Gardening

[Siani]

Does it pay to ship your own gardening equipment or is it cheap to have contractors cut grass, trim hedges etc. I do not want to ship unnecessary items. When I was over someone told me that to hire a gardener is quite cheap. Does anyone know the going rate

[PeteC]

It really depends upon how big your place is and how much exercise you want to get. Power mowers and good line trimmers are expensive here so nothing wrong with bringing yours if you have a good one with life left in it. You could always sell it here later on. I would definitely bring your small tools that you like to use when potting plants, clipping vines here and there etc.

If you hire your own gardener 5 or 6 days a week, the monthly pay will be similar to a house maid, anywhere from 6-8,000 per month, depends upon you and what you negotiate. A person like this won't have his own equipment except perhaps some small hand tools, and will use your mower, trimmer etc. HHF is a good example as he has a big place and a dedicated gardener. I'm sure he'll comment later today.

You can often find a service from the ranks of gardeners who work for a development who moonlight evenings and weekends. They usually have their own equipment and most of the year having them in every two weeks is enough. The place I have (not in HH) is between 3/4 and 1 rai and a crew of 5 takes 2 hours to cut, trim, turn the bed dirt, clip bushes and clean up everything. I pay 1,500 plus any tip I want to give. They also throw in spraying every quarter if our fruit and flower trees are infested.

Having said that, I just changed my plan and went out and bought a power mower and line trimmer as I need the exercise, and because of shade and sun areas not all of my grass really needs cutting all at the same time every two weeks. I'd rather do it myself. A very basic Hopper mower from Australia, non-mulching with back bag and I think a 3.5HP Briggs & Stratton engine sells for 12,500. The good Honda mowers and higher range Hoppers go for around 22,500. Personal size line trimmers, gas powered and imported are around 5,000. Thailand likes to sell and use those huge type line trimmers that will take out small trees. I hate them as 1) not right for a home environment. 2) throws small rocks all over hitting your house, windows, cars and people. Given their apparent love for these might machines, you have to do some shopping to find a small powered trimmer such as Homelite, but you can find them.

If your place is small, you may be able to use an electric powered mower and trimmer which brings your costs down. The hardware stores have a big selection of these type machines.

Fertilizing is another issue. I've never found a kind, gentle, non-burning product like Scotts Turf Builder from the west. They seem to sell straight granule nitrogen in 1 liter bags for throwing by hand. Caution needed as that stuff burns grass if spread too heavily. Absolutely a must to water your lawn lightly after application. You can also buy the same 1 liter bags of various fertilizers for trees, plants, flowering plants etc, plus chicken manure if you really hate your neighbors. I've been told spreaders are available but I've never looked and just do it by hand every quarter.

If you have a large place with mature trees and fruit trees, you'll need a fruit picker and an extendable branch trimmer etc., but I'll leave that for later if any questions. Good luck. Pete

[charlesh]

As prcssct says above :does depend on size of block and work to be done (av 1500 Bht per month gets you a gardener who shows up approx. 1-2 /week for 1/2 day).
In HH the range of gardening equip't is shit h-use! The Thai/chinese stuff is very poor indeed. Even the range is very poor. If you are shipping other things then get a good mower, hedge trimmer, secateurs, branch shears and hand shears. Tools in general in Thailand are crap!
PS be aware that the tools may also develop legs.
PPS you can buy bulk fertilisers (and fungicides/acaracides/insecticides) of various NPK %'s from many little outlets at reasonable prices. Just watch it grow. Jack and the Beanstalk have got nothing on watching a Papaya go for it!

[poosmate]

I have used honda petrol mowers for several years ( 12000 Baht). They are robust and an important factor if like me you are cutting grass almost daily they are easily serviced and repaired. If you bring from abroad make sure spare parts like blades filters etc are available.
Strimmers. I again use the standard Thai heavy duty petrol machines ( honda 4000 Baht ). I replace the solid blade with nylon thread when cutting and edging grass. The smaller domestic machines tend to wear out at the bottom and can be difficult to obtain spare parts or service. Small chainsaws and hedge trimmers are available here at around 3500 Baht.
Small hand tools that you are used to using in the UK are best brought with you. The Thais may use them if you show them but usually go back to using their traditional tools.
If you only have a small garden and can use cheaper electric tools then they are available as cheap as UK and with a local warranty ( Chinese brands sold worldwide).
Another thought about bringing second hand petrol equipment in a container would this be a fire risk and demand higher insurance?

[hhfarang]

HHF is a good example as he has a big place and a dedicated gardener. I'm sure he'll comment later today.

Yes, we have a very large manicured garden kept that way by a full time (5 days per week) gardener at 7000 baht per month, but we purchased all the necessary gardening equipment.

I have used honda petrol mowers for several years ( 12000 Baht). They are robust and an important factor if like me you are cutting grass almost daily they are easily serviced and repaired.

Agree with this. We've been through a couple of cheaper mowers and now have a Honda 5hp and it just keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny.

[PeteC]

I'll have to try a Honda if the one I have now gives up the ghost down the road. I've just never had any problems with Briggs & Stratton engines, ever, and in fact the mower body always rusts way and the engine is still fine. Having said that I'm sure the next time I start it, it will blow up. The Honda and Hopper high end prices of 22,500 I quoted were for big machines with all the bells and whistles including self propelled which I don't really like. The expensive Hopper didn't have a B&S engine but something made down in Australia I have no experience with. I saw them at Global and there were no small Honda in stock. Pete

[poosmate]

Briggs probably just as reliable but American ( probably made in Japan!)
Honda considered local
I have had more than 10 mowers in Thailand. I even tried a Tiger engine powered one. I was told it was a Honda but assembled in Thailand. If this was true it shows that the Thais cannot read the instructions Failed many times to start I got fed up taking it back.

[PeteC]

EDIT: Everywhere above where I've said "Hopper", I should have said Rover. Must be sun stroke from too much grass cutting. Pete

[Siani]

It really depends upon how big your place is and how much exercise you want to get. Power mowers and good line trimmers are expensive here so nothing wrong with bringing yours if you have a good one with life left in it. You could always sell it here later on. I would definitely bring your small tools that you like to use when potting plants, clipping vines here and there etc.

If you hire your own gardener 5 or 6 days a week, the monthly pay will be similar to a house maid, anywhere from 6-8,000 per month, depends upon you and what you negotiate. A person like this won't have his own equipment except perhaps some small hand tools, and will use your mower, trimmer etc. HHF is a good example as he has a big place and a dedicated gardener. I'm sure he'll comment later today.

You can often find a service from the ranks of gardeners who work for a development who moonlight evenings and weekends. They usually have their own equipment and most of the year having them in every two weeks is enough. The place I have (not in HH) is between 3/4 and 1 rai and a crew of 5 takes 2 hours to cut, trim, turn the bed dirt, clip bushes and clean up everything. I pay 1,500 plus any tip I want to give. They also throw in spraying every quarter if our fruit and flower trees are infested.

Having said that, I just changed my plan and went out and bought a power mower and line trimmer as I need the exercise, and because of shade and sun areas not all of my grass really needs cutting all at the same time every two weeks. I'd rather do it myself. A very basic Hopper mower from Australia, non-mulching with back bag and I think a 3.5HP Briggs & Stratton engine sells for 12,500. The good Honda mowers and higher range Hoppers go for around 22,500. Personal size line trimmers, gas powered and imported are around 5,000. Thailand likes to sell and use those huge type line trimmers that will take out small trees. I hate them as 1) not right for a home environment. 2) throws small rocks all over hitting your house, windows, cars and people. Given their apparent love for these might machines, you have to do some shopping to find a small powered trimmer such as Homelite, but you can find them.

If your place is small, you may be able to use an electric powered mower and trimmer which brings your costs down. The hardware stores have a big selection of these type machines.

Fertilizing is another issue. I've never found a kind, gentle, non-burning product like Scotts Turf Builder from the west. They seem to sell straight granule nitrogen in 1 liter bags for throwing by hand. Caution needed as that stuff burns grass if spread too heavily. Absolutely a must to water your lawn lightly after application. You can also buy the same 1 liter bags of various fertilizers for trees, plants, flowering plants etc, plus chicken manure if you really hate your neighbors. I've been told spreaders are available but I've never looked and just do it by hand every quarter.

If you have a large place with mature trees and fruit trees, you'll need a fruit picker and an extendable branch trimmer etc., but I'll leave that for later if any questions. Good luck. Pete

Thanks Pete for all the tips. We are planning on buying a house with a medium garden, not too large, but with a good sized lawn, well that is what is planned! We used to live in Australia about 25 years ago and the grass was not the same as the UK grass, from memory, sort of woven rather than standing upright (Gosh that sounds silly) Anyway I suppose in Queensland they have similar grass to Thailand. I love lawns, shrubs, trees. I really love it when the grass has just been cut, then a shower of rain. We grew avocados in Oz and had passion fruit hedges, just to name a few. I hope to have more time on my hands to create a lovely garden, so looking forward to it. Maybe a compost bin is worth having? Maybe not chicken manure as you have to live with it also!

[Siani]

HHF is a good example as he has a big place and a dedicated gardener. I'm sure he'll comment later today.

Yes, we have a very large manicured garden kept that way by a full time (5 days per week) gardener at 7000 baht per month, but we purchased all the necessary gardening equipment.

I have used honda petrol mowers for several years ( 12000 Baht). They are robust and an important factor if like me you are cutting grass almost daily they are easily serviced and repaired.

Agree with this. We've been through a couple of cheaper mowers and now have a Honda 5hp and it just keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny.

Thanks for the tips. Honda petrol are the best, I agree.

[Siani]

As prcssct says above :does depend on size of block and work to be done (av 1500 Bht per month gets you a gardener who shows up approx. 1-2 /week for 1/2 day).
In HH the range of gardening equip't is shit h-use! The Thai/chinese stuff is very poor indeed. Even the range is very poor. If you are shipping other things then get a good mower, hedge trimmer, secateurs, branch shears and hand shears. Tools in general in Thailand are crap!
PS be aware that the tools may also develop legs.
PPS you can buy bulk fertilisers (and fungicides/acaracides/insecticides) of various NPK %'s from many little outlets at reasonable prices. Just watch it grow. Jack and the Beanstalk have got nothing on watching a Papaya go for it!

Thanks for all the tips, it is appreciated. I am excited at the thought of growing things like Papaya etc

[PeteC]

There's two kinds of grass here Siani, the type you see on golf courses and a spidery looking Thai type. I've got both and will post a pic later on today. The latter grows better in shade, and the former needs a lot of watering and feeding to stay green and lush.

With all the gardening and growing you want to do, it would be wise to try to find a house with a well, and with city water also if possible. We've seen on here from many posters the water supply problems HH has from time to time and a deep well seems to be the way to go.

There is passion fruit here as my wife remembers seeing it while she was growing up. I'm not sure if they do anything with it commercially as I think it's only used for juice and things like smoothies. I had a wall of it in Hawaii and it quickly can get out of control and overtake your yard. Pete

[Takiap]

I would suggest you buy a mower and trimmer over here. You can get good ones here in Hua Hin such as Honda. You can also get good quality garden tools from Japan. I think many of us are tempted by the cheap prices of some things, and then we complain when they don't work. I too am guilty of this. For example, I buy a shears for 200 baht and then complain because they crap, while I should really have bought a good one for 1000 baht. It really is the same with most things here.......you get the cheap goods which are generally rubbish, but you also get good quality goods, providing you're willing to pay for it.

[crazy88]

We pay 2k per month. Roughly 100 sqm of land including the roadside verges. They come team handed with all their own equipment, fertilisers, pesticides etc. They also replace plants and the stones on the stepping stone path. I know we could get it cheaper but they are trustworthy and do lots of other little jobs that don't really come under "gardening"

Crazy 88

[PeteC]

OK, below is golf course grass first, followed by Thai grass. Pete