Permaculture and sustainability in HH

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STEVE G
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by STEVE G »

Productivity: Up to 6,000 lbs harvest annually on 1/10 acre
We have about twenty rai of land up in Issan so that shouldn't be problem then!
The big problem we do have is water though as mentioned above. I appreciate that much can be done to improve the situation but at the end of the day you have to provide your own irrigation as it's flat farmland pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We do have two fairly large water holes but as the dry season progresses the water level obviously drops and you require a lot of energy input to get it to the crops by using a diesel pump. The only way around this that I can see is by using solar panels to drive an electric pump as you don't even get any amount of wind in the dry season.
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Frank Hovis
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Frank Hovis »

Water is definitely a big problem here. Petchaburi to Pranburi is the driest place in Thailand, much drier than Wendishi's permaculture link in Pasadena and what rain does fall, tends to fall in two months (if we're lucky). A short drive to Prachuab and the difference is amazing, even further down towards Chumphon/Ranong and it is positively verdant. This is perhaps one of the reasons why pineapples have been the main crop in this region since the 70's. Whether that counts as permaculture or just common sense of growing what grows easiest I don't know.
I've also noticed that there are no longer any waterwheels in the klong, ten years ago the klong had small water wheels every now and then that pumped water out of the klong to farms, now it seems that petrol and electric pumps are the only ones in use but I also notice that the flow in the klong is much more variable that it once was. It used to be a constant flow but now it seems that one week it's full and charging along and the next it's virtually empty, maybe this is why the water wheels have gone.
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by wenshidi »

By far the best way of storing water is in the soil itself, and then making sure that there is a really thick layer of mulch on top to prevent unnecessary evaporation. Ponds and dams are also useful, but they are often minor amounts compared to the huge lense of water that can be stored under the ground.
Even on seemingly flat land, there is often enough slope to create very productive swales. Certainly, the hilly terrain in Hua Hin is very well suited to swale technology.

I would highly recommend Geoff Lawton's excellent Water Harvesting DVD as a great primer on this subject. I would be happy to share a copy with anybody in Hua Hin or alternatively, PM me and I will send you a link where you can download it from one of the public trackers. If you are feeling flush you can even purchase a copy from the Australian Permaculture Institute site.
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by deepee »

an interesting article on Pc in Thailand

http://permaculture.org.au/2011/08/11/s ... e-project/
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Teerapan »

I have 18 rai weekend homestead in Kaeng Krachan. I am not sure whether my homestead can be called "permaculture project". Nevertheless, I implemented several permaculture elements such as swale, diversion swale, french drain and banana circle. I share this information in Thai Language on my blog.

As for aquaponic, there are several people doing this in Thailand. Unfortunately, I can not post URL link yet.
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Khundon1975
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Khundon1975 »

I have a friend here in UK who runs several watercress farms along the south coast and huge ones in California.
The UK farms are all fed from chalk streams, which have very clean water, don't know about the US ones but I think they are fed by aquifer water. He also grows wasabi, here in the UK.

This got me to thinking, if he can grow watercress in the US, could I grow it in Thailand, as the climate is similar (both places are hot).

We have a large farm in Nakhon Sawan, which is used to grow fruit and veg etc, but mainly used by the family for R&R.
A river runs through the property and the water is fairly clean (not brown like most Thai rivers) and we use electric submersible pumps, to irrigate the crops on the slopes.

As I love watercress here in UK, so does my wife and her family, I was thinking of setting up a couple of cress beds at the farm.
It would not take much, as the beds would be made out of concrete, about 500mm deep, beds of clean gravel and a pump to supply a constant stream of water. The seeds have to be started in a separate bed and when ready, spread over the gravel bed. As we have the staff already in place, that won't be a problem.

I'm not thinking of a large scale operation, just enough to supply family and friends.

Does anyone know anyone who grows watercress in Thailand and if so, how do they do it.

:cheers:
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Teerapan »

Watercress that is popular in central Thailand is different from what u have in UK. The watercress that u want is planted in Yala province in Southern Thailand. This kind of watercress is called "Pak Nam" in Thai Language. You can definitely grow watercress in Central Thailand.
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Khundon1975
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Khundon1975 »

Teerapan :D Thanks for that info, a big help.

The wife is going over to Thailand in a few weeks, I will give her some plans and get the ball rolling on building the growing beds and buying another pump ETC.

I tried to grow Vietnamese mint and basil there a few years ago, but the taste was not the same as I had tried in Vietnam. I suspect the soil in Vietnam (very rich and loamy) was what gave them there unique taste.

:cheers:
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Teerapan »

Here is what people in Central Thailand called "watercress" but it actually is a plant in Amaranthaceae family. This plant is similar to "joyweed".
Watercress in Central Thailand should be called joyweed
Watercress in Central Thailand should be called joyweed
watercress1.jpg (36.34 KiB) Viewed 372 times
Whereas the watercress in Yala province is in Brassicaceae family. This one is similar to Nasturtium officinale that you plant in UK.
Watercress in Yala Province
Watercress in Yala Province
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Khundon1975
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Khundon1975 »

Teerapan

Definitely the second one.

:cheers:
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Teerapan »

This is the swale in my garden a couple of years ago.
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Teerapan »

Look at quality of soil that we dug up.
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Teerapan »

We tried to plant cover crop and some pioneer plants such as banana.
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by Teerapan »

Look at how these swales catch runoff water in the begining and late rainy season in Petchaburi.
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PeteC
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Re: Permaculture and sustainability in HH

Post by PeteC »

I've never seen or found good, dark, rich soil in Thailand. The country and surrounding bits floated into place where it is now on the continental drift a few million years ago per NG. It came from somewhere far south but I forget if NG mentioned the origin. The show really caught my attention as it showed Thailand in the shape it almost is now just moving in and sticking itself where it now is.

It doesn't seem that it was ever that volcanic or capable of producing good soil IMO. Pete :cheers:
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