Tree Advice

[Chayakon]

Hiya guys

Need some advice, recently enlarged a fish pond on some land I bought, early rains in April did some major damage to the new banks so work is on hold untill the rainy season stops.

I need to get some trees planted to support the banks but want to know the fastest growers, largest rooters etc

Preferably trees that produce, the pond is over a rai in size so there's a bit of work to do, the adult fruit trees already on the land were there when I purchased and I've no prior experience at this game!

Thanks

[Joe Walshe]

Hiya guys

Need some advice, recently enlarged a fish pond on some land I bought, early rains in April did some major damage to the new banks so work is on hold untill the rainy season stops.

I need to get some trees planted to support the banks but want to know the fastest growers, largest rooters etc

Preferably trees that produce, the pond is over a rai in size so there's a bit of work to do, the adult fruit trees already on the land were there when I purchased and I've no prior experience at this game!

Thanks

Most Thais plant mangoe and/or bananas around their ponds. It is reasonable to presume they know what they are doing. However, we recently planted different types of mangoes around one of our ponds and some of them died. It would have been wise to check soil PH level.

[JungleBiker]

Hiya guys

Need some advice, recently enlarged a fish pond on some land I bought, early rains in April did some major damage to the new banks so work is on hold untill the rainy season stops.

I need to get some trees planted to support the banks but want to know the fastest growers, largest rooters etc

Preferably trees that produce, the pond is over a rai in size so there's a bit of work to do, the adult fruit trees already on the land were there when I purchased and I've no prior experience at this game!

Thanks

Hi Chayakon,

One of the best plants to stabilise your pond banks and prevent soil being washed away is vetiver grass; see http://www.vetiver.com/

In Thai they call it something sounding like "yaa faek". I once got a load of plants in polybags free from the Land Development Department. Perhaps you can do the same. Make sure you follow the planting instructions regarding spacing between plants and rows. If you plant them too far apart they won't be so effective. If you really want to plant trees (I think the vetiver grass is your really your best bet), then I think the best tree is the eucalyptus - grows fast and stands flooding. Along the top of the banks you could plant some turf grass (yaa nuan noi) - the stuff Thai people use to make garden lawns.

Best regards,

JB.

[Pond Life]

Id agree with JB, Yaa Fek is suposed to be the buisness.

Roots 3 m long & grows to a good size in 1 year.

I got some free from a local family that are paid to grow it by the land development dept.

Thay wanted to know what i wanted it for, a copy of house papers & a thai ID card.

Ask around the locals & hopefully they'll know where to get it.

as for tree's I dont know about fast growers or good roots but around my pond these are whats growing good.

Guava farang, Banana Gluai, Jackfruit Kanoon, Kaffir Lime Magrood, Coconut Ma Prao.

Good Luck

[Chayakon]

Thanks guys for the fast replies, the grass sounds great and could add the fruit trees at a later date, not too fond of Eucas but spaced out they would be effective and not an eye-sore or a hazard to the soil.

Thanks again.

[Gary A]

My wife bought 30 teak trees yesterday. I asked her where she was going to plant them. Her answer was here, there and everywhere. I doubt either of us will be around when they are large enough to harvest so profit was not considered. It's a nice thought that we will be leaving something for the future. I expect a lot of them will be planted around the ponds.

The teak trees are about 18 inches tall and cost two baht each. They also had eucalyptus trees for one baht each. I think large eucalyptus trees are attractive but she passed on them. The second farm was seriously grown up and looked like a jungle. We left most of the fruit trees. We took out hundreds of scrub trees and vines then hired a big tractor to plow deep to take out the larger roots. It is now a mess that will take me a long time to get leveled out to the point that I can eventually mow it. I'm looking for some type of implement that will level the ground but it appears that I will have to build something. I'd like to find a type of tilted blade that mounts on the three point hitch but have had no luck yet.

[chownah]

Gary A,

Just a warning that teak trees shed alot of leaves over a relative long period of time so they create alot of work if you like a tidy look.

Also, can't you do leveling with the front blade of your tractor?

Chownah

[Gary A]

Gary A,

Just a warning that teak trees shed alot of leaves over a relative long period of time so they create alot of work if you like a tidy look.

Also, can't you do leveling with the front blade of your tractor?

Chownah

I've been filling the deep ruts around the fruit trees with the dozer blade but it is taking forever. The front blade has no float setting. It is hydraulically fixed at whatever height you put it. A three point blade can float up and will not drop below its setting. I think if I can tilt a blade backwards some, dirt can go over the top of it rather than to the sides. Some of the ruts from the big tractor are about 2 feet deep. I NEED the four wheel drive on my little tractor just to get through them. The huge leaves from the teak trees provide some weed control and I think that is a plus. We have a dozen or so teak trees on the two rai around our house.

[ozzydom]

Gary A,

Just a warning that teak trees shed alot of leaves over a relative long period of time so they create alot of work if you like a tidy look.

Also, can't you do leveling with the front blade of your tractor?

Chownah

I've been filling the deep ruts around the fruit trees with the dozer blade but it is taking forever. The front blade has no float setting. It is hydraulically fixed at whatever height you put it. A three point blade can float up and will not drop below its setting. I think if I can tilt a blade backwards some, dirt can go over the top of it rather than to the sides. Some of the ruts from the big tractor are about 2 feet deep. I NEED the four wheel drive on my little tractor just to get through them. The huge leaves from the teak trees provide some weed control and I think that is a plus. We have a dozen or so teak trees on the two rai around our house.

Gary , A levelling sled seems to be what may be your answer,it is just a platform built out of any heavy material,I have used railway sleepers and even railway line .

About 6 foot wide x 4 foot deep and thickness depends on what you can get thats heavy enough,you could add weight with 20 gallon drums of water,you just drag it by chains from your draw bar, uneven chain lengths will give you an angle blade effect.

A length of fairly large ,say 6" x 6" angle iron as a cutting and wear edge on the front lower edge is an advantage.

[Gary A]

Gary A,

Just a warning that teak trees shed alot of leaves over a relative long period of time so they create alot of work if you like a tidy look.

Also, can't you do leveling with the front blade of your tractor?

Chownah

I've been filling the deep ruts around the fruit trees with the dozer blade but it is taking forever. The front blade has no float setting. It is hydraulically fixed at whatever height you put it. A three point blade can float up and will not drop below its setting. I think if I can tilt a blade backwards some, dirt can go over the top of it rather than to the sides. Some of the ruts from the big tractor are about 2 feet deep. I NEED the four wheel drive on my little tractor just to get through them. The huge leaves from the teak trees provide some weed control and I think that is a plus. We have a dozen or so teak trees on the two rai around our house.

Gary , A levelling sled seems to be what may be your answer,it is just a platform built out of any heavy material,I have used railway sleepers and even railway line .

About 6 foot wide x 4 foot deep and thickness depends on what you can get thats heavy enough,you could add weight with 20 gallon drums of water,you just drag it by chains from your draw bar, uneven chain lengths will give you an angle blade effect.

A length of fairly large ,say 6" x 6" angle iron as a cutting and wear edge on the front lower edge is an advantage.

I had some good heavy 2 inch angle iron so I made the perimeter from that and two more pieces across for scrapers. It is 6 feet wide and seven feet long. It's laying upside down in the picture. I have some broken concrete fence posts to use for weight. I'll give it a shot.

[TBWG]

Thanks guys for the fast replies, the grass sounds great and could add the fruit trees at a later date, not too fond of Eucas but spaced out they would be effective and not an eye-sore or a hazard to the soil.

Thanks again.

Hi Chayakpon

The Vetiver grass looks good think I will try some myself

Anyway, have you considered Bamboo some clumps on the banks can look attractive, grow quickly and put down good roots for retaining the soil. Seem to attract birdlife as well. Lots of different types so need not be too invasive if you get the right ones.

Good Luck

TBWG

[Chayakon]

Hiya TBWG

Yeh bamboo would be a nice touch, anything that can produce something that can be used or eaten, dont want a 'show' garden, just something practical.

The vetiver grass looks fantastic, I'm well impressed after reading the link Junglebiker put on, like I said before I've no prior experience ' a bit green ' (sorry) and am grateful for the advice, got nearly 6 rai to play with so I'll be regularly pleading for help in the next 12 months or so!!

Thanks.......Chayakon

[macan]

There is a current topic in the real estate section on river bank erosion; the guy is talking about using trees to stabilise his stretch of river bank http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=130314

[thedi]

The vetiver grass looks fantastic, I'm well impressed after reading the link Junglebiker...

The vetiver grass is called yaa faek in Thai. Ask people to show you places where it grows, it is quite common in Thailand.

I used it myself to stabilize the bank of a pond and got mixed results:

• It will grow up to 2 meter high. It has very sharp leaves. If you walk close by and touch it, the leaves will cut your arms and legs. It hurts and may draws blood.
  
• It has no use apart from stabilize the ground. Cows do not eat it. Even rice straw composts more easily than vertiver grass.
  
• It is not as easy to grow as I hoped. I had very bad clay soil, a bit salty too. It did not grow in this clay, but very good in better earth that I filled up at one place.
  
• Once there, it is there for good.
  
• It looks nice and when it is blooming, it looks like reed with beautiful white blooms. But i my case, birds use the nice looking blooms to make nests - within 3 days, the bloom is gone. Without the bloom it my look a bit boring.
  
• It is a good hiding place for all sorts of animals, from birds to snakes.
  

Regards

Thedi

[scotbeve]

My wife bought 30 teak trees yesterday. I asked her where she was going to plant them. Her answer was here, there and everywhere. I doubt either of us will be around when they are large enough to harvest so profit was not considered. It's a nice thought that we will be leaving something for the future. I expect a lot of them will be planted around the ponds.

The teak trees are about 18 inches tall and cost two baht each. They also had eucalyptus trees for one baht each. I think large eucalyptus trees are attractive but she passed on them. The second farm was seriously grown up and looked like a jungle. We left most of the fruit trees. We took out hundreds of scrub trees and vines then hired a big tractor to plow deep to take out the larger roots. It is now a mess that will take me a long time to get leveled out to the point that I can eventually mow it. I'm looking for some type of implement that will level the ground but it appears that I will have to build something. I'd like to find a type of tilted blade that mounts on the three point hitch but have had no luck yet.

Gary,

Teak trees don't like too much water. If your pond should happen to breach the rim or you get a flash flood the trees will drown and die off. Had about 30 out of 250 die for that reason. Good shade tho'. Bad if you don't like picking leaves out of the pond annually.

[allcladrad]

A couple of thoughts about planting trees on pond banks, if the pond has raised banks or a dam, the tree roots could well lead to leakage problems. The roots head for water and the water follows the path of least resistance. If trees are already on the bank/dam it is suggested that those under 6" in diameter be cut and over kept. The thinking being that more leakage will occur from voids left by the rotted roots of larger trees.

Vetiver is an excellent erosion prevention grass, but remember that it needs to be cut and it drinks water. It is also great for planting around septic systems especially between the system and the pond.

Many Thai ponds are drained each year and refilled by the rain so the trees are much less of a problem. But, if you plan on year round water give it a thought.

If you are dead set on planting the bank/dam look for plants that thrive in moist to wet soil. Those that are not will fail. stunt or attract disease and pests.

Edited February 28, 2008 by allcladrad

[scotbeve]

Bananas are very resilent (especially) glooey hom and don't mind the water at all.