Thread: Bananas and trees?

Originally Posted by Missismiggins

The Vietnamese can produce 3 times the crop that the Thais can, the Thais were "tried" to be taught this method previously, even by their own government, but they just went their merry way! (as usual) You can take a horse to water as they say!

so, how do the Viet grow good crops of rice?

Originally Posted by Missismiggins

Originally Posted by Rural Surin

If I had plantation fruit {which we do in abundance}, I wouldn't intermix a banana within the group. I believe you perhaps misunderstand the old wife tales about these things, they've long planted everythin and anything aside each other. I not saying that other trees won't prosper, but to aid and encourage substantial growth, it's more beneficial to plant your bananas separately - distant from the herd. What's the general condition of your soil...?? Planting bananas with other fruit-bearing trees wouldn't be a catastrophe.

Thanks for that, you pretty much confirm what I thought...and sadly.. the soil is a clay like SHIT

This is 80% universal {soil}. Even though it might be rich in nutriants, needs to be worked and mixed with assorted organic material {as you probably already now}.

Originally Posted by Missismiggins

What about the olde English method of 1 year above the ground, one year below the ground, and one year layed to fallow?

Would probably work well, but never gonna get a chance I would recon. Don't forget that Thais can grow 2 or 3 crops of rice per year. They take a shit load of nutrients out of the soil. Of course, they put it back with chemical fertilizers, and the down side of that is pretty clear -small scale rice farmers have to hock a proportion of the crop before its grown to get the fertilizers.

In this case, increased mechanization has really fucked the small scale Thai farmers over. They went out and often went into debt to buy mechanical plows etc and sold off their buffalo. Thing about buffalos is that they are bleeding fertilizer factories - and there are so few of the fuckers now, they are hovering on the edge of requiring programs to ensure they don't become extinct as numbers are declining at such an alarming rate.

In this cases, decent programs combining high tech agricultural practices and low tech solutions could really provide a sustainable (and profitable!) base for the small scale farmers. Reality of course is that no one wants viability and profitability for the small scale farmers. The "powers that be" (local) want them in debt, obligated and surviving on sufferance.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Don't forget that Thais can grow 2 or 3 crops of rice per year.

only two in some areas, most just one

Originally Posted by Missismiggins

The Vietnamese can produce 3 times the crop that the Thais can, the Thais were "tried" to be taught this method previously, even by their own government, but they just went their merry way! (as usual) You can take a horse to water as they say!

I would still like to know if this is true...I don't think so

links please

Originally Posted by DrAndy

only two in some areas, most just one

All a matter of available water. One crop here in the area of Roiet where I live and a few kilometers away where they have irrigation, two a year. I believe in the south they can get three a year.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

links please

Rice:Vietnam challenges Thailand

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Don't forget that Thais can grow 2 or 3 crops of rice per year.

only two in some areas, most just one

Sorry Dr A, but you are off track on this one. Just spoke to my secratary, whose family are rice farmers on the outskirts of bangkok. Three (3) crops a year it is.

Like Norton is telling you, its water thats the limiting factor.

So back to the OP. There is an old gent lives down the road. No one is sure how old, not even him. He invariably has the best fruit in the village so I asked him for some tips. After explaining some of his fruit growing tricks, I asked him why he had so many banana plants/trees planted on the perimeter of all his fruit trees. After receiving the dumb question of the year look we all know well, he said. "Banana's are a favorite Thai fruit. If you plant bananas around the other fruit, they steal the bananas and leave the other stuff alone." This is a true story. The old boy may have been taking the piss but seems logical to me.

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Don't forget that Thais can grow 2 or 3 crops of rice per year.

only two in some areas, most just one

Originally Posted by Missismiggins

The Vietnamese can produce 3 times the crop that the Thais can, the Thais were "tried" to be taught this method previously, even by their own government, but they just went their merry way! (as usual) You can take a horse to water as they say!

I would still like to know if this is true...I don't think so

links please

Sorry, I think I maybe made a mistake, what I should have said is that the Vietnames are something like 200-300 % more efficient at producing rice, you got me!

They can apperently...(will look for quotes) produce 200-300 percent rice per rai/per year more than the Thais, despite the Thai government offering to "show the way"

Like I say, will look for the quotes, it was a while back when I was trying to find out a kilo/rai expectation.

Sorry for the incorrect post!

OK waiting for that, it seems interesting

Originally Posted by [FONT=Verdana][SIZE=2]Mr Sutep[/SIZE][/FONT]

"About 80% of farmland in Vietnam is properly irrigated compared with only 20% in Thailand, allowing the Vietnamese to plant three rice crops a year. Mr Sutep said it would take a huge investment for Thailand to match Vietnam's irrigation system. "With our unstable economic situation, to plan such an investment is not the priority."

Surely investing in irrigation to boost Thailand's rice production by as much a two-fold is exactly what they should be doing at the moment. It will provide jobs within Thailand and increase exports.

Twats.

Sorry I made a mistake, Vietnam was producing 30% more rice than Thailand, NOT 300%,
The vietnamese can produce rice three times a year, as opposed to the Thais twice a year output.

Bu it appears, the Thais are catching up..apologies, I appear to have been reading outdated news!

I like flambee bananas

and thanks to Missismiggins for the clarification, you had me worried for a nanosecond

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Can't offer you anything in the way of growing advice but, to my astonishment, there is a forum dedicated entirely to banana plants (seems that they aren't trees and nanaphiles get really upset if you say they are. I haven't read this whole thread but I have no doubt that some pedantic girlfriend-lacking tosspot has already told you that), you may be able to get some good companion planting advice there. I read a little bit of the forum but the banana flame-wars made me feel a little strange and uneasy after a while. Bananas.org - International Banana Society

Cheers for that link DrBob, will have a read!
I know in some instances banana trees are very useful, you can use the roots as an antibiotic apparently, I was just a bit concerned that planting something that can grow ten feet tall in a few weeks with no additional water/fertilizer, was somehow "sucking" the goodness out of somewhere, and wheter it was a good idea to plant these near to other trees.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Originally Posted by Missismiggins

The Vietnamese can produce 3 times the crop that the Thais can, the Thais were "tried" to be taught this method previously, even by their own government, but they just went their merry way! (as usual) You can take a horse to water as they say!

so, how do the Viet grow good crops of rice?

There is a method of growing rice that yields much more than the traditional way. The trick is to plant a single rice seedlings in the field, rather than planting several together. Apparently when the traditional method is used some of the seedlings die and rot, causing slower growth in the remaining plants.

The method works, but is very labour intensive, so it isn't widely used.

Originally Posted by Smithson

The method works, but is very labour intensive, so it isn't widely used.

Yes. Both the broadcasting seed and the transplanting separate rice plants are practiced in Thailand. In Isaan, broadcasting method is predominantly practiced.

I think planting is a great idea. It helps to freshen up your atmosphere.

Originally Posted by Estherashton

I think planting is a great idea. It helps to freshen up your atmosphere.

Are you sure ?

Sheriff John Brown always hated me,
For what, I don't know:
Every time I plant a seed,
He said kill it before it grow -
He said kill them before they grow.

Here is a link I googled. It is a companion planting chart.
Best I can figure is the Banana plant is always dropping leaves which makes good fertilzer and also attracts pests away from your other fruit trees.
Companion chart

Cant say I agree with the Thai rice farmer being lazy.

My Father in law takes care of the whole family rice farm not sure about size but big enough so they never have to buy rice pretty much by himself. He gets some help at harvest time, and that is on top of working the 40 Rai or so of Tapoica. The guy is a fekkin farming machine! Looks like an older Bruce Lee Hard as a rock.

Originally Posted by Norton

Originally Posted by Smithson

The method works, but is very labour intensive, so it isn't widely used.

Yes. Both the broadcasting seed and the transplanting separate rice plants are practiced in Thailand. In Isaan, broadcasting method is predominantly practiced.

The transplanting method here takes several shoots and plant them together. They they compete for nutrients. Some will die and decay, taking oxygen away from the remaining plants.

The method I was referring to plants a single shoot, rather than just grabbing several. It's much slower, but more productive.

Regarding bananas, I was reading that they are quite demanding on the soil, taking away a lot of nutrients. So it's best not to plant too many of them, banana clumps should be kept to 3 plants, with the excess shoots cut off for mulch or compost. After fruiting, bananas plants should chopped and composted, as they are nutrient rich. Banana leaves are nice and wide, a good mulch for shading the ground to slow down weeds.