Bahia- soil amendments, clay tolerant succulents?
elvie z9CA
12 years ago
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calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
12 years agoRelated Discussions
To amend or not to amend? Clay soil...
Comments (22)"It seems that it is highly recommended to plant peach trees in raised beds from the experience on this board. Does anyone have a good link or more detailed directions as far as how to do that? What type of soil do I need? How deep do I dig the hole? How high should the bed be?" For my peach trees I use mounds and terraces. It doesn't seem to make a difference how tall the mound is. Some of my mounds are 1' tall, others started out 4' tall (before settling). The peach trees do about the same either way. Some people enclose their raised beds with a raised border of some kind. I think that's fine too. I don't think it makes much difference what soil you use for the raised beds/mounds. Several years ago, I installed drain tiles in the orchard area (The drainage was horrid and I was tired of losing peach trees.) In places we had to excavate to a depth of 4' to install the tile. What we dug out was pure clay. I used this material for some of the mounds. The peach trees have done fine in the clay mounds. Per the above posts, I would only use mounds if the drainage is poor. But since you mention puddling, I strongly suspect you could benefit from raised beds/mounds. Mounds not only provide good drainage, they also loosen the dirt so there is minimal resistance for the roots to spread. Mulching on top keeps the soil moist longer into the growing season, further encouraging root growth. It's hard for peaches not to succeed when they have moist (but not overly wet) loose soil with no weed competition and plenty of sunshine. Here's a picture that's a couple years old. You can see some tall and shorter mounds. Some of the older trees aren't in mounds. The drainage tile helped them. Here's a pic of some terraces I built last fall for planting peaches this spring. By the way, I don't bother with mounds for more water tolerant trees like apple, pear and plum, unless the drainage is really bad....See MoreSoil amendments for clay soil in TN
Comments (12)Im not so sure that was the meaning. First clear away any soil that covers up the root flare. Don't be surprised if you find this severely buried under several inches of soil when you get the tree. That is common. Then once you have found the root flare, where the trunk flares out where it meets the beginning of the roots, this is what you want a little above the level of surrounding ground to compensate for settling. The important thing is that the root flare is exposed. If you're starting with a b&b tree, put it in the planting hole so that approximately 10% is sticking out above the surrounding ground, then remove any soil covering the root flare. Adjust the depth of the planting hole if necessary. If you are planting a containerized tree, it is easy enough to expose the root flare prior to planting. Set it so that it's a couple inches above the ground. I don't think I mentioned this before but dig a wide planting hole, preferably 3 times the width of the tree container or soil ball. It doesn't have to be deep but it should be wide. This will loosen up the soil for more rapid establishment and is preferred over amendments....See MoreGypsum Soil Amendment benefits for PIG succulents?
Comments (1)It can help, Miki, but in relation to total soil improvement it plays a minor part. You'd do much better for PIG'd plants to save your old soil (top dressing and all if you want to go wild and down the path of total improvement) and amend the native soil with it and some gypsum...See MoreWanting to amend Waco clay!
Comments (16)Many years ago I moved into a new house and soon thereafter bought and planted my first tree. It was a Magnolia and the soil was clay. I naively planted the root ball a little low.......and within a short time the leaves all turned brown and just hung on. Strike one. I dug up the rotten roots, bought Magnolia tree #2, and planted it in the same place and at the same low elevation. Strike two.I later learned that experienced, successful planters would have planted those Magnolias in a raised mound of sandy, organic soil formed on top of the clay. The Magnolia's roots can develop above and eventually grow downward into the moist clay when ready. Plant drownings caused by me are at an all time low because bunches of trees have since been planted higher than the clay in formed mounds of good draining, sandy, organic soil mix. A few years ago a new neighbor in his new house nearby bought a new Magnolia tree and planted it in his new front yard. I stopped by, did the "intro/welcome here", and then asked him about why he planted his Magnolia inside of a clay soup bowl like I had twice done. He later told me that he pulled it out and replanted it higher. The roots were soggy/sloppy wet when he pulled the tree out. This tree is really beautiful and healthy after several years of growing in it's new mound above the clay....See Morejenn
12 years agoDick_Sonia
12 years agojenn
12 years agoelvie z9CA
12 years agobahia
12 years ago
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