Rubber Trees

[thoongfoned]

udon thani province....

some of my friends that have visited (from home country) are a little less kind, they think that i went mad a long time ago, sometimes i agree with them.....

[thaiguzzi]

23 hours ago, grollies said:

Nice one.

 

Fertilizing. Missus just got back from farm shop next door. Says advised to dig holes between rows every 3m about 10" deep and add fertilizer. Cover back up.

 

Any advice on that? 

Yep, thats about right.

Depends on the age of the trees. Fertilizer goes in the ground (not thrown) where the canopy finishes. So once trees get to 6-7 y/o, the canopy has completely closed up, then the fertilizer goes in right smack down the middle of the 7m row. Every 3m. Would'nt bother with an exact 10" deep hole, just one good swing with a hoe in moist/wet ground will be good enough, hoe pulled back leaving a small mound, to be easily pushed back and covered up by the next worker wearing wellies and carrying the bucket of fertilizer.

 Over the years we've got this down to a fine art and can do 64 rai in 2 days...

[jak2002003]

I have tried to grow a few rubber trees over the years... just in my garden.  But each time they grow really slowly and the go yellow and die.

 

They are in full sun, well drained soil, and a watered every day when first planted.. but not to make the soil waterlogged.

 

I am up in Chiang Mai.  Is the climate in Chiang Mai unsuitable for rubber trees?  I see lots of them in the south, but have not seen any around where I live in the North.

 

Thanks. 

[grollies]

1 hour ago, thaiguzzi said:

Yep, thats about right.

Depends on the age of the trees. Fertilizer goes in the ground (not thrown) where the canopy finishes. So once trees get to 6-7 y/o, the canopy has completely closed up, then the fertilizer goes in right smack down the middle of the 7m row. Every 3m. Would'nt bother with an exact 10" deep hole, just one good swing with a hoe in moist/wet ground will be good enough, hoe pulled back leaving a small mound, to be easily pushed back and covered up by the next worker wearing wellies and carrying the bucket of fertilizer.

 Over the years we've got this down to a fine art and can do 64 rai in 2 days...

Cheers, you and thoongfoned for the advice.

[thaiguzzi]

On 02/04/2017 at 10:49 AM, jak2002003 said:

I have tried to grow a few rubber trees over the years... just in my garden.  But each time they grow really slowly and the go yellow and die.

 

They are in full sun, well drained soil, and a watered every day when first planted.. but not to make the soil waterlogged.

 

I am up in Chiang Mai.  Is the climate in Chiang Mai unsuitable for rubber trees?  I see lots of them in the south, but have not seen any around where I live in the North.

 

Thanks. 

# Too close to a boundary wall?

# Plant them in May-June start of the rainy season.

# There are rubber trees in the NW.

[jak2002003]

5 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

# Too close to a boundary wall?

# Plant them in May-June start of the rainy season.

# There are rubber trees in the NW.

I will give it another go... May June time.

 

There were planted well away from walls and other plants.. planted in the lawn.

 

Only other think I can think is that soil is not the right pH or something is eating their roots.

 

They grew a few leaves, then started to turn orange / red, but were still healthy.  Then the leaved wilted and they died.

 

 

[grollies]

Anyone got advice in fertilizer manufactures for +8 year old rubber?

 

Yara advance 21-7-14 or

 

TIP 22-5-18

Edited April 16, 2017 by grollies

[thaiguzzi]

# The Thai Rubber Institute recommends 30-5-18 once trees are tapped.

# Our trees have had 29-5-18 since they were 7 years old.

# Your first number is not high enough for trees being tapped.

[grollies]

12 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

# The Thai Rubber Institute recommends 30-5-18 once trees are tapped.

# Our trees have had 29-5-18 since they were 7 years old.

# Your first number is not high enough for trees being tapped.

Ok, cheers. We'll increase N.

 

3 y/o trees 20-10-10 right?

Edited April 16, 2017 by grollies

[thaiguzzi]

Just checked my books. 20-10-12 are popular numbers and should be readily available. This was a long time ago, but my books showed we also used 18-4-5 interspersed with the above numbers for some reason for a couple of years.

[grollies]

OK, thanks. Was trawling thru some old posts of yours and ofhers, around page 17! and found some info.

 

Struggle to make sense of all the advice we get round here. Showed wifey your post re Thai Rubber Institute so she now gets it.

 

I wouldn't mind but a mate of hers is a director of the Chachensao Rubber Research Centre and she still listens to local farmers who just scatter chicken shit around. Go figure.

 

My first year here full time and about 10% thru rubber tree survey (numbers, girth, condition, etc) and getting info on fertilizer. First 850 trees opened last November, around another 50 to open shortly.

 

About 400 3 y/o trees experimenting intercropping banana and corn.

 

Cheers for your help.

[IsaanAussie]

Has anyone tried to grow perennial peanuts under the trees?

[grollies]

27 minutes ago, IsaanAussie said:

Has anyone tried to grow perennial peanuts under the trees?

Hi, meant to PM you but got distracted with Songran and rubber.

 

We are intercropping in young rubber and trying to increase the biodiversity of our mature monoculture rubber and stabilize the space between rows to prevent erosion at the bottom end of our plot.

 

Difficult to find things that will grow in full shade, hmm. Galangal are starting to grow. We've put in some banana, see if it'll grow, don't expect it to fruit though.

 

Once the survey is complete I expect to remove up to 15 really poor trees and fill a couple of gaps with bamboo, poinsetta, coffee (not for harvesting), Brazil nut tree, etc.

 

Encouraging vines growing on post and wire fencing. We keep this off the rubber but let it go on some teak and bamboo.

 

Also building bird boxes to put around the place although missed the nesting season it seems by a month judged on recent bird activity. The wife planted teak and mahogany around the border 10 years ago which look great.

 

Just trying to get away from the bare look and get wildlife back whilst keeping the tappers safe  and rubber productive.

 

Peanuts eh? I'll look that up.

[thaiguzzi]

Sounds like you know what you are doing, and are using your land to the max.

Just do not do what some people do round here - stick cassava in between the rows on younger trees. Also do not plough after the 3rd year. Even the 2nd year.

My books correspond with what the Rubber Institute taught the missus. Highly recommended is send the wife and any tappers on the free courses they sometimes offer.

Year 1; 15-15-15

Year 2; 18-4-5

Year 3-6; 20-10-12

year 7 on; 30-5-18.

 Best of luck.

[grollies]

Guilty as charged on the cassava, grew it first year rubber went in. Never again, still digging the stuff up 2 years later.

 

This year is last time we plough, thinking of changing the backhoe for a small tractor and mower after I get the water system dug in and retaining wall put in front of the house. Probably next year now.

[IsaanAussie]

1 hour ago, grollies said:

Hi, meant to PM you but got distracted with Songran and rubber.

 

We are intercropping in young rubber and trying to increase the biodiversity of our mature monoculture rubber and stabilize the space between rows to prevent erosion at the bottom end of our plot.

 

Difficult to find things that will grow in full shade, hmm. Galangal are starting to grow. We've put in some banana, see if it'll grow, don't expect it to fruit though.

 

Once the survey is complete I expect to remove up to 15 really poor trees and fill a couple of gaps with bamboo, poinsetta, coffee (not for harvesting), Brazil nut tree, etc.

 

Encouraging vines growing on post and wire fencing. We keep this off the rubber but let it go on some teak and bamboo.

 

Also building bird boxes to put around the place although missed the nesting season it seems by a month judged on recent bird activity. The wife planted teak and mahogany around the border 10 years ago which look great.

 

Just trying to get away from the bare look and get wildlife back whilst keeping the tappers safe  and rubber productive.

 

Peanuts eh? I'll look that up.

First, you don't get peanuts. You get flowers that taste like peanuts I think. Its a ground cover legume that fixes atmospheric N and the plant mass makes good fodder/forage. Don't know how it would grow under full canopy. It spreads under the ground (rhizomes) so you would have to get a few sods.

[grollies]

10 minutes ago, IsaanAussie said:

First, you don't get peanuts. You get flowers that taste like peanuts I think. Its a ground cover legume that fixes atmospheric N and the plant mass makes good fodder/forage. Don't know how it would grow under full canopy. It spreads under the ground (rhizomes) so you would have to get a few sods.

Just read up a bit, yep, any legumes grown are good nitrogen fixers. They need full sun to grow though?

 

Not really looking for a commercial crop in established rubber, just something to increase the wildlife. Going to buy some bromeliads to plant around the edges.

 

Just had two loads of butterflies emerge from next doors overgrown euca, hopefully they keep away from the limes or the birds eat them.

 

Just had a chat with wife about growing orchids in amongst the trees. She has a small orchid garden in the khanun trees at the side of the house. Grow well in shade. What do you think?

[IsaanAussie]

Orchids in a working plantation? Nar, not for me unless you created a group near a water source. Near the tappers huts maybe. 

Full sun is relative term for me. Thai sunshine is blistering for long periods. 

Interested in what sort of butterflies you have seen, any chance of a picture or two? Even ask the locals to tell you what plants the caterpillars were/are on. 

[grollies]

2 hours ago, IsaanAussie said:

Orchids in a working plantation? Nar, not for me unless you created a group near a water source. Near the tappers huts maybe. 

Full sun is relative term for me. Thai sunshine is blistering for long periods. 

Interested in what sort of butterflies you have seen, any chance of a picture or two? Even ask the locals to tell you what plants the caterpillars were/are on. 

Got a nice spot I may try along the ditch between the north and south pond and around the north pond. 

 

Just found this whilst weeding the lime trees:

 

 

[IsaanAussie]

Check your lime tree leaves. Butterflies have been. You should be looking for pupae, caterpillars or eggs.

[grollies]

9 minutes ago, IsaanAussie said:

Check your lime tree leaves. Butterflies have been. You should be looking for pupae, caterpillars or eggs.

Yeah, leaf miner a problem with one lime tree. I sprayed with a water/soap/mouthwash mix last year cleared it up. Not paid attention to them for a while.

[IsaanAussie]

Have a good look for caterpillars. Different damage to the leaf. Different outcome potential.

[metisdead]

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[grollies]

Cheers, you could have just deleted the link and not the entire post, now I have to type it all in again.

[grollies]

Anyone got latest prices for cup lump? Tapping started round here and missus phoned to check prices, 29b/kg. Thats -10b/kg on last season close.

Edited April 23, 2017 by grollies

[thaiguzzi]

32 TB per kg @ auction round here last week according to the missus. Our first sale of the season will be on the 27th.

[IsaanAussie]

Anyone producing or planning to make RSS3 at the moment? Or selling Latex as opposed to cup? Interested in the value added bit in the middle. Interested in any comments.

[thaiguzzi]

In a word, no.

While prices are pretty low still, there is no point.

The only advantage with sheet is storing it (more expense) and playing the markets.

With latex (virtually nobody does it up here) there is always a good chance you are getting ripped by the middlemen or end buyer with their "version" of the DRC content.

I spoke to one of my husband/wife tapper teams at the end of last season about the above, they've tapped all their working lives (mainly in the South), and they concurred with the above.

Once cup hits 60 TB per kg and sheet is 120 TB per kg, it's worth a re think.

[Mosha]

We sold cup at 28 on the 24th.

Sent from my iris 505 using Tapatalk

[thaiguzzi]

First sale of our season. Fortnight earlier than normal.

Sold cup at auction today at 31.90 baht per kg.

As per usual, first tapping session of the season is a 50/50 split, next sale we revert back to our normal 60/40 split.