drtreelove

As you may know, there are different species of worms, and of termites, and different ideal habitat and food sources for each. And there are different methods of composting and soil management.  

If your soil, as in the open soil of your garden or landscape, is "packed with earthworms", and you have not introduced them, then they are probably the native worms, and you are probably doing something right, or you inherited organic matter rich soil that favors native earthworm habitat. If that is the case, then I would think that you do not need an outside source, just keep up with mulching and/or green manuring to maintain OM 3% or more if possible, which is hard to do in the tropics, but not impossible. 

But it appears that you are also discussing a different issue, worm composting.  This uses specific species of worms like red wigglers that digest raw plant and animal waste like your kitchen garbage, in a containerized environment, not in open soil. Or African night crawlers like Biosuge/Best Garden State use, that can digest larger volumes of well mananged finished compost or mixed organic matter ingredients.  

I'm not an expert in worm composting, but I love using vermicompost and think its one of the best soil fertility inputs available.  I have visited the Biosurge/BGS facility in Nakhon Pathom and used their product. I also buy worm castings and effluent from a large vermicompost facility connected to a cannabis grow at Mae Jo University Farm here in Chiang Mai. My NZ expat friend with an organic farm has been using red wiggler vermicompost and the liquid effluent for many years. He has a multi layer container set up with a faucet at the bottom layer for draining off the nutrient dense and beneficial-biology-rich effluent.  He recently bought a couple of kilos of red wigglers from the MJU facility, to start new batch. 

Chosing the right kind of worms and learning the correct management methods and materials is vital for quality of the product and avoidance of odors, flys, rodents and other pests. I believe you can find a lot of information online and through Youtube videos. Maybe other memebers here have more experience than I do and can contribute some practical information.

As for termites, what you describe is a curious phenomenon to me.  I have done composting in several locations, for my own gardens and landscapes, mango and longan orchards, and for my customers, and not had this problem.  I don't know termites that well, but the common subterranean termites, from my experience, don't usually go to living tissues of trees or to small chunks of wood or finer composting materials. They go to deadwood, stubs or heartwood-cavities on standing trees, logs or larger wood masses on the ground or buried.  They do need moist soil for their subterranean nests, so they may have been taking advantage of the moisture from the compost pile and not necessarily feeding on the compost materials

Ants will nest in compost piles that are not in a hot-composting stage. Could it be a mistaken identity with an ant colony and not termites?  

Consider Ton Bpeep, Millingtonia hortensis  (tree jasmine or Indian cork tree). 

Medium size evergreen tree, small leaves, gorgeous and highly fragrant when in full bloom. 

But to be frank, from the photos, I am concerned with your garden not being suitable for any tree other than a small-medium size palm, on more than 5 to 10 year plan.  The wall, hardscape, and extremely restricted area for a tree to develop an extensive root zone, does not represent good growing conditions and ability to manage soil fertility and appropriate watering. (Which could have something to do with the existing tree being so sparse and in decline.) And then there is the risk of root encroachment and damage to the planter wall and gravel bed, which even roots from a small or medium tree will do in time. 

If you do decide to plant a medium size tree in the place of the existing tree, I would recommend that you install a root barrier inside the planter perimeter, 1.5 - 2 ft (45 - 60 cm) deep, rigid plastic composite or reinforced concrete/ferro-cement, to deflect lateral root growth, and give your hardscapes a few years without damage. 

BTW, in my opinion, I don't see much of a Japanese garden theme, except maybe the gravel bed having some resemblance to a Zen sand or gravel garden. If you could find a niwa-ki stylized pine or topiary tree, and add a water feature, then that may give some semblace to a Japanese garden feeling, and would preserve your hardscape. But you wouldn't get any shade value. 

Mine is just one remote opinion, I'm not there and don't know your available resources.  Post your decisions and results please. Don

Build the soil and they will come. Don't build the soil and they will not survive. Favorable habitat is everything. Soil rich in organic matter content, cover cropped, shaded, mulched and without harsh chemical inputs is good habitat for earthworms. 

Order 1/4" screened vermicompost from Biosurge Thailand through Best Garden State on FB. (Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok)

Organic Fertilizer Worm Winner Vermicompost from Thailand (biosurgethailand.com)

"Our Vermicompost is screened to a large size of 1/4 inch- this means that there will be many worm eggs and juvenile worms in the final product..."

I used this vermicompost last year, and at first I thought it wasn't effective, I didnt' see worms right away. But then after 3 or 4 months of building soil organic matter and mulching, plant growth and root exudates that help build soil structure, the latent worm population began to grow.  

BTW, eat high high-nutrient-density organic veggies, not the worms. You will shine and everybody will love you. 

Thank you for contributing to the organic sub-forum, I thought it was completely dead. 

Don

New book, by master regen ag educator John Kempf: 

Quality Agriculture: Conversations about Regenerative Agronomy with Innovative Scientists and Growers

https://a.co/d/7meT3Ht

"An increasing number of farmers and scientists believe the foundational ideas of mainstream agronomy are incomplete and unsound. Conventional crop production ignores biology in favor of chemical interventions, leading farmers to buy inputs they don’t need. Fertilizer recommendations keep going up, pest pressure becomes more intense, pesticide applications are needed more often, and soil health continues to degrade. However, innovative growers and researchers are beginning to think differently about production agriculture systems. They have developed practices that regenerate soil and plant health and that deliver much better results than mainstream methods. Using these principles, growers are able to decrease fertilizer applications, reduce disease and insect pressure, hold more water in the soil, improve soil health, and grow crops that are more resilient to climatic extremes, increasing farm profitability immediately. As a leading agronomist and teacher, John Kempf has implemented regenerative agricultural systems on millions of acres across many different crop types and growing regions with his team at Advancing Eco Agriculture. In Quality Agriculture, John interviews a group of growers, consultants, and scientists who describe how to think and farm differently in order to produce exceptional results in the field. Their remarkable insights will challenge you, encourage you, and inspire gratitude and joy for the rewards of working with natural systems."

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1734844507/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_XDN32E955ZH43K3A8YVF_0

Doi Suthep-Pui National Park (thainationalparks.com)

"The main attractions of the park are; Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Doi Pui Mountain, waterfalls, viewpoints and trails. The national park is one of the best in the country for hiking thanks to its “endless” trails throughout the park from all directions and elevations. Cycling is also very popular."

The Terracotta Garden At Lamphun สวนไม้ไทยพ่อเลี้ยงหมื่น - Home | Facebook

and another Terracotts Garden Arts Garden in CM that I haven't been to.

The Secret Terracotta Arts Garden in Chiang Mai - Tieland to Thailand

18 hours ago, arithai12 said:

OP, not sure if you want pointers to sports actitivities, or "attractions" like just walking in a park.

If you include both, the list is very long.

 

About the 700y that you mention, it is kind of dead in the daytime (hot) apart from the pool. Which is old and often not too clean, but includes not just a 50m pool but also a 5m deep diving pit. Changing rooms and showers/toilets below are a bit run down, but ok. It's 30B for member, 60B non-members. The building also has an open air (covered) gym.

The rest of 700y includes lots of facilities, from badminton to basketball to petanque to indoor courts. There was a 400m athletics track but they started renovating it during Covid, not sure what's the status now.

Come 5-6pm, the most popular activity is jogging/running along the 2km course, be prepared for lots of people especially at weekends. Cycling is possible but not ideal since they have many speed bumpers.

There is also a long (~5km?) reserved path which extends outside the 700y complex, with designated lanes for bycicles and joggers. Unfortunately most people don't get it and mix one with the other, and often scooters use it too.

Evening there are lots of food/drink/accessories small stands.

Any and all, there's lots to do and see outdoors, I just wanted to share some of the things I enjoy and hope others do too.  Something other than bars and restaurants and shopping experiences. 

Regarding 700yr pool, its been clean everytime I've been there, as recently as last Saturday. Only one or two other swimmers.  

The weight room an old universal machines are well on their way to broken down and out of service, many dumbells have disappeared just in the last few months.  The A/C treadmill and other machines room on the other side I haven't used recently. Its only open in the afternoon.

The newer 50m pool at Mae Jo University is open, clean and cool with a full roof overhead. 50 baht.

The bike/jog/MC path you describe runs parallel to the canal and leads all the way up to Huay Tung Tao lake park, which is another great outdoor resource. ( New bridge construction in progress at entry road).

On the right side of the entry road, just past the temple, there is a parking lot for the free 4km bike/hike paved pathway circut.  The lake park itself has an entry fee, I'm not sure of current prices. Besides the road around the lake with numerous pullouts, mini-parks and restaurants, at the far north end next to the forestry checkpoint at the road up the mountain (or end point to the mountain bike downhill) , there is a trailhead to a nice 2km hike to a waterfall. 

Hangout Like a Local at Huay Tung Tao Lake in Chiang Mai - Tieland to Thailand

Old cycling article written for Chiang Mai Mail in 2003.  

Some info is still good, but some is out of date. I'm not sure if the book referenced is still available.  I haven't been on some of the Doi Pui cross country and downhill trails for a few years, conditions may have changed. 

Mt Biking with Don Lee.pdf

References for low or no cost outdoor activities, exercise and attractions.  Comments, contributions, updates with current conditions welcome. 

700th Anniversary Stadium - Wikipedia

50 meter swimming pool, tennis courts, jogging, cycling and other facilities. 

700th Anniversary of Chiang Mai Sports Complex.pdf

On 7/19/2022 at 12:19 PM, djayz said:

What would that be?

Azadirachtin concentrate/neem seed oil extract, wood vinegar and lemongrass (leaf decoction/tea)

The Aza concentrates available in Thailand are really low in active ingredient, like this one from Thai Neem at 0.1%, so its minimally effective and the reason that most growers will experience failed treatments and say that organic biopesticides don't work (as well as lack of 1 to 2 week interval repeats). Some preventive action as repellent and reproductive disruptor properties is the best you'll get.  Botanicals work, you just have to know what to use and how to use it and what expectations to have or not have. They cannot be seen as a stand alone substitute for hard chemistry insecticide. They are effective if used as part of a comprehensive IPM program. Integrated Pest Management or I like to say Intelligent Plant Management) which includes soil fertility and water managment. 

Neemix from Certis USA is 4% a.i., AzaSol is 6% a.i. and will actually get some contact and translaminar knock down depending on the pest, host plant, timing of treatment. (In California when providing PHC (plant health care) for cannibis growers (legal, medicinal dispensary contract growers and hemp researchers), I used 70% neem oil during vegetative stage and swiched to AzaSol for flowering stage for control of budworms, spider mites etc, because its water soluble and doesn't leave an oily residue on the product. 

70% neem oil is not available here but is very popular in the US. Its very low in Aza, but overall is a good preventive hort oil with some of the complex neem chemistry that acts as an arthropod pest repellent. 

You can mix with wood vinegar, but be careful of this because high concentrations will burn foliage. 

Some Thai organic greens growers use a lite wood vinegar tank mix and soak a bunch of ta-kite/lemongrass leaves with it for a couple of days, and spray weekly to keep the caterpillars away. 

Taking it to another level. 

https://regenorganic.org/

1 hour ago, WaveHunter said:

You make some good points however I have issues with people like Dr. Berg simply because they over-simplify complex concepts and do it in a way to support their narrative.  They are therefore not being truthful and lead people astray.

 

I agree with you that what is scientific "fact" today can becomes a fallacy tomorrow.  People used to firmly believe in the "food pyramid" concept from a few of decades ago in which carbohydrates were considered the foundation a healthy nutrition.  Science has soundly disproven that today.  Now the question is, will science again disprove the current view?

 

Well, if you look back you can see that science NEVER supported the notion behind the Food Pyramid, at least not with empirical clinical studies, in the first place.

 

If you discount the scientific method and only rely on clinically unsupported, anecdotal accounts, or cherry-picked bits of scientific research that's out of context (which is what Berg often does), then you really are flying blind if you embrace such notions.

 

If I have been led astray, then astray is where I want to be.  I'm just saying, my health is improving weekly, along with sense of well being, spiritual awareness, progressive mastery of my profession, marriage, and cycling legs and lungs that allow me to ride and breathe in the refreshing farmland, hills and forests. Dropping sugar, alchohol, seed oils, preserved foods, plastic containers, Rx medications, recreationals, and consuming low carb high fat foods, high nutrient density organically grown foods as much as possible, exercising, chi kung, using TCM herbs and acupuncture, observing Ayurvedic Tridosha and TCM dietary principles, yin and yang, five elements, thermal qualities of heating and cooling foods, is not for everybody, 200 years of modern science plus thousands of years of Taoist and Ayurvedic empirical research, all works for me, take it or leave it. 

Back to the OP. My favorite breakfast is fish and eggs. 

Be Fixed, MeeChok Plaza. (1001 at the middle ring road 3029) Upstairs, inner hallway behind a toy store, stairway near the toilets . 

Khun Oh speaks pretty good English, but he is kind of quiet and humble so you may not think so at first. Take a Thai friend translator if possible.  He is a really nice man and very smart and good at what he does with hardware and software. 

One man shop. Call first to confirm his schedule. Usually opens 10am Mon - Sat. but this is a holiday week.

081 783 5920

On 7/14/2022 at 9:23 AM, drtreelove said:

Saha Panich on the 108/Chotana Rd

Should be 107 Mae Rim Hwy not 108.

On 7/6/2022 at 9:08 PM, Reposed said:

Got mine at Index. Don't know if CM has an Index.....

 

but mine is for sale.

Yes, CM has Index. East side SuperHwy south of the 118, just south of BigC/HomePro/BQuik.  We've bought furniture there, not sofa. good selection, prices and delivery/setup.  

I'm looking for leather re-upolstery shop in CM for a double recliner, any suggestions?  

11 hours ago, kickstart said:

First off it will not be clover that we know of , that is a temperate crop, it will not grow here ,to hot,

You could try leaving the grass an inch or so longer ,let the grass grow taller than the weed ,and in time the weed grass will die out.

If you do not already ,put some urea fertilizer on the grass ,encourage the grass to grow  and thicken out,other grasses should die out .a few hand full's  of lime would not go a miss. 

 

Yes, 'let the grass grow taller' is consistent with the OLC (organic land care) practices. 

The only time I use chemical fertilizer any more is sometimes for lawn grass where I want maximum green and lush. But only a lite application every six to eight weeks, and I prefer Ammonium sulfate 21-0-0.  But heads up, I notice that with high salts chemical fertilzer, surrounding shrubs and trees with root zones extending into the lawn, will start to get more pest damage. As we know now, high NPK chemical fertilization causes severe imbalances and can be an arthropod (insect and mite) pest magnet. 

14 hours ago, Pogust said:

Not an answer to your question but....

If I had clover over the whole area I would be very happy. It stays low and green with small yellow flowers. It is a legume so collect it's own nitrogen from the air, no need to buy fertilizer. And no need to mow.

 

If you want to get rid of it, sow something that out-compete it and grows more vigorously. If you have seeds in the ground it will come back, after digging or spraying. There are plenty of grasses in Thailand that will take over.

 

 

 

This is an intelligent comment in my opinion.  Embrace the clover and the diversity, would be my preference too. 

But I do understand the desire for uniform healthy turf grass and I have succesfully managed yaa malaysia (broadleaf carpet grass) and  yaa nuan noi to dominate over weeds without herbicide. Its a year-long process or more, but to do this I use organic lawn care methods. (good soil preparation, good water management, mow weekly during growing season, mow high at 3 inches (don't scalp with a krueng tat yaa), mow without catcher to return clipping to the soil (works best with yaa Malaysia, yaa nuan noi is too dense and clippings will sit on top), aerate annually and input high quality compost and COF - complete organic fertilizer, hand pull or dig weeds regularly, before they go to seed).  

Selective herbicide will kill broadleaf weeds in grass. Yaa Malaysia is sensitive to broadleaf herbicide damage, so only use herbicide with the Zoysia. The turf-specific herbicides available in the US, like SpeedZone, Weed-B-Gone and others have 2,4-D and dicamba as primary active ingredients. I have not seen those here in Thailand, but I haven't really looked. See this TV discussion for a recommendation from a member, but also note my caution about using broadleaf weed killers in proximity to trees. I have had many cases where tree roots have taken up the broadleaf herbicide and caused extreme leaf distortion, discoloration , leaf drop and even branch die-back.

If your 'clover' is extensive, with the use of herbicide you will go through a long transition period with ugly patches of dead clover.  The grass dominance will depend on your diligence and good management that favors it and at what season you start the treatment program (grass doesn't grow as vigorously during the cooler months). 

The best method would be to completely remove the existing turf and clover growth, prepare the soil to a 6" depth with compost and COF roto-tilled in, then overlay new sod. Then the weed management will be limited to spot pulling of new weeds and cultivation of your new turf grass to dominate. 

You can have my shelved neem, wood vinegar and lemongrass, I don't need them any more. I've found that the secret to effective pest control starts with soil fertility, and essentially involves a comprehensive, preventive IPM (Integrative Pest Management) program.

For beetle identification post photos, although I don't think that the ID is as important as trying to understand why any pest is there in the first place.  Which will likely be primarily low nutrient density from inadequate soil fertility.

Trying to control an advanced pest infestation with bio-pesticides, as a substitute for contact chemcial insecticide is usually futile.  An organic program requires forethought, anticipation of seasonal pest cycles, and early intervention or preferably preventive management. 

That said, if you're stuck with an advanced infestation, first consider if the damage is excessive and intolerable and is affecting the actual fruit/veggie product, or if the problem is primarily cosmetic; are the squash and melons negatively affected or only a relatively small percentage of the foliage?  A large percentage of foliar loss of course can mean reduced capacity for photosynthesis of sugars and metabolites that are required for the squash and melons to mature and become tasty and healthy. 

My choice for a knockdown spray for beetle pests would be a pyrethrum concentrate (pyrethrins, the chrysanthemum flower extract, which is biodegradable in 12 to 24 hours and considered organic program compatible. Not to be confused with the synthetic chemical version, pyrethroids, like permethrin and cypermethrin.) 

But I haven't purchased or looked for pyrethrins in Thailand for over 12 years so I don't know where to get it now, and its not widely understood or available. In the US I use Pyganic or Evergreen Pyrethrum Concentrate, which are wildly popular and on the shelf at most organic and cannabis growers supply shops. 

Azadirachtin concentrate/neem seed oil extract, wood vinegar and lemongrass and companion planting etc are best used for a preventive program when pest pressure is anticipated or in early onset. A combination may have some knockdown effect, but the pyrethrins is better if you want to see the bugs fall off the plant immediately after spraying. In California I spray oak moth caterpillars that defoliate native oak trees, and the worms fall out of the tree before I can get out of the way. 

Thai 888 Law, Pattaya/Jomtien.

17 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

The LG store was no help - seems they are not dealing with phones any longer.

 

Does anyone have an Android repair shop they recommend?

K Love Phone, Central Festival, 3rd Floor

repair counter with excellent and efficient techs, at rear of store. 

(15) K Love Phone - โพสต์ | Facebook

19 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

I hate to burst your bubble but Dr. Berg, Dr. Berry, and Dr. Eckberg are really terrible sources for unbiased, science-based information on nutrition.  Their basic message is honest and even valid to a point, but they all grossly over-simplify complex topics to the point where they are not giving an accurate picture of what they are talking about, and worse, making it seem that there is a "miracle food" or supplement for just about anything that ails you....and, especially in the case of Dr. Berg, he usually just happens to SELL a food product or supplement that will solve the problem he happens to be discussing.

 

Essentially they are all producing these videos on an almost daily basis, which is highly suspicious.  I mean, where does a reputable professional find the time to produce all of these videos anyway, if they are not gaining financially from producing them.

 

BTW, it might surprise you to learn that Dr. Berg is a chiropractor, NOT a medical doctor, or licensed nutritionist.  Dr. Eckberg is also NOT an MD.  He is also only a chiropractor.  Dr. Berry, while he is a licensed MD only has a small rural GP practice, so none of these guys are really credentialed in a way that makes them trusted sources.

 

If I were you, I would look to more science-based sources for knowledge than these guys.

If you were me, you would look to what inspires you to make positive changes, and works for you to improve your health, physical, psycological and spriritual well being, and not try to sell the idea to others that MDs and modern science are the only source of good information, and that DCs, naturopaths, and traditional medicine are invalid. As a lifelong student and practitioner of natural health and healing, necessitated by an intensly athletic profession and sports, I have drawn as much help from TCM, Aurveda, chiropractic, polarity and massage practitioners as I have from the MDs and orthopedic surgeons who have kept me going. 

In my opinion, "science based" is deeply flawed. I've been around long enough to have seen many scientific-research-based beliefs and practices disproved by the next set of scientists with their new research that comes along. My father was a horticulturist and my mother a nurse practitioner/nutritionist.  The science of their day that I apprenticed in has long been greatly modified and replaced by newer information.  I would be a fool to assume that all the current popular science of horticulture and health care will endure. 

Eric Berg and the others mentioned, from my experience are not deserving of the negativity that you present. I find that they are enthusiastically sharing information and experiences that they have gained from their practices and patient's experiences, as well as their own experience. What they are presenting is a program, with certain components, that if put together in real life practice, can help certain people who are attracted to the information, with certain health and lifestyle issues. The products they offer are not the focus, they are offered as adjuvants within the comprehensive program. 

On 9/8/2021 at 1:51 PM, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

No Breakfast. Plant Based Diet. HIIT Exercise. Intermittent Fasting. Diet: Low Carb / Mid Protein / High Fat. Produces Sustainable Weight Loss, Great Sleep, High Energy / Mood. Dr. Eric Berg -You Tube.

Dr Eric Berg is an awesome nutritionist, but he does not advocate for a plant based diet. That may be your preference, not mine. I followed his amazingly revelationary videos, as well as Dr Ken Berry ("Normal Human Diet", and "Lies Your Doctor Told You" author), and Dr Sten Eckberg (athlete and MD)  and some others, all along the same lines with Ketogenic diet, no sugar, no seed oils, no alcohol, low carb, no between meal snacking, Intermittent fasting, exercise (not necessarily HIIT). 

Weight loss wasn't a big issue for me, but in the first month I dropped 5 kilos without really trying. What was a big issue was recovering from about 4 years of pain and relative inactivity and bilateral hip replacement surgeries, with all the pain meds and anti-biotics that go along with it. I've been able to drop all prescription meds and NSAIDs, reverse all acute and chronic conditions, high BP, GERD, BPH.  No Covid, colds or flu. After almost a year into a modified keto plan, at 75 I'm sleeping good, getting up to pee only once at night instead of 4 or 5 times. I'm happy to be back out off-road mountain biking, swimming laps and  lite weight training. No more joint inflamation even with metal knees and hips. I've still got a ways to go, but I feel like I'm getting younger not older.