How much land for rubber trees?

[honoluludave]

My wife was given 3 1/2 rai of land from her grandfather, which is currently planted with cassava. She wants to plant rubber trees. Is this even enough land to make it worth the time and effort?

[jaykuzi]

Nope

[slapout]

3 1/2 rai is just about right for a year round garden for the family to eat out of. If the soil is sandy (if not add sand and work in), make a strawberry patch (everbearing) about 7 mt square, the same for asparagus. These two do not require yearly planting.. Add same area of tomatoes. Use the remaining ground to plant some corn with pumpkin seeds interplanted about 3 weeks after corn comes up. add potatoes , onion, etc during the cooler months, with peppers, and whatever else meets your fancy. This method of intense gardening with abundunt water will produce more than the average family can/will consume.

To raise a cash crop/single crop on this small of an area would seem a poor utilization of the potential of the land.You can build up poorer soil with manure, and other requirements as needed, I used a plot of 5 rai for a garden and supplied 3 families of 4 each with veggies and still had excess to give away on a regular basis. It was a great place to put the kids to work off some of their pent up aggression, nothing like hoeing weeds, picking potato bugs, etc and they seem more appreciative of the food on the table that they are consuming.

[TexasRanger]

Surely 3.5 rai of rubber is better than none? I know someone who has approx 100 rubber trees planted at the back of their house, not a huge amount of effort involved.

Edited December 30, 2013 by TexasRanger

[Ulic]

Vegetables, for you, neighbours, friends and then some.

[ozyjon]

Went out with a girl who'se parents had rubber trees and she had a field of her own,, for the work, and trouble i didn't see any wealth in the venture, if it was me i would plant corn,, the world always needs more corn, can't get enough of the stuff, then make it into ethanol, the world always needs more ethanol, can't get enough of the stuff, that's what i say, and i'm sticking to it.

[maderaroja]

Wheat, oats and barley. Don't forget to plant clover to enrich the soil.

[Mosha]

Can your wife tap the trees? If not you need about 20 times that land. Family plots though tend to be around 10 Rai. You'll need another source of income even at 10 Rai. There is a rubber forum in farming. I'd ask there.

[khunPer]

I think it's 400 to 700 trees pr. rai. It will take some six to seven years before you can tap the trees. The first few years you need to keep the land between the trees clean; some may grow vegetables like beans between the smaller trees. 3½ rai may be to little to run a rubber production, but if someone else in the area do rubber, you may be able to to have them tapping the trees and produce the rubber-sheets. Normally split is 50/50 or 40/60, often paid in rubber sheets, you have to sell yourself. After some 20 years the trees cannot be tapped anymore, but are quite good value as wood.

[deepcell]

@honoluludave If you have 10 RAI to start is nice, less is trouble (little money return), I have a plan to start with 20 RAI. The idea of plant rubber is really good, everybody needs rubber, the same way people need food! First you need to know, the soil is suitable for plant? Which area your soil is located in Thailand. You can plant anywhere you wish, but some places will need more water then others (it means irrigation all year round except monson season) plan the costs. I recommend you ask someone about the weather in your region before you venture in something that can be with time a burden.

[deepcell]

The Gov recommendations are 74 trees per RAI. They have a thread about rubber tree in this forum, look for the user @James Colister he seens to be a professional about it.

[khunPer]

The Gov recommendations are 74 trees per RAI. They have a thread about rubber tree in this forum, look for the user @James Colister he seens to be a professional about it.

Thanks for update – my GF’s family planted rubber in 10 rai some eight years ago; sorry, the number I quoted by memory above must be for 10 rai.

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Nope

Nope. LOL We have 30 Rai. I laid an irrigation system. This is appx 2200 trees times 3 M between trees for a total of 6600 meters plus 300 meter of 2 inch pipe. I walked the 6600 M at least 5 times. Sandy soil and rough land. We made a nice pond 25 X 25 M and 4 M deep. Put in fish and had somebody feed them. Well somebody else stole the grown fish. The land is in Issan and I live in Pattaya. The darn land might as well be on the moon. Live might be more fun on the moon too. In retrospect, 3.5 rais might be just fine LOL

Edited December 30, 2013 by BlueSkyCowboy

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Went out with a girl who'se parents had rubber trees and she had a field of her own,, for the work, and trouble i didn't see any wealth in the venture, if it was me i would plant corn,, the world always needs more corn, can't get enough of the stuff, then make it into ethanol, the world always needs more ethanol, can't get enough of the stuff, that's what i say, and i'm sticking to it.

I was thinking about planting sugar cane and make rum. The world always needs rum and I might find more friends and have a better attitude about harvesting

[BlueSkyCowboy]

3 1/2 rai is just about right for a year round garden for the family to eat out of. If the soil is sandy (if not add sand and work in), make a strawberry patch (everbearing) about 7 mt square, the same for asparagus. These two do not require yearly planting.. Add same area of tomatoes. Use the remaining ground to plant some corn with pumpkin seeds interplanted about 3 weeks after corn comes up. add potatoes , onion, etc during the cooler months, with peppers, and whatever else meets your fancy. This method of intense gardening with abundunt water will produce more than the average family can/will consume.

To raise a cash crop/single crop on this small of an area would seem a poor utilization of the potential of the land.You can build up poorer soil with manure, and other requirements as needed, I used a plot of 5 rai for a garden and supplied 3 families of 4 each with veggies and still had excess to give away on a regular basis. It was a great place to put the kids to work off some of their pent up aggression, nothing like hoeing weeds, picking potato bugs, etc and they seem more appreciative of the food on the table that they are consuming.

About that manure. I tried hard to find some bullshit or chickenshit. I find it much easier to find bullshit in Pattaya then in Issan

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Vegetables, for you, neighbours, friends and then some.

Of course you would have to sleep with the vegetables so nobody steals them. We planted trees on the family land and some dirty dogs stole 20 trees the 2nd night out

[bluejets]

Went out with a girl who'se parents had rubber trees and she had a field of her own,, for the work, and trouble i didn't see any wealth in the venture, if it was me i would plant corn,, the world always needs more corn, can't get enough of the stuff, then make it into ethanol, the world always needs more ethanol, can't get enough of the stuff, that's what i say, and i'm sticking to it.

There was a study once into the growing of corn for ethanol and it turned out if they put the whole of the US under corn, it could only supply the US needs for ethanol for 1 day.

Good idea but like many things, just not practical.

[honoluludave]

Thanks for all the insights and info. It does not sound like it will be practical to plant rubber on this land. But being 40 km from her grandfather neither will a garden. There are rubber trees in the area and it was just an idea. The land is making a bit money growing cassava. So we will just keep doing that until she thinks of something else. Thanks again

[kerrysum]

My sister-in-law tried this on 6 Rai in Mukdahan,

Total failure, and it takes about 10 years for true maturity.... As she cried about it, I simply explained, you cannot eat rubber.... Good postings from some good advisors... IT IS A COMMODITY, my advice? Plant food to sustain..... Too much time and care are involved, unless you have a large amount of land..... Feed the neighbors and your friends, I'm just old school, that is was the way it was in Thailand....... Keep the community together if you live there.... It reaps much better rewards in life.........

kilosierra

I.E. ? good neighbors make good friends....

Happy New Years!!!!!

[deepcell]

You always have options! To plant food for you, friends, neighbors, or just to sell in the market (talla).. you do not need 10 RAI .. around 2 RAI is more than enough! The commodite (rubber) is to do with something around 40 or more RAI, but as I said, you can plant in 10 RAI, if you will not use it for anything else.. measure your options.. Rubber is long term, vegetable is short term.. both are good!

Oh! remember, sugar cane will make the soil a lot dry, if you plant it for 10 years.. It will become a lot like a desert soil.. in Brazil it is a problem in Ribeirao Preto-SP, they try intercropping with some fruits like mango or orange.. but it is all about the climate and soil.

[Mosha]

The Gov recommendations are 74 trees per RAI. They have a thread about rubber tree in this forum, look for the user @James Colister he seens to be a professional about it.

Sadly James no longer posts on Thai Visa. However you can see his videos on You Tube.

[deepcell]

Very good videos bytheway!!!