New To This Keep It Simple

[altman]

just found she has land. her parents farmland and some other. previously worked and still has fruit trees but long neglected. i have never been a farmer but do have a certain respect for it.

first i need to clear around the trees so we can get to them more easily. there is also rice and i was thinking of using the rice stubble for mulch instead of feeding someone elses buffalo. thoughts on that?

what to use to clear under growth? hand? there is a lot of it and land. so probably not entirely practicle, but i could hire someone(s)

one of the chinese tractors with some sort of attachment?

a sit down tractor?

what sort of attachment?

if there isn't enough info to supply intellegent responses let me know. i am serious and do need some kind of direction.

this is just step one. after wards i'll come whining back asking about the best crops and crop cycles, so bear with me a bit

thanks.

[maibenrai]

I think the best solution would be to simple look at what other FULL TIME farmers in the local area are using. You can bet it works for them and will be as cheap as possible.

[chownah]

Since you seem to know nothing about farming and want to learn everything I suggest that an internet forum is not the best place to start. I would suggest you get some books on farming or go to the internet and study farming......read, read, and then read some more.......also, as mentioned go see what local farmers are doing and how they do it....see if it makes sense within the context of what you are reading or have read. Grow a garden....dig some dirt....plant some vegetables, flower, trees, whatever seems appropriate.....get some soil samples analysed.....observe the insects and weeds and learn about them....pile up some weeds and manure and watch it decompose.................

Whatever has been happening on the land can probably just continue for a year or two longer while you learn about farming....if you don't know what you are doing you might just muck things up which will mean a loss of credibility....credibility which might be hard to recover.....try to realize your limitations and by working, observing, and studying develop your skills.

Chownah

[Gary A]

Don't know what to do with the land? I have the same problem. I bought my wife 10 rai a couple of years ago. It is still covered with weeds about 6 feet high. I recommended sugar cane and research showed that it is an expensive crop to put in. It's not like you just scatter seeds on the ground and then harvest a bumper crop. I would have invested the money to plant the cane but my wife was worried about lack of water. She says the planting investment would be lost if the first season turned out to be very dry. I discussed a fish pond but she says that unless we lived on the land, people would simply drag a huge net through the pond and steal whatever fish were in there regardless of the size. It now appears that we will put in an irrigation pond. If the pond holds water we can then decide which crop to plant.

If it were easy, everyone would be farmers. Mother nature and the neighbors sometimes don't cooperate. As a side note, there were a few trees on that land. They are now gone. The land is pretty isolated and anything there is easily stolen.

[altman]

thanks for the feedback.

understand this will not be simple.

[pop3]

Many of the girl's have land, they also know doing something with it is very risky financialy, theres a reason the land has just been left ! are you just looking for something to do or are you looking to make money ?

[massein]

Many of the girl's have land, they also know doing something with it is very risky financialy, theres a reason the land has just been left ! are you just looking for something to do or are you looking to make money ?

My advise is "RUN" ! Just joking , it important to know what area of the country and what the other farmers in the area or doing, Also the relieablity of the water sorse. My wife has about 25 rai but its in a very hilly area with lots of sand, and no water. we have managed to harvest to corn crops, IE at a loss

[69_68iou1]

A popular Thai way

You can get a strimmer with a blade on the end, that will cut through most things.

Then you leave it for a week do dry up then burn it.

If it is not to high then they would spray kill every thing weed killer over it and then burn it.

[Rinrada]

but dont give up....

I cant even grow a light bulb (not switched on) but in LOS anything /everything Blooms in time and mai p rai.....From C.M.

2 years ago we planted a load of stuff....

and now .....we got thousands of these ....plus every other fruit you can imagine.....banana anyone?

Must buy a Juicer on next trip......

[altman]

spraying is not an option for me.

the cutter option is ok and what i expect to end up with, but i will not burn the remnants. (a couple of reasons, but most important is the proximity to the 'good' trees.)

i was thinking of mulching/chipping them with, what in the west, is a common enough device. haven't seen one here yet though.

[teletiger]

i was thinking of mulching/chipping them with, what in the west, is a common enough device. haven't seen one here yet though.

Chippers are very common in thailand. Most larger farm equipment shops in provincial towns sell them. 18,000 Baht, including the motor. We had to modify ours to cut everything we wanted. (larger HP motor for starters)

Rinrada.......you might want to prop up that banana bunch. Lost a few of ours to a gust of wind, or a long-necked (b'stard) cow.

Regards

[Rinrada]

Do wot we did ..Hire a gardener......

Got just under 40 Rai now and find that I cant dig very much on my couple of days visits every 3-4 months ...prefer to spend the time in the red lion /O ms.

[teletiger]

Wish there was a Red Lion in khao Yai You're an enfield guy Rinrada? I left bush Hill Park for sunnier shores myself.

Regards

[Rinrada]

Wish there was a Red Lion in khao Yai You're an enfield guy Rinrada? I left bush Hill Park for sunnier shores myself.

Regards

Not originaly but place suits me. ..live just off the Chase on St Michaels Green,earn the coppers in Islington to pay the rail fares and do a regular commute to Bangers and C.M....easy ...

One of wifes friends is in Bush Hill Park now .......whole place going very international...

[dee123]

ahhh the old my wifes family has got some spare land scam ,the oldens are the best!!!!