Growing Potted Plants In Bangkok

[joesohum]

Does anyone here have any experience in growing vegetables in containers in Bangkok? I have a big porch and have tried tomatoes, peppers, basil, cucumber, and eggplant. So far I have only had success with the basil. And one time with the cucumber. The tomatoes always have the flowers fall off before they can develop fruit. And all the plants except the basil seem to be very susceptible to insect infestation. The peppers I can never get to grow more than about one inch. I water them. Dry them. And try everything I know but they don’t grow. Is it something in the soil? Am I planting at the wrong time of year? That’s all I can figure. I use Thai seed but still have problems. Any suggestions? All my local Thai ornamentals grow well. I have over 50 potted plants. Flowers, trees, palms, But I just don’t have luck with vegetables. i can do it at home. why not here? Do you know a good web site or gardening book that applies to growing veggies in Thailand? In English. Thanks

[BambinA]

http://www.gardenguides.com/Vegetables/eggplant.htm

http://www.gardenguides.com/Vegetables/tomatoes.htm

at the bottom of the page has

Page 1: Seeds and Transplanting Page 2: Care Page 3: Insects and Diseases

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extensi.../container.html

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH032

http://doityourself.com/vegetables/veg_container.htm

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/tomato1.html

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/199...g_Seeds_Indoors

and more from this Google Links

[penzman]

A month ago we've planted tomato, celery, turnips , radishes, lettuce, carrots, rhubarb and a few others. All of these in boxes at the side of the house. Only one radish plant has started growing. I think the soil used is too acidic as it seems that it is not black soil as we were told when we bought it but some kind of soil made mostly of rotten wood bark.

[chownah]

Sounds like bad soil. Basil grows like a weed around here so its not surpriseing that it grew...it would grow even in fairly bad soil. If you have a hard time getting good soil, I suggest making some. I'm an organic farmer but I do understand that most container grown vegetables are not organically grown so making soil for non-organic container growing: one third coarse sand, one third peat moss, one third garden soil. You might be able to buy potting soil already mixed up which I would recommend for beginners. If you want to try organic growing then in the recipe for the soil substitute WELL ROTTED manure (cow manure that has aged long enough so that it smells like soil, not like...well...you know) or well aged (over one year) compost or a combination of both in place of the peat moss. The organic soil will work well but it has a higher chance of harboring insects that you wouldn't want on your porch...having well aged manure and compost helps in eliminating this problem.......whatever you do....good luck!!!

[N&M]

I have loads of plants in pots in our house, big ones, little ones and I have trouble in growing them all at one stage or another, not to mention the dead fish.

I have found that almost every plant I have bought from either Jatujuk or a nursery anywhere ends up going down hill for some time before eventually recovering, but not recovering enough to full glory as yet.

many flowering plants lost all flowers immediately after coming home and then leaves start to die a little, then it is either one way or the other, all the leaves fall off in stress or it picks back up and starts to grom. But none have flowered to the extent they were when first purchased and some not at all.

I am new at this gardening stuff by the way, its my new retirment hobby. The fish, i am practicing killing them before they multiply.

As for veges, we tried and were 100% successfull in there failure.

The potting mix that we buy by the truckload is dark, seems ok and rich, but not really sure, lots of organic matter in it.

Frangipanis have all had some disease in the leaf, not rust, made the leaves seethrough in patches and now there are no leaves at all or flowers. Climbers that had nice white and pink flowers that grew great initialey then started to die, all the flowers died then half the leaves. All the orchids I put in or around the trees lost their flowers and new shoots got eaten by squirells. I need a gardener.

[chownah]

N&M,

What a sad story! About potting mix....and this goes for what I described in my previous post for the non-organic (with peat moss) mix....these mixes are not meant to be able to grow plants for any extended length of time on their own. You need to buy some chemical fertilizer and regularly add it to the water. In the US the brand names I've use have been Rapid-Gro and Peter's. I used Peter's quite alot and had excellent results. There are two basic ways to use this stuff. You can add it to the water about once a month or so (follow the directions on the package).....or you can mix it more dilute (follow the directions on the package) and use it every time you water. I mix the dilute solution and water with it everytime.....that way you don't forget. Peter's makes different formulas for different types of plants...so...follow the directions on the package......I truly believe that the entire progress of civilization is being propelled by people following the directions on the package....so...do your part for civilization!!!

As for the diseases your plants get.....try to learn what conditions the different plants prefer.....a healthy plant is way more disease resistant than a weak one. The one method I can advise is if you have aphids (google for aphids) you can kill them by spraying with a solution of dishwashing detergent and water....mix it about like you would for doing dishes....it should feel slippery if you spray it on your fingers. This is not a poison...it kills the aphids by dissolving the oil which coats their body. With their oily coating gone their bodily fluids leak out and the dehydrate and die. Since this is a Buddhist country its best if you apologize to them before spraying and accept the fact that someday the cosmic sprayer will come down from the sky and zap you too!!! I almost forgot, lady bugs (sometimes called lady birds) eat aphids and they won't bother you so if you can coax some onto your premesis then you should.....and if they eat your aphids then you won't have to worry about your karma problems!!!!!

Chownah

[joesohum]

I have loads of plants in pots in our house, big ones, little ones and I have trouble in growing them all at one stage or another, not to mention the dead fish.

I have found that almost every plant I have bought from either Jatujuk or a nursery anywhere ends up going down hill for some time before eventually recovering, but not recovering enough to full glory as yet.

many flowering plants lost all flowers immediately after coming home and then leaves start to die a little, then it is either one way or the other, all the leaves fall off in stress or it picks back up and starts to grom. But none have flowered to the extent they were when first purchased and some not at all.

I am new at this gardening stuff by the way, its my new retirment hobby. The fish, i am practicing killing them before they multiply.

As for veges, we tried and were 100% successfull in there failure.

The potting mix that we buy by the truckload is dark, seems ok and rich, but not really sure, lots of organic matter in it.

Frangipanis have all had some disease in the leaf, not rust, made the leaves seethrough in patches and now there are no leaves at all or flowers. Climbers that had nice white and pink flowers that grew great initialey then started to die, all the flowers died then half the leaves. All the orchids I put in or around the trees lost their flowers and new shoots got eaten by squirells. I need a gardener.

[joesohum]

well it seems like im not the only one with gardening troubles. and im beginning to believe that the main problem is with the soil. and what i buy in bags even though it looks good im not too sure how scientifically its blended and composted. so far i have not been able to find sterle soil for starting seeds. i have made my own soil from leaves i pruned from the other plants and vegi scraps from the kitchen. some dry leaves and a little old dirt for starter. it worked pretty good and i think my plants liked it until the cock roaches moved into the compost box. all this is on my 11th floor porch and i doubt the management would like that i was breeding cockroachs so i discontinued that project. i hate throwing out the leaf matter though.

my 2 fragipanis also develop those rust spots. not sure about what causes them. and one looses all the leaves also. but i found out that one is a singapore fragipani and they lose there leaves then regrow them back before flowering.

ive been using organic fertilizer here but it also may not be strong enough to feed plants that are watered as much as these have to be. so maybe i need a new fertilizer too.

sheesh. i have a big vegi garden in california i live off of in the summer. and a big compost bin. its so easy compaired to this container gardening.

anyhow thanks everyone for trying to help. ill figure it out sooner or later

[IMA_FARANG]

well it seems like im not the only one with gardening troubles. and im beginning to believe that the main problem is with the soil. and what i buy in bags even though it looks good im not too sure how scientifically its blended and composted. so far i have not been able to find sterle soil for starting seeds. i have made my own soil from leaves i pruned from the other plants and vegi scraps from the kitchen. some dry leaves and a little old dirt for starter. it worked pretty good and i think my plants liked it until the cock roaches moved into the compost box. all this is on my 11th floor porch and i doubt the management would like that i was breeding cockroachs so i discontinued that project. i hate throwing out the leaf matter though.

my 2 fragipanis also develop those rust spots. not sure about what causes them. and one looses all the leaves also. but i found out that one is a singapore fragipani and they lose there leaves then regrow them back before flowering.

ive been using organic fertilizer here but it also may not be strong enough to feed plants that are watered as much as these have to be. so maybe i need a new fertilizer too.

sheesh. i have a big vegi garden in california i live off of in the summer. and a big compost bin. its so easy compaired to this container gardening.

anyhow thanks everyone for trying to help. ill figure it out sooner or later

Have you considered the air quality? Those traffic police don't wear the masks for no reason. If you are trying to grow plants on a main street in Bangkok, the air may not be clean enough for plants. Is that the case?

[joesohum]

well it seems like im not the only one with gardening troubles. and im beginning to believe that the main problem is with the soil. and what i buy in bags even though it looks good im not too sure how scientifically its blended and composted. so far i have not been able to find sterle soil for starting seeds. i have made my own soil from leaves i pruned from the other plants and vegi scraps from the kitchen. some dry leaves and a little old dirt for starter. it worked pretty good and i think my plants liked it until the cock roaches moved into the compost box. all this is on my 11th floor porch and i doubt the management would like that i was breeding cockroachs so i discontinued that project. i hate throwing out the leaf matter though.

my 2 fragipanis also develop those rust spots. not sure about what causes them. and one looses all the leaves also. but i found out that one is a singapore fragipani and they lose there leaves then regrow them back before flowering.

ive been using organic fertilizer here but it also may not be strong enough to feed plants that are watered as much as these have to be. so maybe i need a new fertilizer too.

sheesh. i have a big vegi garden in california i live off of in the summer. and a big compost bin. its so easy compaired to this container gardening.

anyhow thanks everyone for trying to help. ill figure it out sooner or later

Have you considered the air quality? Those traffic police don't wear the masks for no reason. If you are trying to grow plants on a main street in Bangkok, the air may not be clean enough for plants. Is that the case?

that is a good point about the air. even though i dont live on a busy street it definetly affects my health. but not bad enough for killing plants. but something to consider.

[penzman]

I thought it'd be Co2 heaven for plants to grow, as for eating veggies grown in BKK

We've also started making compost out of table scraps and leaves. I must admit that the direct sun and heat are doing an excellent job so far. We've started with a container half full of soil and add to it.

[leisurely]

We do OK with the shrubby type potted plants but the tomatoes, beans and courgettes we tried to grow reached around 30, 45 and 10 cm respectively and then keeled over. I think it is too hot in our garden. Will try again though at some point.

[penzman]

I will give growing vegetables one more try but will try and get them to germinate in my storage room first and then will plant them in the boxes. I ll also put up one of those plastic woven shaders they often use at the local shops as I think that depending on where yopur pots sit, it gets way too hot and the roots just get baked after a while. Or compost bin sits in the sun and still feels incredibly hot when I open the lid in the evening

[thailien8]

Potted plants will only grow in Bangkok if they are put in large pots on the sidewalk where they can serve their intended function of blocking the way for pedestrians.

[joesohum]

Potted plants will only grow in Bangkok if they are put in large pots on the sidewalk where they can serve their intended function of blocking the way for pedestrians.

thats funny. and also they are great receptacles for garbage and cigarette butts.

another thing came to mind. the tap water? i know its sanitized for our protection. and its probably what they fill those 5 baht bottles that they sell on the street with. but is it actually good for us and or plants?

[Jai Dee]

I ll also put up one of those plastic woven shaders they often use at the local shops as I think that depending on where yopur pots sit, it gets way too hot and the roots just get baked after a while.

I think this is the key... I make sure that all of our potted plants have some sort of cooling protection for the pot itself... as although the foliage enjoys the heat, light, and humidity, the roots can get damaged by overheating.

Sometimes I put one pot inside another larger pot, and fill the void between with coconut fibre... this acts as a heat barrier as well as a moisturising barrier that forms a little microclimate around the base of the plant.

As for those pesky garok (or squirrels), one way to stop them eating your new orchid shoots is to tie up a bunch of bananas nearby... maybe on a weekly basis. This will "train" them to visit your place for a free feed and stay away from your orchids.

Personally, I like seeing them in my garden.

[N&M]

I like the squirells also, but don't want them eating my new flowers.

I read an article to place tobasco sauce or pepper around. I did this and it worked a treat, only thing is it needs to be done very regulalry cos of the rain or watering washes it away and they come back.

I have new hobby but, sitting on my verandah with my BB gun and waiting.

The wtaer here is very chlorinated, you can smell it. It kills my fish often enough I think. But what gets me is that everyone else uses it and seems to have healthy growing plants. I am starting to think it could be the potting mix, but then also when we bring home new plants and do not re pot them, they end up deteriating also. I think our garden is haunted by frustrated gardening ghosts and they run around and piss in our pots every night.

On another note re lawns. While we were away recently, a cat shat on the lawn in 3 areas. Now some 3 or so weeks later, the area where it shat is dead for around 10/15cm's. But the area around that for about another 15cm's is lush, thick and very green. What the go here, the shit was picked up within a few days so had no time to rot into the soil.

[penzman]

I ll also put up one of those plastic woven shaders they often use at the local shops as I think that depending on where yopur pots sit, it gets way too hot and the roots just get baked after a while.

I think this is the key... I make sure that all of our potted plants have some sort of cooling protection for the pot itself... as although the foliage enjoys the heat, light, and humidity, the roots can get damaged by overheating.

Sometimes I put one pot inside another larger pot, and fill the void between with coconut fibre... this acts as a heat barrier as well as a moisturising barrier that forms a little microclimate around the base of the plant.

As for those pesky garok (or squirrels), one way to stop them eating your new orchid shoots is to tie up a bunch of bananas nearby... maybe on a weekly basis. This will "train" them to visit your place for a free feed and stay away from your orchids.

Personally, I like seeing them in my garden.

I ll definitely give that one a try.

Looking out the window, I can see that most of our potted plants, about 2 dozens, are having a hard time. Our lawn and garden plants are in the same kind of soil and are all fine.

[Polly]

I think one of the problems is definitely the potting mix that is full of coconut husks. It keeps the soil too damp. Most plants, even ones that require a lot of water, like well drained soil. The soil goes sour and most plants get root rot. The soil would be ok in an open garden because the moisture could drain away but in a pot it doesn't because the soil at the bottom is like gluggy mud.

By the way Pacific Frangipannis lose their leaves and stop growing in cooler months.

[rcalsop]

I like the squirells also, but don't want them eating my new flowers.

I read an article to place tobasco sauce or pepper around. I did this and it worked a treat, only thing is it needs to be done very regulalry cos of the rain or watering washes it away and they come back.

I have new hobby but, sitting on my verandah with my BB gun and waiting.

The wtaer here is very chlorinated, you can smell it. It kills my fish often enough I think. But what gets me is that everyone else uses it and seems to have healthy growing plants. I am starting to think it could be the potting mix, but then also when we bring home new plants and do not re pot them, they end up deteriating also. I think our garden is haunted by frustrated gardening ghosts and they run around and piss in our pots every night.

On another note re lawns. While we were away recently, a cat shat on the lawn in 3 areas. Now some 3 or so weeks later, the area where it shat is dead for around 10/15cm's. But the area around that for about another 15cm's is lush, thick and very green. What the go here, the shit was picked up within a few days so had no time to rot into the soil.

I became convinced that it was an anti farang garden spirit I have had green fingers in several countries but not here ..my Thai nieghbours throw a few seedlings in a badly prepared hole forget to water then and seemingly weeks later they are a flourishing mass of well established green ,

I prepare the soil , clean the debri look for the correct location , search out health strong specimins

and then they die Banana trees , Papaya , limes , herbs , the lawn , roses, hibiscus , bougavinea with no colour after 3 days, in the garden or pots the same the nieghbours laugh about it . The fingers of death .. I have thrown dead plants out with the rubbish ..they have been rescued by the nieghbours mother and planted in their stoney patch which now looks like Kew Gardens .

Its a conspiracy I tell you ...

[steveromagnino]

for chlorinated water, let it stand for a few hours before you put the fishies in; the chlorine evaporates from the water, and it also gets to the right temperature for the fishies as well....

BTW if you have a decent system, you should be changing water for your fishies once every few months, not every few days; it is a shock for them, and they don't like it that much I think... I used to get by once every 2 months (or whenever my aunt was there to do it for me!")

Same thing woudl go for watering plants I guess, but plants are quite hardy for water supply, they don't mind road water which has oil and muck mixed in....

Apparently growing lemons and chillis keeps predators away (including mosquitos0 but this may be a old wives tail... why does old wife have tail? engrish language crazy....

[Jai Dee]

...why does old wife have tail?

Usually one with a sting in it...