Growing Longan Fruit Trees In Chanthaburi Province

Prosefor · February 26, 2011

I have a small Orchard, 28 Rai Not too far from Ban Laem, in Pong Nam Ron area of Chanthaburi. I have spent a lot of time reading about the tree. there is a lot of information about it. there is also a lot of misinformation. Historically the Trees were grown in Northern Thailand and only recently arrived in Chanthaburi Province my guess about 15 to 20 years ago. About 10 years ago someone in Taiwan isolated which is also used in explosives as an agent that can induce flowering. As I understand it the tree is considered a bi-annual. The Tree will die if it is exposed to tempertures below 5C degrees (41 F) for 5 days or more. In My two years in Chanthaburi province I have yet to experience temperatures Below 15C and that only happened on or two nights.

I planted 1250 tree, in April of 2010. right now 200 of them did not make it. My wife's family have been farming in the area for 40 years. My Mother in Law has 10 Rai of trees 11 years old. (give or take a year or two) She had 40 Rai at one time but pulled 30 Rai out a few years ago before she knew about Potassium chlorate Last year she used Potassium chlorate to induce the trees to flower and she got 152 Kilos a tree at 42 Baht a kilo. In 40 years of Farming she has never made that much money in her life before. A month after the harvest she pruned the trees. The trees do need a lot more attention than other crops. They need lots of water as well. I watched the pruning process and I could not believe My eyes. In the States I was taught never to prune a tree more than 20% or the tree will go into shock. Here no one cares. they just hack at it. In My experience a Thai farmer will only listen to another Thai farmer who is also an older relative. The only exception is they will listen to the King.

My in Laws planted Cassava in 20 of the 28 Rai which seemed to have protect the trees from weeds. I installed Irrigation Pipes in January after harvesting the Cassava which yielded 86 Tons. (Had I installed the Pipes last year I could have watered the Cassava during the dry periods and increased My yield but I had no clue about it and My in Laws did not inform Me until after the fact. I have learned that Thai farmers borrow money and pay 3% interest a month although someone said that it is illegal to Charge such high interest rates.

slapout · February 27, 2011

The potassium chlorate is primary used to encourage early bloom. Lamyai as will produce annually naturally. You can get 2 pickings via irrigation method (canal) The overuse/prolonged of the potassium chlorate can also result in death to the trees and barren harvest years. This chemical has been in use for at least 11 years that I know of. Normally lite watering, weekly, is used to ensure it gets into root system. There are many opinions on the amount to use vs tree age as well as amount for prolonged use.

If you put a sprinkler system in when new trees are planted, adequately water regularly, you can reduce loss to less than 5%.

142 kilo off of 11 year old trees is what I would call a super bumper crop, 42 baht a kilo price is a super duper bumper as the price in the north last year peaked at 31 +/kilo. 10 rai would be about 280_+ tree, hope she banked her profit from the 1.7+ million

Water requirement of lamyai is seasonal as well as the stage the tree is at prior.during the blooming process. As mentioned sprinklers work good to enhance the uptake of chemical mentioned. Ditch irrigation for thorough soaking between rows works good as trees reach 13 year+ as drip line/root system of trees will be extending out to the centered ditch.

Lamphun is considered one of the lamyai centers of this area, and the people have been farming lamyai for several generations. Everyone seems to have their own little methods. Once mature, pruning is more to get stock for replacement and to sell, rather than to shape the tree.

Prosefor · March 5, 2011

The potassium chlorate is primary used to encourage early bloom. Lamyai as will produce annually naturally. You can get 2 pickings via irrigation method (canal) The overuse/prolonged of the potassium chlorate can also result in death to the trees and barren harvest years. This chemical has been in use for at least 11 years that I know of. Normally lite watering, weekly, is used to ensure it gets into root system. There are many opinions on the amount to use vs tree age as well as amount for prolonged use.

If you put a sprinkler system in when new trees are planted, adequately water regularly, you can reduce loss to less than 5%.

142 kilo off of 11 year old trees is what I would call a super bumper crop, 42 baht a kilo price is a super duper bumper as the price in the north last year peaked at 31 +/kilo. 10 rai would be about 280_+ tree, hope she banked her profit from the 1.7+ million

Water requirement of lamyai is seasonal as well as the stage the tree is at prior.during the blooming process. As mentioned sprinklers work good to enhance the uptake of chemical mentioned. Ditch irrigation for thorough soaking between rows works good as trees reach 13 year+ as drip line/root system of trees will be extending out to the centered ditch.

Lamphun is considered one of the lamyai centers of this area, and the people have been farming lamyai for several generations. Everyone seems to have their own little methods. Once mature, pruning is more to get stock for replacement and to sell, rather than to shape the tree.

Prosefor · March 5, 2011

Correction the price was 34 baht a Kilo not 42. Sorry about that. Not sure why I typed 42 maybe wishful thinking but she did collect close to 1.5M Baht and she has 286 trees. Not sure exactly how many sq meters she has but its close to 10 Rai. Its very hard for Me to get discrete numbers.

Yes its true it was the most she has ever made while farming for over 40 years.

The tree is known as a Bi-Annual which normally means it does not provide a good crop every year. I wonder if you treat it properly with Potassium Chlorate can you get a good crop every year or are you still having to deal with the trees being finicky. Do you know if having a bee colony helps the flowering process, some literature on the net points to substantial benefits if bees are present.