Exposed hilltop......which plants?

[cheeryble]

Hi there

We are erecting a cottage on a small hilltop we bought near Chiangrai.

It is a hundred feet above the rice fields so although there are higher hills not far it no doubt is pretty exposed and a tree had big branches broken in a storm last year (the one with the huge hailstones I think).

There are a few trees in a corner but mostly full sun.

The rai has some pineapples planted over about a third of it, and you no doubt know these seem to need no water except what comes out of the sky. So there's normally no irrigation and the ground can get pretty dry about now. Of course when it does rain CR rains much more than CM.

I have dug a well below and there will be water up to the land soon.....though obviously somewhat limited supply which we have to pay for of course.

So I'm wondering what plants I could put up there.

Im not thinking flower beds or lawns, I'm thinking occasional feature pieces that are few but stand out as rather exceptional eventually. I don't know much about plants but I know Bismarkia and that is the sort of thing requires not too much water I think pretty hardy?

I will be willing to run irrigation hose to water a limited number of plants on a timer (oh yes......there will be breaks between when we go there.)

Can green finger experts make suggestions please?

(and what might be a good size to start and what they might cost.)

House is gone now the new one will be built the other side a bit

The tree corner

Edited February 25, 2015 by cheeryble

[koo wallety tourist]

marum.

you gotta watch out for those pinkish things in the foreground, they get into everything if you are not careful.

Edited February 25, 2015 by koo wallety tourist

[cooked]

Planting trees as protection against storms might be your first step. A combination of fast growers to be removed later and more valuable slow growers? You'll be looking at what your neighbours are growing, banana and maize come to mind.

[koo wallety tourist]

was thinking what you really need to do is pull out all those pineapples and install a helipad so you can nip down to 7 with ease.

[cheeryble]

Planting trees as protection against storms might be your first step. A combination of fast growers to be removed later and more valuable slow growers? You'll be looking at what your neighbours are growing, banana and maize come to mind.

Hmmm maybe Cooked.

I just remember there's actually a considerable cliff on one side which I wanted to strengthen and block the edge.

Problem is there are pineapples along that edge and elsewhere.... so whatever I plant there will steal hot sun which they like I think?

But good point, you think the sort of feature plants I have in mind will need protection for a while eh?

I guess if they're very special they could have simple split bamboo protectors to go next to them?

[cheeryble]

was thinking what you really need to do is pull out all those pineapples and install a helipad so you can nip down to 7 with ease.

MIL has been promised the pineapples are hers in return for keeping things tidy.

More than my life's worth.

Unless a better alternative can be offered as a crop for half the rai.

Edited February 26, 2015 by cheeryble

[cooked]

Bamboo is a very good prevention against erosion, can be a paying crop, so maybe we are getting somewhere. Pineapple isn't too fussy about shade although it does prefer sun. Without looking at the situation and maybe doing a soil test, almost imossible to recommend stuff from here in deepest Isaan.