We have 1 rai of fruit trees with 5 water channels that have not been maintained and now thick with water plants (weeds) that are difficult to pull out due to large root systems in thick mud.

What is the normal procedure to remove them I don't want to spray as there are fish in the channels.

My wife has suggested to seal each end and pump the water out and then remove the weeds ,sounds like a lot of work . other than that might have to employ some labourers.

I would like to know how the farmers manage this ,I have seen farms with fruit crops with clean waterways between them.

1 rai, listen to your wife. Labor 150 baht a day.

1 rai, listen to your wife. Labor 150 baht a day.

Yes, listen to her, you might have to pay a little more like 170 baht per day depending on when you want to do this. I pay 150 per day, but when rice season is around the cost goes up and I cant get anyone to work for less than 170, try and do when there is no demand for work.

1 rai, listen to your wife. Labor 150 baht a day.

Yes, listen to her, you might have to pay a little more like 170 baht per day depending on when you want to do this. I pay 150 per day, but when rice season is around the cost goes up and I cant get anyone to work for less than 170, try and do when there is no demand for work.

Kick in a few bottles of Thai whiskey and a Chang or two. Works for me.

We have khlongs on 3 sides of our property which regularly get choked with Water Hyacinth. None of the neighbours care.

Every few months we pay some of the locals to shift it all out into a pile where it rots down into compost (they originally tried to burn it). Wifey sorts the cash, but I doubt she pays more than B250 per day per person (we are in Pathum Thani so not the wilds of Isaan where rates would be cheaper).

Once clear it would be minor work to keep it that way, but whenever we return nobody has done anything and it's back to clogged. We just pay again (I suppose that's why they wait).

Anyway, the bonus of being able to get a boat right up to the road pays dividends, the prawn man does better business from the roadside which leads to us getting free giant water prawns (which at current prices likely covers the cost of the locals doing the clearing)

To the OP. I would do a major clear out at whatever cost, then pay someone a maintenance rate to clear out, say every other week to keep it clear.