New Vegetable plots for beginners (ME!)

[SurinBeach]

Hi...

So I'm thinking of creating a couple of small vegetable plots in my south facing garden which gets sun most of the day.

Currently I'm growing chillis/khapao etc behind the house where its shaded....they're all fine.

Just wondering if its too sunny in the front garden to grow anything ...or am I completely wrong ?

And Got some tomato seeds on order (listed in one of the threads that mentioned some non-Thai type varieties that grew OK here...)

(I live Phuket BTW)

Cheers

SB....

[loong]

I've no idea what the climate is like in Phuket.

The best advice that I can give is to experiment. You may well need some shade cloth if your plots are in full sun for most of the day.

Most germinating seeds, even local varieties will tend to burn up and die if exposed to full sun all day.

[Jotham79]

I am not sure what you mean by "ect", but I would tend to stay with herbs that you regularly use like dill or coriander, but they might need some shade. I know lemon grass can tolerate a lot of sun. Thai egg plants can take also of sun too. We have also done thai tomatoes, Kanah, Pak Kwong Tung, Pak Bung as well as summer squash and zucchini. Popcorn also can take a lot of sun and sweet corn would work. Soil will make a lot of difference too. Sun flowers?

[SurinBeach]

Thanks, I'm not really wanting to put shade clothes in the front garden so might just have to stick to the shady rear area ....

I've no idea what the climate is like in Phuket.

The best advice that I can give is to experiment. You may well need some shade cloth if your plots are in full sun for most of the day.

Most germinating seeds, even local varieties will tend to burn up and die if exposed to full sun all day.

[SurinBeach]

My coriander grows well in the shade, I have lots of Lemongrass in full sun but the not edible variety !

I have some eggplants in half shade/sun

Pak Bung I might need to try and the bak choi too....Thanks

I am not sure what you mean by "ect", but I would tend to stay with herbs that you regularly use like dill or coriander, but they might need some shade. I know lemon grass can tolerate a lot of sun. Thai egg plants can take also of sun too. We have also done thai tomatoes, Kanah, Pak Kwong Tung, Pak Bung as well as summer squash and zucchini. Popcorn also can take a lot of sun and sweet corn would work. Soil will make a lot of difference too. Sun flowers?

[naboo]

I'm an absolute beginner here in Thailand, planning to get started this year, so will follow this topic and share my successes and failures.

When is a good time to start? In Chiang Mai, was thinking of planting May/June time. Some cloud cover and a few months before the rains go nuts.

[SoloFlyer]

Same. Hoping people will discuss what to plant and when.

[SoloFlyer]

Same. Hoping people will discuss what to plant and when.

Oops

Edited February 14, 2014 by SoloFlyer

[Jotham79]

Take a look in the market and count backwards the time it takes to grow, but you shouldn't have too much trouble from February thru November. The more expensive a veggie is the more difficult to raise at that time of year. Some veggies don't like the rainy season the length of day shouldn't be an issue. Garlic is mainly a winter crop, corn and squash the year round. Pumpkin and other similar plants to ok in the rainy season. Start by trying what you really like to eat

[cooked]

Maybe you should look at your soil first - is it heavy, does it have organic content,, worms? We have ready access to cow manure and have a compost heap, I am cautiously adding river sand bit by bit and seeing a big improvement in the quality of the soil. The odd corner here and there that haven't received any sand yet are hard as concrete, So you have to consider stuff like that first.

Chillies will be happy in full sun, tomatoes don't seem to like that. Why don't you just try stuff, googling as you go? That's what I did, every situation is different. At the moment we have ginger, sweet corn, yard long beans, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, garlic and onions, clumping onions and chives, various herbs, melons (that don't seem to be doing too well, insect attack), tomatoes and sweet peppers, all under shade. Growing pumpkins was a catastrophe, they tried to take over the whole garden and we got sick of them.

But we live in Isaan, have to water every day. Certainly easier if you start just before the rainy season but we manage most stuff all the year round.

It is certainly worthwhile being able to take stuff out of your own garden that hasn't been showered in pesticides twice a day,

[Barney R]

Maybe you should look at your soil first - is it heavy, does it have organic content,, worms? We have ready access to cow manure and have a compost heap, I am cautiously adding river sand bit by bit and seeing a big improvement in the quality of the soil. The odd corner here and there that haven't received any sand yet are hard as concrete, So you have to consider stuff like that first.

Chillies will be happy in full sun, tomatoes don't seem to like that. Why don't you just try stuff, googling as you go? That's what I did, every situation is different. At the moment we have ginger, sweet corn, yard long beans, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, garlic and onions, clumping onions and chives, various herbs, melons (that don't seem to be doing too well, insect attack), tomatoes and sweet peppers, all under shade. Growing pumpkins was a catastrophe, they tried to take over the whole garden and we got sick of them.

But we live in Isaan, have to water every day. Certainly easier if you start just before the rainy season but we manage most stuff all the year round.

It is certainly worthwhile being able to take stuff out of your own garden that hasn't been showered in pesticides twice a day,

[Mudcrab]

I'm an absolute beginner here in Thailand, planning to get started this year, so will follow this topic and share my successes and failures.

When is a good time to start? In Chiang Mai, was thinking of planting May/June time. Some cloud cover and a few months before the rains go nuts.

Grow veggies in autumn , winter

[Mudcrab]

for the beginner gardener......plant in autumn winter in the tropics if you are looking for European type veggies...tomatoes etc.

[Barney R]

Maybe you should look at your soil first - is it heavy, does it have organic content,, worms? We have ready access to cow manure and have a compost heap, I am cautiously adding river sand bit by bit and seeing a big improvement in the quality of the soil. The odd corner here and there that haven't received any sand yet are hard as concrete, So you have to consider stuff like that first.

Chillies will be happy in full sun, tomatoes don't seem to like that. Why don't you just try stuff, googling as you go? That's what I did, every situation is different. At the moment we have ginger, sweet corn, yard long beans, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, garlic and onions, clumping onions and chives, various herbs, melons (that don't seem to be doing too well, insect attack), tomatoes and sweet peppers, all under shade. Growing pumpkins was a catastrophe, they tried to take over the whole garden and we got sick of them.

But we live in Isaan, have to water every day. Certainly easier if you start just before the rainy season but we manage most stuff all the year round.

It is certainly worthwhile being able to take stuff out of your own garden that hasn't been showered in pesticides twice a day,

Agree 100% with your methods just adding a few tips if your soil is heavy add gypsum also and for pest control I use a mix of neem (sadea in Thai ) oil ,garlic ,cinnamon and molasses keeps most insects away . I spray every three weeks . I cold press the neem seed to extract the oil but many parts of the the neem tree have different uses , in India it is know as the tree of life . Google neem tree for more information . The neem tree is found all around Issan just ask your wife to point it out to you . Cheers

[GeorgeO]

Hi SM, I just thought I'd offer my observations, as I have been a 'grower' for about thirty years, and in many places around the world. I have always loved growing growing my own tomatoes wherever I was, and I have tried my hand at tomatoes here, but eventually gave up.

Whilst the plants generally tend to grow sturdily, and the fruit trusses begin to form quite well, with lots of flowers, I found that the fruits just did not set. I have tried several different varieties, and had the same results. The fruits started to form, but simply dropped when they were about 5mm in diameter. I have even harvested the seeds from locally bought fruits, dried them out, and then planted them. Exactly the same results. Great initial growth and truss formation, but fruits dropping shortly after formation.

Also, white fly is a major issue, so you may have to accept that even if you are successful in your attempts to grow tomatoes, you will need to use some form of insecticide.

I do, however, use lots of herbs in cooking, and the local varieties are easily grown in a small area, but as already suggested by others, you may need to use shading during the height of the Summer, otherwise, you may find that you already have, for example, dried basil, at the time of harvesting ..!!

Edited February 15, 2014 by GeorgeO

[cooked]

Maybe you should look at your soil first - is it heavy, does it have organic content,, worms? We have ready access to cow manure and have a compost heap, I am cautiously adding river sand bit by bit and seeing a big improvement in the quality of the soil. The odd corner here and there that haven't received any sand yet are hard as concrete, So you have to consider stuff like that first.

Chillies will be happy in full sun, tomatoes don't seem to like that. Why don't you just try stuff, googling as you go? That's what I did, every situation is different. At the moment we have ginger, sweet corn, yard long beans, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, garlic and onions, clumping onions and chives, various herbs, melons (that don't seem to be doing too well, insect attack), tomatoes and sweet peppers, all under shade. Growing pumpkins was a catastrophe, they tried to take over the whole garden and we got sick of them.

But we live in Isaan, have to water every day. Certainly easier if you start just before the rainy season but we manage most stuff all the year round.

It is certainly worthwhile being able to take stuff out of your own garden that hasn't been showered in pesticides twice a day,

Agree 100% with your methods just adding a few tips if your soil is heavy add gypsum also and for pest control I use a mix of neem (sadea in Thai ) oil ,garlic ,cinnamon and molasses keeps most insects away . I spray every three weeks . I cold press the neem seed to extract the oil but many parts of the the neem tree have different uses , in India it is know as the tree of life . Google neem tree for more information . The neem tree is found all around Issan just ask your wife to point it out to you . Cheers

Neem oil: you can buy this, which I do, since making my own Neem product from the leaves was too much hassle. Mixed with Chilli, garlic and so on confuses the insects' sense of smell. It also confuses my sense of smell as it really smells bad. However the next time you water, the effect will be gone. You can try Neem: 'Bai Sadaou', Bye sadow or whatever.

Cold pressing Neem seed? We have a few Neem trees around but I can't see myself clambering into the trees to collect seeds and pressing a year's supply in advance.

The whole village was amused when they heard that I was making my own Bai Sadaou ticyture, they thought I was too miserly to buy something that gives you cancer to do a good job of it.

[maderaroja]

I live in Chiang Mai, but I have also lived in Chumphon. I am successful growing the market tomatoes and several varieties from the U.S.; Mortgage Lifter and Mr. Stripey. I am growing yellow lemons from seeds. I have successfully grown Myer lemons in large pots. I have grown spaghetti squash and zucchini and butternut squashes. I successfully grow jalapeno chilis, but cannot find any fruit wood to smoke them. I also have success growing sweet peppers from seeds that I collect from the market. My biggest problems are created by marauding dogs and cats that the Thais like to propagate. I found that most of the butterflies will leave eggs at the base of most vegetables and fruits. I use an infusion of tobacco and water to spray them. The tobacco grows wild in Thailand, or you can buy it at the talad or street market. Don't use it near orchids, though.

Edited February 15, 2014 by maderaroja

[rice555]

Hello All, you can buy Kingsford's<sp> mesquite chips at Home Pro here in Korat,

if you want to smoke hals.

To the people that try to save tom seeds from the markets, do you know if they are

OP or Hyb's? A packet of tom seeds usually cost Bt.18-25 for 100 seeds.

Home Pro sales neem oil, not cheap! There's a picture of the bottle on one of the TV

neem posts.

rice555

[umbanda]

Eggplant, chile, peanuts, banana, pineapple....

[wolfmanjack]

I live in Chiang Mai, but I have also lived in Chumphon. I am successful growing the market tomatoes and several varieties from the U.S.; Mortgage Lifter and Mr. Stripey. I am growing yellow lemons from seeds. I have successfully grown Myer lemons in large pots. I have grown spaghetti squash and zucchini and butternut squashes. I successfully grow jalapeno chilis, but cannot find any fruit wood to smoke them. I also have success growing sweet peppers from seeds that I collect from the market. My biggest problems are created by marauding dogs and cats that the Thais like to propagate. I found that most of the butterflies will leave eggs at the base of most vegetables and fruits. I use an infusion of tobacco and water to spray them. The tobacco grows wild in Thailand, or you can buy it at the talad or street market. Don't use it near orchids, though.

Care to give us some tips on growing jalapenos in chiang mai? I tried in the past. Got a good sized plant but no fruit.

[loong]

Thanks, I'm not really wanting to put shade clothes in the front garden so might just have to stick to the shady rear area ....

I've no idea what the climate is like in Phuket.

The best advice that I can give is to experiment. You may well need some shade cloth if your plots are in full sun for most of the day.

Most germinating seeds, even local varieties will tend to burn up and die if exposed to full sun all day.

You could always build an arched trellis of some sort and plant some climbers, using the climbing plants for shade. Obviously the climber would need to like full sun

[maderaroja]

I live in Chiang Mai, but I have also lived in Chumphon. I am successful growing the market tomatoes and several varieties from the U.S.; Mortgage Lifter and Mr. Stripey. I am growing yellow lemons from seeds. I have successfully grown Myer lemons in large pots. I have grown spaghetti squash and zucchini and butternut squashes. I successfully grow jalapeno chilis, but cannot find any fruit wood to smoke them. I also have success growing sweet peppers from seeds that I collect from the market. My biggest problems are created by marauding dogs and cats that the Thais like to propagate. I found that most of the butterflies will leave eggs at the base of most vegetables and fruits. I use an infusion of tobacco and water to spray them. The tobacco grows wild in Thailand, or you can buy it at the talad or street market. Don't use it near orchids, though.

Care to give us some tips on growing jalapenos in chiang mai? I tried in the past. Got a good sized plant but no fruit.

My method of growing Jalapenos: I put the seeds in potting soil in the small plastic bags and water them twice per day. The bags stay in the shade until they sprout. Then, they go into large black plastic pots with more potting soil. The pots are located where they will get full sun, all day. They get watered once per day in the late afternoon. I put my coffee grounds on the soil about weekly. I put a 12-12-12 slow release fertilizer. When they are red, I eat them in my food. Sometimes, I dry them in the sun for storage.

[cracker1]

My experience in Samui has been that root crops like Beetroot, Carrots will not grow in this latitude. I recall the first time with Beetroot seed planted in a shady area the seed sprouted in 2 days and continued growing for 5 days then stopped growing..I think root crops need colder climates like Chang Mai and Northern provinces. Tomatoes are also difficult and my advice would be to only grow in our latitudes, under shade cloth. You may have success with spinach and silver beat, but they will need shaded areas.

Good luck

[rice555]

Hello All, WMJ I could use some of your CM temp's here in Korat.

Jals are if'e here, but serranos do great, even in the wet season,

but smaller.

1. Anaheim and Passila.

2. Passila's.

3. L/H pile jals & serranos, Anaheim's and poblano's.

rice555

[maderaroja]

Hello All, WMJ I could use some of your CM temp's here in Korat.

Jals are if'e here, but serranos do great, even in the wet season,

but smaller.

1. Anaheim and Passila.

2. Passila's.

3. L/H pile jals & serranos, Anaheim's and poblano's.

rice555

Would it be possible to trade some of my Jalapeno seeds for some of your poblanos? My email address is part of my profile here. You may PM me.

[wolfmanjack]

I live in Chiang Mai, but I have also lived in Chumphon. I am successful growing the market tomatoes and several varieties from the U.S.; Mortgage Lifter and Mr. Stripey. I am growing yellow lemons from seeds. I have successfully grown Myer lemons in large pots. I have grown spaghetti squash and zucchini and butternut squashes. I successfully grow jalapeno chilis, but cannot find any fruit wood to smoke them. I also have success growing sweet peppers from seeds that I collect from the market. My biggest problems are created by marauding dogs and cats that the Thais like to propagate. I found that most of the butterflies will leave eggs at the base of most vegetables and fruits. I use an infusion of tobacco and water to spray them. The tobacco grows wild in Thailand, or you can buy it at the talad or street market. Don't use it near orchids, though.

Care to give us some tips on growing jalapenos in chiang mai? I tried in the past. Got a good sized plant but no fruit.

My method of growing Jalapenos: I put the seeds in potting soil in the small plastic bags and water them twice per day. The bags stay in the shade until they sprout. Then, they go into large black plastic pots with more potting soil. The pots are located where they will get full sun, all day. They get watered once per day in the late afternoon. I put my coffee grounds on the soil about weekly. I put a 12-12-12 slow release fertilizer. When they are red, I eat them in my food. Sometimes, I dry them in the sun for storage.

Thank you. I sprouted them in bags then transplanted them into the ground. I will try again keeping them in pots and using coffee grounds and the slow release fertilizer.

[maderaroja]

How does one attach a photo here?

[rice555]

Hello All, maderaroja are theses what you want?

rice555

[Jasun]

Plenty of stuff will grow in full sun. Wet season, dig in some sand with your manures and raise the beds a little for drainage, things like Basil, Lemongrass, Galangal, Eggplants, Wing Beans & Sweet Potato will thrive. Everything else in summer. If you're worried about the soil drying out, water less but more often, and keep up the mulch.

[loong]

Plenty of stuff will grow in full sun. Wet season, dig in some sand with your manures and raise the beds a little for drainage, things like Basil, Lemongrass, Galangal, Eggplants, Wing Beans & Sweet Potato will thrive. Everything else in summer. If you're worried about the soil drying out, water less but more often, and keep up the mulch.

If you are worried about soil drying out , definitely keep up the mulch, but drench the soil and water less often. This encourages the roots to go deeper. If you water less, you encourage roots to stay in the top level of the soil. It's no good if you water frequently, but only enough to penetrate the top inch or 2 of the soil.