't do that before? I am posting the same way and saved the  pictures the same way.


Small images.

*'arry* pointed out to me that most images are initially shown smallish. Why, I don't know.

The solution is:

Insert your image/images, as before. 

Once done, "double click" on an image and a new dialogue box opens with options. 

 Click in the "Full Size" circle, (second row top right), a black blob appears in the circle and accept ion OK option, (bottom line of the dialogue box). 

Do this individually, for all the images. 

They will now appear "full" size.

Post your "reply".

Voilà.


I don't see any Beetroots!

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## naptownmike

Two huge ant nest. One was just starting yesterday.

----------


## naptownmike

The other. Unfortunately right over our hammock.

----------


## Stumpy

> The other. Unfortunately right over our hammock.


Good Ol Mot Dang. I hate those bastards. No venom but man those sumbiches can bite and they are fearless. I get 4 or 5 of them in our Lumyai trees every year. I wait til they are huge and call the neighbor guy down the street. He cuts them off into a bucket contraption and eats the larvae with Chili.

They are part of the pollination process.

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## naptownmike

Yeah they are nasty when you mess with them. 

when we were having dirt delivered last year a guy knocked down a nest with a tractor and it dropped down on him. He jumped off while it was still moving. Luckily a tree stopped it. Couldn’t walk near that tree for a while.

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## ootai

I have some of these things growing, not sure what they are called, but anyway something seems to think they are a good place to put its eggs.
They go yellow on the end and when I break them open there are what appears to be dsomething inside making it go rotten.

Anyone got any ideas to help me solve this problem?

----------


## HuangLao

Great garden shots, all...
Cheers!

 :Smile:

----------


## Jack meoff



----------


## Jack meoff

Rear view

----------


## Mendip

^ Nice view out back, Jack. We're starting to get a lot of development around us as Korat expands and I'm quite envious of such rural views.

Tonight there was a lot of squawking overhead and it turned out to be a couple of miner birds upset that their chick had left the nest too early. It was lucky I found the chick in the garden before our dogs did.



The nest is under the eaves above our bedroom balcony but impossible to get to... so I made a nest with some food on our balcony. Half an hour later the parents were feeding the chick in it's box!



It's gonna be hot tonight... have to keep one of the balcony doors closed now.

----------


## Jack meoff

Cool, Doctor Dolittle  :Smile:

----------


## NamPikToot

^^ i do love stuff like that, some happy endings happen outside BKK

^ nice gaff Jack, the place we are looking at building on (for the BiL) is only 1 Rai but TBH even that is quite a bit of fiddling to keep everything under control

----------


## Mendip

^ and another happy ending tonight...

Just settled down in bed to watch the rugby when Yogi just would not stop barking. I went downstairs to investigate...



Another pipe snake and a lucky one... just rescued in time!

Got back to bed and England are 17 - 0 down... they'll have to do well if we're gonna get a third happy ending tonight.

----------


## Jack meoff

Do you let all your pet snakes roam free,
or are the  wild ones attracted because you keep  some as pets?

----------


## Mendip

^ I don't know why we get so many snakes... I guess having the pond and chickens attracts them but even so. 

I don't really have any pet snakes. I used to catch them and keep the bad ones in the snake house for a while like 'temporary' pets, before releasing them or taking them to Korat Zoo. These days we rarely get many bad ones and I'd just leave the harmless ones alone if it wasn't for the dogs. The snakes need rescuing.

^^^^ The baby miner bird is still OK!

Here is the nest it fell out of... (top right)



I had to draw the net curtains on the balcony door, and the mum and dad miner birds have been back and forth feeding the chick in it's cardboard box on the balcony all day...



Not quite David Attenborough standard pictures, but it gives an idea!

----------


## Stumpy

> I'm quite envious of such rural views.


Yeah I do like those views and as a Kid that was my life. Open land right out the back door. Here in my mooban I have the house basically on the middle of the property and lots of trees so very private but not a very scenic view.

----------


## Stumpy

> ^ 
> Here is the nest it fell out of... (top right)
> 
> 
> 
> I had to draw the net curtains on the balcony door, and the mum and dad miner birds have been back and forth feeding the chick in it's cardboard box on the balcony all day...


Mendip, 
As a word of caution, having a Mynah bird nest on wires can pose a risk. The reason being Mynah birds use everything for their nests and that can include aluminum wrappers from ice cream to exposed bare wire etc. This could then short across the power lines being they appear exposed under your eave. In the beginning we used to have an occasional nest under our house but then I started removing them for other reasons and when they fell to the ground it was amazing the materials they used. After a bit of pressure and nest building disruptions they now build in the trees.

----------


## Mendip

Thanks for the advice JPPR2... I try and dissuade pigeons from nesting around the house but will now extend that lack of hospitality to the 'mynah' birds as well. I'll just wait until this latest chick is safely away from the nest site.

Thanks for the spelling lesson as well. I thought at the time that 'miner' didn't look quite right!

----------


## Stumpy

> Thanks for the advice JPPR2... I try and dissuade pigeons from nesting around the house but will now extend that lack of hospitality to the 'mynah' birds as well. I'll just wait until this latest chick is safely away from the nest site.
> 
> Thanks for the spelling lesson as well. I thought at the time that 'miner' didn't look quite right!


Glad to assist. It was from experience that I learned about what the Mynah birds use for nest building. They really seem to love plastic (Imagine that in Thailand)  :Smile: . Mynah birds nest in trees so a bit of pressure and they will leave. I had some nesting in our gutters at one time. I climbed up and cleaned them out and destroyed their eggs. When I started tossing out the nest material, I found PEA statements, Hershey aluminum ice cream wrappers, Wire, wire insulation, Twigs, bottle caps. Straws.  It was funny. 

Pigeons on the other hand are a big nuisance. The young always return to where they were hatched. Once you get 3 or 4 cycles of them you end up with lots and they are not easy to pressure away unless you "off" them.  My neighbor to the far right of us has let pigeons overtake his home and they got crowded and started branching out to nest at our house. I kept pressure on them but they are extremely persistent and  "domestic" pigeons do not nest in trees( typically). Its always around human dwellings. I finally had to start shooting them with my .22cal Pellet gun. After a few "removals" they stopped and they do not come back. 

Good luck

BTW, I got a 15 ft long straight piece of bamboo and at one end added a loop of hard plastic and would go around and knock the nests down. I used to have a cover on our power line going to the house but had to take it off as it made to easy for them to build and hide.

----------


## Mendip

Just an update on the mynah bird chick...

I checked the box on the balcony today and it was empty... the chick was nowhere to be seen.

I now know what the black slimy thing that Tommy was eating this morning was.

----------


## HuangLao

A couple of pet cobras. 

Issues solved.

----------


## Mendip

^ No thanks!

Now... I've been feeling sorry for these poor frogs for a long time... just one hop away from a stir fry.



Had a bit of a 'disagreement' with the wife today and she stomped off down to her mum's house... so I released the lot into our pond!



Freedom!!!



My darling wife is gonna go f'kin mental when she gets home...  :Sad:

----------


## OhOh

^

Oh, Oh.

A suggestion or 3.

Post lost/wanted posters around the village with pictures of frogs on. Get them out before the drums start up.

Acquire a large dead snake and hang it from a tree.  Both creating a plausible scenario. 

Do you have a hazmat suit, a fully stocked, reinforced "Safe Space" to exist in? 

Do your wife's family have access to explosives?

Keep your dash cam on 2/7, connected to the internet so somebody around the world can monitor it, whilst you grab 40 winks.

----------


## Gipsy

> I do notice that when Thais go for something they seem to commit with a quite a bit of intensity, if only for a short while. Still, at least with Cacti they can be left for a bit whilst you are away on Hols. 
> 
> I looked and it seems you have Peyote, 3rd piccy top right tray, happy landings.


No Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) but a specie of the Astrophytum genus. Probably Astrophytum asterias.

----------


## Mendip

A lot of people complain about the mot daeng in their gardens...

I came across this today.



And on closer inspection. You can't help but admire that teamwork.

----------


## naptownmike

Game over for that poor bugger.

----------


## Mendip

^ I was going to rescue him but he was already dead!

----------


## PAG



----------


## Stumpy

> A lot of people complain about the mot daeng in their gardens...
> 
> I came across this today.
> 
> 
> 
> And on closer inspection. You can't help but admire that teamwork.


Lemme tell ya Mendip. That beetle does not bite. Those 25 Mot Dang will tear you up and draw blood. I will take the Beetle any day......

----------


## HuangLao

Cycles would lend to tragedy if not for ants and the like.

----------


## naptownmike

Big butterfly on one of our trees.

----------


## Stumpy

@ Naptownmike,
Those are really big and quite beautiful butterflies. We have some very aromatic flowering trees and when they bloom they draw them in. We have one tree that can have upwards 6 or 8 of them at anytime

----------


## Klondyke

Not really in my garden but nearby at my dogs walking route.  Meeting an old woman with a fierce dog (might be she is not so old as myself, though) collecting red blossoms with a seed (dok nui) that are dropping down in these days from a high thorny tree - there are 4 of them around. She sell the seeds at market for 160 B/kg, good for cooking.

----------


## Mendip

Had a bit of a shock down by the pond this morning.

----------


## naptownmike

Ha Ill bet.
was it going for the fish.

----------


## Jack meoff

Garden sunset

----------


## Neverna

The sunset is lighting up the outside toilet well.  :Smile:

----------


## Klondyke

Re #367 above:
Incidentally, we have arrived yesterday to a restaurant of the name Dok Nui, they have few such trees in their vicinity.  So, they harvest every morning the falling blossoms and they serve it as an appetizer (after a suitable frying). Really very tasty, so we purchased a half kilo take away with us.



So, should I wake up every morning one hour earlier to reach the trees in our neighbourhood before the old woman arrive and collect it for us? No, this we cannot do to the old woman (although not so old as me). And my back-bone would not be happy either...

----------


## Jack meoff

The outside toilet light does that Nev.

Every large garden needs an outside toilet rather than having to troop all through the house, especially when entertaining.

Don't you fink?

----------


## HuangLao

> The outside toilet light does that Nev.
> 
> Every large garden needs an outside toilet rather than having to troop all through the house, especially when entertaining.
> 
> Don't you fink?



Perhaps two, if your real sociable. 

 :Smile:

----------


## Jack meoff

^You are indeed right.
Probably 3. 
space not an issue.

----------


## Neverna

> Last edited by Jack meoff; Today at 10:34 PM. Reason: pinged Nev


 :smiley laughing:

----------


## Jack meoff

Let it rest Nev, no shitfests in the garden thread please.


Nev has style :Smile:

----------


## Klondyke



----------


## Mendip

As I mentioned before, this year we are absolutely inundated with limes (from about 8 trees).

I've been collecting the windfalls in a bucket and been using maybe 4 a day in my squeezed lime and soda water drinks, and the wife probably uses the same again in cooking. But there is still a huge surplus.



So... I knew she's come in handy one day.



Ended up with nearly 2 litres of lime juice which I'm turning into lime ice cubes for my drinks. It's windy today and by the time I'd finished there were another 9 windfalls...

----------


## NamPikToot

^ good idea Mendip. I see from the hand written cookbooks on the windowsill where you get all the pea inspiration from, must be generations of recipes.  :Smile: 

My mum had three notebooks of recipes, some from the war where the ingredients used were restricted to those on ration or that you could grow yourself, an interesting read.

----------


## Mendip

I was walking around the garden today and had that feeling I was being watched...



How had this escaped my notice? More bladdy pigeons... mummy flew off leaving her two kids. This will have to go once they have flown the nest, the pigeons just make so much mess.



But the good news is... we finally have hoopoes nesting in one of the nest boxes.

----------


## Neverna

Nice. I've always liked hoopoes.

----------


## HuangLao

> Nice. I've always liked hoopoes.


Indeed. 
As they can be quite the characters - 

Interesting note, that they've been looked upon and depicted historically - rather ancient species.

----------


## Klondyke

[QUOTE=Mendip;4067720]I was walking around the garden today and had that feeling I was being watched...
[/QUOTE

Perhaps checking on you whether the pH measurement was taken correctly...

----------


## Mendip

A snake has used the snake house roof to help shed it's skin...

----------


## Neverna

Can you tell what kind of snake it was? 

Or is it impossible?

----------


## Mendip

I would say it was almost definitely a golden tree snake. I don't know it there's a way to be sure. That's mainly because most if our snakes stay on the ground.. the tree snakes are always climbing. Also the skin was from a thin snake.

----------


## PAG

Our Bougainvillea looking particularly fine at this time of year.

----------


## Mendip

^ Beautiful colour.

We had a storm pass through Korat last night which brought some much needed rain.

It was very windy, and in the morning it was mango carnage on what passes for our lawn...



We lost about 40 nice mangoes... another couple of weeks and these would have been lovely and ripe. Mind, the wife will still make use of these hard unripe ones.



I picked up nearly 50 limes from the ground as well. No problem using these up.



Still got plenty of mangoes down the back, but it won't be the bumper year we were hoping for.

----------


## naptownmike

Our fruit trees are doing pretty well this year.

----------


## naptownmike

Lots of mangoes as well.

----------


## naptownmike

Looks like the roses are surviving. It’s a shame we’re never around when the fruit are all ready. At least the family get to enjoy them all and sell some to.

----------


## Mendip

A strange hole has appeared in our garden... about 2 inches diameter and looks pretty deep.



Any ideas what could be down there?

I tried to get the littlun to stick her hand down and wiggle her fingers, but she wasn't interested.

Dan could certainly smell something...



And Yogi had a half-hearted attempt at digging it out...



But whatever it is, is still down there.

----------


## thaiguzzi

> Lots of mangoes as well.



Jesus! There's some wedge, some toot on them fingers Geezer!

----------


## naptownmike

Ha, MIL always goes out fully loaded.

----------


## Neverna

> A strange hole has appeared in our garden... about 2 inches diameter and looks pretty deep.
> 
> Any ideas what could be down there?


A snake.

----------


## Mendip

^ I wondered about that, but the soil is quite hard just there. However we did see a small rat snake close to there a few days ago...

I thought maybe a crab?

----------


## lom

> But whatever it is, is still down there.


Pour down a liter of gasoline and set fire to it, see what comes up.

----------


## naptownmike

Low hanging fruit. 



And another box of mangoes

----------


## naptownmike

Nice flowering tree. Pic courtesy of sister in law. I’m glad I gave here a new phone last year her pics are pretty good now.

----------


## Pragmatic

Mangoes here also but I like the Apple variety. 

   

And this is the home of a tarantula. It's in residence due to it has covered the entrance with a web cover. Dunno why but I seem to get loads.

----------


## PAG

Sat on the back terrace having my coffee this morning, enjoying the colours and contrasts.   The yellow flowered tree is in a neighbours property.

----------


## naptownmike

Looks great I miss having my morning coffee outside watching the birds and squirrels.

----------


## petercallen

> ^ I wondered about that, but the soil is quite hard just there. However we did see a small rat snake close to there a few days ago...
> 
> I thought maybe a crab?


Looks like a rats nest to me,had them appear overnight in our garden a few years ago after flooding around our house they came from a rubbish bin storage area near our house and also at a home i rented a few years ago without any flooding the same type of hole appeared and it was a large rat that made it

----------


## Mendip

^ I've never seen rats around our place but we get a few mice, probably due to the chicken feed.

I checked the next day and this hole had been completely dug out by the dogs, so whatever was down there remains a mystery. 

It must have either run, hopped or slithered away, or been eaten.

----------


## Pragmatic

First of my Apple Mango's to ripen. My hands are XXL. And we all know what they say about men with big hands.     ::chitown::

----------


## Stumpy

Not sure the name of this shrub but I was told they are not very common and hard to grow  to be very large. I planted this about 3 years ago. It struggled then finally caught on and is growing well. Those flowers have such a strong very nice smell. You can smell it all over the yard.



This flowering tree also gives off a strong very nice aroma. This one is really unique in that the flower changes color. It starts out above as white



3 or so days later it starts changing and become a lavender color



by day 7 its fully purple in color

----------


## NamPikToot

^ the first photo looks like a Jasmine

----------


## cyrille

Yup.

Not at all uncommon.

----------


## Stumpy

> ^ the first photo looks like a Jasmine


Thanks. I will look it up. I found the shrub in Korat when I was working there at this nursery. 100bht. It had 1 flower but I liked the smell and took it back to my Condo and grew it in my kitchen window. 





> Not at all uncommon.


Thanks, I have never seen one outside of mine and my admin at the company I worked at was the one who told me they are not to common and was also the one who told me they are hard to grow to be very large. She said they are picky on their location.

I am just glad to see it grow. All those flowers blooming at the same time was pretty strong. I could smell it in my my shop which is a good distance away. Interesting too, there are not any bees on the flowers. Most our other flowering trees and shrubs are full of butterflies, bumblebees and honey bees.

----------


## cyrille

> She said they are picky on their location.


Well that's true to an extent because they need lots of sun.

However there's quite a bit of that around.  :Very Happy: 

Lots of info here...

The mother of all blooms

----------


## Shutree

> Not sure the name of this shrub but I was told they are not very common and hard to grow  to be very large. I planted this about 3 years ago. It struggled then finally caught on and is growing well. Those flowers have such a strong very nice smell. You can smell it all over the yard.


It certainly looks like a jasmine and the fragrance you describe suggests it is.
I used to have some in the UK years ago and I have been looking for some here. I have seen plants here I thought might be jasmine but they turned out simply to be random white flowers. I have asked at four local plant shops and none of them had any jasmine or made any offer to get some. I'd have thought it would be more popular.

----------


## mikenot

> Thanks. I will look it up. I found the shrub in Korat when I was working there at this nursery. 100bht. It had 1 flower but I liked the smell and took it back to my Condo and grew it in my kitchen window. 
> 
> Thanks, I have never seen one outside of mine and my admin at the company I worked at was the one who told me they are not to common and was also the one who told me they are hard to grow to be very large. She said they are picky on their location.
>  .


There are many different sorts of jasmine, the common climbing jasmine is easy to grow but the bush type is a bit fussier.

----------


## Klondyke

It's not the jasmine, although of a similar scent, very strong in the evening. They call it here dok keo...

----------


## Shutree

> It's not the jasmine, although of a similar scent, very strong in the evening. They call it here dok keo...
> 
> Attachment 50341


I cannot see your attachment. I am interested, I'd be happy with something similar to jasmine. Maybe I have been asking for the wrong thing.

----------


## aging one

From the land and garden we bought many years ago on Song Prapha Rd. here in Don Muang. Made an organic farm about 9 years ago.  







put a submersible pump in here no reason to use city water.



limes and odds and ends.

----------


## Klondyke

> I cannot see your attachment. I am interested, I'd be happy with something similar to jasmine. Maybe I have been asking for the wrong thing.


I reloaded the photo. Jasmine is the small flower you get in the flower garlands
Attachment 50355

(Don't know why the picture shows as an "attachment".)

----------


## lom

> (Don't know why the picture shows as an "attachment".)


Most likely because you didn't give the TD server enough time to get the picture (or net was slow), that attachment still points to your local file so you can see it but no one else can.

----------


## Klondyke

Attaching jasmine garland picture again, doing that same as many times before... (why it changes to attachment?)

----------


## OhOh

How to Grow Oats | Backyard Gardening Blog

Might be useful if the,  "Red Rust", arrives.

Series 4, "The Last Ship"

----------


## misskit

Looks as though yellow squash will be running out my ears before summer. Don’t laugh at the tomato cages training the plants. Didn’t have any idea squash were supposed to be planted on their own mound.



Trying for a couple of artichokes. Probably too hot and humid here for them to bud up but will be interesting.

----------


## NamPikToot

Kit are you sure they are Artichokes? never seen leaves on them like that in the UK - different in the US?

----------


## misskit

That’s what the package said!

----------


## NamPikToot

Sorry long day, my bad. Getting my A's mixed. Artichoke yes, looks OK - you do know they are pain in the arse to prep for not much reward. The other A is Asparagus and after a few years you'll get repetitious loveliness - its beyond the rubbish you buy in the shops (just be prepared to eat it for a couple weeks or give some away)   :Smile:  Your soil looks really nice and loose and if you dig some shit in Asparagus will love it - but don't harvest for 3 years, let it get established.

----------


## misskit

^ You are right. I should have planted asparagus instead of artichoke. Artichoke isn’t that big of a pain to prepare and I find them heavenly but I doubt they will make it to bud here. Asparagus is apparently easier to grow in this area. Didn’t know it would take three years to harvest. Hope I’m not going to be here that long! 

(Sniff sniff..I want to go home to Chiang Mai.)

----------


## NamPikToot

Kit, you can harvest earlier than three years. You need to prepare a large bed if you can say 10-15 foot by 5-6 foot minimum, larger if you have space. Now plant it and if you plant a lot you can start from year two but remember the plant is trying to store and build energy in roots for flowering which is your asparagus tip - let the first year grow and de-head before seed and it'll die back and suck all the goodness back for next year - do again and a third time if you can- looks like you have space so plant a good sized bed but remember let some grow or you'll weaken them so rotate cutting annually.

----------


## Troy

It's very hot here recently with only the occasional heavy shower. Not much to show in the garden with only mangoes and bananas in fruit at the moment.

The one thing my extended visit has allowed is the building of compost heaps again. I'm not sure if anyone else has had luck trying to teach Thais how to build them and the benefits. All I have had over the years is excuses: they're smelly, they attract snakes, the dogs dig them up, it's too wet, it's too hot. They burn greens and put plastic on the compost pile, they...enough you get the picture, I have failed to convince them.

Anyway I have managed to build four since mid-March in the hottest, driest conditions you can imagine. 



From the left, the first three are made only from household and garden waste with straw as the brown. The one on the right was made yesterday from peanut plants and straw. I haven't used any manure, but have added some soil to cover the household waste before adding the straw.  Second left is the oldest and started mid-March. It should be ready by the end of May for mulching and maybe even ready to bag for September/October when we grow vegetables. The others are two and 4 weeks behind. The last one will probably rot down quicker because of the amount of greens that the peanut plants provided. The wife has been cooking and drying mangoes so there was plenty of green matter to make up the other piles.

I build them around a bamboo stick so that they have a hollow centre. This allows me to stick my hand in to check how hot they are and when to turn them as they cool down. Apart from the last one, I have built them up gradually as I get the material and dogs have left them alone. 

It's all too easy and yet I am looked at as if I'm a mad man and when they see the results they just say it's because I'm rich...quite sad really.

----------


## NamPikToot

> a mad man and when they see the results they just say it's because I'm rich...quite sad really.


 :smiley laughing:  quite sad but when you take stock it must make you laugh. Try explaining the "where there's muck there's brass" saying.

----------


## Stumpy

I have 1 simple mulch pit hole that I put all my lawn, weed trimmings and tortoise crap in.  I add a layer of dirt, water and cover with my black tarp. Its been an ongoing thing for a few years now and my wife uses it all the time for her planting. The key for me has been, a good layer of the trimmings, water, dirt, cover. It steams up nice accelerating the decomposition process. When I turn it over every month or so it is loaded with earth worms. Its just enough for our needs.

----------


## Loy Toy

Not a lot of wild-life in my garden these days.....

Seems Bruno has just mastered the art of killing pigeons and those that fly in to eat his food.

I just shovelled two carcasses into the Klong.

----------


## Mendip

^ Our dogs kill the occasional pigeon, and then eat them. I just find a little of pile of feathers to mark the crime.

----------


## Stumpy

> I just find a little of pile of feathers to mark the crime.


My Lab stalks the few pigeons that land in our yard with great success. She parades around with it in her mouth then drops it at my feet. I toss it in the trash. Sadly I think a neighbor has these birds as pets and he lets them fly all over. I have popped a few of them that land on my roof. Pigeons are flying carp. They are shit birds and make a mess and are very difficult to eradicate . When I fly my drone the high frequency noise of the blades seems to really irritate them and they start circling around it but are not sure what to do.

The bird my Lab really hates is Mynah birds. Man they really fire her up. They are smart and she has been close a few times but no success.

----------


## Mendip

> I have 1 simple mulch pit hole that I put all my lawn, weed trimmings and tortoise crap in.  I add a layer of dirt, water and cover with my black tarp. Its been an ongoing thing for a few years now and my wife uses it all the time for her planting. The key for me has been, a good layer of the trimmings, water, dirt, cover. It steams up nice accelerating the decomposition process. When I turn it over every month or so it is loaded with earth worms. Its just enough for our needs.


I cut the bottom off a plastic rubbish bin and put it into a shallow hole, maybe a couple of feet deep. All the chicken dropping go in there, along with any organic waste that the chickens don't eat - that's not a lot and mainly comprises onion and potato peelings and citrus fruit peel. In the dry season it just needs watering occasionally. As the compost rots down I pull up the bin a bit and shovel out the bottom layer of compost. This has worked really well for years and makes enough compost for several raised veggie beds.

I need to keep the lid on the bin as otherwise the dogs will be in there in an instant. It doesn't matter how well they're fed, they still love to chew on a rotting mango stone covered in rotten chicken shit.

----------


## Stumpy

> It doesn't matter how well they're fed


My dog the damn same. Like a garbage disposal. anything and everything. She seems to really like fresh Tortoise shit.

----------


## Troy

> Not a lot of wild-life in my garden these days.....
> 
> Seems Bruno has just mastered the art of killing pigeons and those that fly in to eat his food.
> 
> I just shovelled two carcasses into the Klong.


One of my dogs is the village chicken thief...

----------


## Shutree

> I add a layer of dirt, water and cover with my black tarp.


Have you tried peeing in it? An old gardener told me years ago that pee was a great additive to compost. I think he was telling the truth, not just taking the piss, so to speak.

I have recently started a small compost heap in a discreet corner behind the house. I'll find out soon if the additive works. Always assuming that I don't get arrested first....

----------


## Airportwo

> Have you tried peeing in it? An old gardener told me years ago that pee was a great additive to compost. I think he was telling the truth, not just taking the piss, so to speak.


True, especially the first pee in a morning, loaded with Urea!

----------


## Stumpy

After some discussion with the wife (and a hostile neighbor event that my wife engaged in) we decided that now was the time to finish putting the hedges along the side section of wall. This decision was also decided as we are done growing banana trees due the constant mess and you just can't eat 50 banana's in a few days.

We contacted the nursery in Lop Buri that we bought the others from 5 years ago and they were coordinating a run north. So I had 3 days to dig 55 holes. Now one might say...Just hire a guy to do it. Personally for me, I like the exercise and with me being at home working remotely this gave me a good project.



First section of holes.  I called the nursery to get the dimensions so I knew in advance. They are spaced 40cm apart, 30 Cm down and 30cm in diameter. The Hedges coming are ~ 2 meters high. 



Well today the truck showed up at 6:45am. (They promised by 7am) One thing I have to say about this nursery, these guys are top notch. Always on time, hedges and shrubs are in excellent health, well watered and clean.



I helped unload the truck as they had 2 more stops with 2 trucks and had 435 hedges to deliver including ours 



I got them all staged by the holes and my FIL jumped into to help plant them.



Side view of distance between wall and hedge. I try and keep them about a body width off the wall allowing access to trimming later.



Hedges all in. Having the holes prepped in advance made this a cake walk plant. Took my FIL and I about 1.5 hours to plant them all. If one is wondering what that black bucket of water is, That my Golden Retrievers swimming pool, She gets hot and goes and sits in it for an hour. 



If all goes well, They should grow large like these I planted 5 years ago and not only offer some nice greenery but excellent privacy

----------


## NamPikToot

Nice Japper, soil looks nice and friable - ours has quite a lot of stone and clay. I take it the hedge is therefore to block the neighbour out.

----------


## HuangLao

> Nice Japper, soil looks nice and friable - ours has quite a lot of stone and clay. I take it the hedge is therefore to block the neighbour out.


Nothing quite like a prying and gossipy Thai neighbor......has it's moments. 

Looking good, JP.
Best to ya on the latest project.

 :Smile:

----------


## ootai

> 


Hey JP how did you train you dog to go into the black tub? Our dogs love getting into the water at the local swimming hole or down at the river (when it has any water in it) but there is no way they will get into the black tub (same as yours) that we bought for the same purpose as you use it for.
I grab and put them in the water and while I hold them they are happy but as soon as I let them go out they get.
Any and all suggestions are welcomed.

----------


## Stumpy

> Nice Japper, soil looks nice and friable - ours has quite a lot of stone and clay. I take it the hedge is therefore to block the neighbour out.


Thanks. Yeah we have really good soil around these parts.  The hedges are two fold, cover the cement wall and add more green and buffer that loud Thai lady who is always flapping her jaws at her parents. 




> Nothing quite like a prying and gossipy Thai neighbor......has it's moments.
> 
> Looking good, JP.
> Best to ya on the latest projec


Yeah this particular neighbor is a loud Thai lady who lives with her parents and is constantly yelling at them. Plus when digging the holes out and cleaning the area prepping to put in the hedges I found they had chipped a hole in in our wall to let the sink and dishwasher water leach into the yard. Now keep in mind, I really never venture back in that part of the yard much but when I started to clean it up I showed my wife and it was on with the neighbor..... :smiley laughing:

----------


## Stumpy

> Hey JP how did you train you dog to go into the black tub?


Well Ootai, I would take her to the Wang River to let both dogs take a swim. When they came back I usually hosed them off and it was in the black bucket. After awhile I started to throw her ball in it and she realized she could chill out and be cool on hot days. When I play fetch with her, she goes after her ball back and forth. When I see she is winded and hot, I say "Go to your Pool". She knows what that is now and goes and takes a dip and will sit in for 20 to 30 minutes blowing bubbles and relaxing.

Few Pics

----------


## cyrille

That's some damn neat hole digging, jp.

----------


## HuangLao

> That's some damn neat hole digging, jp.



I would say so as well.
Precise, almost professionally done.

----------


## Stumpy

Yeah. It's the engineer in me.  I made a quick template and laid it on the ground then started digging.

----------


## ootai

> Yeah. It's the engineer in me.  I made a quick template and laid it on the ground then started digging.


I don't think it has anything to do with being an Engineer more to do with being a perfectionist.
I'm an Engineer and no way would my line of holes look like that. Mine would look more like an Isaan native had dug them, I reckon some would even be in the middle of the yard.
Also there's no way old fat bastard would dig that many holes and live to see the trees/hedges planted.

Good job

----------


## Stumpy

> I don't think it has anything to do with being an Engineer more to do with being a perfectionist.
> I'm an Engineer and no way would my line of holes look like that. Mine would look more like an Isaan native had dug them, I reckon some would even be in the middle of the yard.
> Also there's no way old fat bastard would dig that many holes and live to see the trees/hedges planted.
> 
> Good job


Thanks ootai. I did make a template out of cardboard and it worked like a charm. But I do tend to agree attempting to be a perfectionist on things. The engineer aspect was the template... :Smile: 

BTW, I lost nearly 3kgs doing this project which my body probably appreciates.

----------


## Troy

When I planted my rows of bushes for hedges in the garden, I dug a trench rather than holes. I don't know why, it just seemed a good idea at the time.

----------


## Stumpy

> When I planted my rows of bushes for hedges in the garden, I dug a trench rather than holes. I don't know why, it just seemed a good idea at the time.


When we originally planted the first 285 we had ample room to get a small tractor in to dig a trench and it went easy.  The downside was we had to move back in a lot of extra dirt while planting but no way would I have wanted to dig that many holes. 

Unfortunately now it would be a huge challenge to get a small tractor in the area so hole digging was easier and better. I was also thankful it had been raining so the dirt was soft and easy.

----------


## cyrille

When we had similar done, the people delivering the plants had four lads with them who did the approx 60 yard run in about 40 minutes, including digging.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Stumpy

Busy around the property again..



Pic after I turned my Mulch pile.  Coming along quite nice. I use and replenish.



My Quarry Rock pile and cement rock. 



What will NOT be in my garden after tomorrow.. :Smile: 





So this above is my process for planting grass.... I let a big section of my back area grow until ready to seed and then get out my mower and mow it all down and have it caught in my mulch bag. Then I spread it out in areas and water it a bit. I do this 3 or 4 times a season.

----------


## Mendip

I rescued a radiated rat snake ('racer') from our dogs in the garden a couple of nights ago. It had a couple of small bite marks but seems OK.

It's staying in the snake house while I wait to hear if Korat Zoo want it or not.

----------


## Mendip

^ Anyway, it _was_ in our garden. 

I dropped the snake off at it's new home this morning. This was a lucky one, the dogs killed a common rat snake in the garden yesterday before I could rescue it.



This guy just grabbed it out of the box with his bare hands... and got bitten for his trouble. He didn't seem to mind.



And into the bag it went.

----------


## Loy Toy

One less cat in the neighbourhood thanks to Bruno early this morning at about 3.00 am. 

Break the curfew and get mauled.

----------


## Loy Toy

^^ I grew up with copperheads, carpet snakes, redbelly black, Black, Brown and the occasional Tiger and Taipan snakes in Oztralia and 4 days ago I was fighting a small cobra in our garden before Bruno took over.

Snakes don't bother me much but those fierce Tokgars give me the creeps. One leaped off the wall at me about 1 month ago when I was trying to noose and release it and the fvcker scared the living shit out of me.

Gardens can be a fun or nightmare place depending where you live.

----------


## HuangLao

> One less cat in the neighbourhood thanks to Bruno early this morning at about 3.00 am. 
> 
> Break the curfew and get mauled.



I trust you're not taking pleasure from this act. 
With all due respect, your Bruno should be shot.

----------


## Loy Toy

^ I hate it when any living creature is killed but the cats come into the garden, climbing 2.5 metre walls to get at the dog food and shit is going to happen.

Bruno is never allowed past the front gate unless restrained and I make sure of this!

Let's just say the cat owners should be shot.............

----------


## Stumpy

> fierce Tokgars


You mean Tokays? (Gecko)

Yeah those bastards are mean and relentless. I just off'd one the other day. Started that barking around my wall area. I tracked it down. I had work gloves on so I just grab the thing and even with leather gloves on you can feel the power of their jaws. I tossed it out on the middle of the backyard so my dogs could see what one was. That 12" long gecko fended off both my dogs for quite awhile and then tried to run up a lime tree. I finally whacked it with my shovel and buried it. Word is, once they get into your house area and drop eggs that hatch, they get up in your roof area and wall cracks and are a pain to eradicate. They have some value in that they eat Jingjocks and Toads but I happen to like all the toads that run around our place.

----------


## Stumpy

> ^ Anyway, it _was_ in our garden. 
> 
> I dropped the snake off at it's new home this morning. This was a lucky one, the dogs killed a common rat snake in the garden yesterday before I could rescue it.


Been to that zoo 2 or 3 times. Was about 5km from where I worked. Lots of good little restaurants along the road to it. They also have a clubhouse type deal to host parties. 

Cheers, glad the snake has a new home.

----------


## HuangLao

Some don't get on well with nature and it's cycles.

----------


## Mendip

^^^^ Sadly our dogs have nailed several cats. We have a 2.2m perimeter wall and the dogs never go out apart from walks on a lead.

Why cats insist on coming in I don't know. I've even leant tree branches against the inside of the wall to give them an escape route. I don't really know what else I can do.

----------


## Stumpy

> Sadly our dogs have nailed several cats. We have a 2.2m perimeter wall and the dogs never go out apart from walks on a lead.


Same us. My Lab has bagged one cat. Was over quick. Have never seen another one since. Our bigger issue is the neighbor in our corner area. He lets his chickens roam his backyard. Some times they get into a dust up and one fly's over the fence into our yard to an eagerly waiting dog who wastes zero time and grabs it and runs around the yard with it in its mouth. I quietly toss it in the trash and say "Atta girl".  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

This morning I was digging around our well to remove some dead shrubs and replace with some flowering ones the wife bought. I  was digging and banging away and then I look up and this fella came up from between the brick and the well tube.





Curious little fella. Sat there watching me for the longest time



Finally came out as I watered the new plants. Did not seem all that worried about me. About a foot long or so. 

I really enjoy the nature around our place.

----------


## Mendip

The hoopoe fledglings started to leave the nest box this morning, but with five dogs roaming around they don't stand a chance.

I cordoned off the pond area where the nest box is to try and keep them safe, and then I found one in the water... still alive thankfully.

They're really beautiful birds and I keep putting the chicks back in the box, and they keep coming out again! Not sure what to do really to give them a chance. They just need a few more days to strengthen their flying muscles.



I had a peer into the nest box and it looks like four chicks... the photo would have been better with a flash but I didn't want to scare them.

----------


## Mendip

This is getting ridiculous... every time I go to check there's one or two bedraggled hoopoe fledglings hopping about under the nest box. They fly out and hop into the pond. The mum sits on the fence calling to them, but they can't fly yet.



Back they go... again...

----------


## Neverna

> The hoopoe fledglings started to leave the nest box this morning, but with five dogs roaming around they don't stand a chance.
> 
> They're really beautiful birds and I keep putting the chicks back in the box, and they keep coming out again! Not sure what to do really to give them a chance. They just need a few more days to strengthen their flying muscles.


Hoopoes actually like to eat on the ground. They eat insects/grubs, usually finding them by turning over leaves and other stuff lying around on the ground. And they aren't as shy or flighty as many other bird species.

Perhaps you could relocate the nest box to a safer location. And if the birds keep flying into the pond, do they just need a drink? Is there somewhere apart from the pond where they can take a drink?

----------


## Mendip

The biggest problem is the dogs... if they see a fledgling on the ground it's a gonner. These chicks are just too weak to leave the nest. I will look at relocating the nest box after this clutch has left... I can't now as the mum is still bringing food.

----------


## NamPikToot

The Hoopoes are great, one of my favourites.

Well the small Dragon Fruit patch i put in with Mrs Toots' dearly departed Dad is starting to produce. We planted only Red Dragon Fruit.

----------


## Shutree

Went outside and slipped on my shoes. One didn't slip on. Gave it a shake and this fellow dropped out. Seemed okay despite my having kicked him in the head.
It could have been worse, the gf is always telling me to check my shoes before putting my feet inside. Last week she trod on a scorpion. Apparently that hurts a bit.

----------


## Shutree

Talk of the devil. Went out this afternoon and this guy was scuttling towards the shoe rack.
An imperfect specimen, I am sorry to say that I whacked it first and took a picture later.
This is the first one of these that I have seen. The gf was bitten by one of those big, black scorpions, which are not as bad as they look, they just hurt for a day or so. She says this one is venomous and gives a bad sting.

----------


## Mendip

^ We get both types and I've also been told that the sting from the small brown ones is much worse than from the big black ones.

Regardless, I don't like to kill them but they all go over the wall into the neighbour's garden... it's a long story.

Scorpions fluoresce under ultra violet light, and if you get yourself an ultra violet torch they are very easy to find at night.

----------


## Shutree

> Scorpions fluoresce under ultra violet light, and if you get yourself an ultra violet torch they are very easy to find at night.


I did not know that. I shall be sourcing an ultraviolet lamp for the gf at the earliest opportunity.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> The Hoopoes are great, one of my favourites.
> 
> Well the small Dragon Fruit patch i put in with Mrs Toots' dearly departed Dad is starting to produce. We planted only Red Dragon Fruit.


Nice Dragon Fruit plant  , I want to grow one as soon as I get there. I love dragon fruit!! here in the US they are about $5 each.  

PS: why cant I give anyone a " reputation point" I tried to give you a "like" and it says "_you must spread it around_ " now no one can spread it around better than I can , but it says that about everyone I try to give a "rep" to.  How am I supposed to spread it around if it will not let me?

----------


## Mendip

> I did not know that. I shall be sourcing an ultraviolet lamp for the gf at the earliest opportunity.


Here ya go... I've posted this before, but anyway...

----------


## HuangLao

> ^ We get both types and I've also been told that the sting from the small brown ones is much worse than from the big black ones.
> 
> Regardless, I don't like to kill them but they all go over the wall into the neighbour's garden... it's a long story.
> 
> Scorpions fluoresce under ultra violet light, and if you get yourself an ultra violet torch they are very easy to find at night.



The larger black variety are not as toxic - bit of a sting and start.

The smaller reddish/brown type [there are a few] and the almost golden coloured kind have are quite nasty - 
Reactions will vary - dependent on individual and number of stings.

----------


## NamPikToot

The small brown ones are the worst - i got stung my one in my shoe and it struck 3 times it was about 1 1/2" - was like having a red hot needle stuck in you that kept burning for about two hours. Lesson learnt.

EDIT

I bellowed so loudly a woman from across the street came to see if i was OK, and saw me hopping around on one leg clutching my foot - i think she thought is was some farang dance.

----------


## Klondyke

I find such a black one at the bottom of swimming pool every morning after a heavy rain. What makes him desperate to commit a suicide when having to climb over a socket 20 cm high?

----------


## Mendip

I once pulled a 'dead' brown scorpion out from the bottom of our pool. It was lifeless and floppy so I poked around it a bit with my fingers then left it in a bucket to show my daughter after school.

A few hours later when we looked at it, it had come back to life and was crawling around. These things are virtually indestructable... you've gotta be careful!

----------


## Mendip

The dogs started barking this morning, so I went down to investigate.

This little bugger had set them off!



I think it's what they call a rice paddy terrapin... the same as those poor, half dead creatures you see stacked up and crammed in dry buckets in baking hot markets, waiting for someone to make merit by buying them and setting them free. That's Buddhism round this way for you.

Anyway, I put this one down by the pond but he was in no hurry to come out!

----------


## Mendip

We keep chickens and last month three had been broody for so long I decided to put eggs under them.

Everywhere says 21 days to incubate a chicken egg, but every single time we've hatched eggs in Thailand it has taken 18 to 19 days... maybe the additional heat and humidity?

Today was bang on 18 days, so I checked the eggs.

The first two nests had one egg each with a chick just starting to hatch... these went straight back under the mums. You have to be careful to put the eggs back in the same attitude as they were originally.





And the third nest had one chick already!

----------


## Mendip

Day 19 and the hatch continues. Exciting stuff... the daughter even left her tablet alone for 15 minutes this morning!

This egg (first pic above) was in exactly the same status this morning as yesterday... the chick was still tapping away but without making any more progress. I've noticed before that the chicks can get trapped by a white-coloured resistant membrane inside of the shell. I believe this is due to incorrect humidity. There are two schools of thought... leave well alone and let nature take it's course, or give a helping hand. As previously, I split the membrane with a toothpick to help the chick on it's way. This one should now be hatched in an hour or so.

You can see the egg tooth on the tip of the beak. This will disappear in a few days.



And 'Goldie' already has two chicks, one just hatched and still bedraggled. 



Three broody mums were given four eggs each, so two or three chicks each are expected. We have one jungle fowl cockerel running with about 45 hens, which is a bit of a high ratio to ensure all eggs are fertile. To be honest I think that I'd struggle with that every day.

----------


## Mendip

And today here's the chick I helped out of it's egg yesterday with a toothpick.



The three broody mums have two chicks each. Half the eggs didn't hatch so it seems that Robin Hood (our cockerel) isn't doing his job. But on the other hand we're getting overrun with chickens so this is a good result.

----------


## Mendip

Once the hatch is over the mothers get restless so I open up the hutches to let them out. Here is Blackie coaxing her two chicks out into the big wide world.



The other residents are fascinated by this and soon congregate to watch. It was strange, out of the three clutches, only the brown eggs (from the red egg-laying hens) hatched. None of the small white eggs from the wild hens hatched, and all were just rotten inside suggesting that they weren't fertile. It seems that our cockerel only likes to service the red heads!

So a couple of these red hens may in fact be looking at their own progeny without realising it.

----------


## VocalNeal

My temporary garden this week.

----------


## NamPikToot

^ that is a whopper, great pic VN.

----------


## VocalNeal

> ^ that is a whopper, great pic VN.


Not mine I just held the tape. Mine were taken with a phone and not quite so good.
Atlas Moth for those with an interest in entomology.
There were about 7 or 8 in the same tree/bush.

----------


## NamPikToot

> Atlas Moth for those with an interest in entomology.


Was going to be my guess but i didn't want Nev to show me up later if i got it wrong. :Smile:

----------


## Chittychangchang



----------


## Shutree

This little fella was about 3 to 4cms, climbing the outside of the kitchen window last night. Unusual to see one from below.

----------


## Shutree

I was looking at these small yellow flowers that are on some kind of bindweed, all over the place at the moment. They are small, maybe 1cm across, nonetheless attractive when you look closely. It was while I was doing that I noticed the spider lurking. Sneaky thing.

----------


## Stumpy

Well Mama Tortoise kicked out her first batch of eggs. she will cruise around for about 2 more weeks and kick out another batch.

My wife sold the ones from last hatch to an export broker in BKK.

----------


## Shutree

Far less exciting than tortoise eggs, I see the occasional toad in the garden, or maybe I occasionally see the same toad, I'm not sure.

Toads always look a bit useless and clumsy. This one had successfully burrowed into the sand under a plant pot and covered the entrance from inside. It was very safe there until I moved the plant pot.

The dogs show an interest in toads but I have never seen them bite one.

----------


## Shutree

What's in my garden? Weeds, mainly. They are simply plants in the wrong place and they are not all unattractive.
Apolgies in advance for the image quality. Small to tiny flowers and a mobile phone camera in an unsteady hand with image sizes reduced for posting dont add up to ultra-HD.


Mimosa pudica. This is touch-sensitive and would be an engaging plant if it weren't so prickly. Apparently it is deliberately cultivated in some places. I have pulled out hundreds of the evil things. If anybody wants any, I have a pick-your-own farm.

I have no idea about the names of the other weeds. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who is clued up about these.






Two pictures of the third weed because I notice that not all the flowers have the same number of petals. I have seen six, seven and eight.

----------


## Shutree



----------


## Shutree



----------


## Shutree

This last one is a bit different. It is a small tree, still a weed that rose unbidden from the bare earth. The giant black bees seem to like it, so it gets to stay.

I have made an effort to find out what this is, so far without success. Even the neighbours, who have been here for ever and still forage around the forest can't tell me. They say they haven't seen it before, which seems unlikely because it must have come from nearby.

----------


## Mendip

We have a few toads in the garden. I like to see them and they eat all manner of beasties that feed in our veggie patch. The only animals I actively evict are those dirty great centipedes and scorpions which go over the wall into the neighbour's garden.

Last night a small toad passed through the pack of sleeping dogs.

No reaction from Tommy, an old hand.



Another old hand, Yogi just continued scratching himself completely ignoring the intruder.



Next up was Maya, our new puppy...



Hello, what's this? Looks more interesting than a toy brick.



The toad gets briefly molested...



But is then left alone to hop past Max, another old hand who completely ignores it.



Maya gets a mouthful of toad juice for her efforts which she washes out, but guaranteed tomorrow night she'll let the toad pass on it's way, undisturbed.

----------


## Stumpy

Interesting story. One of my palm branches was about to fall with a striped dove nest in it. So I moved the nest to the higher branch and typically once they detect a human smell or interference they leave. The mother found the new location and they are growing along quite well.



With the temperature hitting 40C our new Yellow Lab pup takes a dive in the pool and then lays near the fan to cool...

----------


## Mendip

My wife has a wah tree in our crowded garden. It never fruits and even if it did, wah are bitter little purple fruits that aren't very nice at all. I reckon the space would be put to much better use with another mango tree so I'm getting rid of the wah tree by stealth. Each week I chop off another branch until one day there will be nothing left.

I noticed this on today's wah tree branch. It looks like a preying mantis front end, but was short and stubby. This was only an empty shell, and I'm wondering if the preying mantis have a pupae stage and this was what's left after hatching. There's one of those b@stard red weaver ants for scale... many of it's colleagues bit me today.

----------


## havnfun

Can't seem to be able to post photos yet, a couple of months yet at my rate of posting.
Im new so can understand.

----------


## Mendip

They say every picture tells a story...

This picture says that if you're a gecko you shouldn't hang around door frames.

It also says that the wife ain't the most diligent of cleaners!

----------


## Looper

> I'm wondering if the preying mantis have a pupae stage and this was what's left after hatching


I find casts like that stuck to trees from Cicadas.

I think some larger insects need to cast their exoskeleton just in order to grow bigger.

I don't think it is a metamorphic phase transition like a pupa




> There's one of those b@stard red weaver ants for scale... many of it's colleagues bit me today.


If you want to know what getting stung by an ant feels like try one of these bewts

Myrmecia Gulosa - the Giant Australian Bull Ant



3.5cm long

Got heaps of these bar stewards in the forest

they have amazing eyesight and can spot you from metres away and react

----------


## Mendip

3.5cm long... that must be an inch and a half?

Should have stuck something similar size there for scale.

----------


## Looper

^They are fookin monstrous

I ripped that pic off the net as could not be arsed digging through my photos but I have got some close ups took by my own fair hand

They are freaky coz they have such good eyesight

When they spot you from 2-3 metres away they turn and face you and then start squaring up by jumping from erratically from side to side (which is why they are also called Jack Jumpers)

I don't know if they are just psyching themselves up or intentionally trying to intimidate you

Either way you certainly get the feeling you are getting into a confrontation you need to take seriously

and with good reason since their sting feels like getting shot with a .22 air-gun pellet at close range

----------


## misskit

^ Ouch. I’ve heard about those nasty things.

I’m proud. Planted several but only one survived. It was the one planted close to the house and next to a dryer vent. Luck.

----------


## misskit

Three tries and still can’t get one right!

----------


## Troy

> This was only an empty shell, and I'm wondering if the preying mantis have a pupae stage and this was what's left after hatching.


No they don't, the nymphs are the same as the adult but smaller. They go through stages of development where they shed their exoskeletons as they grow larger. The wings come with the final adut stage.

Praying Mantis Life Cycle – Facts, Diagram, Stages, Video - Praying Mantis

----------


## strigils

Yep, i was sat in mom & pop shop and was about to swat something crawling up my sleeve when i realised it was a baby mantis about 1.5cms but still did that staring at you and curling its bum up thing they do, i'd never seema  baby until then.

----------


## deeks

A snake was living my fishtank.
I have a couple of those 1 meter concrete water tanks on the property.
One of them is under the trees set up with a filter for tropical fish and a seating area for relaxing around.
On Friday last week as i was picking out the fallen bamboo and mango leaves that fall in i noticed the snake head poking up at me and it snuck back down to in between some bricks stacked up in the tank.
I could see the body of it curled between the inner tank and the bricks and a decorative old galleon was knocked over. The head was about 40cm wide and the body about 30cm round, white underbelly and brown on top.
I went and got the small fishnet for aquarium fish and a diggin tool.
I waited over the top of the tank because i knew it had to come for air sooner or later, sure enough after about 5-10 minutes it started to try and come up for air.
I pocked it down with the net and it tried to hide, then it tried to come up for air, I poked again and same happened after 3-4 times, Then it was desperate for air and somehow I managed to scoop it up in the little net and i flicked it out, it ended up going into the catfish pond and swimming across the top of the water(the pond is only about 2.5 meters round and 1 foot deep. I thought "you are gone now bud" But only 1 catfish made a lunge at the snake and it missed, then the snake dissapeared into the leaves around the bamboo next to the pond. 
Then next day feeding the fish, i looked down and see the snake back in the same place in the tank, I go to get a machete, the net and and a bamboo poker, I manage to jam the bamboo onto the body so it cant get air and for several minutes it works, then the thing forces itself up the side of the tank to get to air, then I whack it with the machete and it goes down again and then up again, i slash at it again. All the time im I am putting as much weight as i can on the body with the bamboo poker.
It got out from the poker and started to dart around inside the tank, i slashed at it every time it came up for air, then it got over the far side of the tank and after i got a good whack on it, it slowly got out and then disappeared under the leaves again.
Still have all the fish in the tank, it didn't eat any. It hasn't been back in the tank yet(I think it died from injuries).
Lastly, I live in a farm area where snakes are prolific in the hot season, most of the brown ones are deadly. I potentially saved several tropical fish from being eaten.(including a pair of Archer fish)and(a pair of beautiful blue Gourami), Have had many green snakes on the property and they are easy to scare off. 
I really wish that the catfish did the job when they had the chance, One was close i heard the "snap" but was too slow.

----------


## strigils

Why didn't you find a local who can handle snakes instead of injuring and possibly mortally wounding it? and get it released into the wild a long way from you. Snakes generally don't stay where there is no access to food so consider what you have and how easy it is to access.

----------


## deeks

> Why didn't you find a local who can handle snakes instead of injuring and possibly mortally wounding it? and get it released into the wild a long way from you. Snakes generally don't stay where there is no access to food so consider what you have and how easy it is to access.







> Lastly, I live in a farm area where snakes are prolific in the hot season, most of the brown ones are deadly.


The locals here will eat it anyway, Now ask me, why would you bother asking a local to take time from their farm/work to help a farang with a basic task on his property?

----------


## strigils

> Now ask me, why would you bother asking a local to take time from their farm/work to help a farang with a basic task on his property?


Like rescuing instead of killing a beautiful creature, coz you are either an idiot, have no friends or are incompetent.

Well only you can answer that if you don't know them well enough. If  you've not built that kind of relationship then i guess "Bother" is the  word you use. Generally there is someone locally who handles snakes, for  good or bad, but of course living in a rural area you know that right.  Now if you are going to randomly post merged sentences in a  conglomeration that makes members eyes bleed, bait then bite, then i  don't think you'll spend much time outside Deeks.

----------


## deeks

> Like rescuing instead of killing a beautiful creature, coz you are either an idiot, have no friends or are incompetent.
> 
> Well only you can answer that if you don't know them well enough. If  you've not built that kind of relationship then i guess "Bother" is the  word you use. Generally there is someone locally who handles snakes, for  good or bad, but of course living in a rural area you know that right.  Now if you are going to randomly post merged sentences in a  conglomeration that makes members eyes bleed, bait then bite, then i  don't think you'll spend much time outside Deeks.


No offence Strig, I gather that you have never lived on a farm, Fair play is that i stated that i live in farm area. Well here is my property description, South is the Moo barn,5 meters from the fence, Southeast is paddy fields for about 700 meters,east is paddy fields for about 200 meters then a jungle,Northeast is paddyfields through the valley for some kilo's,North is paddy for about 400 meters then jungle, Northwest is paddy for 800m then jungle, West is paddy for 200m then a jungle, Southwest is paddy 400m then mooban. In the over 8 years that i lived in this property i have been in contact with dozens of snakes,squirrels,geckos,birds and nests,scorpions,millipedes,frogs,termite mounds,marauder ants,longhorn beetles,Ferrel cats,Rats,mice,neighbors fucking chickens that dig up the gardens,on and on and on.
My story was about giving the snake a chance to go, i scared the shit out it and i didn't get bit. Then the fucker came rite back into the exact same place that i got rid of it from.
Now i will tell you story about a dog i saw when we were building our house, this dog had half a dozen deep scares on its head and body and a back leg that dangling about as it walked around, I asked the wife about the dog, she said that the dog was no good and killed chickens and the people would hit it with the machette.
As i said, absolutely no offense, its just life in the real world. :Smile:  Peace.

----------


## Looper

> Myrmecia


Got stung by one of these coonts today while working near one of the water tanks

Not the Gulosa varietal but one of its smaller 12mm cousins

They all pack a mighty sting but the Gulosa is the worst

They are a primitive ant in evolutionary terms and their societal bonding behaviour is not as developed as other species and they can sometimes be seen fighting with members of their own tribe

Proper hooligans of the ant world they are

There is a whole wikipedia devoted just to ants if anybody is interested

Myrmecia gulosa - AntWiki

----------


## Looper

> It looks like a preying mantis


Feeding time for my juvenile mantis tonight







The Jesus Moth arrived on my kitchen window on Good Friday. It folds its wings up in a strange way to resemble the crucifixion

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Feeding time for my juvenile mantis tonight


otherwise known as "My slow descent into madness"

----------


## Stumpy

Decided with my time off and Covid around I would make up a rock garden around our big tree and water fountain.







We have a Huge rockery up in the mountains by our place, I will have to do another truck load run. Its 100 bht for one bed full. 



Our 3 dogs watched me sweat my ass off while the fan cooled them off.

----------


## Shutree

About 4 inches tall. Looks tasty. Or will I die?

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## Klondyke

^Highly likely. Quite difficult to recognize if you are not expert, my case either. Many times seeing it in various forms of development.

One of the wisdom I heard, to boil it with rice, in case the rice turns black it's bad... (I haven't tried that's why still alive...)

----------


## Troy

^^ Looks poisonous to me. Edible parasol mushrooms have a stalk with scales, like snake skin. When you break the stalk it must be hollow as well. So no, don't eat it.

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## deeks

> Decided with my time off and Covid around I would make up a rock garden around our big tree and water fountain.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We have a Huge rockery up in the mountains by our place, I will have to do another truck load run. Its 100 bht for one bed full. 
> ...


You gave me an inspiration to post a pic of our place,It is from over a year ago and not a wide type of pic, but it just shows what you can grow on a small piece of land. the other one is from 2013.

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## Shutree

> ^^ Looks poisonous to me. So no, don't eat it.


Good call. The local wisdom agrees with you.

----------


## Klondyke

Not in my garden but being astonished by the colors seeing these days around...



The green trees in background on left and right are typical acacia

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## Mendip

I've never been jealous of a toad before...

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## Looper

^Looks like he is really giving it to her  with the legs at full stretch

I sent the Minx a photo of my uprooted palm tree half way through the job today.


She asked me if I wanted her to come over and give me a hand. Bless her little cotton sox. She weighs in at about 38kg so I passed on her generous offer.

Fookin massive struggle dragging that palm 20m to its new spot.



It is 4.5 metres tall and weighs a fookin ton with the soil/root ball attached. I had to be careful not to damage my back just trying to roll it to its new spot. Hope it survives the trauma of relocation OK.

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## Looper

I finished replanting the palm tree in its new location.



It was task that pushed me to the limits of my strength and quite a challenge.



I had just finished when the long lost Miss Surigao Del Norte of the little red suitcase popped in without warning to squeeze my mangoes and pull my python after leaving me a surprise Christmas present on Christmas day. What a good sport and a jolly nice surprise.



She even asked if she could come and help when I move the next one. I did not know that dragging palm trees around would hold any appeal for the ladies.

----------


## Klondyke

Shouldn't the long lost Miss be positioned also with 90 deg counterclockwise as the palms above?

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## Looper

> Shouldn't the long lost Miss be positioned also with 90 deg counterclockwise as the palms above?


The palm tree was not the only thing that got properly re-rooted this arvo Klondyke

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## Mendip

I've had a couple of birds in my garden lately...

The hoopoes are back... nesting in a better positioned nest box... more sheltered than previously so hopefully they'll get better luck this year.

The pair are back and forth continually, bringing food to their chicks.

This nest box had a pair of magpie robins nesting earlier in the year.



The pigeons are also nesting... despite his good food, Yogi has taken to catching and eating them. I've never known a dog do that before but it does help to keep the population down.



And we also had a gang of these black bugs flying around yesterday. They must be almost two inches long... don't know if they sting or not?

----------


## S Landreth

> And we also had a gang of these black bugs flying around yesterday. They must be almost two inches long... don't know if they sting or not?


Will not sting you. But……….

Kill it. Stomp on it. Hunt it down. Net it. Spray it. Build traps for it.

Carpenter Bee

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## cyrille

Clever camouflage - looks just like a plastic bottle.  :Very Happy:

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## Mendip

^^ I read a bit about them but the general consensus seems to be to leave them alone as they're such good pollinators.

Why kill it... is it their damage to wood? I couldn't really find anything that bad about them. I cheated a bit and this pic was just outside our garden and I could see them coming in and out of this hole in a dead tree. I'll get a pic of the hole tomorrow.

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## strigils

Seems they lay in bamboo and woody plant stems / softer woods, live and let live.

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## S Landreth

> I read a bit about them but the general consensus seems to be to leave them alone as they're such good pollinators.
> 
> Why kill it... is it their damage to wood? I couldn't really find anything that bad about them. I cheated a bit and this pic was just outside our garden and I could see them coming in and out of this hole in a dead tree. I'll get a pic of the hole tomorrow.


Kill it/them when you see them come out.

They do more damage to wooden structures than they are worth.

How Much Damage Can A Carpenter Bee Cause?.

Do not believe the statement in the article about protecting your wood. No protection whatsoever can stop these bees (but death).

Short story.

Had an old wooden barn on a piece of property. It had started to lean. I asked everyone try to avoid entering the structure because it was unsafe.

While I was away some of the guys decided to dismantle it (removing some of the scattered good pecky cypress).

They loaded a 30 yard container with the wood. When the tractor trailer left with the container there was a cloud hovering over it. They were carpenter bees.

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## strigils

^ Landreth, i take it that wasn't in Thailand? I have never heard of them being a problem there, termites yes but not these bees. Just my two pence worth.

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## Shutree

There are a few of those bees around here. One just drilled this hole in a bamboo pole from which I have some orchids hanging. 
The bee is in there, it ducked inside when it saw the camera. It didn't take it long to drill that hole and bamboo is tough stuff.

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## Shutree

Meanwhile, this Rice-field Crab scuttled over yesterday. The dogs were interested and nearly got nipped. 

The gf was interested too, which means it is edible.  ::chitown::

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## Mendip

^^ That is a perfect hole to stick your finger in and give it a waggle.

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## strigils

> ^^ That is a perfect hole to stick your finger in and give it a waggle.


Actually that is impressive, are they like a bee version of a woodpecker?

You get a few together and you could get a penny whistle production line going.

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## Shutree

> ^^ That is a perfect hole to stick your finger in and give it a waggle.


Good suggestion. I'll report back.

BTW, I think your toads are Black-spined toad คางคกบ้าน

Duttaphrynus melanostictus, commonly called the Asian Common Toad



Only because I was looking into more information about the Rice-field Crab and found remarkably little, then I strayed into amphibians. (It's an exciting life here.)

Black-spined toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)

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## S Landreth

> Landreth, i take it that wasn't in Thailand? I have never heard of them being a problem there........


No it wasn't Thailand. But I've seen them there on many occasion. In fact I have crushed a few.

Nesting biology of an Oriental carpenter bee, Xylocopa (Biluna) nasalis Westwood, in Thailand

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## Shutree

Another one has just shown up and started eating its way into the bamboo pole. Big thing, a good 2 inches I guess. I was recently admiring a neighbour's new bamboo fence, right now I am pleased to have used concrete. 
The phone's camera struggles with different shades of black and it is high up so difficult to get close up.

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## dirk diggler

My dog was making some noise at 6am so I went out to investigate and he had a snake there. He was keeping his distance but I backed him off a bit more. The snake was unhurt so I got the garden hose and and tried so squirt it out of the garden. This is my preferred approach but he got himself round the other way and took cover under my work bench. I don't like to kill them if necessary but 2 kids waking up soon and 2 dogs, I decided to get the air rifle out and shoot him while I still had eyes on him. He didn't move too fast, which I worried that maybe that's because he doesn't have to.

I took some pics then checked up some internet pics. I can't be sure but I think it was maybe a Reticulated Python, which is a shame because not poisonous.

The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) is a python species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the world's longest snake, and listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution.

Just a nipper

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## deeks

> My dog was making some noise at 6am so I went out to investigate and he had a snake there. He was keeping his distance but I backed him off a bit more. The snake was unhurt so I got the garden hose and and tried so squirt it out of the garden. This is my preferred approach but he got himself round the other way and took cover under my work bench. I don't like to kill them if necessary but 2 kids waking up soon and 2 dogs, I decided to get the air rifle out and shoot him while I still had eyes on him. He didn't move too fast, which I worried that maybe that's because he doesn't have to.
> 
> I took some pics then checked up some internet pics. I can't be sure but I think it was maybe a Reticulated Python, which is a shame because not poisonous.
> 
> The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) is a python species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the world's longest snake, and listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution.
> 
> Just a nipper


About 20 years ago, a friend of the missus told us about a python that got into her grandma's village house while she was sleeping. It had the whole lower part of her leg in its body before she woke up screaming for help.
My sister in law told us that while she was sleeping in our old house up here in northern Thai, she woke up in the night feeling something moving around the bed, she got out and turned the light on, and called out for the brother, It was a ten foot Cobra, as thick as your arm she said. They pushed the bed against the wall to try to jam it in, but ended up having to shoo it out of the house with bamboo pokers.

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## Mendip

It's not only our toads that get more action than me... these two millipedes were writhing about for ages this morning.

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## Mendip

With the weather so hot and humid and little chance of the wife venturing more than 12 feet from the TV, I've developed the habit of saying I've got a few jobs to do in the garden, and then sitting in my chair by the pond for an afternoon snooze. With no-one but the dogs for company it's a wonderful time of day.



Today I thought I felt something move under my back, and a bit of investigation revealed this...



No worries, it was just a golden tree snake but I decided to sit elsewhere.



There was one very nervous snake when I packed up and left.

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## Shutree

How about these two birds?



Not a great picture, the best I can manage with the phone.

These birds are the size and shape of a small thrush. Brown, darker on top and lighter below, no very clear distinctive features. They are very active and noisy, rarely still and almost continuously chattering at each other. They are also very shy, this is as close as I have been able to get.

I have browsed websites, still not been able to positively identify them. I need to get myself a field guide book.

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## Mendip

It's hard to tell from your pic, but do they have a dark stripe on their eyes?

Maybe a yellow vented bulbul?

The one on the right looks as though it may have a yellow patch around it's 'vent' area.

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## Shutree

> It's hard to tell from your pic, but do they have a dark stripe on their eyes?
> 
> Maybe a yellow vented bulbul?
> 
> The one on the right looks as though it may have a yellow patch around it's 'vent' area.


A good suggestion. The bulbul pictures look to have more distinctive features with the dark stripe and the yellow bum. These birds are more uniformly brown, I think. They are difficult to watch, they are mostly on the far side of the mango tree. The wall was a momentary stop after they saw me and before they took off. Perhaps their most distinctive feature is how noisy they are, at it like two Isan girls chatting from opposite sides of the street.

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## Mendip

^ Wow!

As noisy as that.

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## dirk diggler

Had this guy at the window yesterday. Wasn't bothered by me in the slightest.

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## dirk diggler

SO it turns out that snake I shot was a pit viper.

Thailand is home to a large variety of vipers. The majority are pit vipers that are easily recognized by the presence of a heat-sensing pit on each cheek.
At this point, the Siamese Russell’s Viper, Daboia siamensis, is the only viper in Thailand that lacks those heat-sensing pits. At the same time it is also arguably the most dangerous of all the vipers. Being terrestrial, very well camouflaged, equipped with a highly potent venom, and living mostly in farm lands, it is like a living landmine.

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## Neverna

> A good suggestion. The bulbul pictures look to have more distinctive features with the dark stripe and the yellow bum. These birds are more uniformly brown, I think. They are difficult to watch, they are mostly on the far side of the mango tree. The wall was a momentary stop after they saw me and before they took off. Perhaps their most distinctive feature is how noisy they are, at it like two Isan girls chatting from opposite sides of the street.


Probably streak-eared bulbuls, the most common bulbul in Thailand, IMO. They also have a yellow vent.

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## Shutree

> Probably streak-eared bulbuls, the most common bulbul in Thailand, IMO. They also have a yellow vent.



After Mendip's suggestion I looked through all the bulbuls. The pictures left me unsure.

Streak-eared bulbul (Pycnonotus blanfordi)

I wasn't sure about the yellow vent, it does look to be so in the photo even though I haven't really noticed it on the birds and I thought it might just be a trick of the light. I shall look for it when they come back.

Now I see your picture, I am confident that it is the Streak-eared bulbul. Thanks.

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## Shutree

> SO it turns out that snake I shot was a pit viper.


I did wonder from the shape of the head, although it wasn't very clear. One snake I hope never to meet, the pit viper.

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## Buckaroo Banzai

> Today I thought I felt something move under my back, and a bit of investigation revealed this..


That would have freaked me out.
 I think some snakes are beautiful animals  and I know many of the are beneficial to have in the yard, But I just cant get over my instinctive negative reaction to them.

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## Shutree

There are a good many froglets about the place at the moment. Yesterday I spotted this one, noticeably different from others. Only about 2cm long. I am putting it down as a baby Banded Bullfrog. 
According to Wiki:
The banded bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra) is a type of frog in the microhylid (narrow-mouthed frog) family. It is also known as the Asian painted frog, Malaysian painted frog, Burmese painted frog, rice frog, and bubble frog. In the pet trade, it is sometimes called the chubby frog. They have round bodies with mahogany brown backs and cream stomachs. The distinctive stripes down the side can range from copper-brown to salmon pink in color. Males have darker throats than females. Frogs grow to about 8 cm (3 in) with females generally being larger than males. They may live for as long as 10 years. Although prevalent in the pet trade, very little is known regarding its behaviour in the wild.

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## Klondyke

I have to often fish out this kind of creature, mainly morning after the rain. 
Wondering why the poor guy takes the troubles to cross 1.5 m walkway with rough concrete and climb up 20 cm the bordering curb, then to jump from desperation into the maintained swimming pool water?

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## Mendip

^^ They often live in burrows in the soft soil of our plant pots.

We have lots, so they can't be edible. The wife calls them 'ung an' or something similar.

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## Klondyke

^Yes, I know, I seeing them when digging at the fence wall.
But what forced him to take the journey into the pool?

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## dirk diggler

Cos I was curious...


They can live underwater for at least 48 hours. They can go for as long as a year without food. The reason your scorpion could live underwater and then while sealed up in a baggie is that they have something called book lungs. These aren't lungs in the sense of inhaling or exhaling like ours. They are layers of membranes - like the pages of a book - in the exoskeletons of scorpions and spiders and the like. These membranes trap and hold oxygen. And since scorpions don't need that much oxygen to begin with, they can store enough to get by for a few days.

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## strigils

> But what forced him to take the journey into the pool?


Just rubbing it in for Sausages, even lowly flogs can take a dip.  :Smile:

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## dirk diggler

The scorpion, not the frog.

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## Klondyke

> They can live underwater for at least 48 hours. They can go for as long as a year without food. The reason your scorpion could live underwater


I do not think my scorpions are alive, whether at the bottom of the pool or after I fish them out.  Leaving him laying there the whole day for show, finally sending him packing...

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## dirk diggler

Maybe the chemicals get them, but be cautious in case it's just playing dead!

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## Klondyke

^It's not one case over years., I never saw any movement over the whole day.  So, I think you should think over your theory... 

And my chemicals are nearly zero. That's why I often chase small (quite beautiful) frogs away from pool. And next day they are back again...
In the overflow tank they enjoy staying permanently...

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## Looper

Today my garden has this tiny green tree frog in it somewhere.



The Minx popped in on short notice last week and was standing on the doorstep in her flip-flops when the cutest bright green baby tree frog hopped from nowhere and landed on her bare right foot.

She screamed (as ladies are wont to do) which prompted it to execute a perfect arcing hop from her right foot 12 inches onto her left foot.

She was halfway through her second scream when I rescued the poor frog and carried it into the kitchen and placed it in a large glass jar to keep me company for a week.

It has been feasting on moths that I catch for it and was looking pukka and healthy.

This does not measure up to Mendips epic rescue tale with Coco but today my little green friend was ready to be released back into his natural habitat.

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## Mendip

^ That really is wonderful stuff. There shouldn't be any competition in these things. It's just great to rescue anything!

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## Looper

^I catch green tree frogs now and again when they happen along and feed them moths for a few days and let them go but this one was the tiniest one I have ever fostered. He was the brightest greenest one too.

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## Saint Willy

> The Minx popped in


Which one is the minx?

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## lom

> Which one is the minx?


and do they call and ask for an audience or do they just show up?
any collision/double booking arrivals?

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## Looper

> Which one is the minx?


Mini Minx. She moved to Brissy. Thought I had seen the last of her but it seems not.




> do they call and ask for an audience or do they just show up?


It is a lady's prerogative to just show up.

I am too old for drama so I guess things will have to be simmered down somewhere in order to avoid any unseemly sparks and conflagrations.

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## Shutree

Okay, rubbish pic I know and less enchanting than Looper's guest frollicking unclothed. I'm never going to invest in another expensive camera. Two White-rumped Munia with their nest under construction in the mango tree. They are very shy, this is the closest I can get.

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## strigils

^ one of the joys having time to just relax and watch stuff like that, for the last 3 years a pair of Blue Tits have nested in a box i put up, love watching the babies come out and get taught to fly by mum and dad.

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## Klondyke

As I mentioned in my thread of pool salaa about the origins of acacia (monkeypod, mai chamchaa), the buffalos and cows like to feast on the black pods that drop from acacia trees.





After the pods are processed inside their body they let the acacia babies on the spot, where within a week we can see them: 



And after a week they grow pretty well:

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## Mendip

^ I didn't realise those were acacia trees. We have lots around here on the vacant land plots... they have beautiful blossoms.

Just shows how finely balanced nature is... the methods plants use to disperse their seeds is marvelous... the trees and animals dependent on one another.

We have this acacia next to our access road. It's slightly lopsided as a few branches have been removed to allow the occasional truck access.



And this acacia out the back is the base the damn squirrels use from which to plunder our fruit trees.

It dwarfs the chompoo tree immediately in front... it provides easy access for the squirrels and is the reason our chompoos don't stand a chance.

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## Klondyke

^And as you see the trunks are not very thick since it has many branches. Once the branches are frequently cut off the trunk carries on to grow up and become strong. Then only it can be exploited for the large carvings.

Watch it evening ca. at 5 o'clock how the leaves change their position.

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## Shutree

> ^ I didn't realise those were acacia trees.


There is a back story. It is actually a Rain Tree _Samanea saman_. However, it is similar to acacia and known in the Philippines and by Klondyke as acacia. A couple of people gave Klondyke some pain for his inaccuracy in his pool sala thread and I suspect he is now teasing by repeating it.

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## Klondyke

^Not really getting what's meaning of your comment. As I mentioned before there are many trees called acacia.
What I have been referring to is of course  Samenea Saman and that's called nowadays in the business world acacia - whether we think it's OK or not.

And this acacia has gained in the last 30 years a considerable meaning in business, especially in Thailand, since it has been increasingly used for kitchenware, also smaller furniture, successfully replacing other kinds of wood.

If you open Amazon web and search for acacia, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=acacia&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
you will see a lot of acacia products, majority of them is from Thailand. 

And because of the high demand of products from this kind of wood (nobody cares whether the acacia name is correct or not), the other countries with cheap labour (China, Vietnam, etc) are sourcing for acacia - mostly from Thailand - their tress are not so good.

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## strigils

^ lets hope they don't all go the way of Teak with uncontrolled cutting.

----------


## Klondyke

^The acacia (mai chamchaa) is "uncontrolled", i.e., there is no restriction on felling as it is on teak.

Then, it is a good opportunity for many people who make living from the felling, saw-milling, production.  Of course, there is needed a licence from Thai Royal Forestry for the production facilities.

(Beside the good "opportunity" for the people at the end of the consumer chain - and for the kind Mr. Bezos - to earn a good money...)

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## strigils

Road widening seems like a good reason for many to get cut down, even if said widening doesn't happen, or we're scared they may fall down in a storm is another popular one.

----------


## PAG



----------


## Klondyke



----------


## dirk diggler

I don't consume it but I did partake in the cultivation once. It got to about 4" and my dog ate it. That was the sole surviver of 3 that sprouted from 18 seeds. I can't even grow weeds.

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## misskit

I’ve nothing in my garden now. The rabbits ate it all down to the nub.  :Sad: 

Never had this happen before!

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## dirk diggler

> 


Bad news mate, it's hard to tell from the pic but your plant is looking like a male. If so get it away from the females asap.

----------


## marcusb

^. What do you see that makes you think its a male?  Looks way too young to me to be able to tell.

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## helge

If it doesn't answer back, it is probably male

----------


## cyrille

> Attachment 68605


Well that explains a lot.  :Very Happy:

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## marcusb

This is 6 days after forced flowering. Female first pic, male second. Males have balls.

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## Klondyke

> Originally Posted by Klondyke  
> Attachment 68605





> Well that explains a lot.


A clever one needs a hint, a stupid one needs a good kick...

----------


## dirk diggler

> This is 6 days after forced flowering. Female first pic, male second. Males have balls.


Well that's exactly why I predicted it seemed like a male.




> Pre-flowers begin to develop four weeks into growth, but they may take a little longer depending on how quickly the sprouting phase occurs. By the sixth week, you should be able to find the pre-flowers and confidently determine the sex of your plant.

----------


## Shutree

Common butterfly lizard (Leiolepis belliana)   Thai: แย้ใต้

I guess that explains many of the holes around my garden.

----------


## Mendip

^ Pretty lizards... we don't get them although there are plenty of unexplained holes in the garden.


Yesterday I had a blitz on the weaver ant nests in the mango trees. We have whole parts of the garden that are no-go areas due to the ground crawling with big red weaver ants that jump on your feet, climb up your legs and start biting.

I spent most of the day drenched in sweat in 38 degree heat, up a ladder trying to cut out the nests... all the while getting bitten mercilessly by these little b@stards. The wife wanted to keep the nests to harvest the eggs... but bollocks to that.

Just when I thought life couldn't get any worse I was also attacked and stung by a couple of wasps.

This used to be in my garden...

----------


## Shutree

> ^ Pretty lizards... we don't get them although there are plenty of unexplained holes in the garden.
> 
> 
> Yesterday I had a blitz on the weaver ant nests in the mango trees. We have whole parts of the garden that are no-go areas due to the ground crawling with big red weaver ants that jump on your feet, climb up your legs and start biting.


We have a lot of holes, I posted that one pic weeks ago, still this is the first lizard I have seen and they are active in the daytime, so probably you have them. They are reportedly common, as the name suggests.

I don't like those ants. I came back from a morning walk and got a nip opening the front gate. Then I saw they were all over it. The gate is stainless steel, FFS, what do ants want with it? The Chaindrite was deployed, no more ants.

Then 5 minutes later I touched a fallen stick in the garden and got bitten on the fingers by two of those tiny, venomous ants. I react badly to those, it felt like my hand was on fire and I know that the itching will last for days. Probably need antihistamine to sleep tonight.

Also, you might recall a couple of weeks back I got stung in an unprovoked attack by a wasp very similar to yours. That still itches from time to time and I have an area of skin about the size of an old half crown that still looks like an old bruise. Thoroughly unpleasant. I hope your stings are less persistent.

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## Mendip

> ... I have an area of skin about the size of an old half crown that still looks like an old bruise.


Sorry Shutree, but you're gonna have to use a post-decimilisation coin for your scales to mean anything to me.

How old do you think I am?

----------


## Shutree

> Sorry Shutree, but you're gonna have to use a post-decimilisation coin for your scales to mean anything to me.
> 
> How old do you think I am?


The half crown was larger than a florin and larger than a shilling, nealy twice the diameter of a sixpence.

 :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

Every 2 to 3 months I have these caterpillar's show up and assault my hedges. I can see their crap on the walkway so I know they are having a feast. They can easily destroy an entire hedge in a few weeks as they are voracious eaters and quite big 3 to 4" long. I destroyed 21 of them today and fed them to the birds with the help of my Dog Judy who can sniff them out. They have perfect camouflage for their environment



I do know that they turn into very big beautiful moths like this

----------


## Stumpy

Late today my Puppy Annie was going crazy chasing a huge flying bug. She finally grounded it. Still do not know what it is but it is quite large from what appears to be the bee family.



On its back

Upright



It finally flew off. You could hear it 20ft away.

----------


## Mendip

^ 20 ft away... what, you mean about 6 metres?

Don't tell me... it was about the size of a farthing?

----------


## helge

> it was about the size of a farthing?


 :smiley laughing: 

Maybe a little bitcoin

----------


## Troy

^^ Late, as in evening? It could be the nocturnal carpenter bee Xylocopa tranquebarica 



Bees of Thailand - THAILAND NATURE PROJECT

They are quite loud when flying around...

----------


## Stumpy

> It could be the nocturnal carpenter bee Xylocopa tranquebarica


Cheers Troy. That was it. When I got it turned over it needed a long ass runway to get airborne. Big bomber.

----------


## Shutree

Some more weeds. The first is now a tree. The builders were supposed to cut it out when building the wall, instead they used it as a shade tree and 'forgot' about cutting it. It seems popular with bees and butterflies.



Some kind of yellow flowered weed. Not spectacular in any way:



Then a tiny red flower on a plant with interesting leaves. The gf knows no name for this or the others. It might have some purpose, a house some distance away has half a dozen growing, his are about 2 metres high. (That's a bit over 6 feet, Mendip.)



Then a truly bland little flowering shrub. I include it because while the flower might not be exciting to me it fascinates a good many bees, beetles and unusual flies. 



Then a wild Passionfruit flower. It is quite common in the hedgerows at this time of year. It makes a small orange fruit, about the size of a fat, round grape. I don't know if they are edible, the animals seem to take them away quickly enough.



And finally, this one is not a weed, I include it mainly for Mendip's gardener. I know nothing about orchids, so I bought a few to see what would happen. I have had this one a while. The picture shows that with some water and very little attention they can bloom again. They aren't all destined to become birds' nests.

----------


## Mendip

^ Show off!

----------


## MarilynMonroe

> The picture shows that with some water and very little attention they can bloom again. They aren't all destined to become birds' nests


That's the great thing about orchids, not only are they beautiful, you don't have to water them much and they last forever. I have a few in my room just because I love them. 

The wild passionfruit flower is beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen one like this before in Thailand or anywhere else.

Great thread, Love the caterpillar and the moth, JPR2. I was just teaching children about the lifecycle of the butterfly.   :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

> Love the caterpillar and the moth, JPR2. I was just teaching children about the lifecycle of the butterfly.


Cheers MM. I have had some help recently with the caterpillars as I have a long time mating pair of Red Eyed Greater Coucal birds that wait until they are nice and fat and walk over and take them away early morning.

----------


## Norton

From the garden yesterday.

----------


## MarilynMonroe

^^Ahh, lucky them then.
^Those look so good, Norton. Is this just from one tree? Lucky you! Nothing like fresh mango in Thailand.

---
I have a garden, but it is indoor. I also have a herb garden outside. I have a pic of indoors, but i'll grab one of outside later.



My huge aloe vera plant.

----------


## havnfun

Well this fella crawled across my foot while i was cooking dinner this evening. Moved too fast to get a clear photo, sorry. Inside a closed separate kitchen downstairs, I left the door open for him.

----------


## Mendip

^ he would have been in a cooking pot before you could say 'som tam' if my missus had spotted him.

----------


## Norton

> Is this just from one tree?


5 of 3 different varieties. Also have 3 lychee, 3 limes, 1 sugar palm and 2 papaya. We don't buy much fruit.  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> Just when I thought life couldn't get any worse I was also attacked and stung by a couple of wasps.


How are your wasp stings? The one I got on my arm from a similar animal weeks ago is still itching. With that in mind, when I found a second nest I zapped it immediately. My usual policy outside the house is live and let live but I'm not willingly hosting insects that cause this kind of problem.

----------


## Shutree

> Every 2 to 3 months I have these caterpillar's show up and assault my hedges. I can see their crap on the walkway so I know they are having a feast. They can easily destroy an entire hedge in a few weeks as they are voracious eaters and quite big 3 to 4" long. I destroyed 21 of them today and fed them to the birds with the help of my Dog Judy who can sniff them out. They have perfect camouflage for their environment





I found three this morning. They had already chomped half of a pot plant that the gf has been tending carefully, so she is well pleased. Also she has a genuine phobia about caterpillars, she went into the house while I rescued these. I had to prune the plant, their grip is so strong they wouldn't come willingly. Despite the gf's urging to squash them I relocated them in some forest nearby.
They really are tricky to spot, for something so big. The ones I found today are still small, I have seen massive ones.

----------


## dirk diggler

I'm not entirely sure what's all growing in my garden.


This lemon tree is getting big but yet to bare any fruits


Had plenty bananas from this lot


Guava


We get some kind of wee sour fruits from this one, they start green then ripen red


I think there's durian and sour sop in amongst this lot




Yet another papaya tree in the making. waste of space in my opinion.






Round and round the mulberry bush


Tomatoes: attempt no. 378


Clutter

----------


## Shutree

Dirk: We get some kind of wee sour fruits from this one, they start green then ripen red

Is that Mao berry (Antidesma bunius)?

Mao berry is supposed to be easy to grow, I had some cuttings and they just died.

----------


## dirk diggler

Just checked with the Mrs, they are surinam cherries (red). 

She's hacked it down in size as it was getting out of control.

----------


## Stumpy

> 


Yes the big ones have a power grip for sure and can destroy a plant in no time. They sure are pretty looking and camouflaged incredibly well. But my wife like your GF absolutely freaks out over them and would prefer I off them. However I do not kill them outright, I give them a chance by putting them out. Birds usually make short work of them.

----------


## dirk diggler

Surinam Cherry:

Eugenia uniflora - Wikipedia

----------


## VocalNeal

Not exactly in but across the road in some scrub on an empty lot. About 20m away. A pair.

To elusive for a phone picture



Greater Coucal

----------


## Mendip

^ Their call is fantastic.

----------


## Stumpy

^Yes The Greater Red Eye Coucal. Beauty bird. As I am typing this 2 of them are calling away in the tree out front. We have 2 nesting pairs. They would prefer to run rather than fly

----------


## Stumpy

Well on this wonderful holiday and with no conference call I walked the compound to check on a few things.



Our next round of Tortoise eggs are hatching. Have a mix of 2 month old with 3 days. I set them out in controlled grass area to feed.




Not sure how to spell this but its a fruit and if they get a bit bigger my wife knocks a few down and makes some desert. This tree was on its last leg a few years ago and with some big effort saved it and now it is huge and offers a ton of shade. The leaves are really nice looking



This plant has found a new home by the pool bar and loves it. My daughter said in the US people will spend over $1k for a plant like that. I said they are basically free here. 







My wife moved her various species of Lotus flowers over to the pool Sala area. She had been growing them out back. 



This is my favorite LeeLawdee tree. I have take care of this and have since planted. I keep trimming it back and now it is very full and offers great shade. 



I hate these pyscho bastards. They are little wasps of some sort and are very aggressive and attack sting in a pack. I usually try and leave them be but when they are in a walkway area they have to go as you brush by them and they attack. 



After the dogs and I walked the compound, my Lab puppy gathered up all her toys and said "OK Lets play fetch now".....

----------


## Shutree

> Not exactly in but across the road in some scrub on an empty lot. About 20m away. A pair.
> 
> To elusive for a phone picture
> 
> 
> 
> Greater Coucal



I had one wandering about my sad excuse for a lawn this morning. The dogs were inside so it had plenty of time to look around. I'm not sure what it was looking for, maybe it could eat those unwelcome caterpillars.
I saw one a while back in the rice fields with a snake in its beak. They seem to eat pretty much anything.

----------


## Stumpy

> I'm not sure what it was looking for, maybe it could eat those unwelcome caterpillars.


They love those big caterpillars. The Coucals around our place snap up the one's I toss out and I have seen them running away with them.

----------


## cyrille

> Coucal.


Fairly frequently seen around our place. I had no idea what they were called until I read it here.

It seems the English and US English pronunciations are very different.

Something like 'Kawkl' and 'Kookal'.

What do you do with those tortoises JP?

----------


## Shutree

> Fairly frequently seen around our place. I had no idea what they were called until I read it here.
> 
> It seems the English and US English pronunciations are very different.
> 
> Something like 'Kawkl' and 'Kookal'.



It is a member of the cuckoo family and like the English cuckoo its name is onomatopoeic. I always say it kookal.

----------


## cyrille

> like the English cuckoo its name is onomatopoeic.


Yes, so I wonder what it is known as to Thais - perhaps something similar.

----------


## dirk diggler

Also known as a Crow Pheasant.

----------


## dirk diggler

> I had one wandering about my sad excuse for a lawn this morning. The dogs were inside so it had plenty of time to look around. I'm not sure what it was looking for, maybe it could eat those unwelcome caterpillars.
> I saw one a while back in the rice fields with a snake in its beak. They seem to eat pretty much anything.


When they are hanging around my garden they seem to be attracted to shiny retrievable items, a la magpie mentality.

----------


## Neverna

> Yes, so I wonder what it is known as to Thais - perhaps something similar.


The Thai name for the Greater Coucal is นกกระปูดใหญ่ (nok gra-put yai) but I have heard Thais refer to it as _nok gra-put dtaa deng_ (นกกระปูดตาแดง) red eyed coucal, distinguishing it from the Lesser Coucal (nok gra-put lek - นกกระปูดเล็ก) which doesn't have red eyes.

----------


## Shutree

> Yes, so I wonder what it is known as to Thais - perhaps something similar.


*Greater coucal*   In Thai: นกกระปูดใหญ่, nok kra-pud yai

according to our friend the Internet. 

Greater coucal (Centropus sinensis)

The girlfriend says the 'kra-pud' has no special meaning, so I guess it is borrowed from the sound. She also sings a song about it, I don't know what it says but it sounds very jolly.

----------


## dirk diggler

My earliest and longest serving friend on this mortal coil moved to Dornoch when his parents split then after school moved to Glasgow and formed a band. The call themselves The Balladeers. Here is a link to one of their tracks, aptly named, The Garden.

You can link off it to some of their other tracks. Recommended.

Psychadelic Rock, inspired mostly by the doors plus many more.

----------


## Stumpy

> What do you do with those tortoises JP?


We sell them to an exporter in BKK.  He buys all of them.  He already gave us  a deposit for this hatch.  We also sell some local as well.  

We are in discussions with selling one of our big males.  A guy in Rayong has a mature female now but cannot find a mature male.  We have 3.  They need to be about 7 years old to be considered mating mature. We have one very dominate male that weighs 36kgs. He chases the other males all over our property and routinely flips them over in battle. We would keep him albeit he fits his name I gave him of "Monster".  Truth is we like all them and it's hard to sell a pet.  We also have a rescue tortoise given to us.  It's about 2 years old.  Very hard to tell gender.  I think it's a female.  It is a funny thing as it's so small when it walks by the big males but they do not seem to bother it which leads me further to think its a female.  Time will tell.

----------


## Neverna



----------


## cyrille

> We sell them to an exporter in BKK. He buys all of them. He already gave us a deposit for this hatch.


Handy! They are handsome shells.

----------


## Stumpy

> Handy! They are handsome shells.


While I do not know the end for every one I do know that these are sold to pet stores as the exporter showed us pics of them in various reptile stores.  Good thing, Sulcata Tortoises have no real appeal for eating or grinding up the shell for some penis enhancement.. :Smile:

----------


## lom



----------


## Shutree

> Attachment 69374



They look rather happy.

----------


## VocalNeal

Who has humming birds. Just wondering if it is worth getting a feeder?

----------


## Neverna

> Who has humming birds. Just wondering if it is worth getting a feeder?


A feeder for humming birds in Thailand? Don't bother. There are no humming birds in Thailand.

----------


## Shutree

> Who has humming birds. Just wondering if it is worth getting a feeder?


Hummingbirds officially only in the Americas. I have seen them at London Zoo, which, when I was young, had a small hummingbird house, maybe it still does. Fascinating space.

Thailand does have sunbirds which can more or less hover at flowers if they want to, and they have some interesting moths that will do the same. I don't know if either will come to a feeder. Probably every kind of insect known to man will turn up.
Has anyone here tried a hummingbird feeder?

----------


## bsnub

I love my little hummers. They buzz around and are fantastic. They need a 4 to 1 ratio of boiled sugar water

----------


## Mendip

I'd like to see the squirrel that could get his gnashers around this baby. 

It must be the biggest jackfruit I've ever seen.

----------


## cyrille

> Has anyone here tried a hummingbird feeder?


Not living in the Americas..no.

This pool party is popular.  :Very Happy:

----------


## VocalNeal

> A feeder for humming birds in Thailand? Don't bother. There are no humming birds in Thailand.


So what is the bird that hovers near flowers

----------


## cyrille

> So what is the bird that hovers near flowers


Answered already. Though I haven't personally seen sunbirds hovering.




> Thailand does have sunbirds which can more or less hover at flowers

----------


## Shutree



----------


## Shutree

> I'd like to see the squirrel that could get his gnashers around this baby.


Talking of which, what news of the squirrel?

----------


## Mendip

^ We've got three regular visitors as far as I can make out and they've been gorging themselves on a glut of mangoes for the past few weeks.

Once the mangoes are over I guess they'll go back to the jackfruit and limes. 


We've got another family of hoopoes in one of the nest boxes. The hoopoes seem to compete with the magpie robins for our two nest boxes and I must make some more.



There's at least two chicks in this clutch...



And the mum, with a morsel of food at the end of her beak.



Every time the mum turns up the chicks stick their heads out of the nest box hole and start chirping.



I've spent ages trying to get a good photo of the mum feeding the chicks but she just moves too fast.

----------


## Saint Willy

> I'd like to see the squirrel that could get his gnashers around this baby. 
> 
> It must be the biggest jackfruit I've ever seen.


That's a monster!

----------


## Mendip

^ The jackfuit's pretty big as well!


I decided to give the outside sofa a good clean today and when I removed it found seven toads living underneath.

Maya must have learnt her lesson... she was very respectful.



They are surprisingly different.

----------


## cyrille

> They are surprisingly different.


Perhaps you had to be there.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Mendip

^ You just need to get up close.


The wife was complaining first thing this morning that she'd found a couple of little black turds on the living room floor.

I tend to own up when I've done something wrong but she couldn't pin this one on me... I only had two tins of cider last night.

I soon found the culprit... he must have hopped in through the back door yesterday after I disturbed the toad family.



Once he heard the missus on the war path he couldn't wait to get out.

And who can blame him.

----------


## HuangLao

> 



Yeah. The handful of varieties of sunbirds and tiny flowerpeckers are easily misidentified as hummingbirds. 
The most common freak of nature that are quick to be identified [wrongly] as hummingbirds in Thailand are the numerous varieties of "Hummingbird Moth" or Sphinx Moth [Macroglossum Stellatarum] that display quick fluttering gossamer type wings....and from a distance resemble hummingbirds.

----------


## Mendip

Tonight I was sipping my evening bottle of Leo when there was this 'plop' sound, and on looking around found this fledgling magpie robin sitting on the ground next to me. It was a miracle I saw it before the dogs, so I picked him up.

For the life of me I couldn't see where the nest was he'd fallen out of... and found myself wishing this hadn't happened. This was one of those events you wished you hadn't seen, because once you have seen it and become involved, you have to do something about it. If I'd had looked around a few seconds later Yogi would have already eaten the poor thing and I would have been none the wiser.

So anyway, what to do...



With my arsehole wife I'm busy enough as it is, and to be honest this guy was pretty much doomed already... but I couldn't do nothing... it was too late as I was involved.

I decided to put him in the hoopoe's nest box... maybe completely the wrong thing to do... but you hear about lions adopting springbok calves and stuff, so maybe there was a chance.

That's what a man's hand look like, by the way, Hal... hairs and dirt.

I stuck him in the hoopoe's nest box with the hoopoe babies... good luck matey!



I stuck the camera through the hole a bit later but could only see a hoopoe chick. 

Like I say, once I see this I have to try and sort it out. It makes me think too much and prevents sleep otherwise.

I wish sometimes I wasn't like that.

----------


## dirk diggler

FFS we're all involved now.

----------


## Shutree

> The most common freak of nature that are quick to be identified [wrongly] as hummingbirds in Thailand are the numerous varieties of "Hummingbird Moth" or Sphinx Moth [Macroglossum Stellatarum] that display quick fluttering gossamer type wings....and from a distance resemble hummingbirds.


This is true. I was once watching a 'hummingbird' at blossoms up a tall tree and it took a while to realise that it could only be a moth.

----------


## Klondyke

What I found this morning, obviously enjoying the yesterday chlorination? 




I do not want to swim with you...

----------


## Klondyke

Bringing him to river
(seeing that he threw up now a small frog, his booty from the pool





Off you go to beautiful lotus (while just 2 hands, did not succeed in snapshot)

----------


## Shutree

Striped kukri snake.

The small dogs are uncertain what to do with it. They are in fact useless at almost everything except for incessant yapping at the neighbours.

In recent weeks this is the only type of snake I have seen locally, mostly squashed in the lanes.

----------


## Shutree

Sooty-headed bulbul. 

I have never seen one in the garden before and then, this morning, like London buses, two came along together.

----------


## Mendip

^ Beautiful... flip him over... their underside is bright orange.

Edit: The snake, that is... not your bird.

----------


## Shutree

> their underside is bright orange.


I'd say that around here the underside is mostly white with a strong red or pink stripe. If you look on the Interwebby thing you can find lots of pics of these and most are much more vividly marked than the ones I see locally. I din't keep any pics of the overturned roadkill, I'll look out for one.

----------


## Mendip

Here's one we had in the garden a while ago. As soon as the dogs started sniffing around it curled up it's tail and showed the orange underside. 

I guess this is maybe a defense mechanism as brightly coloured snakes tend to be venomous?

----------


## dirk diggler

Striped Kukri

----------


## Shutree

Here is one from this morning's walk along the lane. To be fair, the colour reproduction is poor, the end of the tail particularly is pinkish. However, nothing like as bright as some pictures I have seen.

----------


## havnfun

Would you believe me if I told you that I have a pic of a Tokay gecko eating a sparrow, but can't find it right now.

----------


## havnfun

Found it.

----------


## Mendip

^ Wow!


As I've mentioned before, orchids aren't the gardener's strong point. Several of our orchid coconut shells have been taken over by nesting birds.



These are the birds... this one was about to add to her nest. I have no idea what they are. Nev?



And in this coconut shell we have a huge birds nest and a blooming orchid. 



To be honest I find the birds' nests more interesting than flowers. This nest has chicks in.



Our best orchid is growing on a tree at the far side of the pond. I don't think the gardener knows about this one which is probably why it's doing so well.

----------


## Shutree

That looks like it might be a Scaly-breasted Munia. Best wait for someone who really knows.

Nice orchid there. Given a tree it likes it will flower without any human intervention. My gf's neighbour has a beautiful orangey-coloured orchid that he told me he found in the forest years ago. It gets a lot of direct sunlight where it is, yet it seems to prosper.

----------


## Neverna

> That looks like it might be a Scaly-breasted Munia.


That's exactly what it is, Shutree.

----------


## Neverna

> And in this coconut shell we have a huge birds nest and a blooming orchid. 
> 
> To be honest I find the birds' nests more interesting than flowers. This nest has chicks in.


Yes, scaly-breasted munias have interesting nests, with a side entrance. Last year, there was one where I live and it was in a very precarious position. The first one fell down after a week, but they rebuilt it and it lasted until well past the time the chicks hatched and had flown the nest. 
It was interesting to see the parents feed their chicks. Both male and female arrived at the nest with food but they took it in turns to feed the chicks and also to keep a look out while the other was feeding the young. While keeping a  look out, the look out bird would make a particular sound continuously. When they were disturbed or saw danger (me usually), the sound would change and they'd both fly off. 

The young chicks don't have scaly breasts. That comes as they get older.

----------


## HuangLao

Nice spot and educational form, Nev.

Cheers.

 :Smile:

----------


## Mendip

^^ That's exactly what happens with this nest, Nev.

When the parents turn up with food this loud, high pitched chattering sound starts up for a few seconds... I'd assumed it came from the nest but it must be from the look out bird. And there's always two birds that turn up with food together, I guess the mum and dad. Thanks.

The other night Maya was absolutely transfixed by this big preying mantis that landed nearby.



She couldn't keep her eyes off it.



Until eventually she had to investigate and poked it with her paw. The preying mantis was having none of it and defended its patch.

----------


## Neverna

> ^^ That's exactly what happens with this nest, Nev.
> 
> When the parents turn up with food this loud, high pitched chattering sound starts up for a few seconds... I'd assumed it came from the nest but it must be from the look out bird. And there's always two birds that turn up with food together, I guess the mum and dad. Thanks.


The sound will be from both the chicks and from the look-out bird; the chicks telling their parents to hurry up 'cus they're hungry and the look-out bird giving the all clear signal. You should be able to distinguish between the two different sounds. The chicks usually kick-off first, often slightly before the parents turn up. From my observation, the parents usually perch nearby briefly to see if all is clear and after that fly on to the nest. I guess the chicks sense the presence of the parents before they arrive at the nest.

----------


## Mendip

^ I was sitting down in the sala today when it felt like I was being watched.

It was a couple of your scaly-breasted munia chicks on the look-out for their parents with food.



They must be just about ready to fledge.

----------


## Looper

Beautiful colours on that mantis Mendip. 

This captive cricket was well camouflaged in brown when I caught him at the weekend. He enjoyed eating chopped grapes but turned up his mandibles at broccoli in my entomological dietary experiment.



He earned his freedom from the jar after keeping me company in the kitchen for 3 days and is back roaming the garden (unless he was eaten by one of the kookaburras who were kicking up a racket in the tree 10 minutes after he hopped off).

----------


## Joe 90

First ripe strawberry of the year...

----------


## Shutree

A Keeled rat snake. Maybe two metres. The photo was from a distance, at first glance these things look quite similar to cobras so I wanted to be sure before I got close. Then it took off before I could get a close-up. They move quickly.

The gf seemed disappointed that I didn't catch it. It makes a tasty soup, she says.

----------


## Looper

^^Superbly manicured nails Chitty!

Missing my long legged friend today. The kitchen feels empty without him. Just looking through some old photos of the time we spent together.

----------


## Looper

In my garden this week are massive fuck off thorny bushes



I taught them a lesson they won't forget...



I have been practising the art of procreation with the help of Miss Lusty Luzon

She has a tangerine tree and I have 5 orange and lemon trees so brought me a tangerine scion and I grafted it on to one of my orange trees.



You cut the scion tip to a taper, then cut off a twig on the tree and split the stem and then wedge the scion into the split and tape it up with plumbers tape.



If the graft takes then I will have tangerines growing on one branch and oranges on the others.

----------


## prawnograph

Hawkmoth caterpillar (?) first I've seen with these colour variations

----------


## Mendip

A few inhabitants this week...

I deliberately haven't fixed this door to an outside storage area for several years... at least that's what I tell the wife!

A Green if you can guess the meal?



Had the wife spotted this guy first it would have been deep fried in stale oil...

A Green if you can guess the sport?



This guy comes out every night and hides behind the back door. The daughter's taken to leaving tidbits out on the windowsill and they always disappear. I love hearing the call of the tookay.

----------


## HuangLao

> A few inhabitants this week...
> 
> I deliberately haven't fixed this door to an outside storage area for several years... at least that's what I tell the wife!
> 
> A Green if you can guess the meal?
> 
> 
> 
> Had the wife spotted this guy first it would have been deep fried in stale oil...
> ...




Listening carefully, you find that their usual 3-4 calls degenerate into a rhythmic sounding "fuck you" in a special Tokay kinda manner. 

ตุ๊กแกพูดฝรั่ง..... :Wink:

----------


## cyrille

Yeah, foj.

It really is about no more than…foj.

----------


## Looper

^^^^Beutiful caterpillar
^^^and cricket

Indulged in a bit of cross-fertilisation at Miss Lusty Luzon's place with a cutting from my finest orange tree.



Wedged my scion tightly into a split in her tangerine



Bandaged it up and bob's yer gender-neutral parent's sibling



Sneaked into the kitchen while she was asleep and raided the freezer for some well deserved Philippine ice cream for a reward



I am not sure what flavour Ube is supposed to be but it is a fairly lurid purple colour

----------


## Shutree

> A Green if you can guess the meal?


Toad in the Hole

 :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> I am not sure what flavour Ube is supposed to be but it is a fairly lurid purple colour


It is the same family as the sweet potato. Lurid, yes.

I hope her tangerine was the only thing that got fertilised.

----------


## Looper

> It is the same family as the sweet potato. Lurid, yes.


That explains a lot. I was expecting something a bit fruity from the lurid lilac lid, but the reality was a tad tame.

The Philippines is surely the only country on earth that could ever have given the world 'potato flavoured' ice cream...  :Scratchchin: 

Meanwhile I was left with another tangerine scion since cutting a branch to graft makes a new scion so back to my gaffer it went and onto a different host tree this time since root stock strength is highly variable and is a game of experimentation.

----------


## Loy Toy

You are a tree surgeon Dr Looper.

Do you also specialize in roots

----------


## tunk

Finally after so many years of coming up empty, this year I harvest lamyai.

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## Mendip

Looks like a bumper crop as well. Bet you wish you still had that big lamyai tree out front now!  :Smile: 

Out of all these types of fruits - longon, lychee, rambutan and lamyai - lamyai are my favourite.

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## tunk

No Mendip the lamyai out front was a waste, it was so tall nobody wanted to go that high to harvest. Lamyai is my favorite too. I watched a video a few days ago about the 10 rarest fruits in the world. Mangosteen was #1 lamyai was #3.

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## tunk

Another video about lamyai said if you want bigger lamyai, go out when these are about the size of a pea and cut the clump in half. Only half as many but much bigger.  I will try that next time, at least on some.

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## Mendip

^ I'm very envious Tunk... we have one lamyai tree but it's never fruited.

However... this year our dragon fruit plant has borne fruit... after many years this is the first time ever and I had in fact forgotten it was even a dragon fruit plant and just thought it was some kind of cactus plant.



We've had 7 dragon fruit so far and there's at least as many to come. 



Thankfully the squirrels don't seem to like dragon fruit and are currently concentrating on the wife's limes.



I've never been a big fan of dragon fruit and have always thought them something of nothing... but that changes of course when they grow in your own garden.



Lovely!

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## Klondyke

^My breakfast every morning over years with yogurt, muesli and few more walnuts, raisins, almonds, dry prunes. Allegedly good for reduction of sugar and high pressure. 

My long time dream to grow the "keo mankon" on our fence hasn't come true...

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## cyrille

> My breakfast every morning over years with yogurt, muesli and few more walnuts, raisins, almonds, dry prunes. Allegedly good for reduction of sugar and high pressure.


Fruit plus dried fruit reduces sugar?

New one on me.

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## tunk

Isn't that dragon fruit blossom the most beautiful flower? The neighbors used to hang over the wall on my side and I was amazed at that flower. It took me many years to get lamyai, I always trimmed and took care of the tree, but I never fed it. For the last year I've been feeding it. There is a lady in the neighborhood that sells cow shit, 100 baht for 3 bags. It's nice and dry, easy to work with. She is happy to sell it and I am happy to have it.

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## ootai

> ^My breakfast every morning over years with yogurt, muesli and few more walnuts, raisins, almonds, dry prunes. Allegedly good for reduction of sugar and high pressure. 
> 
> My long time dream to grow the "keo mankon" on our fence hasn't come true...







> Fruit plus dried fruit reduces sugar?
> 
> New one on me.



cyrille
I believe Klondyke was/is referencing the Dragon fruit when he says "Allegedly good for reduction of sugar".

Google it and you might be amazed by its benefits.

*Dragon Fruit Health Benefits*

It's rich in antioxidants like flavonoids, phenolic acid, and betacyanin. ...It's naturally fat-free and high in fiber. ...It may help lower your blood sugar. ...It contains prebiotics, which are foods that feed the healthy bacteria called probiotics in your gut. ...It can strengthen your immune system.

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## Klondyke

> Originally Posted by Klondyke  
> My breakfast every morning over years with yogurt, muesli and few more walnuts, raisins, almonds, dry prunes. Allegedly good for reduction of sugar and high pressure.





> Fruit plus dried fruit reduces sugar?
> New one on me.


Actually, the remark about the benefit was meant to the dragon fruit - and it seems that it works for me, since I no longer need to take some kind of medicine I did years ago for that.

The other ingredients are my ingenious invention, they are good for other purpose as well.

So, new on you? No need to thank...

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## ootai

> However... this year our dragon fruit plant has borne fruit... after many years this is the first time ever and I had in fact forgotten it was even a dragon fruit plant and just thought it was some kind of cactus plant.
> 
> I've never been a big fan of dragon fruit and have always thought them something of nothing... but that changes of course when they grow in your own garden.


It must be the rain we have been having lately that is making stuff grow so well. The MIL's dragon fruit are growing really well with lots of fruit as well. She normally gets some fruit but this year there is much more than usual.

Mendip I don't know whether you did this before you ate your fruit but I always put the dragon fruit in the fridge for at least a day to get them nice and cold and they then seem to taste so much better than if you eat them straight off the plant.

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## ootai

As I said early we have been getting quite a lot of rain this year and what is different is that it seems to be short duration heavy showers in the afternoon and if not every day every second day.
So the ground is heavily saturated and the trees and grass (weeds) are all growing very well.

We have 2 Pomelo trees near the shed and while they have had some fruit on them previously this year they are loaded.
They are at least 11 years old as they were there before we came along. They have never had any real love and care in their life except about 3 years ago I tried pruning the dead wood out of them and putting water on them twice a week. Obviously they needed more water than I was giving them as they didn't fruit like this year. The Missus told me that people have said its time to put some chicken shit on them so that they don't drop the fruit before they get ripe. So the other day I did just that and will wait and see what happens.





I did cut the weds underneath prior to putting the chicken shit on.

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## Shutree

The gf put a few plants in pots along the drive. They look like this:



Until you get a Hawk moth caterpillar. After 1 day with 1 caterpillar the next plant looked like this:



No wonder the caterpillars are so big.

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## Mendip

^ I've got a level if you want to borrow it?  :Smile:

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## Shutree

> ^ I've got a level if you want to borrow it?


Is that some kind of Freemasonry thing?

 :Smile:

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## Mendip

^ I'm no Mason, although it would have done my career the world of good in the past... working out of Stavanger and Aberdeen in the oil industry.

Nah, I just don't like to see a skewiff plant pot!

A couple of days ago I mentioned getting a nasty ant bite on my scrotum from a weaver ant... well, it happened again this morning as I had my morning coffee and I lost my usual composure and did something about it.



I had to saw off the entire branch but I got the bladdy nest. You can see it just to the left of the ladder.

The fish had a feast.



I dragged the branch out of the pond and eventually got it over the wall... while receiving multiple additional bites across the entire body from these bastards... but at least one nest is gone. 

This is what I was up against.



Incidentally, WTF was the gardener this morning?

Anyway... the moral of the story is, don't mess with my knackers. 

No need to tell the wife, of course.

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## Schuimpge

Shutree, if you want to get rid of the caterpillars without chemicals...

Mix 2 liters hot water, 2 table spoons Molasses bit of garlic 'juice' and 2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid.
Shake well to make sure it's all dissolved, let it cool down and use a plant-spray to put it on the plants.
Spray on the soil, the stem and under the leaves.
Any small caterpillars will die because of the soapy solution. Caterpillers won't crawl into the plant because of the stickiness and soap.
Plants don't have any side-effects.

It's a matter of regular checks under the leaves to see if there's any eggs. 
Pull out any leaves with eggs and if there's caterpillars, use the above solution to spray.
Keep spraying every day for about a week. Caterpillars should be gone. 


Cheers,
Luc

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## Saint Willy

> Google it and you might be amazed by its benefits.


First mistake, google is not research.




> It may help lower your blood sugar. ...


second mistake, overlooking the 'may'...

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## Saint Willy

> Incidentally, WTF was the gardener this morning?


 :rofl: 




> I dragged the branch out of the pond and eventually got it over the wall... while receiving multiple additional bites across the entire body from these bastards... but at least one nest is gone.




I would have left the ants in the water for the fish.

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## Shutree

> Nah, I just don't like to see a skewiff plant pot!


This  isn't Versailles. It isn't easy, you know, getting that slightly random  cottage garden ambience. Think of it as 'wabi sabi'.  :Smile:

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## Shutree

> Shutree, if you want to get rid of the caterpillars without chemicals...
> 
> Mix 2 liters hot water, 2 table spoons Molasses bit of garlic 'juice' and 2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid.
> Shake well to make sure it's all dissolved, let it cool down and use a plant-spray to put it on the plants.
> Spray on the soil, the stem and under the leaves.
> Any small caterpillars will die because of the soapy solution. Caterpillers won't crawl into the plant because of the stickiness and soap.
> Plants don't have any side-effects.
> 
> It's a matter of regular checks under the leaves to see if there's any eggs. 
> ...



Thanks, I might give it a try. I don't mind usually, it is just that these hawk moth caterpillars seem to come from nowhere. One day the plant is fine, the next it is demolished and just one monster caterpillar has done all that damage. It's like they don't have a teeny tiny baby stage. One day nothing, the next a monster.

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## Shutree

> d have left the ants in the water for the fish.


I had the same thought. Those things are pests. I am tempted to dig a pond only for the purpose of chucking a nest in and letting the fish at it.

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## Schuimpge

oh they do have that baby stage.. lol..
But they're like 2mm thick and about 25mm long.. sitting under the leaves, so you easily overlook them.
If you don't mind, just squeezing them would perfectly do the job to protect the plant.
Easiest is to look for a group of brown spots under the leaves.. Those are the eggs.
And spraying those eggs, the soap and molasses should kill them off.

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## tunk

Found one of these today. There sure are some strange creatures in the soil.

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## Mendip

It's a hammerhead worm Tunk. I've seen them in our garden as well. They prey on earthworms and should be killed if you value your soil quality... apparently it's best to dissolve them in salt as if you just squash them or cut them up a load of eggs can be released. In my case they go over the wall into the arsehole neighbour's garden.

Oh... and you shouldn't eat them as they release mild toxins when hunting prey.

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## Looper

^^Alienesque little creature. I dug up a blind snake a few years ago and kept it as a pet for a few weeks before releasing it.

Not growing in my garden yet but the Minx brought round red kiwi tonight.



I have just planted avocados and I would like to try kiwi although I think QLD might be too warm for them.

The red ones have a strange creamy taste compared with the green ones.

Eating some healthy fruit earns you the right to indulge in a Chinese egg custard bun.



Strange confections with a distinct taste of egg yolk.

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## Mendip

Has she Welsh blood?

There seems to be more than the usual number of digits there!

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## Looper

^She is from the other great dragon kingdom... 

That is her supernatural ghostly shapeshifting photomorphosis property manifesting itself again I think!

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## Shutree

> It's a hammerhead worm Tunk. I've seen them in our garden as well. They prey on earthworms and should be killed if you value your soil quality... apparently it's best to dissolve them in salt as if you just squash them or cut them up a load of eggs can be released. In my case they go over the wall into the arsehole neighbour's garden.
> 
> Oh... and you shouldn't eat them as they release mild toxins when hunting prey.


The toxin is not so mild, the same thing you find in puffer fish and the blue-ringed octopus. It is just that it has very little of it.

I can't quite make my mind up about these hammerheads. They do eat worms, true, and slugs too. Birds eat worms but I don't mind that, so why is the hammerhead different? I think it is because they are an objectionable life form, covering their prey in toxic slime and absorbing it as a sludge. When they are full their mouth becomes their anus. Charming. They can reproduce sexually and asexually.

A reason not to squash them is that they can regenerate from small pieces. In theory they could live for ever. Spooky.

So I walked out of my front door this morning and what is wriggling across the tile?



Also this morning there was a mantis on the veranda.





It was longer and thinner than ones I have seen here before. There are a lot of different types of mantis in Thailand. I think this one was probably the Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis).

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## dirk diggler

> In my case they go over the wall into the arsehole neighbour's garden.


Then under the wall and back into your garden?

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## Thai Dhupp

*''What's in your garden?''*


Whats in my garden? A lot of *Heliconias*, thats what. 

In an earlier post, somewhere on TD, I referred to creating a jungle garden.

Thats not quite right  *Tropical garden* would have been the right description. Not being the worlds best gardener, and so not really knowing what I was doing, I started buying the big stuff - palms of varying sizes, ornamentals plus coconuts, and dates and bananas.

Then, I needed to start 'filling in'.


 

_H Lady Di_ ..................................................  ................................................._H. Psittacorum_

With the project started, I began searching for plants to go in that garden. Grasses, leafy foliage and of course, some *Heliconias*.


 

_Heliconia Psittacorum_, in both orange and red outer bract covers (actually, I think the red version has another name too, but I cannot find it!)

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## Thai Dhupp

Once I started looking, I realised there was a huge assortment of colours, sizes and type, and thats before even looking at the hybrid variants.



The colours work quite well when placed with other plants, here the dwarf _Heliconia_ in orange is perfectly at home with the purple of the Morning glory behind


Then there are the fancier ones 

 

_................................................__H. Bihai_, sometimes known as Balisier

This _Heliconia Bihai_ took forever to start flowering, but now there are 5 bracts forming. They are ALL growing runners to propagate and expand.


 

_.............................................H.Rostrata_, or hanging lobster claw


I collected this _Heliconia Rostrata_ from a neighbour (yesthey did know!) because I havent seen it in any garden shop so far. It was in bloom, as you can see, when it was planted but died back soon after. However, new shoots / leaves are now coming so I have this to look forward to again, later this year



  
_
H. Marginata Rauliniana

_This was another swap with a neighbour  they got 2 clumps of the _H.Psitticorium_! This version is a cultivar, a hybrid between the Rostrata and the true Marginata.



_............................................_

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## Thai Dhupp

I have 2 other new arrivals but no photos yet as they do not carry flowers. The *Heliconia Family* was new to me but I have embraced it as a mainstay of the tropical garden I am creating. I hope to get a few more varieties with predominantly yellow or green, to balance up the appearance and for variety. Heres a few more photos

 

 

 


They stand out even when surrounded by foliage.

PSprogress is being made but the *TD Towers* garden still had a VERY long way to go!!

Thanks for looking.

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## Klondyke

How they manage to grow out from the bricks? And how did they get into the bricks?

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## Thai Dhupp

Hi *Klondyke*, 

*Heliconias* DO spread. Its a *rhizome*-based plant so, of course those rhizomes' grow! They spread in one of two ways - the clump expands, i.e. its still a tight 'mass' or... the clump puts out a runner and expands that way. Both need to be managed - those expansions, particularly the runners will easily pass under any border or wall. 

To control them, I simply cut them off with the spade and replant / repot them for swaps or gifts. The _Heliconia_ _Psittacorum_ is a rampant spreader, whereas those fancier ones are relatively slow.

In any case, the tropical garden is not super-formal - I put the paths in just for ease of travelling about but several of the ground cover plants are already encroaching and need to be cut back periodically. If one of the Heliconias decides to put a shoot up in the path, I will deal with it later, and just enjoy the bract when it comes.

I will try to do a proper *garden 'update'* as it has been requested by a few members and 7 months has gone by since she and I turned our attention to the garden

OMG is it really 7 months!?

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## Klondyke

> Both need to be managed - those expansions, particularly the runners will easily pass under any border or wall. 
> 
> To control them, I simply cut them off with the spade and replant / repot them for swaps or gifts. The Heliconia Psittacorum is a rampant spreader, whereas those fancier ones are relatively slow.


Thanks for the scientific knowledge. 
Actually, I do not mind their spread, it's a wall of the outdoor shower box at swimming pool. It beautifies somehow an ugly wall...

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## prawnograph

Visitors

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## dirk diggler

*Rhabdophis subminiatus (Red-Necked Keelback Snake)*Thai: (ngoo lay sab ko dang)
Length: Up to 100 cm (1 meters). I’ve never seen one close to 1 meter in length.
Range: Thailand and southeast Asia.
Notes: These snakes are commonly found near water, lakes, ponds, and in gardens. Recently a friend had one in his swimming pool in Krabi town, southern Thailand.
Active Time? Daylight hours. I’ve found them sleeping around 1 foot off the ground in bushes.
Food: Frogs, poisonous toads, and fish. I have not seen them eat anything but frogs and toads.
Defensive Behavior: Spread out the neck slightly to make themselves appear bigger. Not as dramatic as a cobra. Lift their head and neck off the ground 4-5 inches.
Some snakes of this species, and others in the genus Rhabdophis, have displayed a rather unique defensive behavior of exposing the back of their neck and secreting poison from their nuchal glands. This is not all that common unless very provoked.
One researcher, Kevin Messenger, claims that the R. subminiatus helleri he caught in Hong Kong actually sprayed a mist of the poison into the air from the back of the neck. Quite amazing, if true, right? Obviously more study is needed into the secret life of this fascinating snake. Other snakes in Rhabdophis genus with nuchal glands: R. nuchalis, R. tigrinus, R. nigrocinctus, and R. chrysargos (in Thailand).
Here is an image of the snake expressing poison from the nuchal glands.
The liquid on the neck near the top of the red shade is poison acquired at least in part, from eating poisonous Bufo toads.Here is the description in a scientific journal about Kevin’s encounter.
Venom Toxicity: LD50 is 1.29 mg/kg for intravenous injection (source). That is about the same rating as the very deadly “Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus)”. It was previously thought these snakes were harmless. Some kept them as pets and were bitten. In one case the snake was left to bite for two entire minutes before removing it from a finger.
Serious complications resulted requiring hospitalization and intensive care. Click for article. These snakes are rear-fanged and need to bite and hold on, or, repeatedly bite to have any effect on humans. Once they do either – there is the possibility of severe problems including renal failure and death. Recently a small boy of 12 years old was bitten by one he was keeping as a pet in Phuket, Thailand and he is currently being treated (11/5/10). Be very careful not be be bitten by these snakes. There is NO ANTIVENIN available yet for these snakes in Thailand. Scroll down for information about antivenin manufactured in Japan that may have some positive effect.
Another study in Japan ranked the venom as having an LD50 of 1.25 mg/kg for intravenous injection. (Japan Snake Institute, Hon-machi, Yabuzuka, Nitta-gun, Gunma-ken, Japan) V.1- 1969- Volume(issue)
In Japan they make limited amounts of antivenin, but it is specifically for their in-country use.
One WHO (World Health Organization) publication about the management of venomous snake bites in Southeast Asia mentions the antivenin for Rhabdophis tigrinus in Japan as having some effect on the venom of R. subminiatus. I am not sure if this is strictly for R. subminiatus found in Japan, or not. Worth a try though if you can get them to send you some antivenin. Otherwise, there is no other option – there is no monovalent antivenin specifically for R. subminiatus.
Japan Snake Institute
Nihon Hebizoku Gakujutsu Kenkyujo
3318 Yunoiri Yabuzuka
Yabuzukahonmachi Nittagun Gunmaken 379-2301
Tel 0277 785193 Fax 0277 785520
Snake-c@sunfield.ne.jp
www.sunfield.ne.jp/~snake-c/
Yamakagashi (Rhabdophis tigrinus) antivenom. Also effective against rednecked keelback (R. subminiatus venom)
Update: The 12 year old boy bitten by the Rhabdophis subminiatus was treated for 2 weeks of intensive care, and released. He was bitten multiple times, the 2nd bite lasting over 20 seconds.
Offspring: I had a juvenile red-necked keelback I’ve taken photos and videos of and released into the wild. I cannot find anything much about offspring. Recently (mid-June) I found a DOR juvenile very recently hatched, so like most snakes in Thailand the time around June is when they are hatching out. The coloration of the juvenile is quite different from adults as you can see in the photo and video below.
A hint of red on the neck in the juvenile. A pronounced black banding at the neck and grey on the head is evident in juveniles.Notes: These snakes can inflict a deadly bite when they are allowed to bite for longer than a couple of seconds. I know personally of two instances where a child was bitten for well over 20 seconds, and a man was bitten for about a minute. Neither wanted to hurt the snake to remove it forcibly, and both spent over a week in intensive care, with the possibility of renal failure and death. Do not play with these snakes. If you have one, do not free-handle it. Treat it like you would a pit viper or a cobra. The LD50 on this snake for intravenous was stated to be 1.29 mg/kg. That is VERY venomous.
As a precaution, any snake in the Rhabdophis genus should be treated with extreme caution. In Thailand we also have the diurnal Rhabdophis nigrocinctus, and Rhabdophis chrysargos, both of which may be able to inflict a medically significant bite if given the opportunity.
*Red-necked Keelback Scientific Classification*Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Rhabdophis
Species: Rhabdophis subminiatus

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## Mendip

^ We've had several red-necked keelbacks in the garden, but not for a while. My original snake book listed them as harmless but a recent re-print of the same book I have now lists them as dangerous. I believe this is due to some unfortunate recent incidents.

They are rear-fanged, which means they'd have to really chew on you for a while to inject any venom so I can't see them being a big problem to an adult, so long as you pull one off if it bites you.

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## dirk diggler

Still, I'd be shooting the bastard. Family first.

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## Shutree

Any birders out there who can help? No photo I am afraid.

This morning there was a bird I have never seen before hunting in the mango tree outside my window.

It was small, about the size of a Blue tit and like a tit it was able to hang upside down. The beak was relatively long, slim and straight. The back was a light olive colour.

The most distinctive feature by far was a bright yellow chest with a broad black stripe that started about the middle of the breast and ran down between the legs.

I'd have thought something so distinctive would be easy to find but I have looked at hundreds of images and not found it yet.

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## dirk diggler



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## Shutree

> 


Similar DD. Unlike the tits I know the black stripe did not get all the way up to the neck and the yellow was very striking.

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## dirk diggler

These are Great Tits :P

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## Neverna

> This morning there was a bird I have never seen before hunting in the mango tree outside my window.
> 
> It was small, about the size of a Blue tit and like a tit it was able to hang upside down. The beak was relatively long, slim and straight. The back was a light olive colour.
> 
> The most distinctive feature by far was a bright yellow chest with a broad black stripe that started about the middle of the breast and ran down between the legs.


My first thought was a sunbird, maybe an olive backed sunbird. They can hang upside down, they have light olive coloured backs and have relatively long slim beaks, but the beaks are not straight, they are slightly curved. They also do not have a broad black stripe from the middle of the breast to down between the legs. They don't usually have black stripes at all but an "eclipse male" bird sometimes has a thin black stripe on its neck and upper breast. Here's an image from wiki.  



If it's not that, I don't know what it is. I'd love to see a photo of it if you can get one next time it visits you.

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## Shutree

> These are Great Tits :P


Any excuse to post a great pair of tits:

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## Neverna

Here's an example with a longer black streak.



Access to this page has been denied.

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## Shutree

> They don't usually have black stripes at all but an "eclipse male" bird sometimes has a thin black stripe on its neck and upper breast.


Thank you Nev, that must be it. I saw it clearly only briefly, from the front and a bit below, I guess the beak would appear straight from that angle.

I apparently misremembered _exactly_ the orientation of the black stripe. (This is why human witnesses are so hopeless in criminal trials. It isn't just me.)

In fairness I did look at pictures of the Olive backed sunbird but I didn't notice one with a stripe, they had more of a bib. The strong black stripe against the very bright yellow on the one I saw was very clear. Now that I search again with 'eclipse male' I can find other pictures just like yours.

I'll try to get a pic if it hangs around. I thought I heard a sunbird or two in the garden yesterday but I couldn't see one.

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## Shutree

I finally got around to hacking back the grass behind the house and found a hole in the ground by the wall. It is a large hole, about the size of a rabbit hole and I have noticed the complete absence of rabbits around here. 
The gf said 'snake'. I didn't know they can excavate such a big hole. Anway, this morning I looked out of the kitchen window and saw the snake, which disappeared into its hole after I alarmed it.



Probably the same Keeled rat snake I saw a while back, although it looks longer. A good 2m long and it moved quickly once it decided to take off.

If it is a rat snake, what are my options? My main concern is the gf's small dogs, which have no track record with big snakes.

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## Mendip

^ I would just leave him alone and enjoy watching him. I've never heard of a rat snake attacking even a small dog, and if it did, a small bite is about all it could inflict.

Rat snakes have quite small heads (and therefore jaws) compared to their body size and unless your GF's dogs are the size of a frog, or even a rat, I think they'll be quite safe. Once they bark (or yap) the snake will take off.

But if I'm wrong I'm sure I can find you a puppy some time.

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## dirk diggler

I would become obsessed with identifying it then decide what method of removal to pursue. 

That's just me, but my kids and dogs need to learn that all snakes are a threat, just in case.

Especially the ones that work in HR.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

So this fog has taken residence in my goldfish pond. It is an iconic scene of the frog sitting on a lily pad  and I like it but is he a danger to my fish? I think the goldfish are safe they are quite large but I have some mollies and literally thousands of guppies. Could he be eating the guppies?

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## Shutree

> But if I'm wrong I'm sure I can find you a puppy some time.


Very thoughtful. If it turns out to be a cobra I'll let you know.  :Smile:

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## Shutree

> So this fog has taken residence in my goldfish pond. It is an iconic scene of the frog sitting on a lily pad  and I like it but is he a danger to my fish? I think the goldfish are safe they are quite large but I have some mollies and literally thousands of guppies. Could he be eating the guppies?



I'm not sure if that is a frog or a toad. Either way, both eat pretty much anything they can catch. Mostly insects and worms and the like, they certainly can eat fish fry. On balance though I'd leave it to munch on the insects that are attracted by the water. If I am wrong and you find yourself without any guppies then maybe Mendip can offer a puppy to compensate.

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## tunk

> I finally got around to hacking back the grass behind the house and found a hole in the ground by the wall. It is a large hole, about the size of a rabbit hole and I have noticed the complete absence of rabbits around here. 
> The gf said 'snake'. I didn't know they can excavate such a big hole. Anway, this morning I looked out of the kitchen window and saw the snake, which disappeared into its hole after I alarmed it.
> 
> 
> 
> Probably the same Keeled rat snake I saw a while back, although it looks longer. A good 2m long and it moved quickly once it decided to take off.
> 
> If it is a rat snake, what are my options? My main concern is the gf's small dogs, which have no track record with big snakes.


I would get rid of the snake. Sure snakes are cute but they belong in the swamp or rice patty, not in your yard, especially if you have children. If you are walking through the grass and accidentally step on him you know he is going to bite you. I have a 10 year old daughter, I wouldn't have a snake in my yard.

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## tunk

Not much in my garden right now, some sunflowers, cucumbers, and chilies. Hard to grow stuff during the rainy season. In my yard I have this Honda. Anybody that says a Honda is over priced has probably never owned one. Almost past my third rainy season and the Honda has never missed a beat. It starts first time every time. Never the slightest problem, it is a quality machine.

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## armstrong

Move them trees to the side and you've got a decent 3v3 football pitch.

----------


## cyrille

^ Was expecting a KFC bucket.

----------


## dirk diggler

I was thinking the same, if you're gonna put trees in no man's land at least make goalposts out of them.

----------


## Shutree

> I would get rid of the snake. Sure snakes are cute but they belong in the swamp or rice patty, not in your yard, especially if you have children. If you are walking through the grass and accidentally step on him you know he is going to bite you. I have a 10 year old daughter, I wouldn't have a snake in my yard.


It is only the gf and I who are here, togther with her three dogs. She isn't very bothered by the rat snake and it is her job to go and cut that lemongrass near the snake's hole when she needs it.

 :Smile: 

On the plus side, I haven't seen any rats around here.

Maybe now the grass is cut it the snake will move on. Unless that big hole is a nest. I'll give it some time and see what happens. If it is unfriendly then I'll tell the neighbours - old Isan farmers, that snake will be straight in the pot.

----------


## tunk

Well I have zero problems with rats or snakes. My dogs are deadly to rats and snakes, and a few unfortunate cats. I've seen a rat run in during a storm and he made it less than 20 feet. And my dogs work in shifts, somebody is always on duty. Yeah I'm sure neighbors would cook it up for you. I have never ate it but I wouldn't be afraid to. The dogs in my avatar are street dogs and they are deadly with rats and snakes.

----------


## tunk

After a very good lamyai harvest, a wheelbarrow full, time to trim the tree. I watched two videos of Thai men trimming lamyai. To me it looked like the where butchering the tree with their machettes, but I understood what they where doing. First take the center out so light shines down through. Then they stripped every major branch except for the last 2 or 3 small branches. Tree trimming tip. If you want to end up with your tree really round, see there is a piece of rope in there, tie it around the tree and walk out 8 or 10 feet or whatever and tie it to a pole or piece of pvc. Just hold the pole plumb and look up where to trim. Easy to get a very round tree trim. Following what the Thai man did, this is what I came up with.

----------


## tunk

Yeah so it fell over I will try again.

----------


## tunk

My daughter has always thought she wanted a treehouse, she is going to get her wish. I will start small to see if she is brave enough, she is a Thai girl and not very brave. And keep it small to see if she is interested, she looses interest in things pretty fast. The tree is very healthy, maybe 13 years old, and I will build doing the least damage I can. The local sawmill I can buy any kind of lumber I want. Botton line is I'm fucking cranked. I'll be 65 in Sept. and I get to build a treehouse. Who has ever got to build a nice treehouse?

----------


## Mendip

> If I am wrong and you find yourself without any guppies then maybe Mendip can offer a puppy to compensate.


'A puppy for a guppy'.... this could become mt new marketing slogan.

As for frogs and toads eating your fish... they may try but most fish will easily swim away.

When I had a pond in the UK I always preferred the amphibians to the fish and got annoyed that the golfdish would eat the frog spawn and newt eggs. The only threat the frogs were to the goldfish was in the spring when the males would jump on a fish's back, latch on and wait for it to spawn, thinking it was a girl frog.

----------


## Mendip

> If I am wrong and you find yourself without any guppies then maybe Mendip can offer a puppy to compensate.


'A puppy for a guppy'.... this could become my new marketing slogan.

As for frogs and toads eating your fish... they may try but most fish will easily swim away.

When I had a pond in the UK I always preferred the amphibians to the fish and got annoyed that the goldfish would eat the frog spawn and newt eggs. The only threat the frogs were to the goldfish was in the spring when the males would jump on a fish's back, latch on and wait for it to spawn, thinking it was a girl frog.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I'm not sure if that is a frog or a toad


What is the difference?

----------


## HuangLao

> What is the difference?


Flavour difference.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> What is the difference?


After Googling it and looking at him , he is definitely a toad. But I would not hold that against him. as long as he does not eat my guppies . If I see him eating one of my guppies he is no a toad. he is toast.

----------


## Shutree

> What is the difference?




It isn't always easy to tell at first glance. I have a lot of toads around my garden, mainly the Asian Common Toad. I am frankly disappointed at the number of 'common' animals I see around, but there we are. They mostly live in or under plant pots and loose bricks that make an edging around a couple of young plants. I don't see many frogs, which is unsurprising because I don't have a pond, the nearest standing water is down the lane.

Dogs generally seem to ignore toads. I guess they taste unpleasant.

Frogs are better swimmers and would be a bigger threat to small fish, especially eggs and small fry. A lot of snakes eat frogs, so that might be another reason why I don't see many frogs.

----------


## tunk

> After Googling it and looking at him , he is definitely a toad. But I would not hold that against him. as long as he does not eat my guppies . If I see him eating one of my guppies he is no a toad. he is toast.


You goggled to see if toad or frog. I thought every American boy knew the difference between toads and frogs. We were always told to leave the toads alone, because they will pee on you and give you warts. Of course we knew better but they do like to pee on you for holding them. I think they only eat insects above water, don't think they eat under so your guppies should be safe. One more thing don't make toast out of him, if you eat you will get sick.

----------


## Mendip

We've got a family of toads living in our recycling storage area. Every single time I go in, there is this big toad sitting on top of an empty box of Tesco Lotus tissues. I don't know why he always sits on this box, but he does.

I'm not saying that life can get boring in Korat, but sometimes for something to do I move around the empty tissue boxes... and next day the toad is always sitting on top of one again. There must be something about it he likes?

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I thought every American boy knew the difference between toads and frogs.


Not a lot of frogs or toads growing up in NYC, the only frog i knew was interested in miss Piggy. 





> I don't know why he always sits on this box, but he does.


Perhaps he is a creative toad who likes to think outside the box.

----------


## lom

^
zing ka-boom tisch!

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

So now I have both tads and frogs. I dont know where this one came from but I saw him seating on the side of my pond. He/she is very pretty but I could not get a better picture because the moment I got closer he jumped (proof his a frog) into the pond and swam under the Lilly pads.

----------


## Schuimpge

Lol.. I thought initially you where talking about that stone turtle..

----------


## Schuimpge

Looks like a green paddy frog (or red eared greenback frog)
Hylarana Erythraea

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Lol.. I thought initially you where talking about that stone turtle..


The stone turtles are my wife's idea, She is like a little kid, every day she goes , moves them around and pose them . When I tell them that the turtles moved she laughs . 
By the way, notice the brown spots on my grass. Its the damn dogs peeing , I try to chase them away when I catch them doing it. They have a whole property to go and do it. But they have a short memory, much like me LOL. Any ideas what to do? I tried googling it, but I did not find anything useful so far.

----------


## Schuimpge

Hosing the area after a dog pees is the best solution. It's the nitrogen in the urine that burns the grass.
It's typically the female dogs causing it, male dogs would look for a tree.

For the places burned.. put a new patch in.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Looks like a green paddy frog (or red eared greenback frog)
> Hylarana Erythraea


Thank you for that!
my picture was not very good, You have a good eye.
 that's what what he looked like! 
A very pretty animal IMO.

----------


## Schuimpge

Or you could install some of these:

----------


## Schuimpge

If you're someone who likes to do some DIY...: 


Easy enough to make.

----------


## Looper

Today in my garden there should be a leprechaun larrikin sitting on a pot'o'gold if this rainbow is anything to go by.



I will organise a hunting party to ride out tomorrow. I need to get a hunting bow with steel bolts for leprechauns.  :irish:

----------


## tunk

Looper is that the view from your porch? It's beautiful. Is that a mango tree loaded with blossoms, that is a good size tree. Do you get a good harvest?

----------


## tunk

I have those brown spots too Buck. It's the females don't like to get their feet wet. One step away from the cement and they piss. If you water it down and stick with it, it will be gone in a week, two at the most. Good luck on the frog, makes your pond look healthy when you have a frog.

----------


## Looper

> Is that a mango tree loaded with blossoms, that is a good size tree. Do you get a good harvest?


I got about 200 mangoes off it 2 years ago before the savage pruning. But then I lopped the top half of the crown off so it is only about half the size it used to be. I only got about 150 last summer after the trim.

They are not as big as the mangoes in the shop but a bit more tart... which is how I like them  :Razz:

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Today in my garden there should be a leprechaun larrikin sitting on a pot'o'gold if this rainbow is anything to go by.


That is indeed a beautiful view!!

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> If you're someone who likes to do some DIY...: 
> 
> 
> Easy enough to make.


I was thinking something a bit more like this.  :Smile:

----------


## Schuimpge

> I was thinking something a bit more like this.


It's only one time fun.. and messy for cleanup..
But no argument on the effectiveness...

----------


## Shutree

I think this is some kind of Flower Mantis.
Anybody know exactly?

----------


## PAG

Just fed our dogs as normal outside, when one started barking at something behind our outside bins.   Got the dogs inside, and when we moved the bins, there's a snake behind.   As it moved away, it reared slightly and spread its hood, which identified it as a Monocled Cobra, and it was about 1.5 metres long.   It has something of a lump in its body, so probably just had its supper of a frog.   Anyway, it made its way quite quickly down to the khlong behind the house.

----------


## Shutree

> As it moved away, it reared slightly and spread its hood, which identified it as a Monocled Cobra, and it was about 1.5 metres long.


Fark! I wouldn't have been hanging around to photograph it. Fascinating animals, from a safe distance.

----------


## Shutree

> I think this is some kind of Flower Mantis.


The mantis has stayed on the same leaf for at least three days now. Here it is in a different pose and it is clearly a Flower Mantis. I think probably an Indian Flower Mantis​ (Creobroter pictipennis) rather than the Thailand Flower Mantis (Creobroter gemmatus).

----------


## Shutree

A Bronze Skink. Usually animals run away but this one came out to check what was going on, I was moving some bricks and maybe he was hoping for a free lunch.

----------


## Mendip

> The mantis has stayed on the same leaf for at least three days now.


^ Are you sure it's not dead?


The big toad that lives in our recycling cupboard has abandoned his usual empty Tesco tissue box bed for an empty Mont Clair box bed.

The upgrade must have been worth while... he now has a girlfriend.

----------


## Schuimpge

> ^ Are you sure it's not dead?
> 
> 
> The big toad that lives in our recycling cupboard has abandoned his usual empty Tesco tissue box bed for an empty Mont Clair box bed.
> 
> The upgrade must have been worth while... he now has a girlfriend.


She clearly fell for the drinks cabinet..not for his looks

----------


## malmomike77

> She clearly fell for the drinks cabinet..not for his looks


She has not kissed him yet.

----------


## Shutree

> I'd love to see a photo of it if you can get one next time it visits you.




It is that blob in the centre of the pic. Best I have been able to get with my phone. They don't stay still for long. There is a female too and they are often together. After reading about them I saw it suggested that the Eclipse males were non-breeding. Maybe correct but he has a girlfriend.

----------


## Shutree

Probably an Asian Rice Frog. Small and agile, difficult to snap. This one backed itself into a safe corner with some random dog hairs.

----------


## prawnograph

The rose was a gift from daughter to mother earlier this year, first flowers

----------


## Shutree

I think this is probably a Siamese blue crested lizard (Calotes goetzi) (กิ้งก่าหัวสีฟ้า, ging ga hua si faa), despite not being particularly blue.

Any confirmations or alternative identifications are welcome.

----------


## PAG

The Asian Hornet nest on one of our boundary walls isn't getting any smaller, M'Sahib is about to try to get them to relocate rather than have them killed.   I will watch with interest, and from some distance.

----------


## malmomike77

That's quite a beast, not sure how they will move.

----------


## Shutree

> The Asian Hornet nest on one of our boundary walls isn't getting any smaller


Those things have been visiting my banana trees, they like the flowers. I am happy to say that the nest is not in my garden, they fly in and out over the wall. If I knew where the nest was then I'd stay very far away. Good luck with the nest relocation.

 ::chitown::

----------


## hallelujah

^^ How on earth is she going to do that?

----------


## PAG

> ^^ How on earth is she going to do that?


Apparently it will involve dripping a mix of water and peppermint oil on the nest when it's dark.   She's got something rigged up and a long stick.   I will watch with avid interest.

----------


## hallelujah

> Apparently it will involve dripping a mix of water and peppermint oil on the nest when it's dark.   She's got something rigged up and a long stick.   I will watch with avid interest.



I was thinking something along the lines of this.  :Smile:

----------


## can123



----------


## Joe 90

Smoke them out PAG, at a distance naturally.

----------


## Stumpy

> The Asian Hornet nest


That's a good size nest.  Personally you need to eradicate it.  Those hornets are extremely aggressive. They also kill honey bees which pollinate fruit trees.  

I have had to destroy 2 nests in my years here.  Best and safest way is to approach at night, spray with gasoline from a squirt bottle and with a long stick, light on fire.  The nests burn very fast.

Good Luck

----------


## Joe 90

Is there something we should know about you JP? :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

> Is there something we should know about you JP?


As in, am I a hornet killer?.....Why Yes I am.  :Smile:  

After my niece was relentlessly attacked by them after accidently hitting a shrub they had built a big nest in, I immediately eradicate (Only if on my property). There is no relocating them. They are not like a honey bee hive where you can smoke out the queen and just move the colony.

----------


## Joe 90

Reminds me of something I did to eradicate red army ants in the family garden in Africa.
I poured a gallon of petrol into the centre of the nest and lit it.
Jeez the flames sprung up all around shooting from holes in the ground a good 4m radius.
Bloody scared me for a few seconds till the initial flame subsided.  :Smile:

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> The Asian Hornet nest on one of our boundary walls isn't getting any smaller, M'Sahib is about to try to get them to relocate rather than have them killed. I will watch with interest, and from some distance.


My Momma always told me not to go stirring up a hornet's  nest. :Smile: 
I found it to be good advice , I am happy to see you are adhering to it , and wish your wife would also. 
Though your wife might be a good Buddhist, I find it hard to believe the Hornets are.
Nuking them I believe would be the better part of valor  .Buddha , a slow moving guy himself, would understand.

Also getting them to move could mean they might be moving to someone else's house. Ohhhh , bad karma me thinks.

----------


## PAG

> My Momma always told me not to go stirring up a hornet's  nest.
> I found it to be good advice , I am happy to see you are adhering to it , and wish your wife would also. 
> Though your wife might be a good Buddhist, I find it hard to believe the Hornets are.
> Nuking them I believe would be the better part of valor  .Buddha , a slow moving guy himself, would understand.
> 
> Also getting them to move could mean they might be moving to someone else's house. Ohhhh , bad karma me thinks.


Agreed.

----------


## Stumpy

The issue with the Asian Hornet is they attack in numbers and their venom is quite powerful and they are relentless. If one has any issue with a reaction from a sting they can die. Buddha or not, Its either me or them and while I am not a proponent of just killing to kill, in this case they can be present a serious issue. It may not be a problem for Mr. and Mrs. PAG but what about an unsuspecting guest or animal.

Just eradicate and move on. Fire is the only way. If you ever cross section a nest, they are very well made and fortified to protect from pesticides and intruders and the queen is in the center.

----------


## marcusb

^ I would move or protect any nest other than the Asian Hornet.   I'd get it destroyed. 

Im not allergic to bee stings but one of them hornets sent me to hospital in an ambulance.

----------


## hallelujah

> Im not allergic to bee stings but one of them hornets sent me to hospital in an ambulance.


Well, at least they have a caring side.

----------


## Shutree

> Well, at least they have a caring side.


It's potentially quite serious, I shouldn't laugh. But this was funny and I did.

 :smiley laughing:

----------


## marcusb

> Well, at least they have a caring side.




555555 yes!

----------


## Schuimpge

Aquaponics setup in my brother's house. About 15 Koi in the pond below the lettuce. 
About 75 heads of lettuce, 3 weeks old.

----------


## PAG

> The issue with the Asian Hornet is they attack in numbers and their venom is quite powerful and they are relentless. If one has any issue with a reaction from a sting they can die. Buddha or not, Its either me or them and while I am not a proponent of just killing to kill, in this case they can be present a serious issue. It may not be a problem for Mr. and Mrs. PAG but what about an unsuspecting guest or animal.
> 
> Just eradicate and move on. Fire is the only way. If you ever cross section a nest, they are very well made and fortified to protect from pesticides and intruders and the queen is in the center.


An update on this.   M'Sahib has relented and abandoned the notion of some form of humanitarian relocation.   Someone she knows, who knows someone else, is apparently coming tomorrow (Sunday), presumably in the evening, and I could be witnessing a massacre of sorts.

----------


## PAG

As planned, last night saw the nest removal people arrive, and all house external lights (and most internal) extinguished.   The outer shell was burnt off first of all, then the core 'honeycomb' removed.   M'Sahib tells me there are a couple of hornets buzzing around this morning, no doubt wondering where their house has gone.   A couple of photos sent to M'Sahib last night, not sure if they'd eaten all the lavae or not by this time.

----------


## Shutree

> The outer shell was burnt off first of all, then the core 'honeycomb' removed.


I'm sure your garden is a more comfortable place without that nest.

----------


## Looper

^^Looks serious PAG. I had a nasty nest of my own to deal with today.

I got my arse attacked by an evil horde of Myrmecia Gulosa while moving palm tree number 5 in the garden.

So I went to get my weapons and dispatched the nest in text book fashion.

I noticed that this nest was full of eggs which is often not the case with the monster ants.



So anyway I thought I would take the opportunity to see what a giant ant embryo looks like.


Looks like a little alien emerging from its egg on the mining moonbase




Opened a few more later indoors and found various states of maturity.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> As planned, last night saw the nest removal people arrive, and all house external lights (and most internal) extinguished.   The outer shell was burnt off first of all, then the core 'honeycomb' removed.   M'Sahib tells me there are a couple of hornets buzzing around this morning, no doubt wondering where their house has gone.   A couple of photos sent to M'Sahib last night, not sure if they'd eaten all the lavae or not by this time.


I am glad your wife decided against tackling the removal herself , I depend on you daily covid report and would hate to have to find amd alternate source. Also it would be a real challenge  having to think of good things to write about you at your obituary thread. LOL

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I got my arse attacked by an evil horde of Myrmecia Gulosa while moving palm tree number 5 in the garden.


I hate when Myrmecia Gulosa attacks me. by the time I find the dictionary to find out what the hell it is. I am all full of glucose.   :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

This feather was on the ground. It doesn't look like it belongs to any of the birds I usually see about. Is it something exotic or just the neighbour's chickens?

----------


## Looper

Love's fruity blossom has withered on the vine in Miss Lusty's back yard



My attempts at some sizzling citrus cross-fertilisation has fired a blank.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Love's fruity blossom has withered on the vine in Miss Lusty's back yar
> 
> My attempts at some sizzling citrus cross-fertilisation has fired a blank.


Not a great expert on the subject. but from what I have seen from watching videos on YouTube on the subject. It seems to me that you grafted a way to big a branch to your root stock. 
Also, did you use any rooting hormone powder. I have been told that it helps.

----------


## Stumpy

Been a busy last week or so.

Few days back was watering potted plants by pool area and came across this visitor







Its was a young Checkered Keelback snake.  I moved him with my pool net to the side area and let it on its way



With all the rain lots of creatures looking to hide

Dragonfly taking a rest on the stairs



I had to move our female tortoise to a secure area as all 3 males are doing stupid stuff and fighting, flipping each other over etc. Monster is pissed off he can't get to his squeeze. 



I stood by him and he is extremely focused albeit he did look at up me like WTH...... :Smile: 



I brought over in my suitcase a Meyers lemon seedling I grafted from a neighbor of my parents in the vineyards 2 years back on my last visit to the states. A few days ago it finally yielded 2 lemons. Problem though, I planted it in an area that it doesn't get much sun so today I transplanted it being the weather is mild due to the storms. I will be watching it closely. Lord knows I need my Whiskey Sours from time to time...



My first Raspberry. I have been trying to grow these for a few years. Its only one but its a sign I have found a location it likes. I have 2 healthy plants so far.

----------


## Stumpy

I have 5 Mulberry trees that are really producing. Odd this time of year. I have 16 more grafted from branches I will plant soon. I use the leaves to feed my tortoises and I enjoy the fruit..

----------


## malmomike77

> My first Raspberry. I have been trying to grow these for a few years. Its only one but its a sign I have found a location it likes. I have 2 healthy plants so far.


That pic threw me JPPR, i saw the fruit but looked at the dark green glossy leaves and thought WTF, then spotted the Raspberry leaves mixed in  :Smile: 

Love Mulberrys too, can't get enough of them and so easy to grow, just take a cutting and root.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I brought over in my suitcase a Meyers lemon seedling I grafted from a neighbor of my parents in the vineyards 2 years back on my last visit to the states. A few days ago it finally yielded 2 lemons. Problem though, I planted it in an area that it doesn't get much sun so today I transplanted it being the weather is mild due to the storms. I will be watching it closely. Lord knows I need my Whiskey Sours from time to time...


Very nice. I am jealous. 
I love lemons and use them in my cooking extensively.
I had a hard time finding a decent size lemon tree in my neck of the woods (Khon Kaen) and I really looked, all I could find were some small seedlings about 24" tall  that i would be dead before I get any lemons. 
I finally   found one that's big enough just a couple of weeks ago, so I am waiting to see how it does. 
I have a big Lime tree, and i was thinking of grafting lemon to it , not sure if I should do it now or wait after the rains.
Below is a picture of the lemon tree I just got. it needs a bit pruning but I wanted to wait until it got settled to being planted.

----------


## Stumpy

> I have a big Lime tree


I have 6 lime trees that produce big ones and they are great for cooking and Margarita's but Lemons work so good with Salmon and Tilapia on the Q.

----------


## Stumpy

> That pic threw me JPPR, i saw the fruit


Yeah, Its my first Raspberry, even in green state. I would love to see the 2 plants take off and grow but they seem to die quick

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I have 6 lime trees that produce big ones and they are great for cooking and Margarita's but Lemons work so good with Salmon and Tilapia on the Q.


Lemon goes well wish so many things, I make a killer Killer baked lemon  potatoes  and chicken , also an egg white and lemon Sause for chicken and rice meatballs soup. 

Boy it gets dark early now days, not even six and I can it's almost dark. Time to take this show inside LOL

----------


## Stumpy

> Lemon goes well wish so many things, I make a killer Killer baked lemon  potatoes  and chicken , also an egg white and lemon Sause for chicken and rice meatballs soup. 
> 
> Boy it gets dark early now days, not even six and I can it's almost dark. Time to take this show inside LOL


Yep, did my dog run/walk on the back forty. Cloudy and drizzle it gets dark quick. I use Lemons for many things. I use them to make a Lemon Pepper marinade for Chicken wings on the BBQ as well as a really good Whiskey Sour.  :Smile: 

I hope it likes its new location.

----------


## ootai

> Very nice. I am jealous. 
> I love lemons and use them in my cooking extensively.
> I had a hard time finding a decent size lemon tree in my neck of the woods (Khon Kaen) and I really looked, all I could find were some small seedlings about 24" tall  that i would be dead before I get any lemons. 
> I finally   found one that's big enough just a couple of weeks ago, so I am waiting to see how it does. 
> I have a big Lime tree, and i was thinking of grafting lemon to it , not sure if I should do it now or wait after the rains.
> Below is a picture of the lemon tree I just got. it needs a bit pruning but I wanted to wait until it got settled to being planted.


Buckaroo Banzai

Are you sure its a lemon tree?  
I was looking for some lime trees a couple of years back and found out that I needed to ask for "lemon" trees to get limes.
Seems the Thai's call limes "lemons". I showed them pictures of limes and they were excited "oh lemon" they said.
I ended up getting 2 lemon trees and they are growing limes just as they said they would.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Buckaroo Banzai
> 
> Are you sure its a lemon tree?  
> I was looking for some lime trees a couple of years back and found out that I needed to ask for "lemon" trees to get limes.
> Seems the Thai's call limes "lemons". I showed them pictures of limes and they were excited "oh lemon" they said.
> I ended up getting 2 lemon trees and they are growing limes just as they said they would.


LMAO
No not sure at all, though I had the wife explain that were not looking for limes, but lemons, He said he had plenty of lime trees at his shop, but no lemons, but he said he had two at his house and would bring them tomorrow. We went back the  next day and sure enough he had two of them about 5 ft tall , one of which had a couple of lemons on it. I bought the one without the lemons because I did not think it was good transplanting a tree  when it had fruit. 
Now that you mention your story, I wish I had bought the one with the lemons on it     LOL
Perhaps tomorrow I will go back and see if he still has it.

----------


## malmomike77

> I ended up getting 2 lemon trees and they are growing limes just as they said they would.


 :smiley laughing:

----------


## dirk diggler

We have had a lemon/lime (I'm confused now) tree for over 4 years now. It must be at least 10feet tall and never grown fruit.

----------


## Stumpy

While not " What's In your garden" item thought I would share yard gloves that work really well. I never do yard work around these parts without a good set of gloves on.  Too many unknowns and I have seen my FIL and neighbors get stung by scorpions and a few close calls with big centipedes plus numerous thorn shrubs can shred your fingers. 



I buy these off Lazada. They hold up well and are only a few bucks a set. Global house sells them I think but easier to buy a box of them off Lazada and have around the place.

----------


## Stumpy

> Seems the Thai's call limes "lemons".


Yes they do, You ask a Thai, "do you have any lemons" at the store and they take you to a huge pile of limes.  Same at a nursery. Makro sells Lemons but they are usually expensive. I buy them as I need them for now as I wait for my lemon tree to grow more...Hopefully.

----------


## dirk diggler

> We have had a lemon/lime (I'm confused now) tree for over 4 years now. It must be at least 10feet tall and never grown fruit.


Now she's telling me it's a pomelo tree.

----------


## ootai

> Now she's telling me it's a pomelo tree.


We have a couple of pomelo trees here and they never produced any fruit for years but in the last 2 years have started to have fruit the only problem is they tend to fall off before they are ripe.
In my opinion I think they need lots and I mean lots of water.

----------


## ootai

> While not " What's In your garden" item thought I would share yard gloves that work really well. I never do yard work around these parts without a good set of gloves on.  Too many unknowns and I have seen my FIL and neighbors get stung by scorpions and a few close calls with big centipedes plus numerous thorn shrubs can shred your fingers. 
> 
> 
> 
> I buy these off Lazada. They hold up well and are only a few bucks a set. Global house sells them I think but easier to buy a box of them off Lazada and have around the place.


Hey stumpy do you have a name for these as I can't make out the name on the packaging, and its not to do with my monitor size or screen resolution and only small possibility it is to do with my eyesight.
Also considering you short stature do they come in "man size" as I find it hard to find gloves here in Thailand that are big enough for me?

----------


## malmomike77

> In my opinion I think they need lots and I mean lots of water.


Ootai, yes lots of water when they fruit and give them some high potassium fertiliser same as tomatoes. You'll not get decent sized ones and they'll be fairly dry unless you do this.

----------


## Stumpy

> Hey stumpy do you have a name for these as I can't make out the name on the packaging,


Per your request ootai



These are a pretty descent sized glove. They do stretch out a bit also after some use.  Maybe try a pair or 2. I have tried quite a few pair here before I finally landed on these.  The 4 pair I bought at Home Depot and brought from the US finally wore out.

----------


## Shutree

Golden tree snake?

----------


## PAG

^

Either that or a Green Cat Snake (this has a very pale blue 'chin').

----------


## Shutree

> ^
> 
> Either that or a Green Cat Snake (this has a very pale blue 'chin').


Possible, I never got a really good look. The neighbour came over to check it and in the few seconds I was away opening the gate the snake had vanished. The Green cat snake is listed as a nocturnal snake and this was very much daytime.

We pulled out the shoe chest and removed every drawer, no snake. Usually a big tokay lives there but he was not at home.

This is about as exciting as Nongbua days get. I like to see the snakes although I don't really want to trip over that cobra you had.

----------


## Looper

Could not get the waxing gibbous October moon and the kookaburra both in focus in the same photo

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Could not get the waxing gibbous October moon and the kookaburra both in focus in the same photo


That's because they are probably a few meters apart  :Smile:

----------


## mikenot

> Could not get the waxing gibbous October moon and the kookaburra both in focus in the same photo


You would have to do it the old fashioned way, aperture priority at f/32 would be a starting point .....on a tripod and hope the Kookaburra doesnt move for a few seconds !
Easier to cheat, take a photo of each, then use Photoshop !

----------


## Looper

> Easier to cheat, take a photo of each, then use Photoshop !


Champion idea Mike....



 :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

Last year I found a single Chabaa (hibiscus) plant wild amongst the weeds in the garden. That area was just scrub, it hasn't been farmed in years and was never a garden so I don't know where this plant came from. I kept a few seeds and planted them in pots then moved 4 or 5 out to the garden where they have grown into a shrub over 2m tall just in the space of this wet season. The flowers are not as striking as some cultivarse, attractive nonetheless. We are waiting for the seed pods to make pink Thai Chabaa tea.

Should I dig it out this winter and start again or will it keep growing as a healthy shrub?

----------


## Shutree

> Last year I found a single Chabaa (hibiscus) plant wild amongst the weeds in the garden.


Too late to edit. The gf clarified the Thai names for me, while this is a member of the Hibiscus family it is usually known in Thailand as the Krajieb. 

English: Roselle.

I knew it in Taiwan as Luoshen hua (洛神花). A very picturesque name, Luoshen 洛神 is the goddess of the Luo river. 

The name 洛神 can also be used to refer to any beautiful woman. So the Chinese name could translate to The Beauty Flower.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> it hasn't been farmed in years and was never a garden so I don't know where this plant came from.


Animal are known to spread seeds in their excrement , especially Birds are known to spread seed a long distance.

----------


## Looper

Miss Lusty got her toenails spring-painted seasonal jacaranda blossom colour. I tried to get a pic with my jacaranda tree in the background but I forgot to turn on the HDR so the exposure is wrong in the misty rain that swept in and washed away a sunny day.


She did well rocking up with the regular Red Rooster rolls for an early evening appetiser.

----------


## malmomike77

Lovely place you've got there Loops, do you have enough land that you grow and cut your own wood

----------


## Looper

I need to have regular bonfires Malmo just to stay on top of the fuel load for fire prevention near the house.


....and also because I like lighting fires

----------


## Looper

Jacaranda blossom is in my garden this week

----------


## Stumpy

Meyer Lemon # 4 and a new one that just showed up. 





Anyone know where to get citrus plant fertilizer?  I have had little success. I am using my own concoction which is basically the same as I use on my lawn.

----------


## Stumpy

As I walked the yard watering.......











These are all hanging around the pool sala. 



And special treat this morning was finding these....



My 1 raspberry and 1 blackberry vines are starting to bloom. I have been babying these things trying to find an area they like. I have also learned a few tricks on planting them. I will build a small trellis and see if I can keep them growing. Probably only end up with a handful but a small win being they are a PITA to grow here. I guess more of a hobby then filling a bucket full.  :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

^ good luck. In the UK berry fruit, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, currents etc are easy to grow and i miss them in the tropics. The strawberries you can buy are awful. One thing that was a revelation to me are Mulberries, very easy to grow and crop well and if you pick them just shy of ripe they also have a bite of sharpness which is nice when compared to the unremittingly sweet fruit that is nearly all you get in Thailand.

----------


## Stumpy

> ^ good luck. In the UK berry fruit, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, currents etc are easy to grow and i miss them in the tropics. The strawberries you can buy are awful. One thing that was a revelation to me are Mulberries, very easy to grow and crop well and if you pick them just shy of ripe they also have a bite of sharpness which is nice when compared to the unremittingly sweet fruit that is nearly all you get in Thailand.


I have 12 or so Mulberry trees.  I really like them as a replacement for berries I grew up eating in California.  As for Strawberries, I have to say the ones that come out of CM are very good and have a great taste and smell.  Great over a nice bowl of Swensons Vanilla ice cream.  :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

> I have to say the ones that come out of CM are very good


Perhaps i got spoilt but i only eat Strawberries in season in the UK and they are difficult to better, especially with Jersey cream. I buy them i Thailand and the family eat them.  :Smile:

----------


## prawnograph

It's a jungle out there ... papaya behind the house

----------


## prawnograph

Best year yet for the roses

----------


## malmomike77

^ Nice do they smell? or is it just colour. Roses need a lot of mulch and fertilizer to get god blooms every year.

----------


## Stumpy

> Perhaps i got spoilt but i only eat Strawberries in season in the UK and they are difficult to better, especially with Jersey cream. I buy them i Thailand and the family eat them.




This was one of many of the Strawberry purchases we get from a few CM farmers.  They are really quite good and In some cases are better than ones I used to buy in the states. Price is fair. Only downside they are very seasonal so its a few months and done for the year. In the states I could almost buy them year round.

----------


## malmomike77

^ they do look good.

----------


## Stumpy

About 2 hours earlier today I saw a swarm of bees blow through our backyard and figured they wouldn't stop..... However





They did, in one of our shade trees by the house. The nice thing about these bees is they are not aggressive and you can put your hand right up next to the swarm and they pay you no attention. I like having a hive in our yard. They can pollinate our flowering trees.

----------


## Bonecollector

> About 2 hours earlier today I saw a swarm of bees blow through our backyard and figured they wouldn't stop..... However
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They did, in one of our shade trees by the house. The nice thing about these bees is they are not aggressive and you can put your hand right up next to the swarm and they pay you no attention. I like having a hive in our yard. They can pollinate our flowering trees.


Awesome picture and yes bees are so important to nature.

----------


## malmomike77

> I like having a hive in our yard. They can pollinate our flowering trees.


^ Agreed. Had a few build combs in some trees but they never seem to get large or stay too long, more is the pity as they are safe away from marauding Thais after the honey

----------


## Bonecollector

Ahhhhh just ripe for the BBQ!

----------


## malmomike77

what size was she, i love looking at them, dangerous tho they are.

----------


## Bonecollector

> what size was she, i love looking at them, dangerous tho they are.


This beauty was about 15cm by 3cm. Yeah they are very cool and we had quite a few hanging around. We also had plenty of Huntsman's but since we got cats and they were allowed in the garden, we don't see either anymore.

----------


## malmomike77

^ shame, i try to let them all have a place. I let an area go to elephant grass as this encourages the weaver birds collecting the grass which is great to watch when they are nesting but more importantly always encourages praying mantis, one of my favourites.

----------


## Bonecollector

> praying mantis


Love me a mantis, awesome creatures. 

Unfortunately this is our Bangkok mooban garden so its only 15m2, not much space for everyone to coexist. I think the fact more people have moved in around us now has made it a little less wild. Really looking forward to having a proper garden in the countryside.

----------


## Stumpy

> Love me a mantis, awesome creatures.


Man same here and we have lots of them around our place.  

This was a few days back. 







This fella was hanging out on my big leaf plant waiting.........

----------


## Shutree

> Had a few build combs in some trees but they never seem to get large or stay too long,


This seems to be their way:

_A. florea migrate seasonally from one habitat to another. This might increase colony fitness, as the honeybees search for new territories, resources, or a reduction in parasites. Once a colony has outgrown its hive space, it will reproduce via swarming._ 

Apis florea - Wikipedia

Worth a read, if you are are interested in such things.

----------


## naptownmike

We have a flowering shrub that attracts these cool beetles. I've only ever seen them for sale as jewelry in the markets. 

Our caretaker told my wife there were loads on that bush during the rainy season. So we're hoping they will be back again.

----------


## Shutree

> We have a flowering shrub that attracts these cool beetles. I've only ever seen them for sale as jewelry in the markets.


Nice. One of the Jewel beetles, maybe Sternocera aequisignata punctatofaveata. I have never seen one in the wild.

----------


## Shutree

I thought Mendip might apprecite some snaps to remind him of home. I'm sure his gardener has a fine display ready his return.

----------


## naptownmike

^Thanks there definitely interesting. I hope to see a few myself.

I'd like to see those little golden beetles as well.

----------


## Bonecollector

Beautiful Stumpy, I love the shape of their heads, they look like aliens.

----------


## Looper

You shall not pass


Clearing debris from the runway so Miss Lusty does not have an untoward encounter with the quadriplegic black knight in the forest

----------


## Mendip

You're a real gentleman!

----------


## Shutree

A couple of interesting visitors in recent days including a small Oriental rat snake. No pics, the gf was too busy chasing it away.

Also a pair of Red-whiskered bulbuls. Attrative birds. They didn't stay around for a pic so I borrowed one from the Internet. You can sort of tell that it isn't mine from the way it is in sharp focus.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 



Then a Praying mantis, laying eggs.

Mantis is from the Greek, for _prophet_. They do have that sort of feeling about them.



Job done:

----------


## Shutree

Continuing with the Greek theme, I found a stick insect in the leaf litter.

The Latin name for this order of insects is Phasmatodea, which happens to be taken from Greek phasma, meaning a _phantom_. This is interesting bcause the Isan name is something like _ghost_. I am guessing tht the Isan name is traditional, not borrowed from the Greek, so it is curious that the names are so similar. Maybe the Latin idea was borrowed from Isan, perhaps someone knows.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

I found this old weathered tree branch at my wife's uncles farm, and tied a bunch of Orchids on it about a month ago. They seem to love it and are doing well.

----------


## malmomike77

> You can sort of tell that it isn't mine from the way it is in sharp focus.


Shu, there is certainly something for you to improve on in your retirement 




> Then a Praying mantis, laying eggs.


Never seen that before, i like the way you decapitated her  :Smile:  you are as consistent in your photography as Mendip is with his choice of wines.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Continuing with the Greek theme, I found a stick insect in the leaf litter.
> 
> The Latin name for this order of insects is Phasmatodea, which happens to be taken from Greek phasma, meaning a _phantom_. This is interesting bcause the Isan name is something like _ghost_. I am guessing tht the Isan name is traditional, not borrowed from the Greek, so it is curious that the names are so similar. Maybe the Latin idea was borrowed from Isan, perhaps someone knows.


Nice picture!! When i first saw it I thought it was a satellite picture of a country area. It took me a minute to see the stick insect.
I hope it is not a satellite picture , otherwise we will need to get Godzilla to come and fight it LOL

----------


## Shutree

> i like the way you decapitated her


I can see the whole beast on my laptop. Are you looking on a phone or something which is helpfully cropping the pics?

----------


## malmomike77

ah apologies, needed to double click the pic - was too big to show on my page, you'd JPPRd it  :Smile:  i seem to be having an Ootai moment

----------


## Stumpy

> ah apologies, needed to double click the pic - was too big to show on my page, you'd JPPRd it  i seem to be having an Ootai moment


 :smiley laughing: 

Hey I now reduce all pictures to 30%.  Ootai hasn't cracked me upside the head since, so must be OK.

----------


## malmomike77

^ its appreciated by us older members :Smile:

----------


## ootai

> ah apologies, needed to double click the pic - was too big to show on my page, you'd JPPRd it  i seem to be having an Ootai moment





> Hey I now reduce all pictures to 30%.  Ootai hasn't cracked me upside the head since, so must be OK.



You both go and get ****ed.

malmomike
The picture was fine for me without having to do anything

Stumpy
Sometimes you just have to admit defeat and give up trying to educate an idiot who has no comprehension of the problem he creates.

Carryon gentlemen just as I will

----------


## Stumpy

> Carryon gentlemen just as I will


Roger that El Capitan.

----------


## Troy

The garden looks like it was hurriedly tidied up before we arrived but I really don't mind. The wife grew a passion fruit vine before we left last year and the family have been enjoying the fruit.



One of the coconut trees has started to deliver with over 30 decent sized fruit...



Some yellow papaya instead of the usual green variety...



...and plenty of limes this year. Nice to see a St Andrew's Cross spider happily undisturbed in one of the lime trees.



Argiope aemula - Wikipedia

Quite a number of butterflies too but I haven't unpacked the big lens yet.



...and the Hibiscus are still looking good.

----------


## malmomike77

> You both go and get ****ed.


working on it




> Roger that El Capitan.


perhaps not with a capitan

----------


## malmomike77

> The wife grew a passion fruit vine before we left last year and the family have been enjoying the fruit.


I love passion fruit, I grew some up a couple of concrete posts with a canopy. They turned their nose up on my concrete offer and headed for the nearest Lam Yai tree where they set about growing up and through it and cropped really well. My advice grow them up the base of trees.

----------


## Troy

^ Good advice...wife planted at base of a tree and it has spread to neighbouring ones providing a canopy. These are the yellow passion fruit, which aren't as sweet as the ones from South America, but still very nice

----------


## malmomike77

^ see i quite like them with a bit of bite, too many sweet fruits in Thailand, why i like pomelo and star fruit too

----------


## Looper

Not in my garden yet but my biology experiment with a Woolworths avocado stone has split open and sprouted a root so maybe it soon will be...

----------


## Shutree

> my biology experiment with a Woolworths avocado stone has split open and sprouted a root


I have found that various local avocado types will sprout quite strongly. I have a few looking for space in the garden. I started being interested because they have potential as shade trees here, they are evergreen deciduous and can grow tall if you let them.



Once in the ground they become more difficult. I have had maybe ten die and there are six little saplings struggling around the place. I have found they need huge amounts of water and when young they might need some shade from the midday sun. I have also read that grown from seed an avocado tree might not bear fruit for the first ten years. My best hope has made it to about 1.5m.



Good luck with yours.

----------


## Shutree

A very small snake I found as I watered the plants. I think a Common bronzeback, although it was above head height so I couldn't see that very clearly. Not much thicker than a pencil so I guess it must be very young.

----------


## Troy

Looking for bugs in the bushes yesterday, I managed to distinguish between the greens to spot this leaf insect. I nearly fell off the chair as I took the picture one-handed whilst lifting a twig out the way so I could get a decent shot...



I didn't realise there were so many different species of them; I have labelled it as one of the Katydids but I think it may be Holochlora nigtotympana from these pics Holochlora nigrotympana species page - THAILAND NATURE PROJECT

I also spotted what look like grasshopper nymphs...



Taken with my Sigma Macro lens...

----------


## Stumpy

> Once in the ground they become more difficult. I have had maybe ten die


Exact same experience for me thus far.  I had one that was doing really well and got about 3 meters then just died.  I gave up.

----------


## Stumpy

Off to the vet but first some warm water to get his blood flowing



So Monster and Joey had a big pounding MMA fight and Joey tapped out.....literally. He can't put any pressure on his front right leg. Took him to the vet this morning and his shell is to thick to get a clear xray. So we put him in the sun in hopes he would show off his new gimpy walk but no deal. They gave him a shot for some pain and I said I will get him home and line message you a vid when he walks. Got some vids and sent them off. Vet said I need to make some dolly so he can push around and keep pressure off it. I told my wife...Not gonna happen. He weighs 84.2 lbs. Its Sink or Swim just like in nature. He either mans up and recovers or...well...you know.

BTW,  Our Female just dropped out 23 eggs last week.   :Smile:

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Front yard grass. Its a thin blade and loves the direct sunlight


You are making me look bad!! :Nervous: 
Cut it our is my wife sees this is not going to buy my weeds are better for the environment theory.

----------


## Shutree

> make some dolly so he can push around and keep pressure off it.


Our local Mr. DIY store has some heavy duty wood dollies, round with strong-looking wheels. I am sure that could carry the weight. I was about to play on one myself then remembered how stupid and hurt I would be if I fell off.

----------


## Looper

> Once in the ground they become more difficult.


Miss Lusty gave me an avocado sapling in a pot which which her mum had grown from a nut and I optimistically planted it in the garden. It was promptly ravaged and savaged by wallabies down to a twig and had to be dug up and repotted and is currently resting and recuperating on the balcony.

I might keep my new seed sprout in a pot as a curiosity and buy my avocados from Woolworths.




> Off to the vet but first some warm water to get his blood flowing


I like how you've done your concrete stamping in a tortoiseshell pattern stumps. Keeping it in theme with the natives. If Monster gets any bigger he will be camouflaged.

In my garden today were rocks and mist


I am replacing the palm trees I moved down the hill with a rockery since the black knight of the forest (who never says 'ni') prefers rockeries over shrubberies and I like to keep him happy

----------


## Shutree

> savaged by wallabies


There are many life forms eating away at my garden. So far, no wallabies, I am pleased to say.  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

Well not really "in my garden" but this morning I was on my 15km mtn bike route and on my way back near my place I usually cut through a park then get some air down the stairs then ride along the side of the river for a bit. I was cooking along and just about to do my zag along the fence between shrub and I yanked on the brakes and stopped about a foot short of this Prehistoric bastard.



Fortunately I saw the body colors just before I was about to pick up the speed.





This fella is huge, well over a 6" spread. I was laughing thinking man, think about ripping through its web and you look down and that big bastard is on your shirt about chest high looking at you. Probably not an easy thing to just swipe off.

----------


## Shutree

This gal, I think. I wouldn't know but my friend the Internet thinks it is probably a Giant golden orb weaver.

Nephila pilipes - Wikipedia

Yes, they can bite you.

----------


## Stumpy

> Giant golden orb weaver.


Yeah, I knew pretty much it was a orb weaver spider. Big sucker and I was careful and touched on its web to see how strong it was. I understand now why they have been known to snare small birds.

I am going to check on it tomorrow.

----------


## Stumpy

Stopped on on my bike ride home this morning to check her out.

Her web is easily a meter in circumference now and she switched sides to lay in wait. Be fun to have a camera with time lapse to see what it snares.



Was doing some web repair



All set and waiting. I held my Samsung S20 Ultra phone next to her and I'd estimate her length at near 16cm long 10cm wide.

----------


## armstrong

> I held my Samsung S20 Ultra phone next to her and I'd estimate her length at near 16cm long 10cm wide.


Do we really need the full specs of your phone?

----------


## malmomike77

^^ love seeing them. We had one string its web between two lam yais a few years back. Never did see what she caught, maybe thats why she moved on. I put a couple of pots down to guard against forgetting and walking into it.

----------


## Shutree

There were a few yellow flowers lurking along the fence that I didn't trim back. Now they have gone to seed I think they are Indian Mallow (or Country Mallow or other names.)  I only thought about them today when I saw our neighbour out in the wilds digging one up. Apaarently they are much used in some traditional medicine, good for nearly every illness known to man, allegedly.

----------


## Looper

One man went to mow, went to mow a meadow, one man and his supersonic sausage-log, went to mow a meadow


Need a hose down after that messy job

----------


## marcusb

"I usually cut through a park then get some air down the stairs then ride along the side of the river for a bit."

Good fun but if that's how you ride do yourself a huge favour and throw away the reflector in the front wheel.   Just held on by plastic clips, if they break or wiggle loose good chance they lock up the front wheel.  After a mishap years ago my local bike shop removes all the front wheel reflectors. 

When mountain biking in Ft Mac we always argued who went first, no one wanted to. First guy gets all the spider webs that cross the trail.  :Smile:

----------


## hallelujah

^ ^ ^ You not concerned about snakes in that grass, loops?

----------


## Looper

^Funny you should mention snakes Hal as I uncovered a snake this week

Not in the grass but while moving my rocks in my Black Knight rockery

The first snake I have encountered in over a year

He was quite small so I tried to go steve irwin on him and pick him up but he was spitting mad and biting my gardening gloves and since I do not really know much about snakes I decided this was probably on balance a stupid course of action and decided to let him wriggle off into the bushes and freedom

----------


## hallelujah

Yes, I think that was probably the best course of action, you being in Australia and all that.  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

Today was "Trim the front tree day" and with it comes being bombarded by various praying mantis's. 



This tree grows some very aromatic flowers and with them it attracts a variety of insects and butterflies and the many stealthy Praying Mantis that wait.



This little guy hopped onto my arm as the branches fell



This one ran up my jeans and I moved it to a safe place



Another one crawled up a downspout. 

Those are wingless juveniles. 



I found this big female tucked away laying a big sack of eggs. She will die soon. I need to find a careful way to move the egg sack as its on a lid that will get slammed down and probably destroy it

----------


## malmomike77

Love those mantises.

9 years ago on one of the Mrs plots we planted 15 teak trees, not for any kind of return but just because we had the room and wanted to see them grow. When we bought them the were 10 bht each and about 20 cms high with a really huge tap root for their size.

We wateted them for the first year when necessary but after they have been left to their own devices. They have got impressively big in 9 years and seem to be much bigger than others i've see planted earlier.

The pic below is to show the diameter referened to a large chang bottle...of course.

----------


## Switch

A dead rat.

It fell in the pool last night, but couldn’t climb out, so it drowned.

----------


## Stumpy

OK TD Entomologists.  Every year or so I have this attack on one of my favorite trees. 3 years ago it almost died because of the grubs that attacked it but my wife and I spent some time physically boring out the holes as I used a small drill and she sprayed bug killer. The tree recovered. We really like this tree for its HUGE leaves and great shade.



The tree. 





Today when watering I noticed a few bore holes. I sprayed it with WD 40 (LOL because WD 40 works for everything...seriously) and it drove the grub right out. This is the first time I have seen one alive. They are pretty large and I have to believe the state its in, it will get bigger.

Anybody have any ideas?  I googled various beetles here but did not see its grub state.

----------


## Shutree

As a wild guess I'd say a longhorn beetle. I can't tell one grub from another but boring deep into trees is what longhorn beetle larvae do.

----------


## Mendip

The weather in Korat has suddenly heated right up and I fear that's the end of the cool season and the hot as hell season will soon be upon us.

I've also just noticed that our mango trees are absolutely loaded with blossom, so I guess the last thing we need now is a late cold and windy snap to blow all the blossom off. So far it's looking like a good mango year.

----------


## malmomike77

Yep looks a good year, ours are all loaded, one tree is quite far along fruiting

----------


## Airportwo

Still nice and cool here west of Udon Thani, needs to stay cool a while longer as potatoes are still a good month away from being ready. Forecast looking good......... Mango trees are loaded up, dont think that is indicative of how much fruit they will end up bearing, last year they were really loaded and worst harvest for years, though the freak storm in Feb didn't help! Believe they need drought for the next couple of months until they start to bear fruit?

----------


## malmomike77

> needs to stay cool a while longer as potatoes are still a good month away from being ready.


you have potatoes

----------


## Airportwo

Yes, lots - I hope, been growing for the past five years or so.

----------


## malmomike77

lucky man. You are the first i've heard grow them successfully. Do you manage to store them for any time in the heat and humidity?

----------


## Stumpy

> Mango trees are loaded up, don't think that is indicative of how much fruit they will end up bearing, last year they were really loaded and worst harvest for years


Our trees are all full of blossoms too but I never count on anything. I usually start to trim some off when about golf ball size to improve on the quality. We have 3 different type of Mango trees. 

As for weather, cool nights and mornings but days are quite warm here in Lampang.

----------


## Airportwo

> lucky man. You are the first i've heard grow them successfully. Do you manage to store them for any time in the heat and humidity?


We have never grown enough to have excess to store, we had to work to get some soil good enough for potatoes. Being a refined chap, I love fresh spuds, so tend to eat them as they come out of the ground, we did plant more this year, mainly in bags, will see how successful they are? looking good so far, as long as the soil stays cool for the next month or so should be ok.

----------


## Shutree

> Still nice and cool here west of Udon Thani, needs to stay cool a while longer as potatoes are still a good month away from being ready. Forecast looking good......... Mango trees are loaded up, dont think that is indicative of how much fruit they will end up bearing, last year they were really loaded and worst harvest for years, though the freak storm in Feb didn't help! Believe they need drought for the next couple of months until they start to bear fruit?


I think I am not far west of you and here it hit 30C yesterday afternoon. Still cool in the early morning, quite hot in the afternoon sunshine.

Do you buy special seed potatoes? My efforts with some old supermarket spuds have started promisingly then simply shrivelled.

----------


## Looper

Have you ever wondered whether a Papaya has a tap root or the other kind?

No, neither have I but I found out by pulling one out of the ground to replant it further away from the house.


It was a lot easier than moving a Golden Cane Palm

----------


## Airportwo

> I think I am not far west of you and here it hit 30C yesterday afternoon. Still cool in the early morning, quite hot in the afternoon sunshine.
> 
> Do you buy special seed potatoes? My efforts with some old supermarket spuds have started promisingly then simply shrivelled.


No special spuds - just local bought, think it depends on the soil, this year we used bags as well as the ground, the bags have done well. 
Definitely heating up, to be expected I guess, though not really welcomed - by me anyway! Cool nights help, keep all the windows in house closed during the day, house staying around 25c inside, open the windows up at night, least when the neighbors aren't igniting anything that may produce flames! believe they come from a family of  well established arsonists!

----------


## Looper

> Not in my garden yet but my biology experiment with a Woolworths avocado stone has split open and sprouted a root so maybe it soon will be...
> 
> Attachment 79355


Root system is go


A small step to the yoghurt tub


A giant leap towards full gardenhood

----------


## dirk diggler

> tap root or the other kind?


The other kind would be a fibrous root.

Avocado is coming along. They sprout easy here buy we usually chuck them away as the tree will get too big for our space. We have tried to be sly and plant avocados and mangos across the road from our house which is shared grass space for everyone in the moo ban, but they always get chopped down along with the grass.

----------


## Shutree

Golden tree snake back again. I guess somewhere in the world they are golden, here in Thailand I only see green ones.

----------


## malmomike77

^ on a teak tree, great shot Shu

----------


## Mendip

We have a homing preying mantis.

For the last two mornings this guy has been clinging to the mosquito net on the door by the daughter's home schooling station. Both mornings I have taken him out to a bush in the garden.

Tonight while I was fishing the daughter ran down shouting, 'Dad, the mantis is back!'

I hate to be disturbed while fishing, but that's family life.

And here he was... back again, inside the house this time and eyeing up my moo palo.



I took him back outside... but he seems to like us. Let's see if he's back tomorrow...

----------


## Stumpy

^ Interesting brown color Mendy. All the ones we have up in our parts are green. Likely could be an adaptation to the surrounding vegetation.

----------


## Stumpy

My Meyers Lemon tree appears to love its new location. This morning I counted 9 flowers. The good news is it is finally in the ground versus a pot. I had been moving it all over trying to find it a place it liked. Love fresh Lemonade and of course the squeeze over salmon.

----------


## naptownmike

It's freezing outside here now and I have been putting down extra bird seed. This is the kind of animal I hope to see on the trail cameras I bought to set up on our land. Not really sure if there will be anything though.

I saw this fox out there today having some of the good stuff.

It seemed pretty happy to hang out for a while.







He had a pee on this tree on the way out. Just like a little dog.

----------


## Troy

We've had a lot of common keelback snakes in the garden recently, probably because of the pond and frogs. The dogs hardly notice them and I have come close to treading on them more than once as they wander around the garden. Harmless, but if the wife sees them they are history...



Anyway, this is the closest I've managed to get to one, took a while before it decided to slither away towards the pond...



When I first came out here, I was afraid of anything that resembled a snake, but nowadays I hardly bother unless it's a banded krait or spitting cobra.

----------


## malmomike77

Well a big surprise. 8 years ago i planted a tiny Lychee tree i bought at a market. Its taken years to get to any size at all, maybe its the soil or the local conditions but its grew painfully slow. Anyway I thought oh, new leaves, then looked closer and behold flowers. A very happy dad.  :Smile:

----------


## hallelujah

> We've had a lot of common keelback snakes in the garden recently, probably because of the pond and frogs. The dogs hardly notice them and I have come close to treading on them more than once as they wander around the garden. Harmless, but if the wife sees them they are history...
> 
> 
> 
> Anyway, this is the closest I've managed to get to one, took a while before it decided to slither away towards the pond...
> 
> 
> 
> When I first came out here, I was afraid of anything that resembled a snake, but nowadays I hardly bother unless it's a banded krait or spitting cobra.


How often do you see snakes in your garden? I had a couple of pit vipers and a python in my garden when I was living in Thailand, but it was only when I was out cycling on the roads when I would regular see the odd hissin' Sid or 7 (usually squashed).

It would drive me crazy if my missus was in the habit of senselessly dispatching them to the next life.

----------


## Looper

^^^Nice snake pics Troy

Soon to be in my garden will be a peach tree if I can get this to germinate. I managed to extract the seed from a peach pit while incurring only minor personal injury.


Previously in my garden was this fook off giant hairy spider.

----------


## Looper

A flowering sprig of Mesembryanthemum cordifolium formerly known as Aptenia cordifolia

----------


## Mendip

I've been meaning to try and get the bees nest out of one of our nesting boxes now that nesting season is upon us, but left them alone.

And I thought that this box was in a safe location. These golden tree snakes can't half climb.

----------


## malmomike77

He or she is going to be out of luck. Beautiful snakes.

----------


## Stumpy

> These golden tree snakes


They sure are pretty snakes. Had one just yesterday on our fence and disappeared into my hedges before I could get a pic.  

Apparently talk at the market this morning someone saw a 4 or 5 meter long python in the river yesterday morning.  I spent a bit of time last night with my high powered laser flashlight looking along the shore area.  Nothing to be found. We had a 4 meter long one caught and relocated early last year.

----------


## Bonecollector

^^^ Nice Hutsman there Looper, had us a Lynx spider the other day. Really good guys to have in your garden as they eat a lot of the type of bug which eats your favourite plants!

----------


## Mendip

^ I like snakes but can't do spiders. I have a friend with a hobby farm in WA and one time I was going to bed and there was this dirty great huntsman on the bedroom wall. I slept in the car that night.

We get a lot of golden tree snakes and I enjoy having them around the place. Sadly the dogs nailed one last week... just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

----------


## Stumpy

> I like snakes but can't do spiders


Snakes and spiders. No issue for me. However those big ass centipedes here give me the creeps.  I kill them instantly.

----------


## Bonecollector

^ ^^

Yeah it is nice to see that the snake population around you is really healthy, not sure how far out of town you live but still good to see regular sightings of any animal to be honest with you. I see lots of rat snakes out hiking, saw a coral snake on Khao Laem Ratchaburi once; stayed the fuck away from it.

Saw this guy, I believe a rat snake, poking out of a hole in a temple at Sukhothai historical park!

----------


## Shutree

> We get a lot of golden tree snakes and I enjoy having them around the place. Sadly the dogs nailed one last week... just in the wrong place at the wrong time.


They are fast in the trees, not so quick on the ground. I read that they can 'fly', or at least jump from tree to tree with a sort of glide. I have never seen one do that.

I watched one cross the front of the neighbour's rice barn. It is a vertical flat surface, the snake had no problem staying attached.

----------


## Mendip

^ Did you get a picture, Shutree?  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> ^ Did you get a picture, Shutree?


The barn is still there. Can you visualize the snake if I get the barn pic? The barn is helpful in not moving too quickly.  :Smile: 

In fairness I did post a pic of a Golden tree snake a few days back. Maybe it was the same snake ....

----------


## Mendip

^, ^^ Yeah, we get a few brown preying mantises. A cynical person would think it's because the gardener forgets to water anything.




> Yeah it is nice to see that the snake population around you is really healthy, not sure how far out of town you live but still good to see regular sightings of any animal to be honest with you. I see lots of rat snakes out hiking, saw a coral snake on Khao Laem Ratchaburi once; stayed the fuck away from it.
> 
> Saw this guy, I believe a rat snake, poking out of a hole in a temple at Sukhothai historical park!


That was a rat snake for sure, Bonecollector.

We used to get loads of snakes but over the years as Korat has expanded we've gradually become surrounded by development and their numbers have decreased. It's a real shame because I love having the wildlife in the garden. In many ways I'd like to sell up, move away from the city and buy a big plot of land but it's not so easy when you have a daughter in school and a wife that doesn't want to move.

----------


## dirk diggler

> In many ways I'd like to sell up and move closer to the snakes


Who said that?

----------


## Stumpy

The Orchids are growing like crazy around the pool bar area. I need to snip the roots.

----------


## Stumpy

Took a quick ride over to our Uncles house by the river this morning with my wife to check on him. His health is fading pretty fast. I was talking to him about his shrubs. He has a cool little sitting area with a small waterfall. I told him I liked his plants and he got up and whacked off a few and said "Here, toss in water a week, then plant" . Brought them home and put in my lotus flower pot. I want to liven up the pool bar area with some color.

----------


## malmomike77

^ Can't beat freebies and having the memory of who you got them from is nice, especially when they flower.

----------


## Looper

My giant Cheese Plant has finally flowered after years of hibernation.


Looks a bit like a triffid


I dare not turn my back on it when I am out in the garden


But it it always keeps completely still when it knows I am looking

----------


## malmomike77

That is fantastic Loops, we keep monstera as house plants in the UK. I have never seen one in flower.

----------


## Shutree

> My giant Cheese Plant has finally flowered after years of hibernation.


Impressive. I've never seen that before. Does it have any scent?

----------


## Shutree

> ^ Interesting brown color Mendy. All the ones we have up in our parts are green. Likely could be an adaptation to the surrounding vegetation.


Could be Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) which comes in various browns and greens. Brown is the second most common mantis colour after green, if I recall correctly.

I had a brown one hiding on the orchids recently, I didn't see it until after I had sprayed it.

----------


## Bonecollector

That Giant Cheese plant is spectacular, something that would not look out of place at Kew Gardens!

I've done my best in the small space I am provided.



I would like to get a couple of cacti in soon.

----------


## Mendip

Eventually the hoopoes decided to nest in the original, east facing nest box. Here is the male hoopoe perched on the new nest box keeping an eye on the box where his wife is sitting on their eggs.



While he was away foraging for food the female came out of the nest box and started posturing to a pigeon... it seemed to be winding her up.



Then another pigeon came along and the female hoopoe started doing this weird kind of dance and puffed all her feathers up.



The pigeons eventually departed, whether of not due to the female hoopoes threats I don't know, and she thought about popping back into the nest box.



And in a blur... in she popped.



And she resumed waiting for her husband to bring her some food.



He soon turned up with a big, fat, juicy, yellow caterpillar. He called a couple of times to alert her...



... and in a blur he delivered the meal to his wife.

----------


## Bonecollector

^sweet, birds are fun to watch, they have some pretty quirky behavior.

----------


## malmomike77

^^ Some great shots Mendip and also one of my favourite birds.

----------


## Stumpy

Yeah. Cool pics Mendy and pretty bird

----------


## malmomike77

Mendip, am I losing the plot but are all the shots of the same nesting box?

----------


## Mendip

The top shot is both boxes, the last but one is the left nestbox and all the rest are the right nestbox where the female is sitting on the eggs!

----------


## Stumpy

More big caterpillars that I am eradicating.  Funny. Judy my Choco lab can smell them out and leads me right to them. I know what moths these particular caterpillars turn into.

----------


## Stumpy

Well that last 2 or 3 rains that blew through here killed a lot of the Mango tree flowers. Still have a few in the work.s

----------


## Looper

> Impressive. I've never seen that before. Does it have any scent?


These are the fruits. They have a pungent rich aroma of pineapple, banana and coconut, and are possibly the most delicious fruit of any kind that I have ever tasted.


You have to be careful though as you must not eat under-ripe fruit as it can cause severe injury. It contains high levels of oxalic acid and also sharp crystals that injure your mouth. The crystals dissolve and the oxalic acid drops off when the fruit becomes ripe.


Each fruit ripens slowly from one end of the cob to the other over about a week. You can eat about 1 or 2 inches of fruit off each cob each day.


But I also want to grow some new Monsteras from the seeds. Seed extaction is a delicate process involving intercepting the flesh polyps before they ripen fully and squeezing out the seed. Only about 1 in 100 polyps contains a seed. So you have to forgo a significant quantity of the dreamy fruit in order to harvest a modest number of seeds which is a challenging test in the art of delayed gratification.

There are about 10 more cobs still on the plant and not ripened yet.

----------


## Mendip

^ I've never seen or heard of anyone eating cheeseplant fruits Looper. You live and learn. Going by appearance alone I would have assumed they were poisonous... the fruit doesn't look very appetising.

We have a couple of pomegranate trees/bushes in the garden which are flowering at the moment. The daughter had a science project to draw a flower from the garden and label up all the parts and she chose one of the pomegranate flowers... she's doing plant reproduction at the moment which seems straightforward enough but next week she starts on animal reproduction so I'm bracing myself for some awkward questions.

Anyway... her project. She picked the flower and I cut it in half using my fish filleting knife... I'm posting this because I'm unashamedly proud of her drawing!



Now that the daughter is back at school after Chinese New Year I've spent the morning in the office trying to catch up on a ton of outstanding admin. The office window looks out onto two pine trees which were our Christmas trees back in 2007. They must be around 5 or6 metres tall now.

Also in the trees are a pair of Greater Coucals.

----------


## dirk diggler

> I'm posting this because I'm unashamedly proud of her drawing!


I think we all are, outstanding.




> a pair of Greater Coucals.


I get there out the back of my house too and they seem to have a liking for shiny things as they are usually rustling around our bakery equipment.

----------


## malmomike77

> she starts on animal reproduction so I'm bracing myself for some awkward questions.


Surely she's asked what Yogi is up to before?




> they seem to have a liking for shiny things as they are usually rustling around our bakery equipment.


The seem like a Thai equivalent of magpies except not as cocky.

----------


## Looper

> ^ I've never seen or heard of anyone eating cheeseplant fruits Looper. You live and learn. Going by appearance alone I would have assumed they were poisonous... the fruit doesn't look very appetising.


It is not the easiest fruit to make look photogenic.

I had the idea of cutting of the blackened stem from previously eaten sections and that improves it slightly I think.





> I'm posting this because I'm unashamedly proud of her drawing!


Brilliant sketching skills. She has some talent.


This mango seed was from the supermarket monster and has grown 3 separate shoots from a single seed. I good omen and I am expecting great things.

----------


## BLD

> Eventually the hoopoes decided to nest in the original, east facing nest box. Here is the male hoopoe perched on the new nest box keeping an eye on the box where his wife is sitting on their eggs.
> 
> 
> 
> While he was away foraging for food the female came out of the nest box and started posturing to a pigeon... it seemed to be winding her up.
> 
> 
> 
> Then another pigeon came along and the female hoopoe started doing this weird kind of dance and puffed all her feathers up.
> ...


That hoopoe is a pretty interesting bird.  I recall on your issan thread  when you were building a jetty that hoopoe  seemed quite interested in the project?  And curiious

----------


## BLD

Mrs bld is a pretty keen gardener.  I will post up her efforts later

----------


## malmomike77

> Well that last 2 or 3 rains that blew through here killed a lot of the Mango tree flowers. Still have a few in the work.s


i'll see your mangoes and raise you lychees, won't be many this year but its the first time its flowered so i'm intrigued.

----------


## Mendip

My gardener seems to lack quite a few skills you would usually associate with the job and one of them is watering.

A benefit however of erratic watering is that it gives the birds a chance to nest in the orchid coconut shells.

I noticed this zebra dove today.



Closer inspection showed she has two chicks in her nest.

----------


## Looper

^Fugly but also cute

My umbrella tree just flowered. Never seen them flower before and had them for years.


Closer


Closerer


Closest

----------


## Shutree

A Common iora. Maybe not quite up to the high standard of the bird photo thread, so I'll leave i here in 'my garden'. Attractive bird to see flitting about the place.

----------


## Mendip

I'm sorry Shutree, and don't get me wrong - it's a great photo...

But where abouts is the Common Iora? Give us a clue!

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I'm sorry Shutree, and don't get me wrong - it's a great photo...
> 
> But where abouts is the Common Iora? Give us a clue!


I like to put $5 on being that yellow smudge  in the midleg of the picture.

----------


## Mendip

^ Aah, got it now.

Did you know BB that I heard that Shutree invented the 'Spot the Ball' competitions back in the 70s.

----------


## Looper

> But where abouts is the Common Iora? Give us a clue!


I spotted it first time Shutree. Mendip is not the prize pigeon-fancier that he makes out.




> Closest


Closester

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> ^ Aah, got it now.
> 
> Did you know BB that I heard that Shutree invented the 'Spot the Ball' competitions back in the 70s.


I had to look it up .
below is a picture that would not be too hard to spot the ball
.

----------


## Shutree

> Mendip is not the prize pigeon-fancier that he makes out.


Simply jealous of my improving photography skills. I'm sure that oria pic is better than the Greenish warbler and the Indian roller. As for the sunbirds, of course the fact that there were, in fact, no sunbirds in the pics as posted presents a challenge to those who don't grasp post-modern impressionism.
(Or not.)

----------


## HuangLao

Sukhothai & Phichit -

----------


## Stumpy

> 


Beautiful little pond. That exactly what I envision doing soon. 

Cheers

----------


## Shutree

> I'm sorry Shutree, and don't get me wrong - it's a great photo...
> 
> But where abouts is the Common Iora? Give us a clue!


Encouraged by these words of support I thought I'd go for an even better picture of the iora. Of course, as soon as I got near it flew off. However, a tiny bird remained. I have since looked at pictures of lots of warblers and other small birds, there are squillions of them in Thailand, and not yet found one with a red patch at the rump which I'd have thought might make this wasy to identify. Does anyone know?

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

After several false starts , I have officially entered the  ranks of the Thai Tomato producers. I will save the seed from that big one and see if I can reproduce the success next year if I am still in Thailand. :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

Nice, where did you get the beef tom seeds?

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Nice, where did you get the beef tom seeds?


Not sure, Tunk had mailed me some of his but I think they were mostly cherries , but he might had send me those also. Or I might had bought them locally, I will check with the wife when she comes back from shopping and see if she remembers. 
Not very organized with them, 'cause I did not expect any success . 
I will save some of those seed though for next year, because that plant seemed to be the only one that did well. I have another plant that gave me lots of good size cherry tomatoes, but those are a dime a dozen in Thailand.

----------


## Shutree

This snake was chasing its lunch across the driveway when the dogs saw it. Two out of three dogs ignore snakes completely, the third gives a distinctive 'snake bark'. I am putting it down as a Common bronzeback (งูสายม่านพระอินทร์ (ngu sai man pha inn)) although I'd welcome more informed opinion.

It lost the frog. Judging by the small bulge halfway down I'd say the snake had already eaten one.



Some of its victim's blood still on its face.



One thing I find after I move pics from my phone to the laptop then to TD is that some colours alter. In the original, that blood is more red and the snake's head is more noticeably bronze. In the next pic, the original clearly shows some blue scales halfway down the side of the snake, barely distinguishable here.

----------


## Shutree

> Sukhothai & Phichit -


I really like that pond area, very nicely done.

----------


## Shutree

Frogs. There are maybe 200 different species in Thailand and mostly I cannot identify them. This little chap is sitting on top of an empty vodka bottle in the shed:

----------


## Shutree

(Not pictured.) Mosquitoes. A couple of rainy days and the little bastids are already out in force.

These Hawkmoth caterpillars never seem to stop. These are small plants that I check nearly every day, then suddenly the leaves disappear and you find a monster the size of my thumb.

----------


## Looper

^amazing hawkmoth monster Shutree. Looks like a Dr Who alien intelligence


It is 4 years since the last time my agaves rocketed forth with their phallic blooms

Last time it was the Agave Attenuata

This time round it is my Agave Americana Marginata...


The little one further back is also getting its little rocket on. They seem to be coordinated. The Attenuata also all blossomed in unison 4 years ago.

This is the end of the lifecycle for these beautiful plants. They grow for 10-20 years. Then explode in this blaze of glory and then die.

The mother plant throws off loads of pups in her final burst of natural exuberance before bringing down the curtain, and natures cycle starts again with the pups.

I have been scattering her pups round the forest to make her final curtain call as productive as I can.

----------


## ootai

> ^amazing hawkmoth monster Shutree. Looks like a Dr Who alien intelligence
> 
> 
> It is 4 years since the last time my agaves rocketed forth with their phallic blooms
> 
> Last time it was the Agave Attenuata
> 
> This time round it is my Agave Americana Marginata...
> 
> ...



Looper
They look like giant asparagus stalks, can you eat them?

----------


## Shutree

> can you eat them?


Ootai, I am concerned that you have been living in Thailand too long.  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> Looks like a Dr Who alien intelligence


They have rather small heads relative to their bodies. When alarmed they tuck their heads down and show a large pair of faux eyes on what would be their shoulders, if caterpillars had shoulders.

----------


## ootai

> Ootai, I am concerned that you have been living in Thailand too long.


Nothing top do with living too long in Thailand, I was crazy before I come here. I just seem to fit in better here.
Really I asked because I love eating asparagus and they look very like that. I have managed to get some growing here but still too early (only going on 2 years) to cut and eat any stalks.

----------


## Shutree

> Nothing top do with living too long in Thailand, I was crazy before I come here. I just seem to fit in better here.
> Really I asked because I love eating asparagus and they look very like that. I have managed to get some growing here but still too early (only going on 2 years) to cut and eat any stalks.


Yes, love asparagus. Here it is mainly the thin version, not bad although I miss the plump English asparagus that is widely grown in the sandy soils of north Essex. (Not by me.)

It was only your question "Can you eat them?" This seems to be the first question the gf asks about a new plant. Her first comment when I ask her about any local plant that she knows will be "You can/can't eat that." Even things she cannot name, if it is local she'll be sure to know if it's edible.

----------


## Shutree

I usually wear gloves when in the garden. There seems to be an unlimited variety of plants and animals out to hurt me. I slipped on some gloves yesterday and got a pain in my finger. Somehow this hairy beast had got in there overnight, I think it was those hairs that jabbed me. No long term harm done - to me.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Sukhothai & Phichit -


Love the goldfish pond also . Nice design and a cool spot to hung out at.

----------


## Looper

> Looper
> They look like giant asparagus stalks, can you eat them?


My giant asparagus has begun its final floral fanfare


Haven't tried to eat it yet.

The little sidekick is coming along


I am relocating many succulents and yuccas in a Freedom Of Navigation Operation after several complaints from visitors claiming that freedom of passage was being impeded by foliage


This one is nice with the pink edging


I am not sure if it is yucca or dracaena. Dracaena is oddly enough a member of the Asparagaceae family which includes garden asparagus

----------


## naptownmike

Looper your garden looks huge do you live in the forest.

----------


## naptownmike

My wife’s roses are looking better after two years away.

----------


## naptownmike

And a little surprise in the garden yesterday. A new addition to the neighbors land.

----------


## Shutree

Nice rose. Not so nice snake. Is it a viper?

----------


## dirk diggler

Not a pit viper. 



*Banded Kukri Snake (Oligodon fasciolatus).
ngu pbi geaow lai taem*The species is somewhat variable in ground colour and in the intensity of patterning. Typically it is light brown or buff to grey-brown in colour, patterned with irregular darker brown cross-bands which are edged in black.
This snake is reputed to have an aggressive disposition when disturbed.

----------


## hallelujah

Did you allow it permanent residence or shift it off elsewhere?

Presumably the latter.  :Smile:

----------


## Mendip

^ Kukri snakes are ok... we get loads of them.

----------


## naptownmike

I scooped it with a mango basket and safely delivered to a neighbors tree.

----------


## Shutree

> ^ Kukri snakes are ok... we get loads of them.


They are no problem. Unless you are an egg.

If you get close enough to see the round eyes as in Dirk's picture then identification gets easier.

----------


## prawnograph

We brought small ones of these back from Sa Kaeo 2 years ago, now in full flower

----------


## armstrong

I heard a scream as wife and daughter went out to the coffee shop.  They came running in and explained there was a massive snake.  I bravely and heroically let the old, frail security guard deal with it. But he did let me bag it up so I felt involved.

Wife's currently talking about moving to Ireland.

----------


## dirk diggler

Have you identified it yet, brave warrior?

----------


## malmomike77

Did he kill the deadly golden tree snake?

----------


## Loy Toy

> Did he kill the deadly golden tree snake?


I suggest the snake's lack of movement and the guard's blue pipe might give you a hint.

----------


## Looper

^If you peel that snake skin off you can use it to carry your own urine Armstrong in case of dehydration emergency. I saw that on Bear Grylls

Or you could use it to carry Chang spritzer bubbly if you prefer!




> Looper your garden looks huge do you live in the forest.


I live in the forest Mike and my driveway is under leafy siege.

After laughing at the Mini Minx not being able to stay on the driveway last year I ended up coming off myself in the rain tonight.


The foliage is definitely encroaching and in need of a further severe pruning.

----------


## Stumpy

Returned back from Krung Thep for 3 days of business and relaxing and opened up the incubator and the first hatchlings have begun to emerge. All 17 from her first lay are coming out.

----------


## Stumpy

This morning my dogs gave me a good laugh while I was vacuuming the pool.  So Sandy is relentless about playing fetch. While I was vacuuming she kept dropping the ball in the pool so I would get it and throw it. I got tired of her game and stuck it on the hammock post until I was done. However Sandy wanted the ball. 



Here I think she is discussing plans with her sisters on what she is going to do as they look on with focused attention.



She executes her plan and stretches for the ball but cannot get it off the hook.  Judy watches on with a bit of confusion wondering "Why isn't it coming off?". Annie never loses focus.

----------


## dirk diggler

Congrats on all the hatchlings, that's pretty cool. What happens next? Do they suckle milk from mum somehow or just start eating eating? I've never really thought about it.

Will you keep them all?

----------


## Stumpy

> Congrats on all the hatchlings, that's pretty cool. What happens next? Do they suckle milk from mum somehow or just start eating eating? I've never really thought about it.
> 
> Will you keep them all?


For the first 3 or so days they just need to remain warm with water. After that they will eat as adults do. Vegetation. My FIL really has taken a liking to caring for them. Eventually they will be sold to a export broker in BKK who sends them to various pet stores as I have been told. 

As I have mentioned before. Tortoises are not a desired food by any culture. So they usually become pets or live in the wild.

----------


## dirk diggler

I had a quick look online and couldn't find any for sale. What's the going rate? Sounds like they can come with or without papers. A bit like cats or dogs, but easier to manage!

----------


## Stumpy

> I had a quick look online and couldn't find any for sale. What's the going rate? Sounds like they can come with or without papers. A bit like cats or dogs, but easier to manage!


They vary on age.  A little one (6 months) is about 1000 bht.  Easy to care for. Just lettuce or let them graze the grass.

----------


## naptownmike

I found a bunch of these when having our land cleared today. They look like old school Loofahs.

----------


## naptownmike

I could be in the money with these things  :smiley laughing:

----------


## malmomike77

They look better scrubbers than the worn out ones in Suki

----------


## naptownmike

I didn’t see what vine they were growing on though as the place was to wild.

----------


## Looper

Señorita Surabaya gave me 4 of these weird nut things last year without telling me what they were

Can anybody identify them?

----------


## Looper

> Señorita Surabaya gave me 4 of these weird nut things last year without telling me what they were
> 
> Can anybody identify them?


I managed to get 2 of them to germinate and this is what they have come up like

----------


## malmomike77

Did she flout Aussie importation laws  :Smile:

----------


## Looper

In my garden this week is water by the torrent load

Giving my hastily repaired storm water system a try out

----------


## Looper

> Did she flout Aussie importation laws


Good question Mike now that I think about it.

I could be infringing some vegetation by-law or customs criminal code with these bad boys.

----------


## Stumpy

Yard going crazy with flower blooming. Orchids, shrubs, plants and lotus flowers

----------


## cyrille

It's been a good year for the roses.






All the birds seem to be courting too. 

 :Love:

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

Don't know what this is called but itch pretty.

----------


## Shutree

> Don't know what this is called but itch pretty.


That looks like Bird of Paradise flower. Should be some more blueish/purple bits to come.

----------


## ootai

> Yard going crazy with flower blooming. Orchids, shrubs, plants and lotus flowers






> It's been a good year for the roses.



Stumpy
You have some really nice orchids there.

As cyrille says its been a good year for the roses and I believe he lives up your way somewhere.

So I was just wondering about what happened to your wife's roses?
I remember you posting pictures before and she had a beautiful rose garden.

----------


## Stumpy

> So I was just wondering about what happened to your wife's roses?
> I remember you posting pictures before and she had a beautiful rose garden.


Well it all died.  We went back to the states for 2 months and we returned and they pretty much died.  Wife moved on to Orchids.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Don't know what this is called but itch pretty.


This is another flower growing in our property that I dont know what is called but seems to be of the same family as the one above , but rather than growing upwards is hanging down.

----------


## cyrille

Might be heliconia.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> heliconia


Once I had the name , I Google it and you are right. 


And given the Greek origin of it's name I hope I have garnered additional points toward solidifying my Greek credentials  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> Might be heliconia.


Thanks, Cyrille. I have seen this a few times and never got around to finding the name. I have never seen it at the plant shops either. It is a very distinctive flower. Probably my friend Lazada will have some.

----------


## Shutree

The bronzeback is back. I don't recall ever hearing a frog scream before. There was quite a chase around the garden before the snake got its lunch.



A few minutes later and the frog is nothing but a bulge halway down the snake.

----------


## Shutree

This looks to be an Oriental garden lizard. Minding its own business.



Until the dogs arrived.



The dogs are not very big and they are not very brave. The lizard stood its ground and gave some warning noises. Like a throaty bark, is there a special name for the noise?
It was enough to deter the dogs, who wandered off pretending that they hadn't been interested in the first place.

----------


## VocalNeal

I have no idea except it is an insect

----------


## Shutree

> I have no idea except it is an insect


It is a planthopper, a Pyrops. Curious looking animals, I found one here once.

Pyrops - Wikipedia

----------


## Stumpy

^ actually they are Canthisgaster Cicadas.  At least that is the research info I found 6 or 7 years ago.  We have many around the property and when they get screaming at certain times of years they are loud.

----------


## Shutree

> ^ actually they are Canthisgaster Cicadas.  At least that is the research info I found 6 or 7 years ago.  We have many around the property and when they get screaming at certain times of years they are loud.


Maybe a rose by any other name? I don't know, except that planthoppers and cicadas are in the same Order, Hemiptera.

Pyrops candelaria species page - THAILAND NATURE PROJECT

----------


## Stumpy

Cool. Thanks for the info Shutree.  Before I took out the very old Lumyai trees to start the pool project we had literally hundreds hanging around both of them.  Then sometime around July August they would start screaming.  My wife would spray them with water.  

They are interesting insects in that even if you try and touch or grab them they prefer not to fly but move from you.

I have a few on my old Mango tree

----------


## Arman Ahmedi

Here is what is in my front garden. I don't know names in English as I only know in Thai and Farsi and Isan. These plants are common here in Thai Soi Tuek Thaew (ตึกแถว) homes. I don't know the names in English as I only know them in Thai, Farsi and Isan. I plant these myself. Wasps did come to one of my trees here but that tree died a long time ago. Insects are pretty rare as I live in this Soi with rarely any insects (an neighbor did had a wasp nest and the wasps invaded my trees).

----------


## Arman Ahmedi

Bro thats a ตัวเหี้ย (yes bad word). Thai people believe it gives luck and make you rich.

----------


## Stumpy

> Bro


^ Hmmm.... Interesting. Post before that blurry...something like a Chico might do.  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> Cool. Thanks for the info Shutree.  Before I took out the very old Lumyai trees to start the pool project we had literally hundreds hanging around both of them.  Then sometime around July August they would start screaming.  My wife would spray them with water.  
> 
> They are interesting insects in that even if you try and touch or grab them they prefer not to fly but move from you.
> 
> I have a few on my old Mango tree



It's interesting (to me, at least), if you search for this as a cicada you can find images that are certainly the same insect. There are also other images that look much more like a standard cicada and are quite clearly a different animal. For example:

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

----------


## malmomike77

> they would start screaming


.... :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

The sunbirds are back, the pomegranate is in flower and they come to check it out. Another fine picture of a small dark bird:



 :Smile:

----------


## prawnograph

23 March 2022, Sa Kaeo

----------


## Looper

^They look nice and healthy compared to my scabby little stragglers


Was in my garden... Then in my kitchen jar... 

...a Striped Marsh Frog

Those are the ones that go 'Tok' with a sharp single high pitched call


And finally in my Tom Yum soup.


Only joking, he is alive and kicking

----------


## prawnograph

For a few years we kept this area over the back wall sprayed and tidy, now gone for the jungle look apart from a 1m scorched-earth strip alongside the wall.
Bananas and papaya.

----------


## Shutree

It is Spring and a young Garden lizard's thoughts turn to love. Getting into its red mating colours.

----------


## Looper

^^Nice and jungly Prawns

^That is a ruddy tumescent palor if ever I saw one

A custard apple will be in my garden soon.


Mini Minx wanted to pinch one off my neigbours tree 2 years ago. I went with her after her reconnaissance exercise but the next neighbour along was wandering round so we had to pretend we were not about to steal anything and walk on and the opportunity slipped away.

Then I saw them for sale in Coles.


Bargain and so yummy and I got 20 seeds too.


They do not grow true to type as they are a Mendelian hybrid but I will try and grow them anyway.

----------


## Looper

Today in my garden there is a huge cock and balls


I cut it just for fun but then the carburettor flooded so it will still be there for the flying instructors and their young trainee pilots to see tomorrow when they are doing their Sunday pilots training course fly overs.

----------


## dirk diggler

Maybe make a rockery around it and plant some pink and purple flowers inside.

----------


## dirk diggler

A hillside carving in the shape of a giant PENIS which has appeared on a mountainside has become a tourist attraction 
‘Recent snowfall has seen the phallic symbol become visible for miles in the North Wales countryside.



And it is baffling locals as well as attracting visitors.

----------


## Looper

^That one is bigger than mine

The Asparagus Triffid grand florid finale is progressing gradually...



Some pics of the cute little Striped Marsh Frog before his release back to the garden

----------


## Mendip

I've learnt not to raise my hopes too much when walking around the garden on my return home after a work trip.

But I was a bit disappointed to have to point out to the 'gardener' that this tree looked past it's prime.



I saw these two on a lime tree branch... friend or foe?



But some good news... the lemon tree has finally decided to bear fruit. We have about eight big lemons developing and I may have to invest in a bottle of gin to celebrate.

----------


## Shutree

> I saw these two on a lime tree branch... friend or foe?


I have no idea what they are. They have a sort of guilty look. Similar to a Stink Bug. Did they have a pong about them?






> the lemon tree has finally decided to bear fruit. We have about eight big lemons developing and I may have to invest in a bottle of gin to celebrate.


I have the gin, sadly the few flowers on my Thai lemon trees turned into nothing at all. Maybe we can work something out here.  :Smile:

----------


## Mendip

I believe the going rate is 5 fresh lemons for a bottle of Gordon's?

----------


## Shutree

> I believe the going rate is 5 fresh lemons for a bottle of Gordon's?


I only have Bombay Sapphire in 1 litre bottles. I reckon they are worth a lemon tree each.

----------


## Mendip

^ Bottle*s*, plural?

I've never heard of anyone owning more than one gin bottle before. Well posh.

----------


## cyrille

Unlike Gordon's.  :Very Happy: 

They've redesigned their bottles but it's still bog standard gin.

Trumped by Tanq.

----------


## Shutree

> Unlike Gordon's. 
> 
> They've redesigned their bottles but it's still bog standard gin.
> 
> Trumped by Tanq.


For me, yes. Gordon's is older, Tanqueray started up later and the two eventually got together at some point. The name of the Royal Warrant holder is Tanqueray Gordon & Company Ltd. Of course it is all Diageo now.

Gordon's is now sold in smaller, 70cl bottles. They sneaked that past an unsuspecting public. Bombay and Tanqueray are still 75cl. Or, when available, 1 litre.






> I've never heard of anyone owning more than one gin bottle before.


The opportunity came up to acquire a case. It seemed rude not to.

----------


## Looper

This fella appeared from the forest looking a bit confused.


Must have taken a wrong turning somewhere as you rarely get kangaroos here.

This is wallaby turf.

Unless it maybe is a Bennett's Wallaby...  :Scratchchin:

----------


## Looper

Was in my garden...


Now in my kitchen

Got there before the bastard wallaby this year!

----------


## Shutree

> Got there before the bastard wallaby this year!


Wallabies can eat pineapples? I can only eat one after a deft seller has hacked at it with a machete. The wallaby has risen in my estimation.

----------


## dirk diggler

> Wallabies can eat pineapples? I can only eat one after a deft seller has hacked at it with a machete. The wallaby has risen in my estimation.


Bahahaha

----------


## naptownmike

I have seen quite a few of these lizards in our garden lately. Not this color though.

----------


## Mendip

> Got there before the bastard wallaby this year!


I've got rats and squirrels in my garden... I'd love to have a 'bastard' wallaby hopping about!

----------


## dirk diggler

Potato flakes next to a bowl of water for the rats.

Or time for a build project with your Daughter:





Air rifle for the squirrels. 

Or get a Jack Russell.

----------


## Shutree

> I have seen quite a few of these lizards in our garden lately. Not this color though. 
> 
> Attachment 85595



Nice one. That looks like the imaginatively named Blue crested lizard.

Siamese blue crested lizard (Calotes goetzi)

----------


## Mendip

When I'm away at work, my 'office' doesn't get used and when I returned last week I found that a pair of pigeons had taken up residence on the balcony.

We have a bit of a pigeon problem, mainly because I'm too soft to kill them... but I do turn a blind eye when Maya and Yogi catch and kill the occasional bird. At least those pigeons get eaten so there is no waste.

Anyway, I now have a brace of pigeon eggs incubating on my balcony. I will remove the mess once the fledglings have flown the nest.



What I find most interesting is that the male and female take it in turns to sit on the nest.

This white and grey speckled pigeon is, I think, the female.



And this colourful, handsome chap, the male.



With some research I have discovered that pigeons are considered one of the most intelligent of birds, they mate for life, are completely faithful to their mate and grieve very badly when a mate dies, sometimes to the point of starving themselves. They also 'kiss' before mating, which seems a bit odd.

No way can I kill them, but I just wish they didn't make so much mess.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

As some of you might know, we are traveling to Greece . Yesterday we went out for a nature walk on a country road, by some olive groves. 

Chamomile growing wild for the taking

Puppy flowers are beginning to bloom, Anyone up for a smoke  LOL

Wildflowers everywhere

----------


## Looper

^Awesome Mediterranean spot for a bit of stalking a lone female along a quiet road BB!

This fig tree was growing in my roof gutter but has come down in the world and found a new home in a plant pot and will be transferred to the garden once it is recovered from its uprooting.

----------


## Reg Dingle

He's dragged his bedding out of the house there and nobbed it in the garden.

It's the canine equivalent of Mendy at sea, sticking it in his Swan towel

----------


## Looper

^Lol!




> Wallabies can eat pineapples? I can only eat one after a deft seller has hacked at it with a machete. The wallaby has risen in my estimation.


They are hard as nails are wallabies and will chew through the wrong of a pineapple without blinking




> I've got rats and squirrels in my garden... I'd love to have a 'bastard' wallaby hopping about!


I actually got a video of the wallaby munching last years pineapple and then hopping away looking quite guilty. He obviously knew I had been hungrily waiting my time to pick. Although I actually got about 75% of it so it was not a lost cause.

I was looking forward to 100% of the pineapple this year until I saw these in Coles.


They are twice the size of my little tiddler and they cost less than $3

----------


## Looper

> The Asparagus Triffid grand florid finale is progressing gradually...


Curious to see the progress of the asparagus triffids' efflorescence

The florets bloom from the bottom up so the bottom ones have expired, the middle ones are in ruddy bloom with their engorged stamens thrusting skywards and the top ones are still hiding under a bushel.

----------


## Looper

This was the pineapple which I ate last night. The forest pineapple tasted like potato. The Coles pineapple tasted great.


When I sent my photo complaint to Miss Mindanao today she told me that everybody in Philippines knows not to eat unripe pineapple as it is poisonous. So I googled it and she is right. Which explains why I woke up in the middle of the night with a massive migraine and had to take 2 codeine.

Anyway, I thought I had got one up on the wallaby this year but I am going to have to concede defeat once more.

I think I will stick to Coles pineapples from now on.

----------


## Shutree

> codeine.


Can you buy that over the counter in Oz? I think it was removed from UK shelves decades ago. I don't even know if it is offered on prescription there.

----------


## Joe 90

Japanese Acer and British Blubells came out in colour this week..

----------


## malmomike77

> Can you buy that over the counter in Oz? I think it was removed from UK shelves decades ago. I don't even know if it is offered on prescription there.


God that takes me back, used to be a bloke who went to one of the locals and he was called Codeine Kenny.

Anyway, Mendip is your neighbours roof in your garden? watching the news today and Korat looks to have copped a squall.

----------


## PAG

Just watching M'Sahib doing her weekly watering of her cactii and succulent collection.   What started as a few plants about 4 years ago, has mushroomed into something else.   God knows what she intends to do with them all, though apparently there is a market out there.

She got this greenhouse about a year ago, just a frame wiith some heavy duty polythene, with some roll up windows and doors for ventilation.



One side of the house.

----------


## malmomike77

Do you think its getting a little out of hand PAG  :Smile:

----------


## PAG

> Do you think its getting a little out of hand PAG


Just a little......

----------


## PAG

Some of these cactii do produce some great flowers though.   This one has been noticeable the last couple of days.

----------


## Neverna

^ I had a white cactus flower like that many years ago. Another one I had was a lovely red. Both were pleasant surprises.

----------


## armstrong

Not a lot but the grass has been cut at least.

----------


## Mendip

Your lawn's a little bit wonky there mate, you want to borrow a gardener?

----------


## armstrong

> Your lawn's a little bit wonky there mate, you want to borrow a gardener?


We've got one. But she looked about 70 yesterday.

----------


## Mendip

Oh... what's her name?

----------


## Looper

> Can you buy that over the counter in Oz? I think it was removed from UK shelves decades ago. I don't even know if it is offered on prescription there.


I got it from my dentist last year and kept it stashed for alternative emergencies.

----------


## Mendip

The two pigeon chicks from the nest on the balcony hatched last night.



It's a bit frustrating because this week it was planned to move a couple of aircons from downstairs to upstairs... my daughter's bedroom and my office. The outside units are to be mounted high on the wall of this balcony so that project is now on hold for a few weeks.

Pigeon chicks aren't the cutest of chicks... but they're here now so I'll wait for them to fledge before cleaning up the balcony and preventing any more nesting.

----------


## malmomike77

Squab pie

----------


## Mendip

^ Wouldn't make much of a pie yet...

I've been sitting in my office doing some admin and watching the mum...



And dad take it in turns to sit on the nest to keep the chicks warm (it's quite cold in Korat today - 23 degrees).



I never realised that pigeons are so interesting.

----------


## malmomike77

Well it was in the garden, the first one off the bush. Its got the length right but needs to work on the girth.

----------


## Shutree

> Its got the length right but needs to work on the girth.


On the plus side, easy to slice for the G&Ts.

----------


## Looper

^^^^^Awesome nature doco Mendy

In my garden this week is a 3 metre long Agave flower

----------


## Bonecollector

Sporadically blossoms from our creeper.

Some beautiful looking plants in Aus Looper!

----------


## malmomike77

> On the plus side, easy to slice for the G&Ts.


You have point Shu :Smile:  and i don't need it to be really juicy. Right, now to source the G&T.

----------


## VocalNeal

> Its got the length right but needs to work on the girth.


Story of my life

----------


## malmomike77

> Story of my life


Its not the size of the lemon that counts.

----------


## Mendip

This tree is flowering right now and the flowers give off a wonderfully rich, sweet aroma that pervades the entire house on a still evening. I haven't got the words, but the Thais just seem to say 'hom'. It really is like a perfume.



 I've just planted another of these trees down by the chicken run to try and hide the smell. We have three now but I'd like more.

----------


## Bonecollector

^easy Will!

Photobomb crap as well.

I like the palm type bush. Good if you need to cover some space.

----------


## Stumpy

We have half a dozen varying flower trees that really make the house area smell great when they bloom.  One is interesting as you can't smell it very well up close but can smell it when 20 feet away. Another only seems to smell heavy at night.  

My wife has tracked all of them down. Nice thing is being all different, they tend to bloom at different times.  My SIL who is staying at our place has told my wife the place is Hom Mak

----------


## S Landreth

One of two in the yard yesterday. When they get larger (to eat a pup) they will leave us.

----------


## Joe 90

I guess you get used to them.

Me, never!

----------


## Mendip

> ^^^^^Awesome nature doco Mendy


It's ongoing.

While I've been sitting in my office doing some stuff for the past half hour I first watched daddy pigeon caring for his offspring...



And then, down flew mummy pigeon to take over.



I never realised that pigeon fathers were such good parents. Maybe it's the same for other birds as well?

----------


## Mendip

I don't particularly want this pigeon family on my balcony but now that they're here I may as well speed things up. The quicker they grow up and fly the nest, the quicker I can get the aircon installed.



Here's the father feeding them. He opens his beak and the chicks take regurgitated food from down his throat.

----------


## malmomike77

I imagine the outcome is similar in the Chitty house. :bananaman:

----------


## Reg Dingle

^ have you seen that can of all day breakfast and frazzled eggs Mendy's knocked up?

He's right, that male pigeon is the better parent :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

Look at Dill come on all egg sophistry coz his Mrs cant go wrong with his new egg cooker. :Smile:

----------


## Joe 90

> I imagine the outcome is similar in the Chitty house.


No need for that slur on my Michelin starred culinary skills :Smile:

----------


## Looper

> I don't particularly want this pigeon family on my balcony but now that they're here I may as well speed things up.


Don't fly the coup on your Arctic jolly and leave us on cliff-hanger Mendip...

We demand photo updates of the great fledging event from mini-Mendip!

In my garden this week is my Thanksgiving Cactus flowering in its antipodean month of May


It is distinguished from the Christmas and Easter cactus by it pointy leaf projections.

----------


## Mendip

> Don't fly the coup on your Arctic jolly and leave us on cliff-hanger Mendip...
> 
> We demand photo updates of the great fledging event from mini-Mendip!


Here ya go Looper!

The daughter sent me this pic today, taken a week after the one above.

The chicks are doing well and are feathering up but this picture annoyed me slightly. The new grey pipe shows that the aircon project has been done since I left home but the guy obviously didn't try and shape the outlet pipe around the edge of the balcony and just cut straight across instead. In fact he could have easily diverted the piping elsewhere but that would have meant buying a few corner pieces which he obviously didn't fancy doing. A job waiting for me when I get home.

----------


## malmomike77

Bloody farang, installer does him the favour of using less pipe and therefore saving him some money and the whitey does nothing but bitch about it. Were instructions left telling him to blow the budget and drive the pipe around the balcony's periphery, no, no instruction at all.

----------


## Neverna

The pipe probably points straight to a drain. You might as well shift the drain hole into a better position while you're at it, Mendip. Do a proper job!

----------


## Mendip

The project wasn't supposed to start until the pigeons chicks had fledged!

Yes Nev, the grey pipe has been directed into a drainage hole just behind the pigeon nest. Not a bad location, to be honest. Mike, there was a float of around 50 Baht for any unexpected events and this would have covered about 8 corner pieces I would have thought... but anyway.

What also worries me is that a second aircon unit was moved to the other end of the balcony (for the daughter's bedroom) where there is a second drainage hole. I asked the wife to send me a pic of the finished job but since I criticised what I've seen so far she seems to have gone off comms. One of her friends was the aircon 'engineer'...

----------


## malmomike77

The solution is to add a 1" layer of concrete - hey presto no unsightly pipes

----------


## Mendip

^ I'll get the daughter onto it, the wife doesn't seem to be speaking to me just now. All I said was, "WTF didn't you get him to guide the pipe around the edge of the balcony?". My wife doesn't respond well to comments like that.

The daughter can change the pigeon's water while she's at it!

----------


## Looper

^^^^^Thanks to the mini-Mendip for the update.

They look like baby vultures.

Are vultures maybe a cuckoo species?

----------


## PAG

One of M'Sahib's cacti starting to flower.

----------


## Mendip

> Thanks to the mini-Mendip for the update.


There was a storm a couple of nights ago in Korat and the pigeon chicks on the balcony apparently got a bit wet and bedraggled. In a rare act of compassion the wife put them in a cardboard box with some straw and they dried out nicely. The parents are still visiting to deliver regurgitated food.

It looks as though one will be white, like the mum and the other grey, like the dad.

----------


## PAG

^

----------


## malmomike77

> It looks as though one will be white, like the mum and the other grey, like the dad.


i think they'll end up as snack with the addition of krapow

----------


## Mendip

^ I don't know... my wife eats a lot of very questionable stuff but I've never known her to eat one of our pigeons yet.

Yogi and Maya, on the other hand...

----------


## PAG

A piece of what looks like a kind of bamboo that we have in our garden, that M'Sahib took the small, 4" battery chain saw that I got her to yesterday.   Made light work of the job cutting it up for disposal.   The pieces are surprisingly heavy, and the wood quite dense like hard wood.

----------


## Looper

> One of M'Sahib's cacti starting to flower.


Compliments to your good lady's fragrant white bloomers PAG

My own little succulents are blossoming at the mo

Thanksgiving cactus


Has 1 sexy little red stamen thrusting amidst a jostle of white also-rans

----------


## Mendip

Our pigeon chicks continue to thrive. 

They're probably not the cutest of chicks and they're making a hell of a mess, but they've got a safe home.

So long as Reg Dingle doesn't turn up with his new catapult.

----------


## Neverna

They've blocked that drain hole up nicely.

----------


## HuangLao

Make for nice grilling - 
On the gamey side.

----------


## S Landreth

^FO Jeff

The Whistling Ducks  are back. They made their appearance yesterday and whatshername was able to get a shot this morning. We expect at least another 20 will follow.

----------


## Mendip

I checked back through the photos and saw the pigeon chicks hatched on 1st May, so they're coming up for four weeks old. I hope they fledge soon so that I can clean up the balcony. Well, the gardener can, anyway.

Today... the ugly ducklings are turning into swans...

----------


## S Landreth

two days after I posted the picture in my last post here, there were 36 ducks (not all pictured). They must share the news

----------


## Mendip

These two are the spitting image of their parents; one white and one grey. They'll be one month old on Wednesday which is coincidentally also my daughter's 11th Birthday.



They're becoming quite mobile and are coming up to the most dangerous part of their short lives... Yogi and Maya have caught and eaten many of our young pigeons on their maiden flights.



And if they survive that, there are also unscrupulous people out there who will try and kill them with a slingshot.

----------


## Stumpy

Nice job Mendy...I think.  

I have to say when we arrived back here from the states, I had 3 bird nests going in 2 windows and one on the ledge walking up our stairs to the house. There was bird shit everywhere. They all had eggs. I removed all the nests, tossed the eggs in the field and scrubbed up all the bird shit. Its just flat nasty and unhealthy. The bird shit draws flies and cockroaches. I am a firm believer that we have ample trees for them to nest in. No need to pollute my house.

While I admire that you let those pigeons go the distance the bird shit and smell must be nasty and now you will have those flying carp around your place forever. This why they call pigeons "Homing" birds" .

----------


## Mendip

Yeah, it is a mess but ten minutes will make that balcony spotless again. 

The daughter's enjoyed watching the chicks grow and to be honest I've found it pretty interesting to see how both parents have been incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. But it won't happen again on the balcony.

----------


## Stumpy

> Yeah, it is a mess but ten minutes will make that balcony spotless again.


Cheers mate. I get it. I just cant do it. Those 2 will nest again at your house. Better get out your slingshot as they will be back. Pigeons are the worst and carry the most diseases.

----------


## Loy Toy

These flying rats are a menace and I would kill every one of the filthy vermin if I had a chance and the time.

My biggest worry is not the shit everywhere but if Bruno kills and eats one he will get sick due to the diseases they carry.

----------


## PAG

M'Sahib received some potting medium on Saturday, so has been busy potting up some of the cacti she's grown from seed.

----------


## naptownmike

That’s quite the collection of cactus impressive. Will she sell them or are they all for personal use.

----------


## naptownmike

I made up a temporary fence for our dog while our building project is going and these small frogs moved right in. There are already two.

----------


## naptownmike

I already had the frog in my shoe trick  :France:

----------


## PAG

> That’s quite the collection of cactus impressive. Will she sell them or are they all for personal use.


A small part of her 'collection'.   Don't know the eventual plan, whilst not given names to each and every one (yet), they fall within the 'my babies' category.   I will nudge her towards getting a stall at one of the occasional garden fairs that are held here, now that they are likely to be held again.

----------


## tunk

Two or three years now in this raised bed garden. Imo it's perfect, if I had to go back to ground level garden I would probably stop gardening. The ledge around the top, you can sit there and do alot. You can't do that using just landscape blocks because landscape blocks  are not comfy on your ass. The size is perfect, you very seldom need to step in so no soil compaction.  The soil stays fluffy, when you add a bag of cow shit it stays in there insted of leaching out into the surrounding soil. Almost no weeds, and fewer insects than ground level. When a crop is finished flip the soil and its beautiful, rake it out and plant again.
 I've been experimenting with the black cloth and it is something you need year around here in Thailand. A wood frame will never last of course, you change it every couple years. I'm thinking about 2 inch PVC. Pvc stands up to this heat and sunshine pretty good. I think a PVC frame might last many years.

----------


## tunk

After the last harvest I watched a video of Thai man trimming a lamyai, now I see, yeah it was a good plan.

----------


## tunk

I was spaying fruit trees because of the leaf cutter wasp.He came to work while I was spraying, I gave him a really good shower.

----------


## MAF

Lush greenery...

----------


## dirk diggler

Shall we agree that this exsnake that I just found in my garden is a cobra? 

Dogs appear to be fine though.

----------


## PAG

^

Monocled Cobra.   You're dead within an hour if its bite hits a vein.

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## dirk diggler

It's possible I stood on it to it's demise on my way in last night. We're using the back door while the painters are in and I always go in first with phone torch to light up a safe passage for everyone else.

 :Very Happy:

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## Bonecollector

Fak me, that was lucky! 

But yes, definitely a cobra, don't all cobra's have that eye?

----------


## dirk diggler

> Fak me, that was lucky!
> 
> But yes, definitely a cobra, don't all cobra's have that eye?


Pretty lucky. Now I think about it more, I would have heard the barking if the dogs got it during the night. On the other hand, if they had gotten it before I came home they would have been jumping around to proudly present it to me.

With my shitty phone torch on I'm only really scanning for dog shite.

Bloody hell.

----------


## PAG

> Fak me, that was lucky! 
> 
> But yes, definitely a cobra, don't all cobra's have that eye?


No, that's a specific variety.

----------


## Mendip

> We're using the back door while the painters are in


Too much information, mate.

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## malmomike77

> Too much information, mate.


 :smiley laughing:

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## dirk diggler

Using the back door resulted in a limp snake.

----------


## Bonecollector

> Too much information, mate.


Just swooped in with that one huh mate 55555

----------


## Bonecollector

> Using the back door resulted in a limp snake.


5555555

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## hallelujah

> Shall we agree that this exsnake that I just found in my garden is a cobra? 
> 
> Dogs appear to be fine though.


Looking at some of those bottom pictures, it appears that the skin has been damaged in some kind of attack. It doesn't seem to be shedding, so maybe your dogs did the business and got lucky. 

I doubt very much that it wouldn't have retaliated if you'd stood on it (they often give dry bites if they don't see you as a food source, but you would have been at least been bitten) and I don't think standing on it would have been enough to kill it. Unless you really have been piling in those deep fried Mars bars of late.  :Smile: 

Yours, 

Steve Halwin

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## Mendip

That cobra definitely looks to have been mauled by the dogs. 

Out of interest, the daughter stood on a white-lipped pit viper a few years ago and received a bite for her efforts. That one seemed to be a dry bite.

Snake bite

----------


## hallelujah

> That cobra definitely looks to have been mauled by the dogs. 
> 
> Out of interest, the daughter stood on a white-lipped pit viper a few years ago and received a bite for her efforts. That one seemed to be a dry bite.
> 
> Snake bite


That doughnut based antivenom is the way forward.

Coincidentally, I used to get those white-lipped pit vipers in my garden in Central Thailand fairly regularly. They were one of the more pleasant things that came to my door if truth be told.  :Smile:

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## malmomike77

> They were one of the more pleasant things that came to my door if truth be told.


dry entry is never pleasant

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## Bonecollector

> That cobra definitely looks to have been mauled by the dogs. 
> 
> Out of interest, the daughter stood on a white-lipped pit viper a few years ago and received a bite for her efforts. That one seemed to be a dry bite.
> 
> Snake bite


Just read the thread, must have been a right scare, glad she was ok and seemed to take it on the chin. I'm sure the doughnuts gave her a bit of Dutch courage!

----------


## ootai

Last night while out to feed my cats, I do it at night so the dogs are not out to chase them, I came across a snake. It wasn't very big only about half a metre long.
At the time I didn't know what it was as I had never seen one like it before. This morning after searching on Google I am sure it was a Banded Krait.
Looked very nice but now I know it is very venomous I am not so sure I like the fact that is out there somewhere.
I think it is time to be much more careful and to make sure I wear better footwear than flip flops and also use gloves when cleaning up.
I'm sorry I don't have a picture to share as I don't carry my phone around with me around the house.

----------


## prawnograph

Hornets
Not the bees' knees.

----------


## Looper

GrapeFroranges


These are a hybrid citrus, and they make for a tangy bitter quaff after a hard day in the garden

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## Mendip

I was sitting inside today when alerted by Yogi's snake bark. He and Maya were going frantic by the car.

I soon found the cause of their excitement... a lovely golden tree snake trying desperately to get out of the dogs' reach before they were back on it's trail.

Up...



And up...



And more up...



Until it ran out of wall.



You can run but you can't hide when I'm around.

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## malmomike77

They are beautiful, well done for rescuing it.

----------


## ootai

I was out and about earlier than usual this morning and these were looking awesome. I've not seen them in full bloom like this before so i just had to get a picture.


The bees were happy and busy


Flower number 2


About 2 hours later they were already starting to close up as they were getting hit by the sun


Number 2 is not so closed as it was still a bit shaded


This is what they will become and they are delicious when chilled.

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## Shutree

One juvenile Black-winged kite touched down this morning. 

That was a surprise, first one I have seen. Too quick for a pic though.

----------


## malmomike77

> Too quick for a pic though.


How would we know.... :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> How would we know....


I understand your point, although it is somewhat distrustful of my observation skills.

 :Smile: 

I have been wrong before, however I brought back from the UK not one but 2 books of Birds of Thailand and although I don't think this kite is very common I am very confident about the identification.

Photo next time ....

----------


## malmomike77

> I understand your point, although it is somewhat distrustful of my observation skills.


I was expecting you to post up a slightly blurry pic telling us it was just moving out of shot.  :Smile:

----------


## dirk diggler

> although it is somewhat distrustful of my observation skills.


Don't worry about it, I saw a fox when we were coming up the mountain to the rigsite yesterday.

----------


## Shutree

> I was expecting you to post up a slightly blurry pic


A fair prediction. The monkey pic will meet your expectations when I get to last part of my trip report.  :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

^ looking forward to it, your pics are bit like the old Littlewoods spot the ball competition if you recall those.  :Smile:

----------


## ootai

We have a tree here that has these flowers on it and they give off an amazing scent that is strong and very nice.
I am hoping someone can identify it for me.


It produces flowers in what I would describe as clumps.


The flowers end up as a "nut" which is around 100mm diameter and has a thin wooden like outer case.
When these fall of they contain a lot of seeds inside


These are the leaves if that helps anyone identify the tree.

----------


## PAG

Known as the 'Cannonball Tree', though correct name is Couroupita guianensis

----------


## tunk

This bush smells so good. If my gfs' bush smelled this good I'd be eating that shit several times a day.

----------


## DrWilly

> This bush smells so good. If my gfs' bush smelled this good I'd be eating that shit several times a day.


Charming.

----------


## cyrille

He's a real smoothie.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Stumpy

Had this guy on my red flowering shrub the other day. No idea what butterfly or moth it would turn into but sure a nice looking one. My wife told me that those white whiskers are barbed and if you touch with your hand it will itch for a few days.  I was wearing my yard gloves as I always do and took care of it and fed it the birds that grabbed it up almost instantly once exposed on the ground.

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## malmomike77

^ another species takes a step nearer extinction  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

The dog was making its special snake bark and I found it keeping a safe distance from this snake. The tiles are 40cm so the snake is about 60-70cm, with a fairly thick body. It wasn't too bothered by the dog and it didn't rush off when I went out either, it moved slowly off in its own sweet time. I thought it might be a keelback of some kind, anyone know for sure?



The face markings look distinctive.

----------


## malmomike77

I'll just add, for a group of 9 tiles  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> I'll just add, for a group of 9 tiles


In fact not. Each one tile has a pattern of 9 small squares. So it does look like 9 small tiles - without the challenge of laying that many.

Anyway, mosaics aside, what is the snake?

----------


## malmomike77

^ That's what i meant, sorry.

----------


## Shutree

> I thought it might be a keelback of some kind, anyone know for sure?


After a bit of research I think I'll go with the Yellow-spotted keelback, aka the Common keelback.

Xenochrophis flavipunctatus  species page - THAILAND NATURE PROJECT

----------


## dirk diggler

I'm going with checkered keelback. Non-poisonous but aggressive and bite happy.

If only Shutree could have gotten a bit closer, not that I would have without my gun.

----------


## Shutree

> I'm going with checkered keelback. Non-poisonous but aggressive and bite happy.
> 
> If only Shutree could have gotten a bit closer, not that I would have without my gun.


I am cautious with snakes that don't slither away rapidly, if they are not afraid then there might be a reason. I think the keelbacks are venomous, enough to take down a frog, but unlikely to hurt a person unless they stuck a finger in its mouth and let it chew. Maybe someone else will volunteer.

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## dirk diggler

Not poisonous enough for the Aussies to recognise:




> Description. Keelbacks are Australia's only non-venomous, semi-aquatic snake. They are a small snake growing to 1 m at the most, but most adults range from 50 - 75 cm. They are grey to olive-brown or black in colour, with an indistinct banded pattern.


However:




> Keelback snakes have salivary glands that secrete poison they ingest from eating poisonous toads. While both venom and poison are toxins, a venom requires direct delivery, for instance subcutaneously through a snake bite, but can be ingested without harm.





> The tiger keelback snake (Rhabdophis tigrinus) is a venomous (and poisonous) colubrid from Japan that gets its toxin primarily from eating toxic toads, one of its main prey items.

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## dirk diggler

And, closer to home:




> Several of these species are quite venomous and extreme care should be taken around them. The most dangerous may be the Red-necked Keelback, found in lowland wetlands across the country and linked to several near-fatal reactions.Sep 22, 2563 BE
> 
> 
> *Keelbacks of Thailand*

----------


## tunk

The man at the seed store told me to plant tomatoes in September, but here it is July and I'm getting a lot of tomatoes set. This was a volunteer plant and I had no reason to pull it, it must have 15 tomatoes.

----------


## tunk

This purple plant [google says Cordyline] lives in the shade of the Lamyai tree and loves all this rain we've been having. These are just cuttings off the mother plant.

----------


## Shutree

> And, closer to home:


Interesting. I think I'll continue to be cautious around these keelbacks. I don't expect to see many, I don't have a pond myself although there are ponds and rice paddies close by where they might be living.

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## DrWilly

> Interesting. I think I'll continue to be cautious around these keelbacks. I don't expect to see many, I don't have a pond myself although there are ponds and rice paddies close by where they might be living.



I'm cautious around all snakes. And as you said, if it's not afraid then it probably has good reason.

----------


## hallelujah

This is an interesting channel for those who have an interest in snakes and/or get occasional slithering visitors to their gardens.

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## Looper

A rare sighting in the forest of the lesser spotted Mini Minx...


The Mini Minx had not been seen at these southerly latitudes since early 2021

Could this unseasonal sighting be due to man-made climate change?

Whatever, keen observers are hoping that this marks a sustained return of an old forest favourite.

She has added some cute lady bumps to her X5 since last year


She set about harvesting cactus cuttings for her balcony




For her friend's new house she gathered some agave pups and her favourite: Singapore Daisy (illegal invasive species - propagation prohibited)


She came bearing gifts of toasted chocolate almonds


And date wrapped walnuts


I told her the citrus trees were in fruit but she brought her own anyway


Now slumbered in the land of unicorn rainbows

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## malmomike77

When was the last time you got a test, not a PH test.

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## Loy Toy

Had two encounters with snakes today, the first confrontation was when I was removing wooden skirting boards from one of the rental house bathrooms and the second just now with a snake in the pool at home.
Later today I have to clear some reeds and weeds from the klong at the rear of the rental house and although snakes are a concern the water monitor lizards are a bigger worry as they are huge.
Best get the wellies on with rubber gloves.

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## malmomike77

post some pick Loy, even for you they'd paint 20 words

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## Looper

> When was the last time you got a test, not a PH test.


January 2021 - last full service - due again in the next 6 months

And like a ninja in the night she was gone before dawn


...and she forgot her cactus cuttings

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## malmomike77

With a full tank and no doubt she'll be back for the cuttings, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but someday.... :Smile:

----------


## PAG

Is that a child seat in the back of the X5?

----------


## Looper

^She is very proudly showed me her Childcare authorisation card which allows her to do private child care work. The main achievement being the passing of the English test. No idea how she passed as she cannot string 6 words together. I would love hear some dash-cam audio of her conversing with her young charges.

The sun rose to reveal an X5 shaped parking rain shadow with a suspicious wet patch where the rear differential would be.


Looks like she left with fluid dripping from her rear end

And just in time too. I awoke late with a plan for drinks and a movie but an incoming alert from Senorita Surabaya meant I was back on rostered duty with only 8 hours sleep


I don't drink on duty despite the temptress dress


A few mossies on the balcony on this mild winter night so we repaired indoors for dinner.


No Colonel Sanders tonight so 2 plates of Tandoori were whipped up


Followed by chocolate mousse in a puddle of cream

----------


## tunk

Congratulations Looper. You don't get many visitors do you ?

----------


## Mendip

> Looks like she left with fluid dripping from her rear end


Sounds like she needs a good service.

----------


## Joe 90

> Sounds like she needs a good service.


 :smiley laughing: 

Sounds like she's already had a good service!

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## tunk

Details Looper. Ten pictures but very few details. Which toy did you use. "Open wide baby here cums the B52"

----------


## Joe 90

I do enjoy Loopers posts  :Smile:

----------


## PAG

Another of M'Sahib's cacti in flower, extraordinary what these spikey things can produce.

----------


## prawnograph

*Attack of the 50ft Caterpillar*

Oleander Hawkmoth caterpillars eating their way through the garden

----------


## prawnograph



----------


## Looper

> Details Looper. Ten pictures but very few details.


The only dirty details I can divulge are bathroom related.

Senorita Surabaya kindly cleaned the mess for me while I was sleeping.


I did not know that I had 6 identical deodorants. It was too messy for a deodorant audit before.


My bathroom looks like a 7/11 now

It was not only cactus cuttings that had been abandoned in the hasty early Saturday morning departure of the Minx but also English lesson books.


This fortunate (for me) forgetfulness forced an early and welcome return, wrapped in her pink woollen winter warmers this time.


I got my opportunity to make her into another captive Tandoori addict.


That is a clean plate by any standards.

----------


## Stumpy

I found these nice hose holders made of SST online through Lazada for a good price. I had some plastic hose holders on the wall that crack in a short period of time. The other hoses around the compound are on the ground. This holder you can direct wall mount or make a remote stand as I did. I have numerous hoses around the property and wanted to clean it up and make it easier to hold.  I bought some rectangle mild steel tubing and welded up a few simple stands, painted them black and placed in the ground and cemented to secure them.



Cut up the steel and welded.



All painted and the hose holder screwed on, set in ground and cemented



Hose installed.  Pretty easy DIY project.

----------


## HermantheGerman

This year I have yardlong beans growing in my garden. I have noticed lots of different insects like flies, yellow jacks, wasp, ants being attracted to the stem where the beans start to grow out of. I of course don't mind the insects because they appear to be doing no harm, and even if they did I would let them be. More the a 25% are endangered!
Anyway, does anyone know what attracts these little insects?

----------


## Looper

^^Not bodgy enough 5/10

Farewell to the Minx


She has got me correcting her English homework.


Not sure of this is the best way for her to improve her barely coherent language skills.

And hello to whats new in my garden... my utility toy truck


I make broom broom noises when I am piloting it round the yard and the Action Nazis get a ride if they have been well behaved and are not too hung over


I was very dusty and mucky when Senorita Surabaya swooped in this evening with 20 minutes notice


I gentlemanlyly gave up the last plate of Tandoori and made do with cold corn salad


Who says the age of chivalry is dead

SS gave me a full 1 hour oil massage in return. It was easily in the top 25 percentile of top rubdowns I have had from massage shops. She is a dark horse. I have known her for 2 years next month and this a completely new trick.


It is her birthday this week so I got her the queen of special price sparkles Yellow Tail Rose and some Lindts to scoff


Apple pie dripping with cream for pudding

----------


## Looper

My garden has been invaded by Nazis and Ingrid has been taken to a remote quarry for interrogation.

Under suspicion of fraternising with the enemy she faces brutal and degrading forms of probing for information and confession.


But you have overlooked one little thing my Nazi friends....


Yes you have overlooked our hero's 'gripping hands' (TM (c) Palitoy 1973)


Our hero saved the day and when I went to look in on them later Ingrid was showing only token resistance to our hero's 'groping hands'


Uncle Gunter was trying to get in on the act but his young Sturmbannfuhrer seems to have developed blue-balls-driven deranged desires after his frenzied probing of Ingrid's vital secrets.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Cut up the steel and welded.


Nice welds.
 I had done a bunch of welding in Lab, at univocity (Aviation Technology Majors) and I was very good at it.
I had even done some aluminum welding which was the most difficult welding because it does not  puddle it starts sweating and when it does you better  move your bead or or will collapse on you  
So I bought an Arc Welding machine feeling pretty confident.
It turns out I cant weld for shit!! I am either doing cold welds or burning   trough, I have tried everything and have finally produced some viable welds, but they are ugly , cant get a proper bead to save my life. 
I would apreciate any advice 
I am in the market for a gasless Mig welder.

----------


## Stumpy

> Nice welds.
>  I had done a bunch of welding in Lab, at univocity (Aviation Technology Majors) and I was very good at it.
> I had even done some aluminum welding which was the most difficult welding because it does not  puddle it starts sweating and when it does you better  move your bead or or will collapse on you  
> So I bought an Arc Welding machine feeling pretty confident.
> It turns out I cant weld for shit!! I am either doing cold welds or burning   trough, I have tried everything and have finally produced some viable welds, but they are ugly , cant get a proper bead to save my life. 
> I would apreciate any advice 
> I am in the market for a gasless Mig welder.


Well let me tell ya BB, I have been trying to get the hang of this arc welding process. Honestly I am not good at all. In the US I had an awesome Miller TIG welder but didn't bring it with me when I moved. My buddy bought it off me. After I hung up drag racing and car mod stuff I wasn't welding much anymore and didn't think I would be here. As time has gone on though I have found the need to weld more and more. Little projects and things around the compound. I bought an arc welder here and had not used it much, primarily as I was busy with work.  I have tried different Rod models and made up a bunch of Mild Steel coupons to try with different power settings. It is definitely something you have to take time out of your day and practice. One thing for sure, You really need to have a good work bench so you can spread out and weld your projects. I was doing it on the ground and on this brick thing I set up and it was making it harder than it probably needs to be.  I am looking for a nice shop bench currently.  Few things I have learned FWIW, 

I found the RB26 weld rods work the best and can do a respectful weld around 85amps ( this is using the standard old rectangle mild steel stuff here)

I find that the hardest part is getting the arc initiated and then holding the arc at the right distance and then moving at the right speed (Again, just more seat time). For me, I weld much better when the rod is about half the length. When its new the thing is just too damn long. Unfortunately you can't cut them as the flux surrounding the electrode cracks and falls apart rendering the rod worthless.

Make sure you clean all the metal really well, Most of it here is heavily covered in an oil which is common. I have a grinder/wire wheel set up and wire wheel all the parts.

Buy some good clamps and a welding magnet.  It secures the parts well and insures good contact between both parts to be welded 

Other than that, Its been trial and error and not as easy as one would think. I might invest in a TIG Welder here. That makes life easy. Only thing though, TIG welders are usually stationary in the shop as mine was in the states. What's nice about the Arc welder is you can plug it in anywhere and weld.

Cheers

----------


## VocalNeal

> I would apreciate any advice


Welding is a young man's game have you tried what Merkins call a cheater lens (others call a diopter) which fits inside your welding visor?

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Well let me tell ya BB, I have been trying to get the hang of this arc welding process. Honestly I am not good at all. In the US I had an awesome Miller TIG welder but didn't bring it with me when I moved. My buddy bought it off me. After I hung up drag racing and car mod stuff I wasn't welding much anymore and didn't think I would be here. As time has gone on though I have found the need to weld more and more. Little projects and things around the compound. I bought an arc welder here and had not used it much, primarily as I was busy with work.  I have tried different Rod models and made up a bunch of Mild Steel coupons to try with different power settings. It is definitely something you have to take time out of your day and practice. One thing for sure, You really need to have a good work bench so you can spread out and weld your projects. I was doing it on the ground and on this brick thing I set up and it was making it harder than it probably needs to be.  I am looking for a nice shop bench currently.  Few things I have learned FWIW, 
> 
> I found the RB26 weld rods work the best and can do a respectful weld around 85amps ( this is using the standard old rectangle mild steel stuff here)
> 
> I find that the hardest part is getting the arc initiated and then holding the arc at the right distance and then moving at the right speed (Again, just more seat time). For me, I weld much better when the rod is about half the length. When its new the thing is just too damn long. Unfortunately you can't cut them as the flux surrounding the electrode cracks and falls apart rendering the rod worthless.
> 
> Make sure you clean all the metal really well, Most of it here is heavily covered in an oil which is common. I have a grinder/wire wheel set up and wire wheel all the parts.
> 
> Buy some good clamps and a welding magnet.  It secures the parts well and insures good contact between both parts to be welded 
> ...


Thank you for all the great tips.
I do a reasonably good weld, by that I men it holds together LOL but it isn't  pretty. I usually have to grind the hell out of them to make them look half way decent . lots of paint helps.  
I know what you mean about the new long rod, I have the same problem . My hands shake too much . 
Welding is the only activity where a smaller rod is better LOL

----------


## Shutree

Frogs, there are quite a few about the place after so much rain in the past couple of weeks.

This one has been camping out in my wellington boot, I think it is a Banded bullfrog. (Note to the gf, the outside tiles need sweeping, there is dog hair everywhere.)



The next one escaped the lawnmower. I haven't identified it.

----------


## Mandigo

Some chickens

----------


## Shutree

> I haven't identified it.


I think I'll put it down as an Asian rice frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) unless anyone has a better suggestion.

----------


## Mendip

^ That top on is what the wife calls '_ung an_' or something similar. 

We get quite a few and they must taste pretty bad because she's never shown the slightest interest in eating one.

----------


## Shutree

> ^ That top on is what the wife calls '_ung an_' or something similar. 
> 
> We get quite a few and they must taste pretty bad because she's never shown the slightest interest in eating one.


The second one is on the Isan menu though. I haven't asked the gf about it, in case I get strife for letting it go!

----------


## Mendip

^ Shutree, I used to regularly release frogs into the pond from the wife's 'frog enclosure' and I found that the best course of action was just to deny all knowledge about her disappearing snacks... or lie through my teeth if necessary.

That works unless you have an eleven year-old who grasses you up.

----------


## Shutree

Another Golden tree snake. This one slipped into the house and beind the bookcase. Nothing to be done but to wait for it to come out when it was ready.



Then guide it out to the great outdoors.

----------


## malmomike77

^ they are lovely looking things. did your Mrs hamster bark at it  :Smile:

----------


## tunk

Beautiful pic. I've never seen that snake around here.

----------


## PAG

> Beautiful pic. I've never seen that snake around here.


Rarely see them on the ground, nearly always in a tree.   Quite harmless.

----------


## tunk

Well then maybe I have seen them. I've seen a snake that travels through the bushes very fast, never could get a good look.

----------


## Loy Toy

I often, and did so again yesterday morning, see blood splattered on the cement floor with no sign of any victims as my wife cleans any evidence as she finds it.

She did say the latest killing was that of a metre long water monitor lizard a victim of Bruno the executioner.

Unfortunately Bruno doesn't judge whether the visitor is harmless or not.

----------


## Shutree

> ^ they are lovely looking things. did your Mrs hamster bark at it


The gf's two (maybe a bit) chihuahuas were off duty. If they saw the snake they did nothing. Their excuse would be that after a lot of fighting in recent months they both went to the vet to have their bits snipped the day before. They were, and remain, lost in a brown study.

----------


## Shutree

> Well then maybe I have seen them. I've seen a snake that travels through the bushes very fast, never could get a good look.


Although the English name is Golden tree snake I think the Thai name works better: Green snake. They are really swift up trees and although I have never watched one do it they can reportedly 'glide' from one tree to another.
Attractive snakes. I didn't try to pick this one up because they can bite if provoked, they don't have enough venom to be a threat to people but they do have teeth.

----------


## Looper

Trimming branches near the powerline with a pole saw


I brought toilet paper with me to fell this ironbark since I always get nervous when felling trees close to buildings but I ended up having to run back to the house for felling wedges and a jack anyway when it started to lean ominously towards the shed during the back cut.


All's well that ends well...

----------


## tunk

A sure sign that grubs are eating my mango tree. They are hard to kill because they burrow in and resin seals the hole behind them. They go to the center of the branch where it is softest and just tunnel and feed. They can kill large parts of the tree. It didn't fall over I just can't turn it.

Attachment 92152

----------


## tunk

After I sprayed it some of the holes turned white, maybe newest holes that the resin hasn't sealed.

----------


## malmomike77

> All's well that ends well...


Loops when you take a moment out from cleaning your pipes, your gutters need cleaning.

----------


## Troy

Cows, I've got 3 cows in the garden. They are keeping the grass short. Not very evenly and they make a lot of mess, but they're doing a reasonable job.

----------


## malmomike77

^ you might find a use for the shit Troy  :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

> I brought toilet paper with me to fell this ironbark since I always get nervous when felling trees close to buildings but I ended up having to run back to the house for felling wedges and a jack anyway when it started to lean ominously towards the shed during the back cut.
> 
> 
> All's well that ends well...


Loops, you need to put a wedge cut in the base about 1 1/2 foot up and facing the way you want the tree to fall, you back cut opposite the wedge about 5 inches above the wedge and unless you have wind it'll fall where the wedge cut points. 

EDIT.

I don't know if you've ever had any fire there but those trees are waaaayyyyyy to close to your house/building, one you need a fire break and two if you get a load of wind the first you'll known about any internal rot is when it comes through your roof.

----------


## Looper

> Loops when you take a moment out from cleaning your pipes, your gutters need cleaning.


It is a couple of years since I was up on the shed roof so the gutters are definitely in the pipeline


In my garden today was a 24 inch red bellied black snake

I was too slow with the camera to get a picture

----------


## Looper

I went on a viking raid on my scooter to plunder my neighbours Angels Trumpet

Don't worry it was not his rusty trumpet.


They are highly toxic and the alkaloids can cause hallucinations. I read this after carrying them home and before googling details on how to propagate them. American Indians use them when looking for God apparently. They do look like trumpets heralding God's arrival on earth in a chariot pulled by angels.

----------


## prawnograph

Squirrel time

----------


## tunk

I told Herman I like to grow things, in this picture: bananas, lemon, papaya, jack fruit, lamyai, mango,pot,mulberry, and tomatoes. not pictured are the grapes, which I am ready to give up on, they just don't like the rainy season.  We have had so much rain, you have to keep right on the lawn.

----------


## tunk

Which brings me to this. This Honda is over three years old now. First time every time, has never missed a beat in over 3 years, never been to the shop. I take care of the oil, air cleaner and sharpen blades. And it does a beautiful job on the lawn. I went through two cheap lawn mowers here before I bought the Honda. Cheap lawn mowers can give you so many headaches. I own two Honda scooters, weed trimmer, and lawn mower. After owning Honda I would have no reason to change.

----------


## tunk

Underside looks like this. The black you see is I think teflon. It comes from the factory with a thin coat of teflon. I don't think it is expected to last because under that is a nice polished aluminum on the thickest deck I've seen.

----------


## Looper

Spotted this massive coonty sliding at an almost imperceptibly glacial pace under the door into the shed while I was making my rounds. They move slow in the cool weather.


Beautiful colours.


Make you self at home my fine friend.



I love the vibe these huge pythons give off. They are cool like cats.

----------


## DrWilly

You seem very calm about it all!

----------


## hallelujah

> You seem very calm about it all!


Rightly so. It's no danger to him and will help keep his garden clear of vermin. 

Not that there aren't plenty of its venomous cousins out there to be more fearful of in Australia!

----------


## Shutree

> I love the vibe these huge pythons give off. They are cool like cats.


A very fine looking beast.

----------


## Stumpy

My mulch pit is producing some very nice dirt now. Its a mix of lawn clippings, mulched leaves that I collect around the compound, some cow shit, tortoise shit and dirt from the yard. I let it sit under a cover, Add a few shovels of dirt and mix



Soil is very fertile and I add to potted plants and they take off..

 

My tool of choice for churning it all up every 2 or 3 weeks.  Fits right on the Honda weed whacker and works exceptionally good.



I transplanted this little guy and moved by pool area and it has taken off.







Finally my big leaved plants have taken root and started growing and adding more shoots at my pool bar area. Has been a slow process. The area sees some sun and initially they didn't like it but after awhile they settled in.

----------


## ootai

This is a reply to the posts made by "Shutree" and "Stumpy" on Mendip's Anna the dog thread.
I thought I should move it but here as this is a more appropriate place and I wouldn't want to upset Mr. Mendip especially after he has just been shat on.

Anyway the conversation and pictures were about keeping control of the lawn/grass/weeds that grow here very rapidly especially with all the rain we have been getting.
I don't like cutting wet grass so it has sort of gotten out of control.
Except for Mr. Tidy i.e. Stumpy who as always posts pictures of his immaculate garden. I just don't have the inclination, the energy or the desire to do all the work required.

Here I managed to get a bit cut.


Didn't get ay further than this though and it is still wild in places


I actually don't cut this are very often as the brother in laws cows come and eat it but the grass growing there at the moment is too tough and stringy and they won't eat it, bastards!


Down the south side of the shed here they have managed to lower their standard and eat some of it.


This shows where I had to build a new better drain as before the water from the shed and half the house used to just run down a slight depression and under the wall into the main drain but it was becoming a bog hole whenever we tried driving anything over it. We have to drive over the drain with the truck, excavator, etc.  However now I will need to make a better drain over the other side of the wall as I made this one a bit low and a pool of water stays in the bottom.


Lastly a picture of something I haven't seen before which is this plant type flowering.

----------


## prawnograph

Moved a large pot plant this morning, unaware the hornet family was at home.
They're now deceased, some samples below, but not before I was stung once, bastard!

Also RIP: three scorpions, one takarb centipede

----------


## Stumpy

> Except for Mr. Tidy i.e. Stumpy who as always posts pictures of his immaculate garden. I just don't have the inclination, the energy or the desire to do all the work required.


 :smiley laughing: 

Mr Tidy. Maybe my new TD nic. Ya know I have 2 thoughts on it.  A lot of it was upbringing by my Dad on the farm as a kid.  I could let it go but as my Pop showed me it's usually 2x to 3x work to get the job done versus maybe an hour a day once a week.  I let my yard go for a month and week last year.  Was a load of work to get it back under some control.  So I am one that just allocates time to keep it "Tidy" because it's easy anb reasonably enjoyable and good exercise.

Cutting long grass is work and takes s ton of time with a weed whacker versus a push mower.  But I understand it is still work nonetheless.  :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

> usually 2x to 3x work to get the job done


Maintenance is always easier, also i cannot relax if i know a job is waiting for me. I'd rather get it done and get it done myself than have some somchai fuk it up for a few baht.

----------


## tunk

[QUOTE=ootai;4429885]This is a reply to the posts made by "Shutree" and "Stumpy" on Mendip's Anna the dog thread.
I thought I should move it but here as this is a more appropriate place and I wouldn't want to upset Mr. Mendip especially after he has just been shat on.

Anyway the conversation and pictures were about keeping control of the lawn/grass/weeds that grow here very rapidly especially with all the rain we have been getting.
I don't like cutting wet grass so it has sort of gotten out of control.
Except for Mr. Tidy i.e. Stumpy who as always posts pictures of his immaculate garden. I just don't have the inclination, the energy or the desire to do all the work required.

Here I managed to get a bit cut.


Didn't get ay further than this though and it is still wild in places


I actually don't cut this are very often as the brother in laws cows come and eat it but the grass growing there at the moment is too tough and stringy and they won't eat it, bastards!


Down the south side of the shed here they have managed to lower their standard and eat some of it.


I'm retired and American, I enjoy taking care of the lawn. For many Americans taking care of your lawn is a hobby, fresh air and exercise. Ootai if you let your BILs cows eat your grass, you also have to deal with the cow shit, right ? I have plenty of dog shit, I wouldn't want cow shit anywhere around the house.

----------


## Loy Toy

I was cleaning some land removing weeds and a black snake with a yellow tipped tail slid across my boot.

I have never seen a snake like this before and as I believed it was venomous I killed it.

----------


## ootai

[QUOTE=tunk;4429955]


> I actually don't cut this are very often as the brother in laws cows come and eat it but the grass growing there at the moment is too tough and stringy and they won't eat it, bastards!
> Down the south side of the shed here they have managed to lower their standard and eat some of it.
> 
> 
> I'm retired and American, I enjoy taking care of the lawn. For many Americans taking care of your lawn is a hobby, fresh air and exercise. Ootai if you let your BILs cows eat your grass, you also have to deal with the cow shit, right ? I have plenty of dog shit, I wouldn't want cow shit anywhere around the house.


Tunk
Altogether our "house" block is a bit over 15 rai so its never gonna be "lawn" or a hobby to look after its just bloody hard work to keep up with especially at the moment.
Here is the land outlined in red.


And this is the house "yard" outlined in green it is about 2 rai.
The red outline shows where the cows are allowed to go. The cows only come in late in the day when the BiL is there to shepherd them before he takes them home.


As for the shit where they are allowed to go it is very rare for anybody to walk in that area.
Also with the amount of rain we are getting the shit quickly gets washed into the ground.
Even when it is dry I have noticed out in the big pasture area the shit gets attacked by some sort of bug/fly that breaks the dung down very quickly.
They are not "dung" beetles like I have seen many times in Australia but they do a good fast job of getting the shit cleared up.

----------


## Shutree

The most exciting thing in a while to have scrabbled its way into my pants.

----------


## Mendip

^ Not often you see a frog in clean underwear, Shutree.

----------


## malmomike77

An M&S man

----------


## Shutree

> M&S


The brand of choice, for frogs.

----------


## prawnograph

Expecting this to take off and fly away

----------


## prawnograph

<
our helicopter plant
it's _Adenium obesum_ - Desert Rose
Ms P propagted three from her mum's garden.  




> _Adenium obesum_ is a poisonous species of flowering plant belonging to the tribe Nerieae of the subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae.[3] It is native to the Sahel regions south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan), tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and also the Arabian Peninsula. Common names include Sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, impala lily and desert rose. Adenium obesum is a popular houseplant and bonsai in temperate regions.



The rotors are seed pods.

And the whole plant is toxic - dogs too:




> *Fruit/Berries*: The fruit are tapered pods borne in pairs, grey or grey brown in colour, 15-16cm long and containing long narrow cylindric seeds that are tipped at each end with a tuft of long silky golden-brown hairs.
> 
> 
> Symptoms: All parts of the plant are toxic. Symptoms may include slow heart beat, low blood pressure, lethargy, dizziness and stomach upset.
> 
> Toxicity category: 2

----------


## tunk

For years I grew bananas that were not delicious, so I got rid of all my banana trees. The neighbor gave me this plant, called it guai hawm or "banana smell good" its delicious. I don't mind taking care of banana trees if the bananas are delicious.

----------


## Shutree

> ^ they are lovely looking things. did your Mrs hamster bark at it


He is back on duty now. I had the snake bark three times this morning and the first two times could find nothing out there, Third time lucky, he was chasing this rat snake away. This is as brave as he gets with snakes.

----------


## Reg Dingle

I was sat with my dad in a pub beer garden a couple of weeks back where he commented on the bird feeder being so close to the tables and remarked what kind of bird would fly in here...
Then this came and perched on the fence

----------


## dirk diggler

Good pooch. 

We had a big fkr of a rat snake in the garden recently. Came in through the from hedge and my dogs ragged it around a little. It was fast as hell but made it back to the hedge until the council came and dealt with it. We weren’t home at the time but the security got on the phone and called it in.

----------


## Shutree

> We had a big fkr of a rat snake in the garden recently.


Looks like an Oriental rat snake. Mine I think was a Keeled rat snake and much smaller than yours. They can get fairly large, 2+ metres. Mendip caught a big one some time back, I think that was a rat snake.

----------


## Shutree

> Then this came and perched on the fence


Nice pic. Robins can be quite bold, more so in the winter when foos is scarce. I have had that classic experience digging an English garden in winter and turning to see a robin on the fork handle within touching distance, looking over the dug earth. They add a splash of colour to the winter.

----------


## mikenot

> For years I grew bananas that were not delicious, so I got rid of all my banana trees. The neighbor gave me this plant, called it guai hawm or "banana smell good" its delicious. I don't mind taking care of banana trees if the bananas are delicious.


Gluay Hom Thong or Hom Kiao ?
If it’s Hom Thong, then it’s the one they sell in 7/11 or in packets of 4 at Lotus, similar to Cavendish bananas.

----------


## Shutree

Busy day today. Rat snake this morning then this afternoon watching the procession the dog starts up again, the gf jumps off the sofa and it's the Tree snake back, again. She isn't keen on snakes, especially when they are sharing the sofa.

----------


## Mendip

^ And who says Isaan is boring!

I found half a red-necked chequered keelback in the garden yesterday... Yogi had beaten me to it. I didn't really see the point in taking a photo.

----------


## Stumpy

Well with all this rain, my tortoises are in heaven. They can't eat enough grass.

----------


## Shutree

> ^ And who says Isaan is boring!
> 
> I found half a red-necked chequered keelback in the garden yesterday... Yogi had beaten me to it. I didn't really see the point in taking a photo.


I found the Golden tree snake dead on the lawn yesterday. No idea what happened to it. It was a pest in the house but I miss it now it's gone.

----------


## Shutree

> Well with all this rain, my tortoises are in heaven. They can't eat enough grass.


I didn't know that tortoises could eat grass. We had a much smaller tortoise in England, it is about 20 now and lives at my daughter's home. It has never eaten grass although it loves dandelions. A friend had one that adored banana but ours was never interested. Same thing with carrot, other animals would eat it and ours never has. Fussy beast.

----------


## Stumpy

> I didn't know that tortoises could eat grass.


Well they are herbivores with an occasional insect if available.  Mine are constantly grazing and with the rain and on and off sun the grass is plentiful all over the compound. They are on their own.  They really like Mulberry leaves best along with Malaysian grass and LeeLawadee flowers

----------


## Looper

Amaryllis opening after the rainstorm


And in full bloom 3 days later

----------


## tunk

> Gluay Hom Thong or Hom Kiao ?
> If it’s Hom Thong, then it’s the one they sell in 7/11 or in packets of 4 at Lotus, similar to Cavendish bananas.


The gf says Hom Thong. They were delicious. I counted approx. 50 bananas from one tree. So you have maybe a week to use up 50 bananas. We shared with friends and family, and the gf has mastered banana bread.

----------


## Looper

The late afternoon sun glancing off the bursting blooms as a few more pop.


Rattly old crate resting in the background digesting her first oil change since 2017.

She can't say I'm not good to her.

----------


## Stumpy

Rainy day project....BBQ service



Pulled out 3 new gas diffusers





All serviced and cleaned and will Q up some chicken wings tonight. 

Then......Then..........





Godamn I hate these fukers. Was moving some stuff around out by my BBQ pit and that cocksucker pops up. That's a 12" tall jar.



Look at the fangs. Loaded with Venom.  

I will probably have nightmares tonight. I am so glad I built my house on stilts.   :Smile:

----------


## ootai

> Then......Then..........
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Godamn I hate these fukers. Was moving some stuff around out by my BBQ pit and that cocksucker pops up. That's a 12" tall jar.


He's almost as long as you are tall!!!

----------


## Stumpy

> He's almost as long as you are tall!!!


Khob khun krub...

----------


## Stumpy

Well some sun today and the 49ers on to start the day.  New chair is perfect



New bricks just delivered for my Water feature project.  



Snuck in a back forty mow late yesterday.  Was a bit swampy but had to be done as the grass/weeds were getting to the point where mowing would have been a mess.

----------


## Airportwo

"Whats in your garden"? a shit load of water and an assortment of water logged dying vegetables  :Speechless:  Wettest October I have seen up here...

----------


## Shutree

> Wettest October I have seen up here...


Here in Nongbua too. The gf says she only remembers one time 20 years ago when the water was so high around the village.

----------


## Stumpy

Same in these parts.  Wife said have not seen so much rain for 20 to 25 years.

----------


## malmomike77

The great news is that no one flooded.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Same in these parts.  Wife said have not seen so much rain for 20 to 25 years.


I have been coming to Thailand ,I dont even remember how long ,  but three days ago celebrated our 14 year weeding anniversary , so I will  guess about 18 years and I have never seen so much rain . We got so tired of it last month that we said the hell with it and left the country for a month hoping that by the time we come back end of October it will be over.
It was raining  for at least an hour, often a lot more , almost every day
We are the second house from the main road, and our road was unpaved and covered with gravel , IMO it was fine, town decided they were going to pave it .They scraped the road, spread sand , and then left it like that because it was raining every day, It was like that  for a couple of weeks before we left TIT
we have been away for over a week now ant it is still not done!! 
It was a muddy mess and our driveway was never clean from the muddy tires of the car.
 We have a smal  SUV and as I said only second house from the main road, so we were ok, but people further down and with motor bikes  had to leave their bikes on the main road a walk home. 
Our town, just outside the ring road in Khon Kaen is elevated on a hill and as such never gets flooded , but many parts of KKC are not so lucky. I see pictures posted on FB and feel bad for the people. 
Having said all that, I am already missing home . LOL as I get older I think a couple of weeks away is enough.

----------


## Mendip

> ...  but three days ago celebrated our 14 year weeding anniversary


I must admit it's something we've never really commemorated. 

No wonder the gardener has been looking a bit down in the dumps!  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

> We got so tired of it last month that we said the hell with it and left the country for a month


Funny BB, 3 weeks ago I was looking at airfares to take a business trip as an excuse to get out from the constant rain. Never pulled the trigger as I decided to go to Chonburi to the factory for a few weeks. Nice enough break and the rain wasn't too bad. Of course returning home, the compound was a jungle and swamp and then the rain really started.  Thankfully we have paved roads in the mooban

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Funny BB, 3 weeks ago I was looking at airfares to take a business trip as an excuse to get out from the constant rain. Never pulled the trigger as I decided to go to Chonburi to the factory for a few weeks. Nice enough break and the rain wasn't too bad. Of course returning home, the compound was a jungle and swamp and then the rain really started.  Thankfully we have paved roads in the mooban


I dreed to think what our property would be like after being away for a month and all the rain.
 I should had taken the advice of this forum not to put down grass on the side m and especially Malay grass. 
I should had concreted the whole damn thing LOL. Before we left I had to cut it every three or four days. 
When we go away our cat (Sweetest cat i have ever seen) goes and stays with my wife's sister next door. It was sad to see her on the camera wait by our door  every day, then after three days she went to the sisters house, and now has not be seen for a week. I am very concerned because the automatic cat feeder has not been touched, and with all that rain why would she be saying out.
My wife call her my "Mia Noy" . I hope she comes back.

----------


## Shutree

> I hope she comes back.


I hope your cat comes home BB. When will you be back?

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I hope your cat comes home BB. When will you be back?


Scheduled to fly back on the 23rd  and arriving early in the morning, perfect time to catch a domestic flight to KKC with Thai Smile
Just had my sister fly in from Italy late last night, it is 10 am now and I am giving her a chance to sleep late before I call. 
Other sister is in from Vero Beach for over a week , Brother and other sister live here now. 
It is the first time since we were kids that all the sisters and brothers, all five of us, have been together since we were kids. 
It should be fun, 
or WW3 LOL. if things go south, I might change our departure day and make an early retreat.  
But not before they pave the road LOL

----------


## malmomike77

> It is the first time since we were kids that all the sisters and brothers, all five of us, have been together since we were kids.


you'll have a great time i'm sure, our family is the same, we seem to manage it about once every 10 years

----------


## Stumpy

> I should had concreted the whole damn thing LOL.


See there are pros and cons to that BB.  If you pour concrete around the perimeter of the place, when the summer hits that concrete becomes a HUGE heatsink. Then your house rises in temperature and once saturated you are pretty much done until rainy season returns to cool it off. 




> Before we left I had to cut it every three or four days.


Yeah so the flipside from above is the grass and shrubs will keep your house cooler and looking nicer. Having the right tools makes the job fast and easy.  In the end though, I think it all depends on what your personal plans are. If the house is a come visit place from time to time, I think I'd probably cement or rock the entire outside. Just easier in the big picture. However if you live here full time and travel on and off I much prefer the grass and trees. I fully admit in many regards I have become a full time groundskeeper but I like the outdoors and the exercise. On average I walk 15k to 18k steps every day, some days on a big work day I will hit 22k. Its also good for my cardio as I hit 145 for extended periods of time and sweat my ass off. I will work in rain or sun, doesn't really matter to me.  My wife sits in the shade with her tablet and the dogs and watches me. The best part is that ice cold beer reward after a long day and then a few laps in the pool.   :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> If you pour concrete around the perimeter of the place, when the summer hits that concrete becomes a HUGE heatsink.


I get a lot of heat from my concrete driveway. I was thinking about painting it green. I guess you can buy floor paint here that will go on bare concrete. It is so wet at the moment I have plenty of time to think about it.





> See there are pros and cons to that BB.


The more concrete you have the less bare earth there is to soak up the water. A good idea to have a 1/100 slope away from the house and a drain or at least a plan where the runoff will go. My genius builder did not do that and the path around the back has been wet so long it is now slime covered and super slippery.

----------


## Mendip

I had an Australian in the garden today.

Ootai popped in to say hello and after a spot of fishing and a cup of coffee I was just accompanying him back to his car when he suddenly started shouting and swearing, slapping his head and back and then he ripped off his shirt and was making a right spectacle of himself. I'm used to Aussies so didn't pay too much attention but then I noticed he had a swarm of wasps buzzing around his head.

He reckons he was stung half a dozen times and the strange thing is I wasn't touched.

Anyway, we found the culprits. They obviously don't like Aussies. 

No comment.



I don't kill much in our garden and it was a shame to exterminate these guys after they'd provided so much amusement.

But they had to go. Those stings hurt.  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

> He reckons he was stung half a dozen times and the strange thing is I wasn't touched.


Drinking Ya Dong every day does have its positives Mendy. That sasquatch Ootai and his teetotalling makes him an easy target.

BTW, I hate those sneaky bastards. I was trimming up my hedges and out they came.  I didn't get stung but my FIL did. He gets stung by them frequently

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> you'll have a great time i'm sure, our family is the same, we seem to manage it about once every 10 years


“absence makes the heart grow fonder”  LOL





> See there are pros and cons to that BB. If you pour concrete around the perimeter of the place, when the summer hits that concrete becomes a HUGE heatsink.


I agree with you in everything you had to say in your reply, Our thinking was the same concerning the concrete being a heat sink. Thai people seem not too mind it, but they are a lot more tolerant of the heat. I guess  there were some that could not take the heat, but it was very hard to get their sweaty ass laid and they did not get a chance to pass their sweaty genes. LOL
I see them wearing long pans a jacket and their ninja masks, and look comfortable while  I am wearing the bare minimum that would not get me arrested and sweating my ass of.
I am fine as long as I don't do anything,  or at least that's what I try to tell my wife, but the moment I try to do some work in this heat. my tee-shirt is drenched in sweat. I have a self propelled lawnmower that I brought over from the US when we had some things shipped over, but this Malay grass   sure grows very thick and some times I have to lift the back up so that the front self propelled wheel would get some traction.  I can not imagine cutting the grass without it. 





> I get a lot of heat from my concrete driveway. I was thinking about painting it green. I guess you can buy floor paint here that will go on bare concrete. It is so wet at the moment I have plenty of time to think about it.


I also have a bare concrete driveway and a couple of meter  wide  of concrete in the back and one side. The side and back are in the shade, so that's no problem, but they get green from algae growth during the rainy season and I have to pressure wash then   every so often . The Driveway does indeed get very hot!! In the sun you could cook an egg on it. I was also thinking if painting it , no so much for the heat , as much as keeping it clean. Here in Greece I see these patios that looked like they had slate tiles, Then when I looked closer I notice that it was simply concrete painted slate gray and white grout lines painted on it. It looked very nice, but it looked like a lot of work. When I go out I will take a picture and post.  If you find a good deck enamel for cement let me know. I am interested in doing something with the driveway. On the sides I think I will put tiles.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I had an Australian in the garden today.
> 
> Ootai popped in to say hello and after a spot of fishing and a cup of coffee I was just accompanying him back to his car when he suddenly started shouting and swearing, slapping his head and back and then he ripped off his shirt and was making a right spectacle of himself. I'm used to Aussies so didn't pay too much attention but then I noticed he had a swarm of wasps buzzing around his head.
> 
> He reckons he was stung half a dozen times and the strange thing is I wasn't touched.
> 
> Anyway, we found the culprits. They obviously don't like Aussies. 
> 
> No comment.
> ...


Those wasps sure look nasty!! 
Put a lighter in front of that spray and you could have a proper flame thrower  :smiley laughing: 
Or at least some more entertainment from your Flambe' friend LOL
Seriously though , if you can get yourself a  CO2 fire extinguisher , the cold of the spray puts them to sleep and you can re-locate them, I have been told. 
If you try it please let me know  how it worked out, and please post video, in fact you don't need to tell me, just post the vid.  :Smile:

----------


## Shutree

> it was simply concrete painted slate gray and white grout lines painted on it. It looked very nice, but it looked like a lot of work.


In UK my house had an area of concrete outside the back door, there was a canopy over but the sides were open. One summer's day I hosed it down and once it was dry I slapped on some terracotta coloured floor paint. No cats or dogs to think about there. It dried to a matt finish, not slippy, and looked a hundred times better than dirty concrete. Also easier to clean. I was quite pleased with it. I think it was sold there as garage floor paint, it wore very well.
Here my drive would be a much bigger area. I still think I could manage it myself using a long-handled roller. A dark green would make the drive visually less offensive. I don't know about heat reflection. I remember going to Sepang to watch the last F1 race held there, we were sitting under a covered stand but that evening I discovered I was sunburnt under the chin, reflection from the black racetrack.

----------


## Mendip

^ If you paint it blue it looks like you've got a swimming pool on Google Earth.

----------


## Shutree

> ^ If you paint it blue it looks like you've got a swimming pool on Google Earth.


It's the nearest I'd be getting to a swimming pool.

 :smiley laughing:

----------


## Shutree

> But they had to go. Those stings hurt.


On the morning walk I noticed a hornet's nest in a tree along the soi. It is in a private garden and quite high in the tree. Also it is huge, bigger than a 25kg rice sack. The gf was eyeing it nervously, reminding me that those things can kill you.

----------


## Stumpy

> On the morning walk I noticed a hornet's nest in a tree along the soi. It is in a private garden and quite high in the tree. Also it is huge, bigger than a 25kg rice sack. The gf was eyeing it nervously, reminding me that those things can kill you.


The ones to watch for are the Giant Asian Hornet. They are black with an orange band on their thorax.  They are swarm attack hornets and are relentless when threatened.  The ones above in the thread I believe are a species of paper wasps. Their sting burns like a sumbich but those big hornets pack a wallop.

----------


## Shutree

> The ones to watch for are the Giant Asian Hornet. They are black with an orange band on their thorax.


The gf is sure that is what this nest is. I didn't see one and I'm not climbing the tree to look.
Something black with an orange band flew out of my mango tree last year, brushed my arm and flew off again. That wasn't like a sting, I really felt nothing, then it flared up and was uncomfortable for over a week. It was a very small nest and I zapped it.

----------


## prawnograph

Three weeks ago I was stung by one of these. Some of my victims:



I get a slight reaction from normal bee stings, this one gave swelling and itching for four days. They were building a honeycomb style nest in one of the plant tubs. 

It would be a few years ago now, the local park near us was closed for days while hornets were eradicated. We've had them around the house before but only one other time had them try to settle here as a new home.

----------


## Stumpy

^ These look like the common paper wasp species here. They are aggressive and annoying as you bump a branch and they zap ya.  I find numerous nests and if off away from the house I let them do their thing. If close by, I take them out.

----------


## ootai

> They are aggressive and annoying as you bump a branch and they zap ya.  I find numerous nests and if off away from the house I let them do their thing. If close by, I take them out.


I think that yesterday when I was attacked at Mendip's place I must have brushed against the tree they had their nest in and then one stung me. It hurt quite bad like someone had stuck a big needle in me.
Then I walked back past them again heading for a concrete post I saw on which I was going to try and scratch whatever stabbed me as I couldn't reach the site. Then a whole pile of the bastards started on my and as Mendy said I started going crazy waving my shirt around and trying to get away from them. Of course Mendy's dogs were going apeshit.
Today on reflection I am starting to think Mendip trained the fukkers to attack me the evil pommy bastard he is.

As for wiping them out at home I always use WD40 and they are dead before they hit the ground. About 20 years ago in Aussie my missus did some work for a friend who was an apiarist and he told us that we should not use anything like petrol(gasoline for the Yanks) as it will kill any bees present and any that go into the hive box in the future so maybe a spray bottle full of petrol would work just as well as WD40 seems to. Just a reminder don't light the stuff as someone suggested.

----------


## Stumpy

> Today on reflection I am starting to think Mendip trained the fukkers to attack me the evil pommy bastard he i


Well we do know that Mendy is "one with nature" so it wouldn't surprise me one bit he has them on call.   :smiley laughing:

----------


## Mendip

I have never before known a dog like Maya for eating things.

She regularly catches pigeons and sparrows in the garden and eats them, just leaving their little feet and a patch of feathers.

She catches and munches on geckos. She steals charcoal from the sack and crunches and eats it.

I often find her munching on insects... she loves big beetles and water bugs and just leaves the hard carapaces.

Today I found her eating something and took it out of her mouth. The front end of a scorpion.

Those pincers had a 2 inch gape.

----------


## Stumpy

> I have never before known a dog like Maya for eating things.


Funny Mendy, Judy my Chocolate Lab is a garbage gut.  She eats rocks, plastic bottles, plastic caps, toads, birds, geckos, tortoise shit, paper towels, chickens, lettuce, carrots.  It's really odd.  I usually laugh

----------


## malmomike77

and some owners let their dogs lick their faces ffs

----------


## Stumpy

> and some owners let their dogs lick their faces ffs


Not me.....ever. Never did.  I know they lick their ass's, hootie who and nutsacks.  F that.

----------


## Shutree

Yesterday dawned bright and clear and cooler, there is a sense that the weather has moved on. With that change have come:  worms. There are dozens of them in the early morning, wriggling out onto the driveway where they will later fry. Very strange:

----------


## Mendip

We get a lot of that, Shutree.

I collect the dessicated, fried ones for the chickens. Kind of like worm biltong. The chickens love it.

----------


## Shutree

> We get a lot of that, Shutree.
> 
> I collect the dessicated, fried ones for the chickens. Kind of like worm biltong. The chickens love it.


I'm a bit surprised that there seem to be no predators. I'd have thought maybe the mynah birds would have been at them but so far nothing has shown any interest.

----------


## prawnograph

I've been carefully clearing our little jungle over the wall. 
Princess daughter saw me sweating away on Wednesday, and went out and bought me some strong gardening gloves, very thoughtful. 
There's squirrels in there, but only a few and enough fruit to share.





*Any rose gardeners here?* Ms P has four in tubs that have grown to about 1.5m looking very straggly but constantly in flower; I'd like to cut them right back to maybe .5m - as they never seem to stop flowering, if I go ahead now, will they recover? (and part B, if I do it now while she's at work, _will i recover_? Best hide the secateurs)

----------


## Stumpy

I decided to add a sprinkler set up around my Sala by the pool area.  I picked up the pipe and the fittings this morning.



First up, getting some heat in the plastic pipe to relax the coil retention.



Cruising along.  Will add spray nozzles tomorrow.



Also finished adding the stepping stones around the front and back towards the shop area.

----------


## Mendip

Not quite 'in' the garden but very close. 

I had to stop the car the other night in the lane to our house to avoid running over this snake... a white-lipped pit viper. It was one of these that put my daughter in hospital a few years ago.

I got out to see it up close and not for the first time, wished I had my snake tongs in the car.



We also still have standing water around the house that was built on raised land. These storks (?) come every day to feast on the snails, apparently. The water is also usually full of fish and tadpoles/frogs.

----------


## Loy Toy

We had another MEGA storm last night along with the flooding in the area.

When I went downstairs this morning I noticed a strange shape on the driveway mud slime.

I called the missus to have a look and we both agreed that we had a visit from a huge python and by the look of the scale slither marks it must have been at least 30cm in girth.

I have a video and only wish I could post pics.

----------


## Shutree

> These storks (?) come every day


I had heard stories of large stalks in your area. Not the picture I'd imagined.  :smiley laughing:

----------


## Neverna

> These storks (?) come every day to feast on the snails, apparently.


Yes, they are a kind of stork but they are just called Open Bills. For some reason stork isn't included in their name. They get the name open bill because if you look at their bills, there is always a space between the bottom half and the top half. They don't close properly. Apparently it helps them hold large shells in their mouths.

----------


## Neverna

> *Any rose gardeners here?* Ms P has four in tubs that have grown to about 1.5m looking very straggly but constantly in flower; I'd like to cut them right back to maybe .5m - as they never seem to stop flowering, if I go ahead now, will they recover? (and part B, if I do it now while she's at work, _will i recover_? Best hide the secateurs)


Are they climbing roses? 




Or maybe rambling roses?

----------


## ootai

> Yesterday dawned bright and clear and cooler, there is a sense that the weather has moved on. With that change have come:  worms. There are dozens of them in the early morning, wriggling out onto the driveway where they will later fry. Very strange:
> 
> Attachment 93744


Shutree
I had the same thing happening here, its not the first time I have seen the worms do this but I was also intrigued as to why they would do it.
This morning I think i discovered the answer to the mystery. I have been making some alterations to one of my drains and to get the levels I decided to flood the new section and look what happened.


The worms started to evacuate the now flooded soil.


And took off to higher drier ground.





So it is my opinion that they don't like or can't survive in fully saturated soil.

----------


## Shutree

> So it is my opinion that they don't like or can't survive in fully saturated soil.


I saw similar in my UK garden. Here though the strange thing is that after weeks of waterlogged ground the worms didn't appear until a week or so after the rains stopped. This morning I didn't see any worms at all, maybe whatever prompted the migration is over.

Another curious thing is that if I dig a hole in the garden I don't see any worms. Coming from the UK where the soil always seems to have some worms I have long thought this strange.

Are those worms useful as fishing bait? Maybe take a bucket over to Mendy?  :Smile:

----------


## ootai

> I saw similar in my UK garden. Here though the strange thing is that after weeks of waterlogged ground the worms didn't appear until a week or so after the rains stopped. This morning I didn't see any worms at all, maybe whatever prompted the migration is over.
> 
> Another curious thing is that if I dig a hole in the garden I don't see any worms. Coming from the UK where the soil always seems to have some worms I have long thought this strange.
> 
> Are those worms useful as fishing bait? Maybe take a bucket over to Mendy?


As we have had no rain for a while now, which is good, I haven't seen any worms on the concrete walkways either. As for seeing worms in the ground around here they are very plentiful. If the chickens see me digging anywhere they come running as I always throw them any worms I see. I can't believe the way they (the chickens) just swallow them whole and still wriggly. They must not have any nerves in their crops or else it must feel bloody strange. 
I have some worms that are huge 15cms long or more and 1cm in diametre but these they fight with and peck at before they can get them down.

As for taking worms for Mendip to use I think he probably has plenty at his place but the big sook wouldn't put them on his hook. Him and I always have a discussion about him needing to immediately knock any fish he catches on the head to kill it to stop it suffering a slow death. So sticking a worm on a hook is probably also not on.

----------


## Mendip

^ I completely refute that.

As a life long fisherman I have put many worms and maggots on hooks, although I draw the line at live-baiting (putting live small fish on a hook).

I remember in the UK a trick to get a bait box full of worms was to pour a bucket of soapy water on the lawn and the worms would come up to the surface.

And as for knocking a fish on the head rather than letting it die a slow death... surely that's just normal? I have no problem killing a fish but like the death to be swift. I must admit that I get strange looks when I buy a fish from the market and insist that the girl gives it a proper knock on the head rather than some half-hearted tap... before she puts in the cuts along it's sides. I hate seeing them cut the sides of fish while they're still alive.

----------


## Shutree

> I hate seeing them cut the sides of fish while they're still alive.


Agreed.
I like the bbq pla nin, salted and stuffed with lemongrass. What I don't like is seeing them still wriggling when they go on the bbq. You'd think that after being gutted and salted they'd be dead - but no. I don't understand why they cannot give them a good knock on the head before the gutting.

----------


## Stumpy

> although I draw the line at live-baiting (putting live small fish on a hook).


Man as a Yellow Fin Tuna and Deep Sea Lingcod fisherman and deck hand for years, we always had a live bait well. Included Mackerel, Anchovies and Squid.  I had no issue baiting up hooks with live fish (sometimes we used 1/2 lb to 1lb yellow cods if we were going deep water. I will say the damn squid were a pain in the ass and you had to be careful on the larger 8" and up ones as that beak can hurt if they get their tentacles over your hand and bite. As a kid on rivers we used frogs, lizards, crickets, grasshoppers...you name it.  

The only live bait I hated hooking up were Blood Worms.  They live in and around barnacles and seaweed.  They are fairly big and do have a nasty set of fangs.  Sort of like the big centipedes here. 

You would think those earth worms would be excellent bait.  I have tried them numerous times fishing on the river and not a single bite. The fish here seem to love stink bread style bait where you make up a big ball on a hook.  I think it maybe because most of the fish around are farm raised fish and that's all they eat as fry so worms, flies, and other natural baits do not appeal to them.

----------


## Stumpy

Tree/shrub identification. So I yanked up a tree that was not doing well.  I came across the below tree or shrub and really like the Purple underneath and dark green on top and planted it in the open area.  Anyone know what it is?

----------


## Stumpy

Came across this big bastard Grasshopper today on my window screen. I picked it up and moved it to the tree outside.  I have to say its rear legs are pretty powerful as it tried to push my fingers to get away.

----------


## Stumpy

Thought I would do a quick product review from posters here that do their own gardening and tree trimming.  One thing hard in Thailand is to find tools that work well and are good quality other than weed whackers.  I purchased the Greenworks 40V 8 inch chain saw and hedge trimmer pole saw combo off Lazada.  I after 6 months of use this works exceptionally well with plenty of power. The edge trimmer has a reach of about 3 meters so even with a short ladder you can edge and trim tree branches up on bigger trees.  The 8 inch chainsaw works very well.  I just did a big cut back on our mulberry trees by the outdoor kitchen.  Made short work of it and no climbing and hacking with a blade.  







Mulberry tree's cut back for next season

----------


## Neverna

Do your mulberry trees bear fruit, Stumpy? 

If so, do you eat the fruit? Or make jam with them?

Or thought about getting some silk worms and becoming the new Jim Thompson?  :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

> Do your mulberry trees bear fruit, Stumpy? 
> 
> If so, do you eat the fruit? Or make jam with them?


Yeah Nev, a lot of fruit.  I routinely walk by and grab a hand full and eat them so does my wife.  Wife had a friend 2 years ago that has some really big leaf big producing Mulberries.  She gave us some long branches and we planted them as our tortoises love the leaves.  They grew really well and fruit a lot.  I trim them back 2 times a year to keep them thick and healthy and the mulberries low to grab

----------


## ootai

> The edge trimmer has a reach of about 3 meters so even with a short ladder you can edge and trim tree branches up on bigger trees.  The 8 inch chainsaw works very well.  I just did a big cut back on our mulberry trees by the outdoor kitchen.  Made short work of it and no climbing and hacking with a blade.


Don't worry folks normal people wouldn't need a ladder.
And of course you made "short" work of it!




> Yeah
> 
>  I trim them back 2 times a year to keep them thick and healthy and the mulberries low to grab


So they grow 3 foot off the ground then?

----------


## Stumpy

> Don't worry folks normal people wouldn't need a ladder.
> And of course you made "short" work of it!
> 
> 
> 
> So they grow 3 foot off the ground then?


Humor duly noted Ootai.  Mr. Funny guy.   :smiley laughing: 

Normally our Mulberry trees grow 20 feet or taller in between trimmings so I guess a bean pole stick guy like you with clubbed feet could stand flat footed with a 3 meter extension and cut them...   :Smile:

----------


## Mendip

We've got a couple of mulberry trees but I find the fruit to be flavourless and quite bitter and not very nice at all. Even the birds don't eat them.

I don't really know what to do with the fruit so usually it just stays on the trees and turns black.

----------


## Stumpy

Apparently if you use fertilizer that is used for Mango trees it helps a lot.  I toss a handful around each tree about the time they start to produce the berries.  The gal that has a mulberry tree farm near us says the trick is cutting them back a few times a year.  I guess they should be treated like any fruit tree if sweet healthy fruit is wanted.  My wife just got 2 bags of the "Magic" Mango fertilizer delivered.  No idea what's in it but does seem to work.

----------


## Mendip

^ I'd be interested if you could find out what's in this magic mango fertilizer, mate?

----------


## Stumpy

> ^ I'd be interested if you could find out what's in this magic mango fertilizer, mate?


Hear ya go buddy





One bag is basically rock salt (Bag label not what's in it) 



The other is a fine grain fertilizer (correct bag marking).  Wife mixes it up about 50/50 and puts a large full cup at the base then a heavy watering and apparently only does this once as they begin flowering/fruiting.  Wife says only use on mature trees.  If young, it will probably burn the young shallow roots. I laugh as I have bags like that all over that are reused bags buy sellers so only a few know what it is.

----------


## ootai

> Humor duly noted Ootai.  Mr. Funny guy.  
> 
> Normally our Mulberry trees grow 20 feet or taller in between trimmings so I guess a bean pole stick guy like you with clubbed feet could stand flat footed with a 3 meter extension and cut them...


Stumpy I thought you enjoyed it as it was you who changed their name to "Stumpy".
I don't believe in making fun of peoples shortcomings(fark there I go again sorry!) so please except my apology as I never meant to cause offence.
Anyway I am far from being a "beanpole" being just a little under 6 foot tall. I used to work underground with a miner who was about 5ft 7in tall and we called him Stubby. He always used to say he wished is was 6 ft tall so he could reach all the thing us tall wankers hung just out of his reach. Then another guy come along and he was 5ft 4 so he got the name shorty and Stubby was happy that he was no longer the shortest guy there then bloody hell we got a new guy in who was just under 5 ft tall so he became Tiny. The problem we had with him was he couldn't reach the pedals on the machines so we had to make extensions for.
My brother is 6ft 5in tall so I never consider myself to be tall.

As for reaching branches 20ft high you don't need to be tall or use a ladder just cut them of 3ft above the ground. Mind you it might not help the tree bear fruit in the future.

----------


## Stumpy

> I don't believe in making fun of peoples shortcomings(fark there I go again sorry!) so please except my apology as I never meant to cause offence.


HAHAHA.  No apology mate, I was laughing my ass off.  I am not a big guy that's for sure.  About 5'8 and 165lbs.

The Stumpy name change is a funny story.  I did try and change it back to JPPR2 but my request was shit canned, so Stumpy it is.




> just cut them of 3ft above the ground. Mind you it might not help the tree bear fruit in the future.


Well yeah.....HAHA.  There is that option.  But then I would have nothing but "Stumps"  (pun intended) around my place.

----------


## Shutree

I think this might be Cizara sculpta, no common name and the Thailand Nature Project doesn't show it as being from around here.

Cizara sculpta species page - THAILAND NATURE PROJECT

----------


## Mendip

I was about to dive in for my morning 42 lengths today when I looked down and saw this...



I hooked it out, a full six inches with dogs for scale. Tommy got in a sneaky sniff of course.

I've seen three of these big centipedes in the garden in the last few days, maybe something to do with the change of weather? The dogs will go for any snake but leave these things well alone. They are my least favourite garden creature but I don't like to kill them and they go over the neighbour's wall using a long-handled dustpan and brush.



This 'drowned' centipede still went over the neighbour's wall. I once had a scorpion come back to life a few hours after netting it out of the pool so I treat these things with respect.

----------


## Topper

^ You should take one and drop it into a bottle of ya dong, apparently the venom gives it an extra kick.  Ask the gardener.

----------


## Mendip

^ I'll ask the neighbour's if I can have it back!

----------


## Shutree

> I was about to dive in for my morning 42 lengths today when I looked down and saw this...


Scary, those toes.

 :smiley laughing:

----------


## Stumpy

> I was about to dive in for my morning 42 lengths today when I looked down and saw this...


I hate those damn things,  That is a small one but notice his fangs in that pic?  I nabbed one about 11" long a few weeks back and posted it in a jar.   But I do have to say, I am not sure which is scarier, the centipede or your fungus toes.   :Smile:

----------


## Stumpy

Corn is ready.  In fact pulled 3 ears off for my dinner tonight.  Very sweet. added a little butter and pepper

----------


## Mendip

^ There's no fungus there mate. That's just your common and garden crud from the veggie patch.

I've got a passport run coming up in a couple of weeks, they'll be as good as new!

----------


## Stumpy

> That's just your common and garden crud from the garden.


 :smiley laughing:

----------


## Stumpy

So about 1 week ago, I trimmed my mulberry trees way back.  I water heavily after for a few days, added some fertilizer and they are loading up with berries already.







Should have a nice bowl full in a week or two.

----------


## Stumpy

Was relaxing in the shade and had a "Friend" doing the same. I have about 6 or 7 mating pairs of these doves around.  Fun to watch the little ones take first flight as my Lab Judy waits patiently for one to land on a low branch.....

----------


## david44

Beautiful bird and great quality photo ,off your phone or a real camera?

My garden has a few fruit trees champon, mangos, jackfruit, bananas lots of unknow shrubs tomatoes and a missing sock today .She has chopped down the longan lychee and lemon trees while I was in prague to keep the debris off her new car !!!

Will attempt a photo later

----------


## Stumpy

> off your phone or a real camera?


Off my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.  It takes amazing photo's for a point and shoot and fast zoom.

Look forward to the pics.  I have a customer I speak with 2 or 3 times a week in the Czech Republic.  I am supposed to visit their factory early part of next year.

----------


## david44

> I am supposed to visit their factory early part of next yea


If before Easter wrap up warm Central Europe while not Siberia has a continental climate, snow possible in the Ms until late Spring. May and Sepember are ideal around 22-25 in day like here but much much cooler at night. If you don't want to fly like an Eskimo they have all the gear and proper double glazing heating in Hotels nd work places to German standard these days.

If you only visit one place in prague for dinner thsi ancient brewery in centre and very well known has great food and alle

The 2 Cats
Two Cats - Review of U Dvou Kocek, Prague, Czech Republic - Tripadvisor

Menus in very busy Bierstube restaurant in Engrish ish ! The Trout is superb and sirloin is good and my friend had the Trout twice , If I lived nearby I wouldn't eat anywhere else.
Best beer in the world around  50 crowns $2.5 light dark or mix brewed on the premises.
A huge high quality solid meal lots of good quality well cooked meats and dumplings cabbage potato gravy etc around $12-$18.

I can recommend similar places in Kromeriz or Brno, nearly every town has a brewery restaurant, pm for details

----------


## Shutree

> I have about 6 or 7 mating pairs of these doves around.


That is a great picture. A Spotted dove, I'd say, although I have been wrong about these things before.

----------


## Shutree

This chap arrived with a bang on the outside kitchen, no idea where he started his jump, this is about 6 feet above floor level. Also no idea what he is, some kind of tree frog perhaps.

----------


## Stumpy

^

I have seen a few of them around here. They can jump a pretty good distance and stick to about any surface.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

saw this bug on a tree today. Its about the size of my thumb.

----------


## Stumpy

Its a Cicada BB.  More specifically Canthigaster Cicada as some call it.

----------


## Stumpy

Finally this tree has taken off which I started from a branch from another tree we have..  Its a big leaf tree and offers a ton of shade.  I planted this by the my wife's kitchen and my BBQ area to offer shade during summer.  They actually produce big fruit which my wife gives to  neighbor to sell at the market.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Its a Cicada BB.  More specifically Canthigaster Cicada as some call it.


So I did not discover a new specie of insect?
Crap! and I was planning to name it . Magnifica Bucaroosa . :Smile: 
Oh well... Pretty bug though.

----------


## Stumpy

> So I did not discover a new specie of insect?


Unfortunately No.  But they are very docile and prefer to not fly so you can pick them up and they will hang out on your hand.  I get quite a few on my Mango trees about this time of year.

----------


## Stumpy

This evening as I was sitting by the pool area, I watched this big moth take its first flight.

----------


## CalEden

> Was relaxing in the shade and had a "Friend" doing the same. I have about 6 or 7 mating pairs of these doves around.  Fun to watch the little ones take first flight as my Lab Judy waits patiently for one to land on a low branch.....


I thought the same thing when the Doves started hanging around my house. Their shit is very similar to pigeon shit. They wore out their welcome when they started shitting all over my deck in mass. I bought a couple water blaster cannons from Amazon and put a bucket of water on the deck.  I declared war on those flying shit machines. Every time I heard them cooing, I was out in a flash with cannons gushing streams of water on those shitty varmints. 

Even considered taking up falconry when I observed one of our local falcons dinning on one of the Doves. It only took a couple weeks of persistent blaster work to get the local Dove population to consider my house a no fly/roost zone.

----------


## dirk diggler

I put the dog food out where they could see it and shot 4 of the fkrs then hung one up for a few days. That was the beginning of August and I've not had any problems since.

----------


## Stumpy

Green owed DD.  My neighbors pigeon infestation continues on and I routinely thin the flock.  Took out a pair that landed on my car park roof.  That's how it all starts. Then a nest under an eave, nasty shit smell and mess and bugs. And pigeon offspring nest where they were hatched.

----------


## Stumpy

> wore out their welcome when they started shitting all over my deck in mass.


I agree Cal. If they started nesting in and around the house, they would be off'd like the pigeons.  They can enjoy the trees and are welcome around the property.

----------


## dirk diggler

They were actually nesting on a ledge at my neighbours house cos I blocked off all the ledges at my house, but they were getting a vantage point of my garden and the dog food which never there any more.

The neighbours had an AC box there and they were roosting under it. I guess they got fed up us me coming home every night and either shooting or hosing the nest that they moved the AC box to ground level. Didn't even clear up the mess, I'll take a pic and share it. You can see all my pellet holes haha.

----------


## Stumpy

> The neighbours had an AC box there and they were roosting under it.


My neighbors have an old teak house with long eaves and lots of open gaps where they started as a breeding pair, Had offspring which nested next to them, rinse and repeat for 6 or so years.  There is pigeon shit running down the side of their house.  They constantly make noise.  My FIL hates them to and loves when I off them.  What usually happens is the new young ones that start to land at my place have no idea and they are easy kills and to the trash they go. Of course that's after I have to pry it out of my Labs mouth.  She sees me with the pellet gun and starts to get wound up.  Good hunting dog for sure.




> Didn't even clear up the mess, I'll take a pic and share it. You can see all my pellet holes haha.


That's usually the problem.  People do not clean up their mess and it is awful and draws flies and other disease carrying creatures to their shit, especially cockroaches.  They LOVE pigeon shit

----------


## Shutree

> I put the dog food out where they could see it and shot 4 of the fkrs


I enjoy most wildlife, feral pigeons though are just flying rats, vermin. If they stay away from me then I'll stay away from them.

----------


## Loy Toy

Feathers and shit in the pool everyday.

Certainly the only creature on this earth that I despise.

----------


## Norton

Good stuff but eating the feral ones here could be hazardous to your health.

----------


## Loy Toy

I have one of these in my garden to lay drain pipes and at the local council's expense.

----------


## dirk diggler

Here’s the mess they left behind when they moved the AC that the pigeons kept roosting under. Most of those holes were direct kills so it took them a while to take action. 



Not sure what they’re up to now. 



Anyway, the other day I could smell a rat. I’d seen the dogs get interested in something, then I saw one scarper. But then I realised this guy was hanging around and put out a trap. 

Took 2 days to catch the bastard. 



I left him overnight to enjoy his last supper of papaya, then drowned the fkr the next morning like I was putting chips in the fryer. 

Bye bye.

----------


## Shutree

Oriental garden lizard. They are probably about the place all year, I see them more at this season. He should feel right at home, what with this being an oriental garden.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

After the recent rains , everything seems to be blossoming
No idea what it's called other than Sway Sway 
 
And a Lime tree I planted a few weeks ago seems to be taking well

----------


## Shutree

> No idea what it's called other than Sway Sway


Is it Petrea volubilis, Queen's Wreath/Sandpaper Vine? I was trying to find out because I have seen it around and thought about planting some but Petrea volubilis is an American plant and I felt there should be an Asian version.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Is it Petrea volubilis, Queen's Wreath/Sandpaper Vine? I was trying to find out because I have seen it around and thought about planting some but Petrea volubilis is an American plant and I felt there should be an Asian version.


Got it at a local garden shop here in Khon Kaen , and I am not surprised it is called Sandpaper Vine, the leaves do indeed feel like sandpaper.

----------


## Neverna

> Is it Petrea volubilis, Queen's Wreath/Sandpaper Vine? I was trying to find out because I have seen it around and thought about planting some but Petrea volubilis is an American plant and I felt there should be an Asian version.


Puang kraam in Thai: พวงคราม 





Kaset Today-ดอกไม้/พวงคราม

----------


## Shutree

> Puang kraam in Thai: พวงคราม


Thanks. I thought it was, only surprised because it is not native to Asia. I have seen it around, it is an attractive plant, it seems popular with new coffee shops that want to attract the selfie set.

----------


## Mendip

One of our neighbours have this plant (I'm pretty sure) growing in their driveway and all this talk motivated me to finally get off my arse and do something about it today. It's been on my mind for some time as the flowers look lovely.

I like an excuse to visit these neighbours as they have a very attractive daughter, mid to late 30s, who I must admit I quite like. I've often thought that if she was a little younger and didn't live with her family next door, she would make a pretty good Mia Noi.

Anyway, sadly I was lumbered talking to the father today and she was nowhere to be seen.



He told me several times what the plant is called but of course I had forgotten around six seconds later. I think Nev has it, however.

The father gave me a bag of the dried flowers and told me the plants are easy to grow from seed (well, at least I think that's what he said).



My daughter helped me to de-seed the flowers... after a great deal of pleading.



As an aside, these seeds/flowers spin in the air like a sycamore seed to aid seed dispersal by the wind. If you look above Anna's head you can see one spinning in the air.



We collected around 30 seeds and after soaking overnight I'll plant them in the morning. I'll let you know how we get on.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> The father gave me a bag of the dried flowers and told me the plants are easy to grow from seed (well, at least I think that's what he said).


Hmm. I got flowers all over the place. 
Did not know about the seeds,
 I am walking over there now to take a look

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

^^^ Hmm, I think my Whatchamacallit plan is shooting blanks, Hundreds of flowers on the floor and not  a one seed.

----------


## Shutree

> I've often thought that if she was a little younger


She'd know nothing. Thirties is perfect.

----------


## malmomike77

This is getting a bit creepy for gardening

----------


## Shutree

> This is getting a bit creepy for gardening


He could build a small sala for her, in the garden.

----------


## malmomike77

build a small sala and they will come  :Smile:

----------


## Mendip

> She'd know nothing. Thirties is perfect.


I wasn't planning on discussing Latin conjunctives with her.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

Anyway , I worked on it a bit more , 'cause try to keep a Greek away from free stuff. and came up with these seeds. At least I think are seeds. 
They are pretty small  (use paper towel for reference)

----------


## Mendip

> They are pretty small  (use paper towel for reference)


They're definitely smaller than the paper towel.

BB, I will plant around 30 seeds tomorrow and so long as Ootai doesn't start complaining again, I'll transplant any that germinate into their own plastic plant pot. You are more than welcome to a few.

----------


## malmomike77

clockwise or anticlockwise?

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> They're definitely smaller than the paper towel.
> 
> BB, I will plant around 30 seeds tomorrow and so long as Ootai doesn't start complaining again, I'll transplant any that germinate into their own plastic plant pot. You are more than welcome to a few.


Looking forward to it. I will put some of the ones I got in the dirt also and see what happens.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> clockwise or anticlockwise?


I would say perpendicular and to the left,

----------


## malmomike77

where's Ootai when you need him

----------


## Mendip

> clockwise or anticlockwise?


That is in fact a very good question Mike and it's searching minds that make this forum.

Firstly, I don't know if this vine is the type to put out feelers in which case I don't think the spiraling direction is relevant. If it is a spiraling climber then my money is on anti-clockwise (when viewed from underneath).

I will keep you guys posted.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> anti-clockwise


I  was just getting ready to complain about the "anticlockwise" term but before I made more of an ass of myself I decided to google it.
 And today I learned that people in the US say the term differently. 
In the US we correctly say "Counterclockwise" where in the UK , much like your driving. use the wrong "Anticlockwise"
People have a lot of things  to complain about the Brits , and rightly so  :Smile:  but inconsistency is not one of them. 
i am sure the above truth might  anger some . But before any one decides to say something  about the Greeks , just remember that we invented the yo-yo

----------


## VocalNeal

> I was just getting ready to complain about the "anticlockwise" term but before I made more of an ass of myself I decided to google it.
> And today I learned that people in the US say the term differently.
> In the US we correctly say "Counterclockwise" where in the UK , much like your driving. use the wrong "Anticlockwise"


Are you thinking anticlockwise is counter intuitive? Is anti-terrorism the same as counter-terrorism

----------


## helge

> . But before any one decides to say something about the Greeks , just remember that we invented the yo-yo


Wait for some West Bromwich Albion comments  :Smile:

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> Are you thinking anticlockwise is counter intuitive? Is anti-terrorism the same as counter-terrorism


Anticlockwise is any direction,  where counterclockwise is the direction opposite to clockwise 

With an anticlockwise attitude thing for you can quickly go sideways .  :Smile:

----------


## helge

:Smile: 

You greek invented 'anti' also

Think you got that one wrong though

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> You greek invented 'anti' also
> 
> Think you got that one wrong though


I might, and if I have, it will not be the first time or the last time, not that I would ever admit it, unless forced to do so, and perhaps not even then. I am sure I can find a way to weasel out of admitting I am wrong.  
So, when you are anti, you are not for , so if you are anticlockwise ,  you are not for a clockwise direction , but in a four dimensional environment there is an infinite number of directions other than to the right.
....Infinite because any number can be infinitely  divided.  
But counterclockwise implies an direction directly opposite of the one present. and sinse clockwise is to the right, counterclockwise can only be to the left
What am I missing ?
  Please don't say a brain. That would be hurtful  :Smile:

----------


## malmomike77

> So, when you are anti, you are not for , so if you are anticlockwise , you are not for a clockwise direction , but in a four dimensional environment there is an infinite number of directions other than to the right.
> ....Infinite because any number can be infinitely divided.
> But counterclockwise implies an direction directly opposite of the one present. and sinse clockwise is to the right, counterclockwise can only be to the left
> What am I missing ?


BB you'd be right if say we were in Greece in the 2-3 c BC and were using Astrolabes but our analogue time measuring devices now tend to operate on one plane. Time and language have moved on, you need to stop harking back over 2000 years to your glory days

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> BB you'd be right if say we were in Greece in the 2-3 c BC and were using Astrolabes but our analogue time measuring devices now tend to operate on one plane. Time and language have moved on, you need to stop harking back over 2000 years to your glory days


That would be correct if the terms clockwise and  the other one were only used to describe time, but in the case, lets say of a falling flower which is what stirred  this hornet's  nest,  said item falling anticlockwise  could be any direction other than clockwise , where counterclockwise can only be the opposite of clockwise .
I would let it go, but I love you too much to let you to live a lie.

----------


## malmomike77

> where Anticlockwise can only be the opposite of clockwise .


on a dial watch you'd be correct, i'm glad we put that to bed.

incidentally we don't just use anti all the time in the UK, we have a number of counters, usually organisations like he Police Counter Terrorism Security Office but that only exists because the Greeks invented terrorism  :Smile:

----------


## Mendip

Do you have a lot of spare time up there in Khon Kaen, BB?




> Looking forward to it. I will put some of the ones I got in the dirt also and see what happens.


Anyway, I've been thinking about your seeds and I don't think they're ready. I would wait until the flowers are dying at the end of the season and then collect dried ones. The seed pod should be hard and dry within the base of the flower (ovary).

I think the seeds the neighbours gave me were from last year because they also showed me a small seedling about 18 inches tall, and I would think that had been planted some months ago from last year's seeds.

----------


## Stumpy

> After the recent rains , everything seems to be blossoming
> No idea what it's called other than Sway Sway 
> Attachment 95320 
> And a Lime tree I planted a few weeks ago seems to be taking well
> Attachment 95321


I sure like that flowering vine BB. I'd like to grow that on my pool fence. I will have to see if my wife can track some down.  I can plant behind and let them vine up and over.

Are they green year round and flower once a year type vine?

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I sure like that flowering vine BB. I'd like to grow that on my pool fence. I will have to see if my wife can track some down.  I can plant behind and let them vine up and over.
> 
> Are they green year round and flower once a year type vine?


Ours is Green all year round and has flowered several times. But this time was the most. 
 It also grows very quick. We got ours about a year ago and I don't remember how big it was but I remember that we put it in our car, so it could not had been more than four ft. 

Just keep in mind that it drops it's flowers a lot (as you can see on our grass) and if you have it too close to the pool ...
unless you like flowers floating in your pool, which IMO might not bee so bad .
Just make sure you get one that drops its flowers counterclockwise and not the one that does anticlockwise because those little suckers will be all over the place 
 :smiley laughing:

----------


## malmomike77

does it attract bees? does look great BB

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> does it attract bees? does look great BB


I often see a couple of  Bumblebees feeding from it but nothing that would be of concern, I have also seen some very pretty butterflies . And a couple of birds have made a best there 
Lovely to hear the chicks calling , but they were making a mess dropping blades of grass while building it, but I did not have the heart to make them move. Now they have babies and have squatter rights LOL

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> I sure like that flowering vine BB. I'd like to grow that on my pool fence. I will have to see if my wife can track some down.  I can plant behind and let them vine up and over.
> 
> Are they green year round and flower once a year type vine?


So we went for a walk by the flower shops near the University in Khon kaen 
and we saw one for sale 45o bht in the first 5 minutes we were there. , so the should not be too hard to find

----------


## malmomike77

nice finger point there BB, top pointing

----------


## Stumpy

Thanks BB.  I will look on my drive back home next week.  Should be able to find a few.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

> nice finger point there BB, top pointing


It is  the Thai tradition to point at the point of interest in a picture. 
Haven you watched any news or police pictures? LOL

----------


## malmomike77

^ i have, which is why i recognise such fine example

----------


## helge

You gotta greek's hand, Milord !

----------


## Mendip

I was doing a bit of transplanting when the dogs starting running around the perimeter of the veggie garden fence barking...



I discovered why... this lovely rat snake was watching me.



I'm quite happy to live and let live with the snakes but the dogs will eventually catch and kill it... and we have a new jungle fowl chick in the chicken run that would make a nice snack... so it had to go.



Unfortunately en-route to the garden wall the snake slipped out of the tongs and made it to the sanctuary of the pond. Fingers crossed for both the snake's and the chick's future.

----------


## dirk diggler

I converted my spare room into a gym a while back and one day around 3 months back I noticed what appeared to be some Lacey female underwear that looked like it had been thrown up on top of the air con. I had a few friends on my radar who had stayed in there at some point but never got the investigation underway. The other day my mrs came in while I was working out and I asked her if those were her knicks on the unit. 

She freaked out and all of a sudden everything was my fault. 



Have to admit, I’m a bit freaked out by it all too. 



Upstairs room, door, windows and balcony kept closed at all times. 

How the hell did it get up there? 

Can snakes get in through the AC drain pipe?

where is it now?

What the actual fuck?

----------


## Shutree

> Can snakes get in through the AC drain pipe?


Too small bore pipe, I'd have thought. Maybe one of your visitors had the windows open?
Unless there is food up there I'd have thought any self-respecting snake would wriggle off elsewhere. Do you have a dog inside the house?

----------


## hallelujah

> Too small bore pipe, I'd have thought. Maybe one of your visitors had the windows open?
> Unless there is food up there I'd have thought any self-respecting snake would wriggle off elsewhere. Do you have a dog inside the house?


Snakes can squeeze themselves through the smallest of spaces imaginable.  However, if it is a spare room, with all windows closed, it could have entered from elsewhere in the house and slithered under the door frame (is there a gap?) and stayed there because the room was unused and remained warm.

Either way, Dirk, you need to get a snake expert in and check what kind of snake that is from. If it's venomous, get yourself and the family out of there until the house has been checked over and it found or the house given the all clear.

----------


## dirk diggler

I'm pretty sure he must've came in through the AC as I can't see any other way he could have gotten onto the unit to shed his skin.

Anyway it was about 6 months ago and no smell of death so pretty sure he fucked off in search of food.

----------


## Mendip

I have found it amazing how a snake can just disappear. Even quite a large snake can be hard to find in the garden, even when you know exactly where it went.

But anyway, the rat snake I rescued (a few pictures up) sadly outstayed its welcome. I try to remove the snakes to keep them safe from the dogs  but if they refuse to leave, what can you do? Yogi was the guilty party.

----------


## Buckaroo Banzai

No King Cobra or anything , 
but This little guy  has taken residence in a nook by the waterfall , and has made it his year round home.
See f you can find him. 
How do I know it's a he? Nooo, I did not look, he just looks like a he.

----------


## Looper

I have always lusted after and coveted my neighbour's pine tree which you can see directly above the arse end of Fijian Hindu lady's doglet


It is a Cupressus cashmeriana - Kashmir Cypress

This is what they look like when they are small


And when they are big


My neighbours one looks even better than either of these. Beautiful weeping pines in a kind of blueish green. I have got a pic of his somewhere but I can't find it.

Anyway, so I gets myself a packet of 30 seeds off t'internet and hey jingo... 8 of them have germinated into seedlings after an 8 week cold stratification in the fridge and 1 week in seedling trays


One has earned a Kilkenny after a hard day's seedlinging

In about 20 years I may be able to boast a monster of my neighbour's calibre

----------


## helge

> I have always lusted after and coveted my neighbour's pine tree





> In about 20 years I may be able to boast a monster of my neighbour's calibre


I brought one home from a bike rally in Norway 15-20 years ago.

Fitted in to a Coke bottle and it felt at home here.

Going up by about a meter each year, it has to go now.

Sadly.


I'll burn it

----------


## Looper

> Going up by about a meter each year


Would be interested to see that

This arvo I had notched up my 10th seedling


And then by evensong an 11th had sprouted


That is currently a 36.66(recurring)% success yield from a $6 inc postage seed investment

So I celebrated my flora fecundity with an aussie/jocko frothy face-off

----------


## Shutree

One Brown shrike this morning. Not a rare bird in Thailand over winter but the first one here. The very rich chestnut brow suggests it might not be the most common type, but I don't have others with which to compare it. There is a picture, or a picture with a few pixels that look like a blob, that I'll not bother posting. I am hoping it will stay around for some better photo ops.

----------


## Neverna

> One Brown shrike this morning. Not a rare bird in Thailand over winter but the first one here. The very rich chestnut brow suggests it might not be the most common type, but I don't have others with which to compare it. There is a picture, or a picture with a few pixels that look like a blob, that I'll not bother posting. I am hoping it will stay around for some better photo ops.


Interesting coincidence. I saw a brown shrike a couple of days ago, the first time I have seen one at home, and I also have some shitty photos that I won't bother posting. 

Good luck with your next photo op. From my experience brown shrikes do tend to stay in the same area and even perch on the same posts, fences, stumps or low plants.

----------


## Shutree

> Good luck with your next photo op. From my experience brown shrikes do tend to stay in the same area and even perch on the same posts, fences, stumps or low plants.


It found a high perch with a clear view over the garden where there is probably plenty of food for it. The challenge is that it is exposed there so I am unlikely to get within 30m. Also I have no idea if it is here for the winter or only passing through on its way further south.

----------


## Neverna

I don't know about your specimen, but I see brown shrikes all year round in Thailand, but your specimen with its rich chestnut brow (did you mean to type "brow" ?) might have come from elsewhere. Still, I'd put money on it hanging around your place for a while. Fingers crossed.

----------


## Shutree

> (did you mean to type "brow" ?)


Yes, but if I'd stopped to think about what I was typing I guess crown and nape would have been better. What with the brow being white.  :Smile: 

It hasn't yet returned. In fact the garden is very quiet at the moment. Even the sparrows and the mynah birds seem to have wandered off. Just an occasional fantail. There are some swallows and an occasional swift down the lane, here for winter, while the pond herons we used to see in numbers every morning around the rice fields have also gone elsewhere now that the fields are bone dry. There are many small ponds around but they are steep sided and a bit deep for herons. The other thing missing is the cattle egret. The cows and buffaloes are still around, where we were used to seeing one or two dozen egrets every morning I haven't seen even one this past week.

----------


## Looper

The bees have made a Santa's beard smiley-face bee-hive to welcome the new year.

----------


## Shutree

> The bees


By a strange coincidence I found this on the ground this morning. Never seen one in the garden before. I guess fallen from a high tree. No honey, sadly. The bees must be very small.

----------


## Mendip

I had a walk around the veggie plot tonight and saw this.

God knows how the gardener hadn't noticed it all day but I've learnt not to dwell on such things. To me this looked like it belonged to quite a big snake, not our usual golden tree snake that lives in the pomelo tree.



Well over a metre long and that's without the head end.

----------


## malmomike77

> God knows how the gardener hadn't noticed it all day


he put it there

----------


## Mendip

This morning I was doing my daily 'dog turd flinging over the wall' duties when I nearly stepped on this guy on our 'lawn'.



I believe it was a baby tookay. I held on to him a bit too long and he became quite angry...



And soon latched himself onto my thumb.

----------


## david44

A crate of empty bottles  from the hols, 6 cats , a menagerie of local critters and a hot woman in every sense, who can bask for more?

----------


## Stumpy

> I believe it was a baby tookay


That it is Mendy.  Enjoy that latch on as a young'en.  When those bastards get big they can put a hurt on you even with good leather work gloves.

I have come across a few 15" long ones.  I grabbed one one day with my glove figuring no problem and while it didn't draw blood, it sure put a nice hurt on my index finger until I off'd the fkr.  My FIL always eliminates them when he comes across them as he says they are mean, lay alot of eggs and can create problems.

A long time back when I was living in BKK one day I saw one between some walls at my condo.  The thing was HUGE.  Honestly probably 20" long and at least a couple of pounds.

----------


## helge

> e fkr. My FIL always eliminates them when he comes across them as he says they are mean, lay alot of eggs and can create problems.


Are they mean ?  :Smile: 

Not being chinese, I'd never kill them

They do take care of a lot of creep

----------


## malmomike77

> They do take care of a lot of creep


Do they, that's good to know, i have a creep i need to get rid of.

I actually like them, they come in a great range of colours but as Mendip found they are feisty little sods, Mrs won't go near them

----------


## Troy

Has anyone managed to get a Thai to build a compost heap? I have shown family how but they are not interested. 

Smells...no it doesn't
Attracts snake...nope
White man's magic...whatever.

I bought them a garden shredder a couple of years ago but they only use it to cut grass for the cows.

Anyway, after a month, I have a third compost pile and veg in the garden again.

----------


## Norton

> The thing was HUGE

----------


## Mendip

> I actually like them, they come in a great range of colours but as Mendip found they are feisty little sods, Mrs won't go near them


I like them too Mike. We have a couple in the garden and they often call to to each other in the evenings. I like their call.

After my experience with the baby I wouldn't like to get bitten by an adult but I can't see how that would happen, unless I wiggled my fingers in front of one.

----------


## HuangLao

> I like them too Mike. We have a couple in the garden and they often call to to each other in the evenings. I like their call.
> 
> After my experience with the baby I wouldn't like to get bitten by an adult but I can't see how that would happen, unless I wiggled my fingers in front of one.


Good to have them around, as they clean up things - sort to speak.
Some traditional circles find them to be of good luck.....regardless of their alien-like nature.

----------


## helge

> I wouldn't like to get bitten by an adult but I can't see how that would happen, unless I wiggled my fingers in front of one.


Fingers ofcourse being the lesser of two evils

----------


## dirk diggler

> pomelo tree.


Have you ever got fruit from it? Mine is about 7 years old and 12 feet tall. Nada.

----------


## malmomike77

> Have you ever got fruit from it? Mine is about 7 years old and 12 feet tall. Nada.


We had three before a garden re-org and they fruited profusely, the problem was too many fruit and you had to keep taking off the new ones to give the shrub, i wouldn't call them trees, a chance to put energy into the few you want to mature. Even so ours were about 2/3rds the size of the ones you see in the shops but the inside was OK. Its one of my favourite fruits in Thailand and makes a nice change for the other sweet fruits which get a bit too much. The flowers smell lovely too.

----------


## Shutree

> After my experience with the baby I wouldn't like to get bitten by an adult


Lots of videos on YouTube. In case you paln on picking up any more tokays.  :Smile:

----------


## dirk diggler

> We had three before a garden re-org and they fruited profusely, the problem was too many fruit and you had to keep taking off the new ones to give the shrub, i wouldn't call them trees, a chance to put energy into the few you want to mature. Even so ours were about 2/3rds the size of the ones you see in the shops but the inside was OK. Its one of my favourite fruits in Thailand and makes a nice change for the other sweet fruits which get a bit too much. The flowers smell lovely too.


How old were they when they started to fruit?

I'm starting to wonder if it's even a pomelo tree.

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## malmomike77

^ about 3 years. you're best off just taking it out and start again.

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## Mendip

> Lots of videos on YouTube. In case you paln on picking up any more tokays.


No, I'll not be picking up any adult tookays, that's for sure, Shutree.

With Spring just around the corner, today I decided to clean out the bird boxes in case the hoopoes and magpie wrens decide to come back again.

The first one was OK and the second had just three small deserted bee nests inside.



But the third was one big deserted bee nest and I had to bring the box down to clean it out properly.



There was quite a haul. I could smell honey but there was none left. I think that ants and a myriad of other insects had beaten me to it. There also seemed to be a lot of white mold or fungi-like stuff.



Ain't nature wonderful... perfect hexagons.

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## ootai

> Have you ever got fruit from it? Mine is about 7 years old and 12 feet tall. Nada.


dirk diggler
We have a couple of Pomelo trees in our yard and they were there for years (7+) and never gave any fruit.
Then when I retired and started watering them heavily they started fruiting. As the last wet season was very wet they fruited well again.
However they seem to drop a lot of the fruit before it ripens.

So before you pull them out and start again try giving them lots of water (and I mean lots) and some fertiliser.

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## dirk diggler

Thanks Ootai.

To be honest, it's pretty neglected and left to do it's own thing, since it's round the narrow side of my garden where the wall is close to my house. 

There has certainly been a lot of rain lately so maybe we will get something soon.

What kind of fertiliser would you recommend?

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## ootai

> Thanks Ootai.
> 
> To be honest, it's pretty neglected and left to do it's own thing, since it's round the narrow side of my garden where the wall is close to my house. 
> 
> There has certainly been a lot of rain lately so maybe we will get something soon.
> 
> What kind of fertiliser would you recommend?


I don't worry too much about what I use, usually whatever I have which can be cow shit, stuff used for rice or stuff used for Cassava. My motto being something is probably better than nothing.

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## dirk diggler

Cow shit works, got a sack of that kicking about. cheers.

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## mikenot

> I don't worry too much about what I use, usually whatever I have which can be cow shit, stuff used for rice or stuff used for Cassava. My motto being something is probably better than nothing.


Not necessarily so....for fruit and flower you want something with low nitrogen but more potassium and Phosphorus, so when looking at the NPK ratios on the packet the first (N) number should be a lot lower than the other two (P and K). Too much N gives you lots of leafy growth but no flowers and fruit. The first rice fertilizer is high in nitrogen for initial growth, something like 40-0-0 or 60-0-0, so no good for fruit.
 Chicken manure is higher in nitrogen than cow manure, so avoid that for fruit and flowers if you can.

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## ootai

> Not necessarily so....for fruit and flower you want something with low nitrogen but more potassium and Phosphorus, so when looking at the NPK ratios on the packet the first (N) number should be a lot lower than the other two (P and K). Too much N gives you lots of leafy growth but no flowers and fruit. The first rice fertilizer is high in nitrogen for initial growth, something like 40-0-0 or 60-0-0, so no good for fruit.
>  Chicken manure is higher in nitrogen than cow manure, so avoid that for fruit and flowers if you can.


I agree with what you are saying but as I said I don't worry about it and just use whatever is around. If it lives and has fruit then well done if not then it is dead so no fruit.
I am sure that plants were thriving before we (humans) come along and tried to make them over produce by using targeted fertilisers.
From what I have seen here just about everything grows some good, some not so well and most things want to spike you with their thorns so they get no love from me.

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## Shutree

> Has anyone managed to get a Thai to build a compost heap?


The gf is completely disinterested in the idea. I'm not sure why, I suspect it is just her usual dismissal of anything she doesn't understand.
I have a mountain of garden cuttings. In the summer it is too wet and now in the winter it is too dry. At one point I tried covering it with a black plastic sheet which didn't seem to help much.
I'm too lazy to start digging or building anything. I figure it must eventually rot into something if the termites don't eat it all.
Has anyone seen those large black plastic compost bins, a bit like a small water tank with a door at the base?



Lazada has little bins. I want a big job.

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## Mendip

> I want a big job.


It's been a long time since I've heard someone say that!


I use a normal plastic bin with the bottom sawn off for my compost heap. I keep this is a shallow pit and periodically lift the bin a bit to shovel out the compost to distribute around the garden.

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## Buckaroo Banzai

> It's been a long time since I've heard someone say that!
> 
> 
> I use a normal plastic bin with the bottom sawn off for my compost heap. I keep this is a shallow pit and periodically lift the bin a bit to shovel out the compost to distribute around the garden.


I was thinking of starting something like that and was thinking of a blue plastic barrel laying on it's side when not being filled. so that you could roll for a bout three ft. tumbling the contains. 
What do you all think about that?

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## Shutree

> I use a normal plastic bin with the bottom sawn off for my compost heap.


Worth a try.

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## Shutree

> blue plastic barrel


I have one of those I bought, intending to use it as a roller to flatten newly laid soil. It was too heavy for me to move when full and not heavy enough to flatten anything when half full.
I did think about repurposing it as a composter but the top and the bottom are both sealed, only a couple of small holes in the top for filling with water. I decided not to saw off the top and the bottom for a composter because then I'd need a lid. Maybe some black plastic sheet and a bungee would be good enough?
The barrel might be bit heavy to roll. Of course for those who spend more time in the gym than I do that might not be a problem. Anyway you'd need a screw top or something which is strong enough to stay put as it gets rolled around.

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## malmomike77

> There has certainly been a lot of rain lately so maybe we will get something soon.


Sorry, yes they like quite a bit of water - didn't realise you weren't watering them

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## dirk diggler

> Sorry, yes they like quite a bit of water - didn't realise you weren't watering them


She's been told, the garden is her domain.

Apart from a few 'potted' plants which I tend to every day.

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## malmomike77

I put in a piped irrigation system and a pump and timer, great for hols too. wasn't too much work.

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## dirk diggler

I don't really care that much about the tree tbh as they are a bitch to peel, but my local fruit staller doesn't seem to mind.

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## Shutree

> they are a bitch to peel


I have a person for that. Possibly for other things too but peeling a pomelo s in the top ten.   :Very Happy:

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## dirk diggler

So do I come to think of it. 

Being a chef, she is far too handy with a knife for my liking.

And she has a lot of them.

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## helge

> shovel out the compost to distribute around the garden.


Have you been down the market to buy some compost worms ? :Smile: 

Compost is good, but remember that it is low on nitrogen.

Here's What Not to Put in Compost to Avoid a Contaminated Bin

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## dirk diggler

Perhaps my pomelo tree is getting out of hand?

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## Shutree

> Have you been down the market to buy some compost worms ?


Have you seen compost worms here? I haven't. In the UK yes, here there is so little composting I wonder if anyone sells them. Another trip to Lazada I guess.

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## Troy

> It's been a long time since I've heard someone say that!
> 
> 
> I use a normal plastic bin with the bottom sawn off for my compost heap. I keep this is a shallow pit and periodically lift the bin a bit to shovel out the compost to distribute around the garden.


The government recently issued bins without bottoms, for composting, to each household in our village. Only small bins and totally inadequate for the average need. I haven't seen anyone use one yet.

I don't bother with bins or pits. There was enough material lying around the garden to make 2 heaps and start a third. I put them close to the new vegetable plot so, a) they get watered and b) the ground under them can be made into another bed.

I am using old banana leaf for browns and mixing the stalks with household waste for green. Soil and cow manure also used as I was taught never to use fresh manure directly on the ground due to excessive salt. I get the microbes as starter from global house. Weather has been good and heaps are generating quite a bit of heat.

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## Buckaroo Banzai

> It was too heavy for me to move when full and not heavy enough to flatten anything when half full.


Did you ever think to fill it two thirds?  :Razz: 

Try getting one with a clamp top barrel,

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## Shutree

> I get the microbes as starter from global house. Weather has been good and heaps are generating quite a bit of heat.


They sell microbes at Global House? I'll take a look.

My heap is against a bank. It is about 1.5m high, from the lower side. It doesn't seem to generate any heat. As you can see, at this time of year ther is too much brown. Once the rain starts it will be too much green.

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## mikenot

> The government recently issued bins without bottoms, for composting, to each household in our village. Only small bins and totally inadequate for the average need. I haven't seen anyone use one yet.
> 
> I don't bother with bins or pits. There was enough material lying around the garden to make 2 heaps and start a third. I put them close to the new vegetable plot so, a) they get watered and b) the ground under them can be made into another bed.
> 
> I am using old banana leaf for browns and mixing the stalks with household waste for green. Soil and cow manure also used as I was taught never to use fresh manure directly on the ground due to excessive salt. I get the microbes as starter from global house. Weather has been good and heaps are generating quite a bit of heat.


Our amphur is on the “reduce,reuse,recycle” campaign and had a series of town meetings to teach everybody. Our village headman had a stock of old paint buckets to give out for use as worm towers to reduce food waste in the garbage. The diagrams in the info they gave out had fish carcasses and chillis going into the worm tower, not something that I would do. We are the only ones that I know of doing it. Haven’t seen any worms in there yet.
 Instead of burning the grass and scrub slashed out at the farm as the family normally did, I started a compost pile instead. Green grass cuttings, leaves, rice straw and a few bags of chicken manure.  It’s a cold compost so working slowly, but the original 10m * 1.5 * 1.5m row has composted down to about a third of that. Mentioned to the wife that I was thinking of getting some red wrigglers from Lazada for the compos pile and she thinks that I am crazy for wasting a couple of hundred baht !

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## malmomike77

^ its best to just do stuff and show them the results, then you can keep doing it for them  :Smile:

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## Troy

> They sell microbes at Global House? I'll take a look.


I buy the EM microorganisms sold in glkbal house and home pro. Works for me.

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## HuangLao

> Our amphur is on the “reduce,reuse,recycle” campaign and had a series of town meetings to teach everybody. Our village headman had a stock of old paint buckets to give out for use as worm towers to reduce food waste in the garbage. The diagrams in the info they gave out had fish carcasses and chillis going into the worm tower, not something that I would do. We are the only ones that I know of doing it. Haven’t seen any worms in there yet.
>  Instead of burning the grass and scrub slashed out at the farm as the family normally did, I started a compost pile instead. Green grass cuttings, leaves, rice straw and a few bags of chicken manure.  It’s a cold compost so working slowly, but the original 10m * 1.5 * 1.5m row has composted down to about a third of that. Mentioned to the wife that I was thinking of getting some red wrigglers from Lazada for the compos pile and she thinks that I am crazy for wasting a couple of hundred baht !



Build yourself an enclosed and partially airtight receptacle [the larger the better] and you'll find that such breakdown of composting mulch will increase ten fold - added worms are beneficial as well, yet not necessary. Best to ya...

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## mikenot

> Build yourself an enclosed and partially airtight receptacle [the larger the better] and you'll find that such breakdown of composting mulch will increase ten fold - added worms are beneficial as well, yet not necessary. Best to ya...


Sure....but it did start 10m long, 1.5m high and wide, thats a rather large receptacle to build ! There's no hurry, so no problem if it takes a while.

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## Troy

> My heap is against a bank. It is about 1.5m high, from the lower side.


It looks very dry. I would give it a turn and add some more green and ensure it's well watered. 

The wife and her cousin decided to have a vegetable plot closer to the main house and I was tasked with making some quick compost for them. The garden needed a good tidy up and there were plenty of browns and greens to choose from. To make quickly, everything needed to go through the shredder, which has been sat idle since the last time I used it.



The ground they decided to grow the veg was so hard it needed a pick axe to break it up. I prefer to water and let it drain in before using a fork to dig but the girls were in a hurry so I left them to it. Anyway, they managed to get some veg growing...



...while I made the compost and double dug a couple of beds ready for transplanting some of their plants.



I build them directly onto the ground, about 1.5m diameter and 1.5m high when first built. I can't remember when I started putting a pipe/stick in the middle, but I find it helps when checking if the pile is heating up. I turn them after about 7-10 days.



This is the starter I use for my compost. It's been around for years and I've found it to be okay.

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## Buckaroo Banzai

> It looks very dry. I would give it a turn and add some more green and ensure it's well watered. 
> 
> The wife and her cousin decided to have a vegetable plot closer to the main house and I was tasked with making some quick compost for them. The garden needed a good tidy up and there were plenty of browns and greens to choose from. To make quickly, everything needed to go through the shredder, which has been sat idle since the last time I used it.
> 
> 
> 
> The ground they decided to grow the veg was so hard it needed a pick axe to break it up. I prefer to water and let it drain in before using a fork to dig but the girls were in a hurry so I left them to it. Anyway, they managed to get some veg growing...
> 
> 
> ...


Your garden sure looks great !!.I plan to start something similar in the new property we go soon. 
Steady  light rain all day today here in Khon Kaen, god knows we need it. It should have softened the ground, so tomorrow I will go there with a Hoe, and turn the ground over. should I mix it up with cow manure, or should I spread it around the 
roots?

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## helge

> tomorrow I will go there with a Hoe, and turn the ground over. should I mix it up with cow manure, or should I.....


You should remember some cold beer, when you start working the "Isaan Cement".

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## Airportwo

> Steady light rain all day today here in Khon Kaen, god knows we need it. It should have softened the ground, so tomorrow I will go there with a Hoe, and turn the ground over. should I mix it up with cow manure, or should I spread it around the
> roots?


Put compost on top of earth, if you put it around roots probably kill plant as it is still degassing! We use the concrete rings for composting, takes about six months to breakdown.

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## malmomike77

> double dug a couple of beds ready for transplanting some of their plants.


Couldn't you have run the Kubota over it first?

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## Stumpy

My method is build up a large pile of mulched leaves and debris.  I just started a new one last week.  I water it and add dirt then cover it with a black tarp.  Every 4 or 5 days I lift the tarp up and add more mulched leaves from yard work, spray with a bit of water and then put the black tarp over it. The black tarp stops any weeds from growing as they can't get sun so they geminate but die.  Every 3 or so weeks I sprinkle cow shit on it with dirt, flip[ it over with a pitch fork, add mulch leaves and water then cover. I do not keep a big pile as I do not need one as we do not garden veggies anymore.  My wife mixes it with soaked coconut husks and we use for potted plants and around the base of trees.

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## Buckaroo Banzai

> Put compost on top of earth, if you put it around roots probably kill plant as it is still degassing! We use the concrete rings for composting, takes about six months to breakdown.


I meant,put it on the surface around the base of the plant (My fault for for not  phrasing  correctly) and let it seep into the ground while watering, or mix it with the topsoil
FYY, we just had , if I remember correctly, 30 trucks of topsoil delivered and spread over the property (a bit more than a rai) and I am not sure of the quality of the dirt. It looks good, but what do I know about dirt?

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## Troy

^ You can do either method. You can add to the topsoil a few weeks before planting, good if you are growing from seed and then transplanting into the bed. I prefer to mix in with the compost and then add that to the soil as the plants are growing. Compost can be made much more quickly here than say the UK but you need a lot more of it.

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## Shutree

> This is the starter I use for my compost


I went to Global House and got my microorganisms. What do I do with them?

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## Troy

Stick a capful into your watering can or similar and water your compost heap. I normally add as I'm making my pile. I add again when I turn my pile every 7-10 days.

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## Loy Toy

I've got around 30 council workers in my garden at the moment who are laying concrete and I have counted 12 cement mixer trucks already and they are only half way done.

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