Farm Newbie

Most of the original houses are timber houses on stilts because of the low cost. Some newer ones are still timber but have concrete slabs and concrete/timber stilts. I'm probably going to build an entirely concrete structure with a metal roof, which will be much more expensive obviously. Even though Laos is the least developed and poorest nation in South East Asia, it is still very expensive to build and live here relative to a place like Thailand. It is a great place though...very nice people, and a lot of untouched natural beauty.

I was looking for a place to retire in South East Asia, and ended up in the middle of Laos through a series of unplanned but amazing experiences. Definitely an adventure!... but not for everyone. ?

Here are some pictures with advice on filling the tree wells. Not sure if this is a good idea or not. Any advice appreciated.

Here are some more during the soil grade raise. The soil will eventually surround the entire perimeter of the trees.

Here are some more before pictures from different angles.

Hello. I'm looking for advice regarding raising the soil grade around some existing trees to ensure they are protected. I have recently purchased some land in Laos that has been used for rice production. We are currently raising the soil grade by approximately 1 meter in preparation for future house construction. As it is extremely hot, I would really like to keep the existing trees for their shade and beauty, but I know nothing about ensuring the tree safety as the grade is raised around them. I have asked that the soil not be placed closer than the general overhang of the larger trees in order to try some of the techniques I have seen online regarding building a small retaining wall and filling the area close to the trees with stones for drainage and topped with soil to avoid soil compaction. I'm not currently in Laos which complicates things, and I have to deal with a language barrier as well. The workers say they have raised the grade right up to the tree for previous clients without problem, but I think that will lead to a long slow death. They also say if they leave the tree well open now, it will just fill with water and kill the tree that way. Also, I'm not sure when I will be back to try to finish some type of drainage/ventilation system around each tree. I'm attaching some pictures with an aerial map view with numbers on the largest and most important trees. You can see some before shots when the land is wet as the rice is planted, and some recent shots after the land is being raised. The soil will eventually be raised completely around each of the trees. Any advice would be appreciated. I don't know the type of trees, or even if they are worth saving. I can ask for better pictures if that would help. Thanks in advance.