Help With Lamyai

[JR Texas]

I need an estimate of how much money it will cost to do the following to 78 very large lamyai trees:

1) fertilize with 15:15:15 (one application)

2) apply pesticides to kill red ants (one application)

If you have the answer, please let me know.

And before you say it, yes I have talked with a local distributor of fertlizer and pesticides........I want a second opinion from a person who knows and has experience growing lamyai. Thanks.

[C-sip-degree]

I need an estimate of how much money it will cost to do the following to 78 very large lamyai trees:

1) fertilize with 15:15:15 (one application)

2) apply pesticides to kill red ants (one application)

If you have the answer, please let me know.

And before you say it, yes I have talked with a local distributor of fertlizer and pesticides........I want a second opinion from a person who knows and has experience growing lamyai. Thanks.

Might be better JR ….if you do this first and then tell us?

No experience with Lamyai trees at all, but my best guess would be around 3000bht fertilize.

With bug spray via 15ltr water mixture inside this solo hand pump backpack style unit on average

three concentrated bottles complete our 150 mango trees at around another 1000bht.

Total of four thou with no labor cost . How does that sound? Compared with what you have heard.

Regards C-sip

[JR Texas]

I need an estimate of how much money it will cost to do the following to 78 very large lamyai trees:

1) fertilize with 15:15:15 (one application)

2) apply pesticides to kill red ants (one application)

If you have the answer, please let me know.

And before you say it, yes I have talked with a local distributor of fertlizer and pesticides........I want a second opinion from a person who knows and has experience growing lamyai. Thanks.

Might be better JR ….if you do this first and then tell us?

No experience with Lamyai trees at all, but my best guess would be around 3000bht fertilize.

With bug spray via 15ltr water mixture inside this solo hand pump backpack style unit on average

three concentrated bottles complete our 150 mango trees at around another 1000bht.

Total of four thou with no labor cost . How does that sound? Compared with what you have heard.

Regards C-sip

Thank you..........it sounds a bit high compared to what I heard from a distributor, but much lower than what my farm manager told me. I think the "manager" is skimming some money off.......a lot of money off.........that is why I posed this question. Thanks again.

[slapout]

JR; from your description, I can see 3 sacks fertilizer and a couple liters of pesticide. Apply with perssure pump from 20 gallon plastic container for latter and put down about 2 kilo fertilizer around drip line of trees. A one day job for all of it.

[Lickey]

Jr, The pic is mrs weighing up this years lamyai crop, the trees/bushes are 10 years old and have had nothing in the way of fertiliser or insecticide all there life so far,

Wether killing the ants would be benificial im not sure, perhaps they do keep away natural polinators for the flowers, the best insecticide will only last a month or so.

Pruning will promote new growth and buds, perhaps fertiliser will help this, but could taint the flavour, picking the lamyai from the opposite side of the sun shine also helps taste, try it yourself, open a fruit from the sun side, and compare it with a shade side fruit, sun will create a grey [50%] of the fruit, shade, and it should be the same colour throughout,

If you want to fertilise, Slapout is right, just to add to this, scratch a groove about 2in deep around the dripline, sprinkle 1 cup 15 15 15 for each tree, cover up and water a little if it stops raining,

Again, not sure if its a good time of year to do this, as the trees will be "resting" , perhaps better when the trees start to bud again early next year.

I think you are right by keeping lamyai rather than planting cassava, People have to eat before they have to drive!

Rgds, Lickey.

[JR Texas]

Jr, The pic is mrs weighing up this years lamyai crop, the trees/bushes are 10 years old and have had nothing in the way of fertiliser or insecticide all there life so far,

Wether killing the ants would be benificial im not sure, perhaps they do keep away natural polinators for the flowers, the best insecticide will only last a month or so.

Pruning will promote new growth and buds, perhaps fertiliser will help this, but could taint the flavour, picking the lamyai from the opposite side of the sun shine also helps taste, try it yourself, open a fruit from the sun side, and compare it with a shade side fruit, sun will create a grey [50%] of the fruit, shade, and it should be the same colour throughout,

If you want to fertilise, Slapout is right, just to add to this, scratch a groove about 2in deep around the dripline, sprinkle 1 cup 15 15 15 for each tree, cover up and water a little if it stops raining,

Again, not sure if its a good time of year to do this, as the trees will be "resting" , perhaps better when the trees start to bud again early next year.

I think you are right by keeping lamyai rather than planting cassava, People have to eat before they have to drive!

Rgds, Lickey.

I appreciate the feedback.........about timing........the orchard is in Chantaburi (at the base of Soi Dao). It is a bit cool there. I hope this is the right time as we want to harvest in April when the price is high (so I have been told).

The trees were flush with red ants.........had to do something about them.......was not easy to even trim the trees because of the ants.

Again......thanks for the feedback. I think I have a good idea now about what it is supposed to cost vs. what the farm manager told me.

[MinnieCauldwell]

You should be looking at 1-2kg of fertiliser (15:15:15) per tree, roughly 3 times per year, so roughly 500kg or thereabouts, I think 15:15:15 was recently about 900 baht for 50KG, so I reckon you are looking nearer 10,000 baht if you want to do it correctly. You can save money on the insecticide too, if it mainly to get rid of red ants, boil up a solution of crushed garlic and chillies, filter into a sprayer, and it's kind of "organic" too!

Personally, I wouldn't bother with 3 applications, usually once is enough after harvest, depends on your soil and water. The return does not always justify the expense.

The other thing to consider is using buffalo shit instead of fertilizer, it is roughly 15baht a sack and one or two sacks should do a large tree.

You might find this link useful...

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/X6908E/x6908e0c.htm

[Lickey]

Using any form of animal shit uncomposted will give you weeds weeds weeds, bufalo/cow/pig/chicken shit is the worst for this, there guts are good for taking of the glutinous coat of the eaten seed, and then the shit out the seed ready to grow, composting [heat] kills the seeds and then provides a good fertiliser,

Last year, i wanted to grow some squash melons, 20 holes, half filled with cow shit, covered with soil and planted seeds, all i got was 2 squashes and loads of weeds, this year, the dung has been composted and a really different story, no weeds, and a good strong growth with all plants.

Composting is easy, look it up on the net, im sure its going to save me money on fertiliser this year.

Good luck, Lickey.