whiterussian Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 (edited) I need a man with a rotavator, or hired hand to make flower beds round my garden... Anybody know a man with a machine? I could hire some workers to dig by hand, but they usually mess things up. One of these things would do the job in half an hour... Thank you! Edited April 25, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaps Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 And there was I thinking I could give you some advice But I know f a about gardening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnyboy Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 And there was I thinking I could give you some adviceBut I know f a about gardening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just1Voice Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 (edited) I was gonna suggest the nearest kereoke bar, where you can pick out the Ho you want and have it all night for 2,500 baht. No gardening, but maybe some plowing going on. But I guess that's not what he has in mind. My bad!! P.S. REALLY hope the mods have a sense of humor. Edited April 25, 2010 by Just1Voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEENTHEREDONETHAT Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 I was gonna suggest the nearest kereoke bar, where you can pick out the Ho you want and have it all night for 2,500 baht. No gardening, but maybe some plowing going on. But I guess that's not what he has in mind. My bad!! P.S. REALLY hope the mods have a sense of humor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 25, 2010 Author Share Posted April 25, 2010 Its going to take me forever to make beds round this garden... the ground is rock solid.. went looking for a pick axe, all i found was a big hoe.. but after a few swings of it, i realised it might be better to hire a professional hoe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie001 Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 If you just wait a few months after it rains, you will be able to work the soil. Most of the soil in Thailand is a clay mix that hardens like stone during the dry months. I have spent a small fortune on top soil. That picture you showed of the small rotor tiller wouldn't work too well either. You would need a very large one and it would kick you around fiercely. I am not sure if you have access to get a bobcat or a small kobota backhoe, but you might need to do that if you can't wait for the rain to soften the ground. The other option is to flood your yard a few hours a day for a week, then you should be able to dig it out. The size of your bed seems small enough to do by hand. For hand tools a large Mattock and a half round sheethe (similar to a post hole digger but only one side) would be the cheapest way, but you have to throw your body into it. That is what I do. Most of my holes are 1 cubic meter for every tree that I plant. I would say that it takes about 1-2 hours per hole. The solid packed clay is a pain, but like I said if you saturate it with water every 6-10 inches, it softens up the job. It does add weight and makes a slightly messier job but does allow to do it manually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 I was gonna suggest the nearest kereoke bar, where you can pick out the Ho you want and have it all night for 2,500 baht. Stroll on, is it really that much to rent one of those things! Op, how about not tilling that crap bakerite soil (or whatever it is), which would be hard going even for a rotavator, and simply getting in a load of life-giving din dam for the beds? Loads of places in Khamtiang do big bags for 50 baht (with potash) or I guess you could get it by the cubic metre. If you do want to turn it by hand, give it a really good soaking the night before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 25, 2010 Author Share Posted April 25, 2010 (edited) If you just wait a few months after it rains, you will be able to work the soil. Most of the soil in Thailand is a clay mix that hardens like stone during the dry months. I have spent a small fortune on top soil. That picture you showed of the small rotor tiller wouldn't work too well either. You would need a very large one and it would kick you around fiercely. I am not sure if you have access to get a bobcat or a small kobota backhoe, but you might need to do that if you can't wait for the rain to soften the ground. The other option is to flood your yard a few hours a day for a week, then you should be able to dig it out. The size of your bed seems small enough to do by hand. For hand tools a large Mattock and a half round sheethe (similar to a post hole digger but only one side) would be the cheapest way, but you have to throw your body into it. That is what I do. Most of my holes are 1 cubic meter for every tree that I plant. I would say that it takes about 1-2 hours per hole. The solid packed clay is a pain, but like I said if you saturate it with water every 6-10 inches, it softens up the job. It does add weight and makes a slightly messier job but does allow to do it manually. Thank you newbie, that was going to be my next experiment... soaking the ground.. I went to "Global House' looking for a Mattock (I had to mime)... but the closest thing they had was a large hoe blade... which is what I bought.. not too expensive... but yes a Mattock is what I want.. where did you find it please? thank you!! The bed you see, is a failed bamboo raised bed... just too rickety.. so now I will use it as a seedling bed..its about a meter across The photo you see is half the garden.. and I plan to have a bed at least 2m wide all round.. The reason I am doing this before the rainy season, is because I want to be able to kill off all the grass quickly, and be able to break the soil into lovely fine earth mixed with compost..ready for the rain.. if it ever comes... plucking grass from garden beds is my worst nightmare having been the groundskeeper on a private country estate for a few years . Not many Thais in my moobaan have real beds.. they all seem to let the grass swallow everything up to the base of plants... I will show 'em how it's done!!! I cant landscape because there is a stupid concrete drainage channel all round the property Thanks again Edited April 25, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyh Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 Wait till Gerry Springer finds out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyh Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 Its going to take me forever to make beds round this garden... the ground is rock solid.. went looking for a pick axe, all i found was a big hoe.. but after a few swings of it, i realised it might be better to hire a professional hoe... Google no gig garden, they work very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 25, 2010 Author Share Posted April 25, 2010 (edited) Google no gig garden, they work very well. Hi Gary, looks great! Will mull that one over.. the problem is, i have a 30cm wide drainage channel all around the garden... and the lip of the channel is only about 5cm above the ground level... so if i make a raised bed, or layered bed.. its going to fall into the concrete channel... unless I build a ridge of bricks... hmm.. now there is a thought.... Edited April 25, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaps Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 If you just wait a few months after it rains, you will be able to work the soil. Most of the soil in Thailand is a clay mix that hardens like stone during the dry months. I have spent a small fortune on top soil. That picture you showed of the small rotor tiller wouldn't work too well either. You would need a very large one and it would kick you around fiercely. I am not sure if you have access to get a bobcat or a small kobota backhoe, but you might need to do that if you can't wait for the rain to soften the ground. The other option is to flood your yard a few hours a day for a week, then you should be able to dig it out. The size of your bed seems small enough to do by hand. For hand tools a large Mattock and a half round sheethe (similar to a post hole digger but only one side) would be the cheapest way, but you have to throw your body into it. That is what I do. Most of my holes are 1 cubic meter for every tree that I plant. I would say that it takes about 1-2 hours per hole. The solid packed clay is a pain, but like I said if you saturate it with water every 6-10 inches, it softens up the job. It does add weight and makes a slightly messier job but does allow to do it manually. Thank you newbie, that was going to be my next experiment... soaking the ground.. I went to "Global House' looking for a Mattock (I had to mime)... but the closest thing they had was a large hoe blade... which is what I bought.. not too expensive... but yes a Mattock is what I want.. where did you find it please? thank you!! The bed you see, is a failed bamboo raised bed... just too rickety.. so now I will use it as a seedling bed..its about a meter across The photo you see is half the garden.. and I plan to have a bed at least 2m wide all round.. The reason I am doing this before the rainy season, is because I want to be able to kill off all the grass quickly, and be able to break the soil into lovely fine earth mixed with compost..ready for the rain.. if it ever comes... plucking grass from garden beds is my worst nightmare having been the groundskeeper on a private country estate for a few years . Not many Thais in my moobaan have real beds.. they all seem to let the grass swallow everything up to the base of plants... I will show 'em how it's done!!! I cant landscape because there is a stupid concrete drainage channel all round the property Thanks again Just don't buy to many of them Pik Axe thingy's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 25, 2010 Author Share Posted April 25, 2010 Just don't buy to many of them Pik Axe thingy's classic! that must have felt gooood! wasted on the windscreen though! daft bird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 25, 2010 Author Share Posted April 25, 2010 (edited) Op, how about not tilling that crap bakerite soil (or whatever it is), which would be hard going even for a rotavator, and simply getting in a load of life-giving din dam for the beds? Loads of places in Khamtiang do big bags for 50 baht (with potash) or I guess you could get it by the cubic metre. If you do want to turn it by hand, give it a really good soaking the night before. thanks Jackr... its that bloody concrete ditch.. actually... i suppose it wouldnt cost me that much to cement a ridge of bricks all along the channel... will ask the hill tribe mooban man for a quote!! I keep forgetting I am not in the UK... ask a builder to build a brick wall over there?... forget it!!...$$$$$!! Edited April 25, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MESmith Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 i suppose it wouldnt cost me that much to cement a ridge of bricks all along the channel... will ask the hill tribe mooban man for a quote!! or you could lay all those bamboo poles you've bought to make a retaining wall next to the channel better still, a quick & labour free way would be to lay concrete fence poles along the edge of the channel - get the cheapest with least amount of rebar inside... should cost you about 50bt per metre? can take them with you when you move Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanForbes Posted April 25, 2010 Share Posted April 25, 2010 The whiterussian knew EXACTLY the response he was going to get when he posted his topic. Good idea though. It gets a lot of response. I just dealt with the backhoe subject. I had my whole front yard dug up looking for a plumbing leak. It cost me the equivalent of 85,200 baht. Unfortunately for the whiterussian, my work was done in Canada and I have no idea where he can find the same machine in Chiang Mai. Now I have the HUGE job of landscaping the whole front yard again... by hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrose070 Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 What about just having a load of good soil delivered, to cover up the old? That's what we did... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 26, 2010 Author Share Posted April 26, 2010 (edited) better still, a quick & labour free way would be to lay concrete fence poles along the edge of the channel - get the cheapest with least amount of rebar inside... should cost you about 50bt per metre? can take them with you when you move Good idea! Thanks! rrose070Posted Today, 2010-04-26 10:41:10 What about just having a load of good soil delivered, to cover up the old? That's what we did... Thanks rrose! This ditch is the probem, I think whatever I do, it will involve some good old fashioned hoe work Edited April 26, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wynzlo Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 I say just douse it with some fuel and burn it. Thai farmers have gotta be on to something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 26, 2010 Author Share Posted April 26, 2010 (edited) ^ Haha! Thats the best idea yet!!! However, I just tried the old soaking the ground trick... worked like a charm... managed to do about 2 square meters before my hand popped a blister... only 30 square meters left to do... so now its how to create a nice garden on a very boring flat surface.... you should have seen my house in the UK, 200 years old... right on a beautiful stream/river ... fields for miles, woods, and hedges... I got it dirt cheap because although one side was a view of the english countryside with not a house in sight... the other side (2m away) was a mini freeway!!! the windows used to tremble when trucks went past! Edited April 26, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MESmith Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 managed to do about 2 square meters before my hand popped a blister... well "pop" back to Global House & get yourself some gloves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 26, 2010 Author Share Posted April 26, 2010 (edited) well "pop" back to Global House & get yourself some gloves Mee laeow! You know how it is.. once you get started.. hard to stop! dug through a termites nest.. amazing structure! and the soil is actually very good here... seems my leaving the lawn cuttings over the last 4 years on the lawn has worked... Daft hired gardeners always mess things up... throwing away the cuttings and pulling up my roses... grrr. Not to mention the wife who likes the trees that block the house behind to resemble lollipops! I had obscured the neighbours grungy back wall perfectly! The Thai neighbour popped round, can get me a truck load of good dark topsoil for 1000 baht! I love this place! Can you imagine buying a dam_n good steel hoe and staff for about £2 ... or a truck load of topsoil for £20 back in the UK?!!! So tomorrow, soak lawn, hoe like crazy... buy fork and spade... make the beds... let it dry for a week... get the soil... wow, it's gonna be beautiful... Im thinking dwarf banana trees all around the back edge upto about 5 or 6 feet high... and slope down from there. Then comes the watering system! will post back here when I have made the beds with a photo... Edited April 26, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MESmith Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 .. buy fork and spade... make the beds... let it dry for a week... get the soil... Decent fork & spades at Home Pro, don't bother with the local cr@p. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I had my whole front yard dug up looking for a plumbing leak. I'm surprised to see you're not operating the digger with a huge sailfish dangling from the bucket, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MESmith Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I'm surprised to see you're not operating the digger with a huge sailfish dangling from the bucket, Ian. or a couple of scantily clad Canadian lasses..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandbluegrass Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Normally in Thailand when we have bad soil we make raised beds which is a lot easier and if you lay plastic down you can also avoid a lot of weeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Give these guys a try. http://www.patipongmachine.com/ About 25,000 baht for a rototiller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted April 27, 2010 Author Share Posted April 27, 2010 (edited) Thanks! I'm doing it the old fashioned way... myself.. with a bloody great hoe... only 20 square meters left! MESmith... quite right... Global house doesn't have anything! Lots of scythes and bladed whotsits... but do you think I could find a spade or a fork!! (found a sort of shovel/spade cross for 100 baht so bought that)... but really.. not a garden fork in sight!! unbelievable... might have to visit HomePro... but bloody expensive that place... Looking at my soil.. it looks dam_n good.. nice and black.. i think the 4 years of neglecting the lawn has done wonders!! Might even try and start a worm farm! Those hoses that drip water, 400 baht for a huge roll.. or i could get those funky hydroponic tubes with little mechano style spray nozzles? Im leaning towards the hose... less moving parts! Edited April 27, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 A Home Pro fork'll set you back about 800. How about checking out the second-hand tool shops down the outer north moat toward the northeast corner? Might find an old hunk of junk that'll run for half a day. Or what about replacing the rear wheel on your motorbike (if you have one) with an old one that has been bastardised by a welder-fabricator with huge spikes sticking out of it... tear the place up. Or you could rent a Myanmar native for the day (on the road to town from Khamtiang) and get him to chop it all up for couple hundred nicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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