thoongfoned

Question: My chap that takes care of my trees just told me he wants to "TOP" the trees since they have now reached 3 meters in height.

Has anyone heard of this? To me it just does not seem right; yes I think that it would encourage growth in regards to thickness in the trunk of the tree. Anyone that has advice please don't hesitate to reply.

Thanks in advance

TonyG~

hi,

not sure if topping is the right term.

if your three metre trees have not got lateral branches and continue to shoot up and up you could have top heavy crowns when the said trees start to form their first lateral branches. a poorly balanced or heavy crown may induce bending of the trunk and is at the mercy of strong winds.

it is up to you really when you think the trees should start to have their first branches.

if you wanted to induce branching i would surgest you remove the leaf blades of around 10 leaves below the terimal bud, in time this will then lead to a crown developing. i have seen some thai farmers who just pinch out the terminal bud itself, this also works but it can promote the growth of all the buds on the whorl below, this in turn can then lead to to much branching.

if you wanted to

What is your location?

75km east of udon thani.

hi,

heres my ten pences worth of info. sorry no spreed sheet.

my wife and i have two plots with rubber trees on them. one with 42 month old trees, second 18 month old trees. we have different planting patterns:3x6 and 3x4.

first off we had all the land cleared (trees/weeds) then ploughted loads of manure in and then had fences erected.

cant remmember how many people we had to plant trees but think to do around three and ahalf thousand trees in one plot took ten people four days. when people planted they also put all the vits and chemicals in.

clearing weeds/ fertilizer application one person can do approx one hundred and twenty squared metres a day. (depends on how dense weeds are) in the first 12 months we used the yarra brand of fertislizer as this was a quick release fertilizer, we used 100g per tree on first and second application in first 12 months. in the next year we changed brands to mosaic (this is a slower release) first and second application was 250g. at 24 months we use 300g/ 29 months 350g/ 41 months 450g/ 53 months 500g/ 65 months 550g through till tapping begins. we use these amounts because this is what is recommended with the mosaic fertilizer. the last time we bought fertilizer it was b710 per 50kg.

we pay people b160 a day plus food/drink. some times like this year we had around 70 people in one day just to clear weeds, we bought a cow and then devided it by 70. people here seem to prefer this pay ment more then cash!!?? (udon thani province) ploughing is b250 per rai.

every year we try to add extra manure by making a hole between the trees and filling it.

in the first year it is good to keep the weeds at bay, i think we weeded every month and once the trees were established we looked to prun every other week. on the first plot i have let the trees first branches to form at around 3.5m and on the second at around 2.5m. every tree is different but this is what i aimed for. the best trees that are 42 months are aprox 30cm all the way round and the 18 months are 20cm.

im no expert by any means, but this is what we do.

hi,

im around the udon area (thung fon) and am always messing about on a mountain bike, mostly just off road stuff. (the dogs are usually the only ones that come out with me) if your about this way could always go for a ride.

does anyone know the winning time of this years race?

i read that many tv stations around the world screen this event, is it a pro event?

anyone that ran it, how did you find it?

hi, i could do with some advise, im on a non o marraige visa which will expire on 01/08/07 im stamped in until 13/08/07 but have some family coming over for august. just wondering if i were to do another run say in end june/july would they stamp me in for a fresh 90 day? or is it best just to go and get new visa end july?

Please help. Have a very active and destructive 1 year old Rottie, lovely dog, just full of puppy badness. Think he needs a companion to play with and would very much like a Dobermann, however having searched all over the place, can't seem to find a breeder in Thailand. Does anyone know of a breeder? Am quite willing to travel all over to find one.

Any assistance would be great, thanks

not sure if any good?, but the wife was speaking about a large dog/breeder market in bangkok the last time we were speaking about getting a doberman, we have girl rotweiller and i have been looking around, but like you say dobermans???? when she comes home i will get her to tell me where this market is. im out of luck on the new good front as the rotweiler as has just had pups! good luck in your search.

Hello

I'am having a small party on the 10th, at my place, any tv members living in the Sawangdandin area in Sakon Nakhorn province, are welcome to come.

I feel it would be good to meet up with some other members in the area, if there are some?

I plan to kick things off about 4.oopm, beer and bar-b-q are free!

I live in a village called Ban Nongluang, best bet to meet up at Tesco Lotus in Sawang around 3pm.

Please pm me if you like, thanks.

REGARDS,

Mark.

hello mark,

hope you have a good party ect... would have liked to come, but am busy at the mo with "family" bits n bobs. im living in the thoong fon area, not far from you so maybe can meet up for a drink in the near future, have some family in your area but the name of the place.david.

THere is a Topic running I think just started about a new Farang eatery in Burriram here is the link

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1240468

Good luck to the guy I will give it a look next time in town

hello mr.macb,

belated congats on the birth of your daughter! i see that you are very busy on this forum,good stuff! im new to all of this, been readin thought past post.ect... i see that you had agood deal on the price of the hospital (birth) was this a goverment/private job as i m looking at are first essan baby at udon for base 25,000. baht. private. before in bangkok 6 yr ago we were paying 30,000.up.ect.... not sure about different districts pricings.? all the best. david.

hello everyone, im new to this forum, so hello! ive been here for a few years now and have been eating sticky rice from day one! what does everyone think of sticky rice vs the good old spud? or other side dishes?