How to combat my overgrown yard

[phoneguy702]

We have a house near Salaya, outside Bangkok, that we intend to use as a retirement home. In the meantime we visit only once a year or so. How can I keep the yard from growing into a wild jungle? I have had relatives growing Banana trees and the neighbor women using it as a makeshift garden. One thought is to till the ground and cover with plastic sheeting for a month to kill the weeds and then cover with pavers. Or else arranging for someone to do yard maintenance on a regular schedule. The gardeners in our estate are old and i am not interested in having them do this. My Sister-in-law lives in the same estate so I have some supervision on the property. Any ideas on where to find someone to do yard maintenance ?

[keeniau96]

We have a gardener for our 1 rai and it can turn into a jungle in a month if not tended. Particularly so in the rainy season. We have a gardener one day a week, works for one of the big hotels here in HKT. But he often skips a week and sometimes more. I looked into getting replacement but very hard to find, even with wifey paying 1k baht/day (gasp, gasp). I would recommend you contract a garden service, there are quite a few such here for the gated estates and the mansions.

[Shadychris]

Napalm then concrete.

[mihalis]

pay a gardener,,,

[Shadychris]

pay a gardener,,,

but that is an ongoing cost - napalm and concrete is a one off job.

[NoshowJones]

pay a gardener,,,

but that is an ongoing cost - napalm and concrete is a one off job.

Yes, until the cracks appear.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Agent Orange.

[Don Mega]

gasahol 91 and a box of matches will sort it.

Given the Thai's love of burning everything with out one care in the world of what the neighbors think doing this will raise no eyebrows.

[Paul944]

If the place has a gardener service and they do a sufficient job just hire them.

Put the house on airbnb and use the money to pay a cleaning lady and a gardener. You did not say how long till retirement but a house not used for a few years will need a complete make over.

Another possiblity is do nothing until you retire and then cut the jungle and build a new house.

[Jedsada3]

goats and chicken : the last will eat what the first doesn't

[smotherb]

Just buy more property you can't own and the yard will seem little problem.

[bazza40]

Glyphosate works wonders.

[TJR4ASR]

Yard maitre. This sounds crazy but it works. Chickens eat anything. Tell the neighbor they can have the eggs.Just fence the property so they stay put. I would leave mine for a month with no problem.

[gazzasore]

Buy a Goat

[phoneguy702]

I love all the ideas especially the Chicken and the Goat! The gardeners at the "Estate" seem hardly able to take care of the little park we have. Guess I will just have to look for a gardener in the area next visit and leave it to the in laws to do their best until then. I should be living there in a few years and then the problem is solved.

[Torrens54]

Do the same as the uncaring Farmers in Northern Thailand... BURN IT !

They've already caused 64,000 people to have to go to Hospital so a few more from your Burn-off won't hurt. Call it, "THAINESS."

[Crossy]

Chooks, geese (if you have water and space), guinea fowl etc. will keep the growth under control and largely look after themselves.

As others have noted have someone keep an eye on the beasties, payment in eggs

[55Jay]

No first hand knowledge of course, but maybe the mooban gardeners aren't sufficiently paid/motivated?

They are an "in place" solution so why not give 'em a go for a couple weeks and see how they perform - meantime sussing out other solutions. If they are ok and the price is right, sorted. If not, move on.

Edited March 31, 2016 by 55Jay

[KonaRain]

Roundup.. (Glyc) is good if no animals.

Then pavers.. Chickens are good..then can get rid of them if you like later!

Aloha

[gk10002000]

A goat or two can clear out a lot of stuff. some states in the USA actually use them to clear out the overgrown on the side slopes of the interstate highways where it is tough or impossible to get a lawnmower or people with machetes and cutters in there.

[chrisandsu]

get friendly with some neighbours . If they have kids pay them 1000 baht a month to maintain it . Living in a moo baan when you see an abandoned looking house really makes the place look crap and will effect the hoods prices

[Shadychris]

 

get friendly with some neighbours . If they have kids pay them 1000 baht a month to maintain it . Living in a moo baan when you see an abandoned looking house really makes the place look crap and will effect the hoods prices

 

Surely it's better if the hoods are charging less.... ??

[chrisandsu]

Try getting a kid to get off his/her rear end in and around Bkk for a mars bar and a can of coke would be near on impossible !! 1000 baht would be a good investment as it would be enough incentive to do something