Thread: Greenscaping our Retirement Home in Nan Province

Thanks David. Will be checking it out. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Easy to stay organic with the pest sprays.

This link to Gardening Australia have, at home, organic Pesticides and Herbicides options.

We are yet to observe a pest Neverna, except for two caterpillars I removed from a young avocado tree. In fact I've currently got a young jackfruit tree being eaten in a way that suggests a caterpillar but I've searched the whole plant leaf by leaf twice in the last two days and there is nothing on it. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Neverna

And if that dosn't work, smoke the tobacco and drink the lao khao. You'll still have the insects but you'll care a lot less about them.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Thanks Neverna and cyrille...anyone know the name of the flower/plant in post #167. The wife is interested and I've said a few times in the building thread that we take notice of good advice. Regards, -BiP

EDIT...looks like it is Duranta Erecta...the first one on my list. Going to make another effort to locate.

Hi BiP.
I went to a garden centre this afternoon and I was told that in Thai the plant is called เทียนทอง (Tiyan Tong).
A search of the Thai Internet comes up with Duranta Erecta L. for "Tiyan Tong" and images show some plants with serrated leaves and some with slightly thicker looking non-serrated leaves like the plant in my photo.



A Thai web page on planting them: https://puechkaset.com/เทียนทอง/

Here's a link to some photos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/ดอกเทียนทอง/

Common English names include golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and skyflower. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duranta_erecta

It was hot today with slightly higher humidity but finally motivated myself to get out into the yard about 4:30pm and position the remaining concrete blocks so I can finish this part of the drainage system tomorrow. Really struggled to get the blocks positioned and to be honest, this is the first time I've finished a piece of work in the yard and was disappointed in it. The blocks are not sitting quite where I wanted them but with kind words from the wife I decided not to demolish the whole thing and try again tomorrow. Gave it some thought though.

Drainage System Update 2 May 2019

Worked three hours this morning to get the drainage along the east side of the driveway and carport completed. Finished for today, just too hot. Was reasonably happy with how it came together this morning. Last night we got some heavy rain from a local storm and after checking I found the newly installed concrete blocks and pipes had actually worked and diverted and drained the excess water. Nice when a plan comes together.

Drainage System Update 3 May 2019

Spent three hours in the heat this morning and completed most of the drain along the northern boundary. Seems we may get some prolonged rain and storms tonight and I really don't want run-off water cutting through the fill. So this drain moves the water that collects on the north boundary to the north west corner retaining wall.

Drainage System Update 9 May 2019

Had a day trip away from Pua yesterday but have been progressing the drainage system build. Weather forecast is currently suggesting rain/storms a probability every day in the forecast period from Saturday so need to get a bit done tomorrow. Decided to make a couple of changes. The first was to add another transport pipe down to the north west corner. It will take the run-off that comes off the northern roof of the house. We've observed a lot of water comes off the roof there and has been making its way under the vegetable gardens and over the fill to the north. Want to stop that happening. The second was to change the collection pipe to the west of the house to a transport pipe. We are going to put concrete blocks along the concrete apron there and direct the water coming off the western roof to the north west corner of the house, collect it there and pipe it down to the north west block corner for discharge.

(The circles on the plan below indicate the parts of the system I've completed.)



The following photos are of the thirteen meter collection drain on the north side of the house. Got a bit lucky. Dug it out, drilled and connected the pipes, laid it in the trench and fully expected it would take a lot of effort to get the fall right, highest at the east end and lowest at the west end. To my surprise when I checked the fall I found all I needed to do was take 2-3 cm out of the last two meters at the west end. Was feeling quite chuffed. But just to check did stick a hose down the east end and made sure it ran out the other end. It did.

This is how we left it this morning. We lined the west edge of the concrete apron with concrete blocks. My intent is roof runoff will be directed by them down to the sump I created this morning. After we got done I ran a hose there and was really pleased to see the water go where I wanted and drain out of the far end of the pipe.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

This was the spot I worked on on Friday. Ground was amazingly difficult to get through here, the worst I've encountered in the yard. A lot of rocks from the new but hard fill needed to be moved.

Oh ... for a ditch witch

Recon it would have been 50/50 battle David, rocks versus the chain and claws. Interesting to watch while hanging on for dear life. Still hot in Pua and little sign of the rainy season. Got family here so not working in the yard at the moment. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Oh ... for a ditch witch

Drainage System & General update 30 May 2019

The wet season has had a slow start here in Pua. Had some overnight rain Friday last week but finally yesterday we got a cracker of a storm come through in the afternoon. Gave the drainage system a good workout. All up I installed 124 meters of drains. The torrential rain that was at the start of the storm yesterday overwhelmed the drains in under three minutes but once the rain backed off to just heavy they started to hold their own and were draining more water than was falling mid-way through the storm.

While pretty happy with how they coped there are three areas I need to look at. These are highlighted by the red circles below. On the north side of the house and just west of the middle of it there is a lowish point in the concrete apron and water concentrates here before flowing off it. Bit hard for such a small area of the french drain to capture the volume of water flowing there. To the east of that I'd left a 35cm gap between the west flowing drain and the short east flowing drain. Wouldn't you know it, that is the point where the water flowing down the east apron runs over the north apron edge. But the biggest challenge is along maybe 12 meters of the west boundary in front of the house. Too much water is flowing west into the neighbours property and cutting through the new fill. A solution here looks a bit involved and is complicated by there not being much fall available to capture the water and take it down the west boundary drain. Going to stare at it for a few more days and ponder.

In the meantime we finally got our hands on two loads of decent top soil and the wife and I will be gradually spreading that. The temperature looks to be dropping several degrees here and nice to have the green scenery, blue clear sky and cloud covered mountains back. We've also made quite a bit of progressing towards kicking off our homestay business later in the year.

...drainage: more interesting than I imagined...

I helped this guy develop this drainage system and made the first prototype cell. Now he is a mega millionaire.

Atlantis Drainage Cell - Atlantis Corporation

Hi Loy Toy, my version of Norton security doesn't like that website, describes it as dangerous. Is there another? Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

I helped this guy develop this drainage system and made the first prototype cell. Now he is a mega millionaire.

Atlantis Drainage Cell - Atlantis Corporation

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

I helped this guy develop this drainage system and made the first prototype cell. Now he is a mega millionaire.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Atlantis Drainage Cell - Atlantis Corporation

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

Hi Loy Toy, my version of Norton security doesn't like that website, describes it as dangerous.

That sounds about right.

Thunder, a nine week old chocolate Labrador took up residence at our place yesterday. We were going to get his sister as well but someone snuck in before us. We'll get him a girlfriend in 15-18 months. He's already identified the need to renovate the wife's butterfly and bee garden.

Was in Nan yesterday and couldn't get any Malay grass turf. Wanted 30 sqm to start on the back yard so decided to buy Manila grass turf instead as they just got in a large shipment. Was 35 baht per sqm compared to 45 for Malay grass. There is quite a bit of fill and topsoil under this turf as I want it to hold a lot of rain runoff before releasing it under the vegetable gardens and to the north boundary french drain.

Ordered 20 sqm of Malay grass. Should be in early next week and will continue to strategically place turf in the front yard.

Slowly coming together. Just waiting for the business license to issue but will likely open the homestay a month early on 1 August.

What's the difference between Malay and Manila grass turf, BiP?

The easy part of the answer Neverna is the Manila grass is 10 baht per sqm cheaper. Looking at both grasses I can see the Manila grass is more dense with a mat of close knit fibres (no idea the correct term). The grass blades are narrow and a little spiky. It will expand range using thin runners that I suspect take root as they progress. The Malay grass is greener with bigger and softer leaves. I'm told it will hold a lot more soil moisture so I suspect it has deep roots that hold the soil together. I'm not sure how (or if) it spreads. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Neverna

What's the difference between Malay and Manila grass turf, BiP?

^ Thanks, BiP. Once you get your turf delivered, could you post up a couple of close up shots of it to compare the difference, please?

Hi Neverna,

Below are a couple of pictures of some Manila grass I have not yet laid sitting on some recently laid Malay grass. Wikipeadia has a good article on Manila grass under the title 'Zoysia Matrella' although confusingly it says Malay grass is one of its other names.

Manila grass turf sitting on Malay grass.


Underside of Manila grass turf.


Hope that helps. Regards, -BiP

Originally Posted by Neverna

^ Thanks, BiP. Once you get your turf delivered, could you post up a couple of close up shots of it to compare the difference, please?

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

The Malay grass is greener with bigger and softer leaves. I'm told it will hold a lot more soil moisture so I suspect it has deep roots that hold the soil together. I'm not sure how (or if) it spreads. Regards, -BiP

The Malay grass spreads and creeps like crazy. If near any other type of grass it will take over. Our house we only had Malay on the side with shade, and the rest was normal thin leafed grass. Within one year the Malay had spread and is now the dominant grass in our yard.