Update From One Small Farm In Chiang Rai

[brahmburgers]

I like growing things which can't be found, or are rare in Thailand.

Of the nearly 70 avocado trees I've planted since 11 years ago, only a few are flowering, so yields are sparse. They were planted from seed, and are growing vigorously, some are 7 meters high by 8 meters wide. Similarly, 23 pink grapefruit are growing well (less things attacking them than when they were smaller), though only two flowered this year, and they're apart from each other, so didn't cross pollinate and give any fruit. The grapefruit were started from seed, which is nuts, but what else can a guy do, when there aren't any grapefruit in Thai plant nurseries. (yes, I have pomelo, but they don't have the tangy zing). Though, I did find one grower locally who has pink pomelo which is close. Because it's not blandly sweet like regular pomelo, she gets a low price for it (Bt.5/fruit).

Jatropha are doing well, producing seed in their 2nd year, though am growing them for ornamental/ground cover rather than commercial for their diesel oil from the pressed seed.

In my area of northernmost Thailand, ants and termites didn't swarm this year. Only a handful, because of the drought. Ordinarily the air is thick with them for a few days every year, around the cusp of May/June.

I've been experimenting with ground covers - another thing that can not be found in Thai plant nurseries. There are about 5 types of honorable mentions, but the one I like best I call 'Siam Clover.' It's low growing and small leaves look like clover. It can handle abuse (likes dry poor soil, and being trampeled on). Actually, it likes being walked or driven on, because it's tiny seed pods explode with seeds when touched. I also grow a variety of succulents: 5 types of agave, 5 types of aloe, and a bunch of other things.

Also got other things growing, but the above is what I wanted to mention just now. Here's my 'wish list' of things I'm looking for:

artichokes (seeds or rosette starts),

kiwi vines (3 boys and a girl)

got vanilla but wouldn't mind cocao to balance out my marbled sundae.

hemp seed (not ganga)

side note: you know that large (4 inch diameter) gnarly vine that grows incredibly twisty? People use it the dead item as ornamental. I've asked four hilltribers and two Thais 'what is the name for vine' ....and none can give me a name. I'm not even asking for a specific name for that vine, just the generic name for 'vine.' What gives?

[pitanu]

เถาวัลย์ or taa-wan

[brahmburgers]

เถาวัลย์ or taa-wan

Thanks for that. I know a couple of Thais named Tawan, perhaps their names are 'vine'.

Forgot to mention two types of nut trees (that I grow) in my earlier post

Both are evergreen, both grow hardy in this climate with little special care, both are attractive trees, and both have lovely smelling white flowers (like faint sweet water). Both types were bought by me locally 11 years ago as 2 ft. tall seedlings - though only one place had them. Luckily for me, she's a Thai friend of mine (who sells plants) and who also likes to grow things that can't be found elsewhere in Thailand - or at the most: very rarely found. I bought ten of each type and all survived and thrived.

macadamias, though only now slowly coming in to yielding phase. Have propagated about 6 via rooting branch cuttings, but the don't 'take' well.

bazil noi. That's what I call them, 'cause I can't recall their actual name. When I bought them, I was told they were brazil nut trees. They're similar, but then I found out years later they were a smaller cousin of brazil nuts (also from the Americas). They're a great tree in many ways, not least because they yield edible nuts, but also because they're easy to propagate, produce nuts in their 4th year, grow hardy in poor soil, no pests. I've dedicated several rai to them. I've included a few photos, below.

[Foreverford]

Hey Brahm buddy was it is? It really sounds like chopping time out your way. I'm in the US at the moment but there is a fellow that has nearly wine size avo's from some Hawaiian seeeds via Samui. I'm sure we could get some cutting and get those monster avo's grafted and starting to fruit. Are your trees all from the same seed source, same variety of avo. Do you have any hass? any hass from the US? Let's get it together in late Sept. later got to go FFFFFFFFFFords forever

[brahmburgers]

Hey Brahm buddy was it is? It really sounds like chopping time out your way. I'm in the US at the moment but there is a fellow that has nearly wine size avo's from some Hawaiian seeeds via Samui. I'm sure we could get some cutting and get those monster avo's grafted and starting to fruit. Are your trees all from the same seed source, same variety of avo. Do you have any hass? any hass from the US? Let's get it together in late Sept. later got to go FFFFFFFFFFords forever

Sure, contact me - same for anyone else with similar interests. You mentioned 'wine size' .....do you mean 'wine bottle sized'?

I saw an avocado at the Burmese border town near me which was 11 inches long and 5 inches wide. I should have bought it to see how it tasted and then planted the seed. An avo that big could feed 20 picnickers with enough left over to feed the parrots. Are there wild parrots in Thailand? What's 'chopping time' mean? Is that anything like 'mashed potato time'?

To answer the question about Hass. about half the seed I planted are from Hass and half are of the Fuerte type. I would have preferred to plant grafted trees, but there is no place within hundreds of miles for supply. I've heard mention of grafted avos available for sale at one or two places (just north of Bkk?). I don't know. I've bought grafted trees of other types, and the results aren't always what's hoped for. It's just as easy to graft an inferior scion as a superior one, and Thais aren't famous for selling top quality - if it's something that won't come in to fruition for years. Example: I bought a dozen baby pomelo trees from a nursery and were told what type they were. Years later, when they bore fruit, they turned out to be a different (to me, inferior) type. I've had similar let downs with other types of fruit trees I've bought in Thailand. A yellow plum-like fruit, for example: I took a sample of the fruit to the tree nursery supply, and they sold me a couple grafted trees which they smilingly swore would bear the identical fruit. Didn't happen. the resultant fruit was markedly different.

One advantage of growing fruit trees from seed, which I do, is that if an exemplary type comes along, it's uniquely mine, and I can name it, and graft it to give/sell to others. The obvious drawback is the long time it takes for seeded trees to yield, and being unsure of quality. I've heard pink grapefruit and avocados are generally 'true to seed' - but we'll just have to wait a bit longer and see whether that's holds true.