Eucalyptus Trees - Limit Damage

Joe Walshe · June 22, 2007

My wife recently purchased 200 rai with 2-3 year old eucalyptus trees on it. I have read many threads on the subject of Eucalyptus trees and would prefer to get rid of them. I am hoping to limit soil damage by fertilising several times a year and cutting trees when they reach maturity in 2 or 3 years. This is the first plantation of Eucalyptus trees so I'm hoping soils won't be too degraded.

Any ideas on;

How best to limit damage to soil?

How best to replendish soil, now and later?

What other type of trees to provide diversity and income?

we already have another farm with large fish ponds, Mangoes, coconuts, Cows, chickens and wide range of native trees. Wildlife, insects and edible plants thrive there.

Gary A · June 23, 2007

My wife recently purchased 200 rai with 2-3 year old eucalyptus trees on it. I have read many threads on the subject of Eucalyptus trees and would prefer to get rid of them. I am hoping to limit soil damage by fertilising several times a year and cutting trees when they reach maturity in 2 or 3 years. This is the first plantation of Eucalyptus trees so I'm hoping soils won't be too degraded.
Any ideas on;

How best to limit damage to soil?

How best to replendish soil, now and later?

What other type of trees to provide diversity and income?

we already have another farm with large fish ponds, Mangoes, coconuts, Cows, chickens and wide range of native trees. Wildlife, insects and edible plants thrive there.

A couple of years ago I bought my wife ten rai that was grown up with weeds and brush. The original plan was to clear the land and plant eucalyptus trees. I had researched those trees and posted here on the board my concerns. I finally came to the conclusion that they would not damage the soil and were no danger to future crops. After we got the land cleared we found out that the land was much better and more fertile than we had thought. What finally killed the eucalyptus tree idea was my wife's father. He said that he was of the opinion that the trees would not harm the land BUT, they rooted deep and that someday someone would have to take out the stumps. He said the cost of taking the stumps out was about as much as we would make from the tree crop.

Tilapia · June 23, 2007

I've heard simular things, but Gary, now you have the tractor, taking out stumps would be the perfect challenge...What do you think ???

sibeymai · June 23, 2007

I don't think a single rotation of eucalyptus will do any significant damage over a short period, say 5-6 years. The stump removal is a valid point, if trees are allowed to grown very large. At least any degradation should not be any greater than growing something like tapioca on short rotations.

If you really want to know about the soil quality take some samples to Kasetsart University's Forestry faculty and get it analysed. It's not expensive. If the land has been farmed for a period of time you'll probably find a PH level in the lower range and low organic matter content. Both conditions are easily corrected over time with a bit of regular attention.

Gary A · June 23, 2007

I've heard simular things, but Gary, now you have the tractor, taking out stumps would be the perfect challenge...What do you think ???

I don't think I'll take that challenge. Those trees that have leaves like a fern and grow everywhere, root fairly shallow and any of them over about three inches diameter come out plenty hard enough.

I am a little surprised that I have not seen what is called a clearing blade here in Thailand. That blade has a large sharp knife on one side that goes fairly deep and cuts the roots on one side of a tree. Two passes at 90 degrees and the rest of the tree/stump is much easier to push out. That may be a good project for some enterprising young man. That four wheel drive Ford advertised on the board with a blade like that may pay for itself quickly clearing stumps.

C-sip-degree · June 23, 2007

My wife recently purchased 200 rai with 2-3 year old eucalyptus trees on it. I have read many threads on the subject of Eucalyptus trees and would prefer to get rid of them. I am hoping to limit soil damage by fertilising several times a year and cutting trees when they reach maturity in 2 or 3 years. This is the first plantation of Eucalyptus trees so I'm hoping soils won't be too degraded.
Any ideas on;

How best to limit damage to soil?

How best to replendish soil, now and later?

What other type of trees to provide diversity and income?

we already have another farm with large fish ponds, Mangoes, coconuts, Cows, chickens and wide range of native trees. Wildlife, insects and edible plants thrive there.

Joe

It may not be what you want to hear, and I can’t really help you out with your questions, but if it was me I would let it grow harvesting it every 3years plus and look around for another land project.

I wish my wife had more Eucalyptus trees because the return on our 5Rai is around 14-16 thousand Baht every 36 to 40 months.

Out of all the small projects we are doing (rice, mangos, cattle) eucalyptus is the only one that returns a profit at such a great margin.

I don’t need a calculator with Eucalyptus to see how much I have spent versus what where going to earn.

What to put back in to Eucalyptus trees ‘good question I don’t know or really care we just throw some cow excrement around them and give them a quick trim up two or three days work per year is the bit I like here......

‘hel_l if you had to start spending time and money that would soon take the fun out of it’.

I wouldn’t worry let the stuff grow, once the cutting crew finds you they will be there every three plus years and pay your Wife cash before starting.

Look around for another project for land and work on that, knowing that you’ll have a sweet deal with the trees.

Regards

C-sip

Joe Walshe · June 23, 2007

Much apreciate valuable contributions. I wonder, after Eucalyptus is cut, It might be feasible to re-plant area with other trees ie. Mango, teak, lime - mixture of varieties. I could leave tree stumps to eventually rot. In Ireland, where I work, we sometimes kill trees by simply injecting a small amount of diesel into bark. This is lethal and the tree dies. This might stop the tree stumps re-growing.

Joe

sbk · June 24, 2007

Interesting article regarding Eucalyptus in Thailand,

http://www.info.tdri.or.th/library/quarterly/text/j90_1.htm

Joe Walshe · June 24, 2007

apreciate link to Eucalyptus study. This report is dated 1990. 17 years ago. So figures of for example profit of 450 THB per rai are perhaps different now.

Gary A · June 24, 2007

Much apreciate valuable contributions. I wonder, after Eucalyptus is cut, It might be feasible to re-plant area with other trees ie. Mango, teak, lime - mixture of varieties. I could leave tree stumps to eventually rot. In Ireland, where I work, we sometimes kill trees by simply injecting a small amount of diesel into bark. This is lethal and the tree dies. This might stop the tree stumps re-growing.
Joe

I'd bet that it will be difficult to stop those stumps from sprouting and even if you could kill them you still have to keep weeds down for other crops or trees. Steering around stumps is not an easy efficient thing to do. If your crop of eucalyptus trees looks pretty good. I'd let them go until they no longer produce, then worry about the stumps. I have never seen a stump grinder/chipper in Thailand either. A decent stump grinder would make short work of eucalyptus stumps.

mark lamai · June 24, 2007

i'm no farmer but

in victoria, australia, lots of farmland has been given over to growing plantations of Blue Gum.

i believe they are fast growing and have a straight trunk,

perfect for saw milling.

the hardwood produced is very long lasting.

farmers tired of the vagaries of sheep and wool make more by leasing their land to a timber company.

i guess there is money there somewhere.

the most common hardwood in aus is the "mountain ash" or "tasmanian oak"

both the same eucalypt.

expensive nowadays, so used for visible polished flooring and other hard wearing decorative ways.

not good for cabinets really because it's too hard.

other thing about eucalypts is that they seem to grow anywhere with little care.

drought resistant etc.

a lot of house framing in aus used to be "OB hardwood", that is green (un-dried) eucalypt.

when it dries after a few years its so hard you can't nail into it.

also seen eucalypt growing at Bagan in Burma, now that's a hostile environment.

blueeyes · June 24, 2007

Hi this is my first time on here so please bare with me. Can you help me with my question about eucalyptas trees?? is it possible to make charcoal from the stump??

Master Chief · June 30, 2007