Fruit, vegetable and herb/spices that I can easily grow

[simon43]

By 'easily grow', I mean that I haven't a clue about kitchen gardening

I live in north Phuket in a new Bed & Breakfast property that I've just built. My garden is right in the middle of a rubber tree plantation, but I've removed the trees where I had to construct the buildings and now the garden is light and shady, not dark or too hot.

I want to plant fruit, vegetable and herb/spice plants/shrubs that do not need a green-fingered expert to look after, and that I can then consume for a healthy diet. I do not have a lot of space, and am not growing to sell. So rows of pineapples is not really an option.

So my first choices are banana and papaya, because they already grow on this land and seem to require absolutely no 'care'.

I do have a tall lime shrub, but it never looks happy.....

So I very much appreciate advice about what I can easily grow to eat, that's healthy for me, (I assume ALL fruit and veg are healthy to eat in reasonable quantities).

[soidog2]

Unfortunately, plant and forget is not really an option for fruit, all require dedicated care.

Some Thai herbs, vines etc., will do OK even if abandoned. All other veg, need weeding, dealing with bugs and so on.

You need to get your hands dirty in order to enjoy a nice garden.

[simon43]

Unfortunately, plant and forget is not really an option for fruit,....

I never said 'plant and forget'. I said I'm not a green-fingered expert

I have the time and energy to do the hard work. But I need some tips as to what fruit/veg/herbs/spices are the best options to plant, or will have the most chance of surviving my green fingers.

[soidog2]

After bananas and papaya you could brach out into mangos, Fruit is absolutely delicious, relatively easy to grow.

Look for a grafted NamDogmai seedling, give it a sunny spot, figure about a 5 meter radius for the canopy when the tree gets older.

For immediate gratification; the cold season is almost here, if you hurry up, you can get going some tomatoes and cucumbers minus the tons of chemicals present when you buy them.

For specific instructions, just ask, many people will help you.

[cooked]

I went through the stage of asking for advice here, and I did indeed get some excellent advice. However I soon found out that you have to find out for yourself. Stuff will grow better on the other side of the road from here, melons need to be sprayed with insecticide too often for my taste, I have tomato wilt bacteria in the soil (being dealt with), meaning that I can't grow eggplant, tomatoes, peppers etc although chilli does ok for a few months. .. I have a lot of ginger.... I no longer go looking for exotic seeds, there are only a few flower seeds that I still want to import, imported vegetables just haven't worked. For me. You will have to look at what other people are growing, see what seeds are available. Stuff you see in the market may come from anywhere.

What kind of soil do you have? Is it exposed to salt spray? All sorts of things to consider.

[simon43]

What kind of soil do you have? Is it exposed to salt spray?

The sea is about 1km away, so no salt spray. The location is a rubber tree plantation with brown topsoil, (ie not clay nor sand), and then sand about 30cm down. Few stones. Not too shaded since I removed some of the rubber trees.

Yesterday I planted some 'Lady's Fingers' banana plants that I got from my ex-wife's hotel, a minute away. I know these will grow fine. I am also ready to plant papaya.

Ex mentioned cucumber as an easy vegetable to grow. Chilli plants also seem to do well here.

[WtFugarwe]

Tomatoes do well in salty soil. Watermelon does well in sand.

[tormok]

Besides Banana and Papapya as mentioned, some of the easiest growers - and nice to have - is the different types of Basil, Galangal, Ginger, Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime. Keep the weeds away and water in the dry season, and that's about it.

[Jip99]

Anyone been successful with bell peppers ?

[tormok]

I forgot to mention one of my favourite fruits. The Dragon Fruit Cactus or Pitaya / Pitahaya. It needs some type of support to grow on, but after that is made, is very easy to take care of. It grows slowly, but when your plant gets big, it produces some large stunning flowers, that only lasts for a night and some beautiful and tasty fruits.

[tormok]

Anyone been successful with bell peppers ?

I have tried severeal times, but only one time managed to get fruiting plants. Not with very large peppers and not for long before the plants started to look cripled and died. What I find hardest is to find seeds, that will actually germinate.

[rice555]

Hello All, a lot of bells grown in CM/CR area, mostly in net houses by hydroponics,

the Royal Project also grows in that area.

The seed packet is from Knowyou Seed Co. out of CM, They have several verities

they sell in LOS. Have seen other Thai Seed Co.'s selling California Wonder seed

which will take heat pretty good, also a OP seed.

All my seed info is from what I've found in Korat. The seed packet is from DoHome,

also other shops sell the same thing.

Not the same as a bell, but I grow these here in Korat.

rice555

[fgmr]

Friends and relatives have over the years brought me a variety of aubergine, tomato, bell pepper and herb seeds. Most germinated, rather too quickly in some

varieties. Tom Thumb and cherry tomatoes supported with canes grew to 6 ft. Lots of flowers, no fruit. bell peppers and aubergines grew into nice sturdy plants but again lots of blossom and no fruit. my garden has a variety of flowers and fruit all do well. I have purchased locally produced seeds of tomato and bell pepper with similar non productive results.

I do not read or speak thai and as all fertilizers and pesticides sold locally are packaged without any English instructions I have to rely on the retailers advice sometimes with disastrous consequences, but that is another story.

Stick to papaya, banana, custard apple lemon grass, long bean, chili, kafir lime, basil.

There is a variety of lime which appears to grow wild as the locals do not seem to bother with the fruit which can be as large as a tennis ball. They do however make an excellent marmalade.

[uptheos]

Find a papaya that you like.

Eat the papaya

Keep the seeds and let them dry out for a couple of weeks

Stick them in the ground

Water regularly

Never had a failure with papaya.

[dogleg]

Coconuts!

[rice555]

Hello All, a lot of bells grown in CM/CR area, mostly in net houses by hydroponics,

the Royal Project also grows in that area.

The seed packet is from Knowyou Seed Co. out of CM, They have several verities

they sell in LOS. Have seen other Thai Seed Co.'s selling California Wonder seed

which will take heat pretty good, also a OP seed.

All my seed info is from what I've found in Korat. The seed packet is from DoHome,

also other shops sell the same thing.

Not the same as a bell, but I grow these here in Korat.

rice555

Hello All, while "not" OG grown, these are growing in bags of coir in my driveway,

this was 10 Mins ago.

Ancho seed from the US.

rice555

[fgmr]

Bags of coir and what else added? What about pollination? Please keep posting I am enjoying reading them with my Asahi.

[rice555]

Bags of coir and what else added? What about pollination? Please keep posting I am enjoying reading them with my Asahi.

All that info is posted on the main page of the farming forum.

Haven't gone to to the site yet, but my Thai Ag Mag has a link for

a company selling OG seed, www.horti-grow.com

Most of what I grow is pollenated by wind of insects, your not

asking the right question.

rice555

[EmptyHead]

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Unfortunately, plant and forget is not really an option for fruit, all require dedicated care.
Some Thai herbs, vines etc., will do OK even if abandoned. All other veg, need weeding, dealing with bugs and so on.
You need to get your hands dirty in order to enjoy a nice garden.

What kind of decaded care do fruit need?

[thailandforumaddict]

Hello,

I am wondering why there aren't more poor Thai farmers trying to grow and sell organic vegetables and fruits ?

With the community and rich expat I wonder why farmers do not try something different and make more money ?

Is it just that they do not know anything and do not have enough education to understand this ?

Is it that they would not know where to sell their expensive veg and fruits ?

Please help me to understand why there are not more farmers growing organic when i am sure that rules are not as strict as in the west and anyway so easy to cheat (I do not encourage, I just know life :-) )

Thanks.

[pigeonjake]

long bean easy to grow and cucumber,

as for fruits, we have lambutime, durion, mango, thai cherry, pomigranet, we have loads of fruit trees and they arnt hard to grow, but you must water, i have the black pipe with little yellow push in spayer typ things, i conect the hose pipe to the end and hey presto im watering my trees while i do something else,

i found it mostly trile and error, but i do enjoy pottering about,

i found thai tomatoes grow best, i brought some seeds from the uk, but to hot,

just have a go and see what happens,

jake

[Pappap]

Yep agree with long beans and cucumbers, but there are different varieties of each and as most have said, trial and error, same with tomatoes, small ones seem to produce ok here as well as medium toms, large ones take a lot of looking after and whitefly seem to like it here!!! Lemongrass easy... too hot for lettuce etc ( am in Krabi), mint if kept in a cooler place and the large peppers do ok, small ones easy but too hot for me to eat!! I can't do bell peppers, prob because climate a lot different than CM/CR etc. Soil needs keeping well drained even when hot, mix in loads of composty type soil you can buy from garden shops. Water in the evening and not in the sun, burns the plants. Fertliser (yellow granuals from gdn shops, be careful with buring the plants with too much at once) every fortnignt ish. Always learning and nothing like gardening principles in UK, but a lovely hobby and much tastier than purchased veg.