I’ve just started sowing seeds to starter pots and some to direct planting - all ‘no till’.

My vegetable and herb crops this year, all things being equal include:

 

Italian plum, Da Salsa Scipio, Franchi seeds.

Tomatoes, Marmande 

Tomatoes, local variety.

Spinach - America, Sutton Seeds

Broccoli

Caulitate, seed saved.

Savoy Cabbage, Sutton Seeds.

Spring Onions, White Lisbon 

Shallots

Runner Beans, Verve

Lakota Squash

Buttercup Squash

Sweed

Zucchini

Beetroot, Boltardy

Romanesco

Bell Peppers

Mixed lettuce

Morning Glory

Basil

Oregano

Thyme

Sage

Garlic

 

I’m thinking of adding sweet potatoes, cumin and carrots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figs, green/red peppers (expensive stuff), and tomatoes, since we eat a lot.  Beefsteaks not doing well, tasty but small.  Others fine.  Asparagus & broccoli ... waiting for some results.  Others just for the hell of it, and see if they take,  citrus trees, grapes.  

 

Durian, slow going, and bananas & papaya, just a couple as simply yield too much when ready.  Some herbs and greens; kale, lettuces & such.

 

Nothing 'bulbus', potatoes, onions or such, as fail miserably, so far.

29 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Figs, green/red peppers (expensive stuff), and tomatoes, since we eat a lot.  Beefsteaks not doing well, tasty but small.  Others fine.  Asparagus & broccoli ... waiting for some results.  Others just for the hell of it, and see if they take,  citrus trees, grapes.  

 

Durian, slow going, and bananas & papaya, just a couple as simply yield too much when ready.  Some herbs and greens; kale, lettuces & such.

 

Nothing 'bulbus', potatoes, onions or such, as fail miserably, so far.

I have asparagus growing from the last two years but I’m leaving it to establish before I start cropping,

 

My figs fruit bit then the fruit drops before ripening,

 

I grew kale last year and it was very successful, I might give it another go this year.

 

My main crop is limes, I grow barrows full of limes.

 

 

The intense heat of Isaan, along with deficient soil riddled with pathogens, prevents me from growing a lot of stuff. I can just about get away with growing cherry tomatoes in pots on bought in soil. Otherwise, none of the members of that family (aubergines, peppers, etc) will grow here. Onions and garlic won't do much either, in fact many in the village have given up growing anything at all.  We do have an impressive chili pepper growing near the compost heap between paving stones.

These days I just let a lot of stuff grow wherever birds or my wife have scattered seeds, this includes papaya, pumpkins, basil, tomatoes, coriander, and thankfully I can't seem to get rid of ginger and turmeric.

I sow Pak Choi, increasingly rely on perennials, such as peppercorn, Ya Nang, Chai-ya, Moringa (an important veg, worth looking at), Pak bung as well as elephant foot yams and the like, a lot of which feeds the ducks. These can be a little difficult to grow well but I enjoy learning.

I got past the stage of trying to grow the stuff I was growing up in the Swiss mountains and will buy brocolli and red cabbage. 

9 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

My figs fruit bit then the fruit drops before ripening,

We had figs, the first crop in the second year also dropped before ripening. We then had bumper crops for three years, the figs then all decided to die. 

10 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I’m thinking of adding sweet potatoes, cumin and carrots.

Well you obviously don't live in a condo! ????

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Well you obviously don't live in a condo! ????

Not all year round I don’t ????

1 hour ago, cooked said:

The intense heat of Isaan, along with deficient soil riddled with pathogens, prevents me from growing a lot of stuff. I can just about get away with growing cherry tomatoes in pots on bought in soil. Otherwise, none of the members of that family (aubergines, peppers, etc) will grow here. Onions and garlic won't do much either, in fact many in the village have given up growing anything at all.  We do have an impressive chili pepper growing near the compost heap between paving stones.

These days I just let a lot of stuff grow wherever birds or my wife have scattered seeds, this includes papaya, pumpkins, basil, tomatoes, coriander, and thankfully I can't seem to get rid of ginger and turmeric.

I sow Pak Choi, increasingly rely on perennials, such as peppercorn, Ya Nang, Chai-ya, Moringa (an important veg, worth looking at), Pak bung as well as elephant foot yams and the like, a lot of which feeds the ducks. These can be a little difficult to grow well but I enjoy learning.

I got past the stage of trying to grow the stuff I was growing up in the Swiss mountains and will buy brocolli and red cabbage. 

Have you considered raised beds?

 

You could fill those with the compost you make.

 

 

See Mark on the ‘self sufficient me’ YouTube channel, he has some very good ideas and experience to share.

 

 

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Have you considered raised beds?

 

You could fill those with the compost you make.

 

 

See Mark on the ‘self sufficient me’ YouTube channel, he has some very good ideas and experience to share.

 

 

Well after 40 years as a landscape gardener, maybe I did. In the tropics it takes about 6 months max for any pathogens to make their way through the new soil and establish itself. 

I now expect Drtreelove to come along telling people that they are indulging in poor soil management and advising the use of some obscure expensive product only to be found South of the Pecos.

A bit rude, sorry.

This mornings harvest, Spinach, and not planted, as it grows wild, in the garden, and unattended lot next to the garden ????

Logan, statore, coconuts, mullberry, durian, ginger, galangal, pineapples, lemongrass, lime, mongoot, watercress, chili (several varieties), spearmint, peppermint, corriander, aloe vera, lemon, shallots, basil (several varieties).

 

Runner beans are running, tomatoes are coming on well and the basil has started to sprout.

 

 

On 9/22/2023 at 8:20 PM, Chomper Higgot said:

I’ve just started sowing seeds to starter pots and some to direct planting - all ‘no till’.

My vegetable and herb crops this year, all things being equal include:

 

Italian plum, Da Salsa Scipio, Franchi seeds.

Tomatoes, Marmande 

Tomatoes, local variety.

Spinach - America, Sutton Seeds

Broccoli

Caulitate, seed saved.

Savoy Cabbage, Sutton Seeds.

Spring Onions, White Lisbon 

Shallots

Runner Beans, Verve

Lakota Squash

Buttercup Squash

Sweed

Zucchini

Beetroot, Boltardy

Romanesco

Bell Peppers

Mixed lettuce

Morning Glory

Basil

Oregano

Thyme

Sage

Garlic

 

I’m thinking of adding sweet potatoes, cumin and carrots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never has success with spring onions.  What is your secret?

 

and 1 hard A$$ lemon ... hmm

 

On 9/22/2023 at 8:38 PM, KhunLA said:

Figs, green/red peppers (expensive stuff), and tomatoes, since we eat a lot.  Beefsteaks not doing well, tasty but small.  Others fine.  Asparagus & broccoli ... waiting for some results.  Others just for the hell of it, and see if they take,  citrus trees, grapes.  

 

Durian, slow going, and bananas & papaya, just a couple as simply yield too much when ready.  Some herbs and greens; kale, lettuces & such.

 

Nothing 'bulbus', potatoes, onions or such, as fail miserably, so far.

More asparagus ready, so guess that's one of the sides this evening with the pork roast 

 

That's my all time favorite veggie. Too bad the quality at Makro is poor and prices crazy.

Wife perfecting her fig growing, with more and larger yield ...

 

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Wife perfecting her fig growing, with more and larger yield ...

 

Well done your wife

 

I’ve planted three fig trees, they appear to be thriving but their fruit drops soon after forming.

 

 

Some of my crops:

14 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Well done your wife

 

I’ve planted three fig trees, they appear to be thriving but their fruit drops soon after forming.

Think she has about 10, at least planted.  Takes up most of the greenhouse, as fairly wide plant.   She actually sells cuttings now instead of planting them, as having too many.  Gets a few 100 baht for them 👍

 

We get more lemons than we can use now.  Wish that was the same with cherry tomatoes, as still have to buy.  Same with R/G peppers, unless minis are an in thing 

 

Root veggies, potato, onion, carrots are a big fail, though cheap at the market.  Spinach & winter melon grow wild, and the latter, melons are huge, and half go back to the compost, as simply can't eat that much.  Kind of boring anyway.

 

She can't grow enough mulberries.  Think she's addicted, and fights with the critter to get to them first, as outside the green house, since growing too large.

 

40 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Think she has about 10, at least planted.  Takes up most of the greenhouse, as fairly wide plant.   She actually sells cuttings now instead of planting them, as having too many.  Gets a few 100 baht for them 👍

 

We get more lemons than we can use now.  Wish that was the same with cherry tomatoes, as still have to buy.  Same with R/G peppers, unless minis are an in thing 

 

Root veggies, potato, onion, carrots are a big fail, though cheap at the market.  Spinach & winter melon grow wild, and the latter, melons are huge, and half go back to the compost, as simply can't eat that much.  Kind of boring anyway.

 

She can't grow enough mulberries.  Think she's addicted, and fights with the critter to get to them first, as outside the green house, since growing too large.

We get likes by the barrow load and this year have had our first successful crop of cocoa, sorry no photos of the latter.

 

We’ve now gone fully ‘no dig’ for the vegetable plots and I’ve built a three bay compacting shed to ensure a supply of  compost. 
 

Each bay is 2mx2m, I initially filled the outer left and right bays to a height of 1.2m with a mixture of dead leaves, chopped up banana trees, vegetable water from the garden and kitchen, chick and cow manure.

 

This past Friday I turned the compost from the outer bays to the center bay, where the combined volume is about 5 cubic meters.

 

16 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Well done your wife

 

I’ve planted three fig trees, they appear to be thriving but their fruit drops soon after forming.

 

 

That can happen in the first year of fruiting. We were getting enormous harvests after three years, two years later they all died at the same time.

8 minutes ago, cooked said:

That can happen in the first year of fruiting. We were getting enormous harvests after three years, two years later they all died at the same time.

What do you do with the figs? We have a tree that produces hundreds of fruit a couple of times a year. Usually give them to the cows and they love them.

23 hours ago, patongphil said:

What do you do with the figs? We have a tree that produces hundreds of fruit a couple of times a year. Usually give them to the cows and they love them.

Sun-dried them or made fig jam. 

Basil, spinach and winter melon grow wild where we are ...

 

 

On 8/13/2025 at 3:33 PM, KhunLA said:

Basil, spinach and winter melon grow wild where we are ...

 

 

I’ve had mixed results with Italian Basil.

 

Some (Mr Fithergill) thrived, others such as Franchi suffered mildew.

 

I let the plants that thrived go to seed, which I have collected and will plant again in a few weeks time.