retdent;285721 said:
From a home gardeners' perspective, rural living allowed one to improve the soil gradually over many years, because things like cow manure from feed lots was readily available and later on poppy trash from the mills at a very modest cost. Over the years soil quality was fantastic and the soil easier to work manually. To bring this back to Thailand, I am trying to work out ways to improve where I am, and would like to add humus to the soil which will help in moisture retention and hopefully make the ground less hard. My thoughts at the moment are to add rice straw and dig it in. I also am thinking about contracting out to some one to grow a rai or two of maize and put it through a hammermill (if I can find one) and use this as a mulching agent which would be dug in when the next crop is going to be planted. Fortunately, not relying on farming for an income makes the consideration of cost secondary.
What are your thoughts and that of other members of this, in Thailand.
Thanks.
Rice straw could be used, but it would work better if it was chopped up into smaller stork lengths as the long length of the stork would make composting a harder and longer process. You should be able to pick up small bales for around 30 baht, although the price may increase over the next few months due to lack of cattle grazing land and increase demand for feed.
I would look at using rice husks instead, already a good size and a excellent mulching source. Even better if you can get some that has been used as flooring/bedding for pigs or chickens.
It’s often used in Thailand as a base for most potting mixes.
If you are near a sugar mill, you can also use bagasse (sugar mill waste), better with a bit of molasses in it so speeds up the composting process.
You can also buy the waste leaves/storks from sugar cane fields if you’re looking for "brown" base for composting.
All of the above options will need manure plus green waste added to make them more useful.
As to making the ground less hard in the drier months, you could add gypsum if you need a clay breaker, but depends on the soil type.
Really what you need, depends on, the size of the land, what you are planning to grow, the type of soil you have already, the return on investment you are looking for and what you are looking to achieve.
