Apple Trees In Isaan?

[chico]

Living in Isaan (Burirum) and having more than two rais around the house, I wonder whether it would be possible to cultivate my own apples here?

I can find them on the local market, therefore I guess they could be grown around here, but so far I am not able to get trees through the local flower shops.

They say, there are trees to be bought, but they are not the real ones, they will have no fruits.

Anyone can help me to get apple trees? preferably sour and not too soft?

[aletta]

Sorry Chico,but those apples in the market are probably from China or maybe Chiang Rai up North.

To blossum apple and pear trees need to spend many,many days at temperatures i think below about 10 degrees ,so no chance in Isarn i am afraid.

You'll have to go for mangos and jackfruit.

[chico]

aletta said:

Sorry Chico,but those apples in the market are probably from China or maybe Chiang Rai up North.

To blossum apple and pear trees need to spend many,many days at temperatures i think below about 10 degrees ,so no chance in Isarn i am afraid.

You'll have to go for mangos and jackfruit.

I am a little stubborn (that's what my friends say), and since I know, that f.e. grapes can be grown in the Megev, with higher year round temperatures than in Thailand, and that I have imported strawberry plants from europe, some 8 months ago, and now get fruits every day, I still have hope for apples too, just don't know where to find trees.

[bina]

grapes are grown in hebron which is high up, but that gets cold in winter; the negev in parts gets very very cold in winter (just ask any soldiers stationed there)but dont know of too many grape farms or apple orchards in the negev; the judean desert is where the grapes are (where i live) and the golan.... the judean desert is also where the apples grow, since it is 'high desert' and we get snow also. we are waiting for the cold to get our trees in the right 'frame of mind' .... also, many apples are grafts of one kind on an other kind of root stock...

the thai workers here say that apples are very very expensive inthailnd (true?) and difficult to grow, they should know since they work in the orchards here both grape for wine and apples: granny smith golden delicious and orleans , jonathan and some other red types.... i hate apples after picking so many seasons.... there's plenty of thai men in buriram who've worked in as workers here in israel in both apples and grapes (since we have some from buriram area for instance) , most of the workers actually learn their work, not just do it without taking interest, so maybe they could help out???

why dont you go look in the issan forum for ideas since we had a long long bunch of posts about farming in issan and poeple gave all kind of ideas for trees, fruits etc....the post was called farming in issan of course

[sbk]

Apple trees have a chilling requirement. Different kinds will have different requirements but they all have this requirement of a certain number of days under a certain temp. Even the most "tropical" of apples requires over 300 hours of temps under 45 F (about 7 C) something I don't think your area gets.

[Ajarn]

Not really many apples grown in the North- mostly small-scale Royal Projects. Oranges are the main Winter fruit crop here. Most of the apples in Thailand are from Malaysia I think. One reason why they were 4 baht in Hat Yai when everywhere else was 10+baht.... Similar savings with electrical appliances from Malaysia.. Some years ago, a nice old lady convinced me to allow her to stash whatever she had under my seat on the train about to go through Thai customs. The inspector coming through just turned a blind eye to everything, even stuff in plain sight. The old lady needn't have worried

The Chinese apples coming in are big, delicious, and cheap- average 4 baht retail here. They will surely dominate all of Thailand soon if they haven't already. The north is saturated with them.

I think the original poster has a serious green thumb. I'll bet he can grow apples in Issan

And having grown up near the Napa Valley, I can tell you Issan is very similar in terms of seasonal temps in some parts. Grapes love sun and heat (and water) and don't like the cold much, generally.

[ProfessorFart]

Keep the trees in pots and bring them in to the aircon at nights!!!!

[Ajarn]

Some grow lights and aircon should give you a year-round growing season for apples.

Golden Delicious are great.

Acapulco Gold is even better

[chaiyapoon]

One of my few regrets about living in Thailand is the loss of some of the cooler growing fruits I was used to in the UK.Particularly a decent apple.Not your Chinese type found for sale in the markets all over Isaan,which at best are only of a quality I would have rejected when choosing to buy in England.I have occasionally bought some imported USA or Australian varieties in the big hypermarkets,but don't visit the big towns very often.Never mind I can eat all the Thai fruits at very reasonable prices instead.

[legendarysurfer]

Anyone have any suggestions of what could be planted for a small cash crop (8 rai) in the Issan?

[ProfessorFart]

Have a look through the Isaan forum. Quite a few agro threads there!

[aletta]

The trouble with growing anything in Isarn is the pathetic soils and scorching summers.

[NedKelly]

Isaan would probably be good for oranges. They seem to like bad conditions. I once saw a hill project up norht where they were grafting local species of 'oranges' (more like mandarins) onto root stock of orange trees brought in from Australia.

The people explained that the Aussie orange trees were renowned for thier hardiness so they figured that the roots would do reasonably well in the poor soils where the trees were to be grown.

With some soil improvements and a paremaculture appraoch you should be able to do what u like. One thing you probably dont get much of in Isaan is frost which is a big killer for many fruit crops. So there must be something viable. You could try buying apple stock via the internet.

[chico]

ProfessorFart said:

Keep the trees in pots and bring them in to the aircon at nights!!!!  

two problems : all my (sorry :her) pots are ful with flowers and it appears you have never lived in Isaan :

need for aircon : about two to three weeks (apr/may)

need for heating : about three months (nov-feb)

and it gets chilly here in the evenings and at night (not as bad as Uk but bad enough if one is used to warm weather!

[ivan from buayai]

On 1/12/2005 at 5:36 AM, legendarysurfer said:

Anyone have any suggestions of what could be planted for a small cash crop (8 rai) in the Issan?

in good drain rich soil , try durian , jack frui t , figs , avocado , mulberies , black berrie , dates , grapes , thai cherry , dragon fruit 

 good is also sweet tamarin 

where lots moisture ...citrus 

Dont forget moringa ...very important for nutrients 

[Damrongsak]

More on apple chilling requirements:  https://www.davewilson.com/product-information-general/special-topics/fruit-tree-chilling-requirement