Thread: Planting Trees in Thailand: advice please.

^ I'm speaking from a position of ignorance here, I'll need to check these things out.

What about eucalyptus trees?

They're Australian, thus as an Ashes protest I would refuse to even say the word...

There are plenty of them in Thailand so there's a ready market for selling the wood if and when needed.

Originally Posted by Neverna

What about eucalyptus trees?

Nice, if one doesn't have any other use for the area where eucalyptus are growing.

Euc are incredibly destructive to surrounding soils and foliage.

A lot like Australians then...

^ be nice.

Sorry, I'm watching the cricket - it's very disappointing...

So am I, but I thought it's going very well ....

... darn I missed a wicket while replying to your last post.

^don't worry - they'll be another 4 or so this evening...

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

8,000 one-off payment for the mast, then 600 baht a month for unlimited internet - great value...

Must be splendid for lightning strikes as well.

I plan to plant some sort of fruit trees at the farm in Laos. Still doing reasurch as to what may work well.

I have to find a nersery to get grafted cuttings from near Pakse Laos. I would like avocados as well as other options.

The GF says why bother as the local market has most things there.

Still I would like to try but don't expect any pay off as Everything needs maintenance ie watering pest control theft ect.

As with every thing I try to do in Laos it takes time.Yes when I'm there time seems to crawl . Would make a nice thread on our next adventure.

Good luck Simon. Post some picks if you do follow through with planting.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Sorry, I'm watching the cricket - it's very disappointing...

Just a thought.Maybe you can help improve our batting average.
Worlds Largest English Cricket Bat Willow Supplier | JS Wright & Sons

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by Neverna

What about eucalyptus trees?

Nice, if one doesn't have any other use for the area where eucalyptus are growing.

Euc are incredibly destructive to surrounding soils and foliage.

But they make for a nice wind-break.

Originally Posted by hazz

I think you might be quite suprised at how much it might cost to fill land. for 6 rai thats more or less 10k m2, and at 7 cubic meters a lorry its going to be 1300+ lorries a lot of deisil, to raise it 1m... not sure about the ecology of destroy rice fields by filling them up with soil, dug out from land somewhere else.

An alternative to consider would be exchanging rice fields for more marginal agricultural land, that is cheaper and more suited for trees. Teak might fit into your time scales (30-60 years), no idea about the economics, but green wise its sound as its a carbon sink that nobody will burn.

another alternative might some scheme double A aper have for buying trees grown by thai farmers
https://www.doubleapaper.com/index.p...d-thai-farmers

We pay 600 baht for 8 cubic yards of fill delivered.

Originally Posted by fishlocker

Good luck Simon. Post some picks if you do follow through with planting.

Is Simon planting stuff, as well?...Thought it was Boo's thread...

Dunno about timber but think fruit trees would give a much quicker ROI.

Coconut, Banana, Lime, Papaya, Mango...yada yada..and of course temp intermediate crops like corn,chillies, beans,squash etc ?

Apart from the fruit trees that surely can be exploited within few years there are also other trees for a commercial use, that can be easily planted, as seen everywhere up-country.

For those, however, a longer waiting time is to be planned and/or can be exploited in the next life:

Golden Teak (Tectonia Grandis) - as it can be seen at many private lots, mainly in the North, however also in the Central areas once the lots are not flooded. The first years go very fast when planted from good nurslings, within weeks one can see new branches and new prolongation of the stem with fresh new pair of golden leaves on the top. The side branches should be frequently cut off, letting it grow rather into the height. If planted tightly (mostly 2x2m) it does not get much of the side branches. Within 25 - 30 years the wood can be felled and used for furniture.

Acacia (Chamchaa, Jamjuree - Samanea Saman), this is the big solitair tree mainly along roads with huge round crown, creating a good shadow in the private gardens (dia 20m). You can see them in the middle of the Wireless Road in Bkk.

The leaves will fold every evening, that's why it is called also a Five o'clock tree. Or Rain Tree, the rain fells easily thru. Beside the handicraft carvings (also the big elephants) it is hugely used for kitchenware, replacing teak that was used for this merchandise more than 30 years ago. It is one of the two choices for many kitchenware factories in Thailand, cutting boards or bowls by rubberwood (light natural color) or acacia (dark natural color)? It grows very fast, especially when the side branches are cut off in order to get a longer straight trunk. Can be felled within 12 - 15 years, the new tree will grow even faster from the old stump.

There is also a special insect feeding on the branches of Acacia, its resin secreted by the bugs is collected by villagers and used for production of natural shellac.

Another commercial tree hugely needed in Thailand is rubberwood. The planting has been supported by Thai government not only in the Southern areas but also in the North and NorthEast. After the rubber harvesting is finished at the trees (within 15 - 20 years) there is a strong demand for the wood for kitchenware and furniture production.

Betty look at Paulownia trees there sustainable and growth is very quick, and you can make money along the way.

http://cropdevelopment.org/docs/PaulowniaBooklet.pdf

Hello Betty. We had a similar sized bit of land that was sort of hoofing about looking for a use. I looked at planting slow-growing hardwoods but reckoned that the in-laws would quickly lose interest in anything that was not going to give them a chance of making some cash within a couple of years.

We ended up putting in rubber as it's well enough understood locally, it doesn't take much maintenance after the first three years and the in-laws could make a few baht off it each year if they wanted to.

Rather than doing the work themselves they've opted to go down the landed gentry route and have someone from the village to come and do the tapping for them in exchange for some form of incomprehensible profit share.

On the basis that it's not something I'm looking for a return on, all in all rubber has worked out pretty well. It helps to keep me in good odour with the family as the little project gives them both some free local face and free local beer. The wood itself is not so valuable that individual trees are likely to be nicked, yet when they reach the end of their useful life - about twenty or so years - then there should be some cumulative value to the wood itself. It's physically a decent sort of looking tree with a longish trunk and a good canopy so you can still stroll around and do stuff in the shade underneath and, whilst a monoculture is not exactly the greenest solution, I do feel good about having planted trees of some description.

is making ukuleles a problem?

stick with the ebony and mahogany and go smaller.....