IsaanAussie
Well-Known Member
Thought I would kick off with a note on the condition of soils in this area. SHITE! Hard as a rock now and porridge in a few weeks after a decent rain. Same in the garden and the veggie patch. Now the "lawn" looks like it has been treated with napalm not fertiliser.
I say "lawn" because people (poms and vikings) will pay for me to give them one of those, whereas my follow countrymen usually cultivate "gur-bloody-arse". When you ask for a few baht from an Ocker, they politely describe their existing fertiliser program, "Piss on that!" Actually not a bad idea but better if you gather the urine in a bucket and add 20 times the amount of water then dump that on the "lawn".
The problem with the dirt here is it is upside down, just like the Yarra River back in Melbourne, shit on the top. It is lifeless, chemical fertilisers make it worse. No worms, no humus, no "good guy" biology, just heaps of salt residuals.
You can grow stuff in it because it has heaps of phosphate and potassium locked in it, but the nitrogen from all those bags of ferts has leeched out. "It'll grow but it won't thrive." I told that to the pimple faced garden policeman from the local council back home when he demanded I plant a native only garden. Surprise, surprise, none of those plants he gave me saw old bones, died almost instantly.
The answer is to build the soil up incorporating compost, biochar and other organic stuff. (Don't tell anyone but all that stuff is made from materials that are usually burnt here) The 6 for 100baht bags of "topsoil"? You're joking? That stuff is like cornflakes, the box is more nutritious, or in this case, probably the plastic bag.
Seriously if you get the soil healthy first, it will take care of the plants needs. Even the Aussies will be happy. You know, those guys that rock into town with with a new fifty dollar note, a clean tee shirt, but dont change either of them for weeks. The gar-arse, will look great!
Now is the time to do it, just before the early rains. So for you Aussies who are thinking of responding with "Go and get rooted!" I have only one thing to say, "Ex-bloody-actly!!!"
I say "lawn" because people (poms and vikings) will pay for me to give them one of those, whereas my follow countrymen usually cultivate "gur-bloody-arse". When you ask for a few baht from an Ocker, they politely describe their existing fertiliser program, "Piss on that!" Actually not a bad idea but better if you gather the urine in a bucket and add 20 times the amount of water then dump that on the "lawn".
The problem with the dirt here is it is upside down, just like the Yarra River back in Melbourne, shit on the top. It is lifeless, chemical fertilisers make it worse. No worms, no humus, no "good guy" biology, just heaps of salt residuals.
You can grow stuff in it because it has heaps of phosphate and potassium locked in it, but the nitrogen from all those bags of ferts has leeched out. "It'll grow but it won't thrive." I told that to the pimple faced garden policeman from the local council back home when he demanded I plant a native only garden. Surprise, surprise, none of those plants he gave me saw old bones, died almost instantly.
The answer is to build the soil up incorporating compost, biochar and other organic stuff. (Don't tell anyone but all that stuff is made from materials that are usually burnt here) The 6 for 100baht bags of "topsoil"? You're joking? That stuff is like cornflakes, the box is more nutritious, or in this case, probably the plastic bag.
Seriously if you get the soil healthy first, it will take care of the plants needs. Even the Aussies will be happy. You know, those guys that rock into town with with a new fifty dollar note, a clean tee shirt, but dont change either of them for weeks. The gar-arse, will look great!
Now is the time to do it, just before the early rains. So for you Aussies who are thinking of responding with "Go and get rooted!" I have only one thing to say, "Ex-bloody-actly!!!"