Isaan Fruit Trees

[yosib157]

I realise this subject has been covered a few times but I'm hoping for any up to date and current experiences.

 

We have recently reclaimed about a half rai of land rear of the house in Isaan. This has been

 thoroughly cleared and topped up with sandy rice paddy soil. We have plenty of water and full sunshine. In the past few months we've had some decent success with planting flowering trees on the same size land front of the house. Some young trees were bought via mail order and very successful others were from local garden centres. The wife also bought 8 guava trees which are already producing dozens of fruit.

 

Now she wants to plant a lot more fruit trees and I was wondering what's the best and/or quickest growing for Isaan. I read there is a mad dash for people to plant Durian for the crazy prices the fruits bring in around 5? years, but we don't need that. In our previous house, we had great success with the golden mango-like fruit called Mayongchit Tulklao. The second year it cropped there were kilos of 'em. Quite a high price in the markets. Unfortunately it took about 8 years to mature and produce and I doubt I'll see that long.

 

Maybe the wife should just get another 30 guava trees and stick with what she knows. But I'd like some variety so any comments welcome.

[djayz]

I live in Korat and we currently grow mulberries, figs, limes and lemons, two avocados (but haven't had much success with these, so not really recommended), mangos, a variety of guava, bananas, golden berries, raspberries, black berries and pomegranate. We have also grown strawberries in the past and my missus is growing quite a lot of blueberries right now.  All of the above bear fruit, bar the two avocados. 

We have also grown a variety of veggies in the past and I'm going to try growing goji berries soon. We even have apple trees growing here! But absolutely no fruit as it's simply too warm. 

[Excel]

1 minute ago, djayz said:

I live in Korat and we currently grow mulberries, figs, limes and lemons, two avocados (but haven't had much success with these, so not really recommended), mangos, a variety of guava, bananas, golden berries, raspberries, black berries and pomegranate. We have also grown strawberries in the past and my missus is growing quite a lot of blueberries right now.  All of the above bear fruit, bar the two avocados. 

We have also grown a variety of veggies in the past and I'm going to try growing goji berries soon. We even have apple trees growing here! But absolutely no fruit as it's simply too warm. 

Jack fruit grow very well too

[yosib157]

Thanks both, exactly the answers I was hoping for.

[ozimoron]

Longans should grow well there. I had good success growing a Longan tree in tropical Australia. Rambutans grew well as well but they prefer a cooler climate, preferably elevated. Longans are more hardy and will fruit in 3 or 4 years.

 

Grafted Mangoes will fruit in 3 years. Never plant mangoes from seed.

 

And custard apples, and 5 corners (star fruit). And cashews. All fast fruiting.

[yosib157]

7 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Longans should grow well there. I had good success growing a Longan tree in tropical Australia. Rambutans grew well as well but they prefer a cooler climate, preferably elevated. Longans are more hardy and will fruit in 3 or 4 years.

 

Grafted Mangoes will fruit in 3 years. Never plant mangoes from seed.

 

And custard apples, and 5 corners (star fruit). And cashews. All fast fruiting.

We inherited one unhealthy custard apple which may be ripped out and burnt. Will be replaced with 6 healthy ones. Longans were popular as a large crop at our last place so we'll maybe also try those. Mangoes are plentiful in most gardens. Star fruit are grown but few are picked with lots on the floor cashews I never considered as they need a lot of processing. That said I'll certainly put one in to try.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, yosib157 said:

We inherited one unhealthy custard apple which may be ripped out and burnt. Will be replaced with 6 healthy ones. Longans were popular as a large crop at our last place so we'll maybe also try those. Mangoes are plentiful in most gardens. Star fruit are grown but few are picked with lots on the floor cashews I never considered as they need a lot of processing. That said I'll certainly put one in to try.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Cashew fruit, not the nuts. There are red and yellow varieties. Prone to insect and bird attack.

[yosib157]

3 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Cashew fruit, not the nuts. There are red and yellow varieties. Prone to insect and bird attack.

OK, thanks for that and I'll check it out.

[kokesaat]

Santol trees, limes, mangoes, starfruit, jackfruit, coconut, longan, tamarind, Antidesma puncticulatum, among the many that thrive in Udon.  Jackfruit planted next to the house brings good juju.  I'd stay away from things like durian....I'm not sure they'd do well without lots of loving care.

Avacadoes are gaining in popularity around here.....but you might have to settle for strains that fit the climate.

 

[ozimoron]

Be careful with tamarinds, they are a very large tree when mature, Mangoes are big but tamarinds are much larger.

 

Mulberries would also be a good pick.

[yosib157]

24 minutes ago, kokesaat said:

Santol trees, limes, mangoes, starfruit, jackfruit, coconut, longan, tamarind, Antidesma puncticulatum, among the many that thrive in Udon.  Jackfruit planted next to the house brings good juju.  I'd stay away from things like durian....I'm not sure they'd do well without lots of loving care.

Avacadoes are gaining in popularity around here.....but you might have to settle for strains that fit the climate.

 

Thanks for the heads up 

[Farmerslife]

Papaya fruits rapidly, though it has a comparatively weak rooting system, so be careful where you plant them, they can get washed away at this time of year.

 

Guava, as you already know, fruits quickly. Cover the developing fruit on the tree in either paper or plastic bags to keep the insects off.

 

In addition to the two above, we commercially grow dragon fruit, banana, mulberries and lemons all in poor stoney fast draining soil. Soil which I have gradually improved over the years with a steady supply of cow manure from a nearby dairy farm but it's a lifetime's work, I suspect.

 

For our own consumption, we also grow mango, limes, blackberries (yes, seriously), sour sop, melon and, my pet project at the moment, lychee (I have to see how this pans out).   

 

 

[yosib157]

2 hours ago, Farmerslife said:

Papaya fruits rapidly, though it has a comparatively weak rooting system, so be careful where you plant them, they can get washed away at this time of year.

 

Guava, as you already know, fruits quickly. Cover the developing fruit on the tree in either paper or plastic bags to keep the insects off.

 

In addition to the two above, we commercially grow dragon fruit, banana, mulberries and lemons all in poor stoney fast draining soil. Soil which I have gradually improved over the years with a steady supply of cow manure from a nearby dairy farm but it's a lifetime's work, I suspect.

 

For our own consumption, we also grow mango, limes, blackberries (yes, seriously), sour sop, melon and, my pet project at the moment, lychee (I have to see how this pans out).   

 

 

Great tip about the guava as the missus will soon have more than 20 trees and she has already sold some but would attract more customers if they looked nicer. Shame we can't buy more at the same price we found at a casual market a few months back.

 

Currently we are using only this half Rai which is our actual backyard as our American friends call it, but we have access to much more as our family own another Rai or 2 which they aren't using.

So, great info from everyone.

Any more will go into the draw to decide which way to proceed.

 

[IvorBiggun2]

Apple mangos is the way to go.

[djayz]

On 8/15/2022 at 4:17 PM, Excel said:

Jack fruit grow very well too

True, but it is my least favourite fruit. I also forgot to mention we grow bananas and papaya here. 

[Excel]

9 hours ago, djayz said:

True, but it is my least favourite fruit. I also forgot to mention we grow bananas and papaya here. 

Papaya grows almost anywhere in Thailand. in fact they can be a bit of a pain to control.

[kickstart]

14 hours ago, Excel said:

Papaya grows almost anywhere in Thailand. in fact they can be a bit of a pain to control.

We grew Papaya for some years ,had lots of fruit ,we even provided some to a local SomTam seller ,then for 5 years we could not grow any ,a bit of research found it was a root-born disease,this year we are growing a few but not over good ,it is almost they need growing in a rotation .

As for Tamarin ,forget it ,we have some 50 foot monsters near here we have a few around the place ,one we will have to take the top out and slow it down .

Also, Thai like the sweet Tamarin ,these are normaly found in Petchaboon Provence ,some say ?they do not grow well else where ,we have one grown from seed they are sweet.

Try a Lar-Moot,Thai word, nice fruit,easy to grow .

[Bluetongue]

Lamyai or longan as it is known in the west is pretty hard work to make it fruit, we have a lot of it around here. Having said that I do enjoy going into the orchards after the pickers leave and gleaning with the missus for a few days each year, picked up quite a few thousand worth last year, sold locally, good day out under the trees, picnic lunch, dogs enjoy it. I see bananas and papaya everywhere, had a large papaya tree come down yesterday. I see people planting papaya and raising it, then forgetting about it and leaving the fruit to rot, come to think of it I see that with bananas and many other things too. A lot of people have pulled out lamyai in the last two years, the timber is 800baht a ton, mostly they have planted durian, there will be a glut of that next, already is probably

[drtreelove]

On 8/17/2022 at 9:09 PM, kickstart said:

We grew Papaya for some years ,had lots of fruit ,we even provided some to a local SomTam seller ,then for 5 years we could not grow any ,a bit of research found it was a root-born disease,this year we are growing a few but not over good ,it is almost they need growing in a rotation .

As for Tamarin ,forget it ,we have some 50 foot monsters near here we have a few around the place ,one we will have to take the top out and slow it down .

Also, Thai like the sweet Tamarin ,these are normaly found in Petchaboon Provence ,some say ?they do not grow well else where ,we have one grown from seed they are sweet.

Try a Lar-Moot,Thai word, nice fruit,easy to grow .

Soil-borne pathogens and root-rot are predicable and preventable, whether its papaya, or other species like durian that are highly susceptible to fungal and water-mold root decay.  You can't just plant any tree on any site and expect smooth sailing. I miss the redwood forests and oak woodlands of my home in California. But I'm not planting redwoods and oaks here.

 

(Growers planting durian in din-neow (poorly drained sticky clay rice fields) are going to have a sad and expensive realization in the long term when Phytophthora root rot advances and starts taking out trees).  

 

For any tree crop, ornamental and shade tree plantings, first comes good growing conditions. For root-rot sensitive trees, choose sites with sandy loam soil that drains well. If you don't have these conditions then maybe you will not be able to grow certain trees into maturity and prime productivity years.  Know what you are planting and what ideal cultural conditions are required.  Plant on high ground or on mounded soil, or top of large furrow rows, so they don't stand in wet soil for lengthy periods of time; thats when root rot sets in. The root crown is often the most susceptible anatomy. Don't "research" devastating plant disease after the fact. Get informed and be pro-active, do the research before you plan and plant. 

 

Next comes good soil and water management.  If you depend on rainfall, and seasonal irrigation is not possible, due to site conditions or budget restrictions then you will have some challenges and serious limitations in tree health, growth, flowering, fruiting and productivity. 

 

Build soil fertility and don't rely on high NPK, high salt index chemical fertilizers, which are detrimental in the long term.  Build % soil organic matter, benefical soil biology, humus and humic substances as a primary goal. Tree health, productivity and drought resistance will be the result. 

 

FYI:

 

"Humic substances play a vital role in soil fertility and
plant nutrition. Plants grown on soils which contain adequate humin, humic adds (HAs), and
fulvic adds (FAs) are less subject to stress, are healthier, produce higher yields; and the
nutritional quality of harvested foods and feeds are superior. The value of humic substances in
soil fertility and plant nutrition relates to the many functions these complex organic compounds
perform as a part of the life cycle on earth. The life death cycle involves a recycling of the
carbon containing structural components of plants and animals through the soil and air and
back into the living plant.

Man became distracted from the importance of organic compound cycling when it was
discovered that soluble acidic based N P K "fertilizers" could stimulate plant growth. Large
industrial concerns took advantage of the N P K discovery to market industrially processed
"fertilizers" from mineral deposits. Continued use of these acidic fertilizers in the absence of
adequate humic substances (in the soil) has caused many serious sociological and ecological
problems. Man needs to reconsider his approach to fertilization techniques by giving higher
priority to soil humus.

Humic substances are a good source of energy for beneficial soil organisms. Humic
substances and non humic (organic) compounds provide the energy and many of the mineral
requirements for soil microorganisms and soil animals. Beneficial soil organisms lack the
photosynthetic apparatus to capture energy from the sun thus must survive on residual carbon
containing substances on or in the soil. Energy stored within the carbon bonds functions to
provide energy for various metabolic reactions within these organisms. Beneficial soil
organisms (algae, yeasts, bacteria, fungi nematodes, mycorrhizae, and small animals) perform
many beneficial functions which influence soil fertility and plant health. For example the
bacteria release organic acids which aid in the solubilization of mineral elements bound in soil.
Bacteria also release complex polysaccharides (sugar based compounds) that help create soil
crumbs (aggregates). Soil crumbs give soil a desirable structure. Other beneficial soil
microorganisms such as the Actinomyces release antibiotics into the soil. These antibiotics are
taken up by the plant to protect it against pests. Antibiotics also function to create desirable
ecological balances of soil organisms on the root surface (rhizoplane) and in soil near the roots
(rhizosphere). Fungi also perform many beneficial functions in soils. For example, mycorrhizae
aid plant roots in the uptake of water and trace elements. Other fungi decompose crop
residues and vegetative matter releasing bound nutrients for other organisms. Many of the
organic compounds released by fungi aid in forming humus and soil crumbs. Beneficial soil
animals create tunnel like channels in the soil. These channels allow the soil to breath, and
exchange gases with the atmosphere. Soil animals also aid in the formation of humus, and
help balance the concentration of soil microorganisms. A healthy fertile soil must contain
sufficient carbon containing compounds to sustain the billions of microscopic life forms
required for a fertile soil and a healthy plant. A living soil is a fertile healthy soil.
Humus functions to improve the soil's water holding capacity."   Dr Robert Pettit

ORGANICMATTERPettit.pdf UN Tropical Organics.pdf

[IvorBiggun2]

Once again. Apple Mango is the way forward. This is an Australian variety. Kensington Pride 

[zzaa09]

On 8/15/2022 at 2:17 AM, Excel said:

Jack fruit grow very well too

And they're heartier in times of extreme dry periods and wet. 

Great thing about jackfruit is that the local market hasn't been exaggerated or over worked. 

A better bang for your Baht.

[kickstart]

Interesting article ,our garden we have a good few fruit trees Lumyai,Farang,Mango Limes,Pomegranit ,they are ding all right ,but after last year's flood ,garden was 18 inches deep in water for 2 days ,then waterlogged for another week ,we lost a few  young fruit trees, the big trees all survived 

The papaya soon died .all but one ,they do not like getting their feet wet at all .

A few years ago I planted some lime trees ,they would not do ,so I dug them up .dug a good 18-inch hole filled 60% of it with stones ,then the lime trees on top ,they soon picked up,improve the drainage for us organic matter is no problem ,we rear a few cattle.

In about another 6 weeks ,end of the rainy season?I will try Papaya again this time ,I will try the deep hole/stones ,see if that helps .

We have tried Durain ,twice now,they just died ,our area is just not a Durian area.  

[yosib157]

Thanks to all who contributed to my post. Many useful tips.

Unfortunately, I didn't ask anyone to give their locations. Isaan is a large area and not everywhere has the same weather.  Either way, I'll certainly follow a lot of advice,