In riparian settings where PLs naturally occur, root physiology is adapted to provide a pathway for O2 from the atmosphere to the roots. Roots use this O2 sourced from outside of the rhizosphere (rootzone) to fuel root function/metabolism. Plants grown in a solid medium (potting soil) have root systems adapted to use O2 from the rhizosphere. When the rhizosphere is flooded or partially flooded, the root system is functionally crippled and the entire organism suffers (spoiled/blemished foliage, poor water/nutrient uptake, poor health/growth, reduced ability to resist insects/disease [like root or crown rot], ....). Unfortunately, roots can't transition back and forth, allowing them to utilize O2 from outside the rhizosphere today and from the rhizosphere tomorrow, which is exactly what we ask them to do if we use a water-retentive soil. BTW - fading blooms should be removed from plants, but whether or not foliage you might think unattractive should be removed is a little more subjective. If your plant is healthy, you can remove leaves that are going over with very little impact on the plant's vitality; but, if the plant is weak, there are advantages to leaving the leaves on. First, we should clear up the notion that the sad looking leaves are an energy drain on the plant. They aren't. If a leaf is using more energy than it's creating, chemical messengers inform plant central that the leaf isn't pulling it's weight. At that tipping point, the plant will start 2 processes. 1) to shed the leaf lackey, and 2) while the shedding process is advancing, the plant will be salvaging mobile nutrients and other useful biocompounds from the offending leaf and translocating them to other plant parts - another way Mother Nature recycles. If your plant is struggling, you should be a little more reluctant to remove leaves until the plant signals it's done with them. Al

I love sandy soils for fruit production, at least here in the humid northeast. Too little water is easier to compensate for than too much, and sandy soils can produce very sweet and well colored fruit. OK, what you seem to be concerned about is the low cation exchange capacity of the soil and the low contribution the soil can natively provide in terms of mineral nutrition. Mulch can eventually solve this problem completely and immediately will help. As it breaks down it will create a wonderful layer of humus that can pretty much do everything the clay in the soil can, due to its high colloidal composition. Only problem is that once this layer drys out access is denied. If you want to speed the process, you can take a really good forest comppost (made primarily of composted wood and leaves) and till it into the top 6 to 9 inches of soil in a minimum 6' diameter circle for each tree. Do not poor into planting holes which can cause all kinds of problems. Instead till thoroughly into soil before planting and when you plant, keep the top soil on top. If you don't have access to forest compost (which can be raked out under oak trees, etc), most any rich compost will do if it's pH is adjusted as needed. Others who read this may insist that adding amendments is counter-productive, but it my opinion these people are either not reading my instructions carefully or have a poor (i.e. different) understanding of the research which is about putting amendments directly into planting holes and not about amending a relatively large area of soil. To have an appreciable affect, a minimum of a quarter yard of compost will be required. It is good if bearing trees have access to more N in the spring than in summer which your soil will facilitate. More than 1 annual application of N may be useful, particularly for establishing trees, but you can judge this by the growth of trees. Once trees reach desired size you definately don't want vigorous growth.

(We'll be needing a new thread soon....try to keep the last postings, #149-150 for me to use so there is a link to the next thread.) Current Newbies to be Adopted: dciolek zone 5B OH (interests: veggies, heirloom veggies) ymaddox zone 6 (state unknown, please post)(interests: veggies/hosta/roses/gourds) gardengimp zone 9B Florida (interests: curb appeal veggie gardening, shade) citygirlseeds zone 9 (state unk, please post) (interests: sustainable, edible garden & flowers) _________ *sunshinenc zone 7 NC *deergarden zone 8 (no state listed, but I'm guessing TX, AZ, or NM based on her seed list) (*To adopt deergarden or sunshinenc: see notations above regarding "technical website difficulties"; you can contact them via GWmail only, not sure if they'll check back here or not though if GWmail is having problems.) _________________ Adoptions in-process or completed: efd123 zone 6/7 MA (ishareflowers) GardenCochin zone 6 VA (dem_pa) Manuela via HoHumHollow 6A (canyonwind) lbooth169 zone 7 GA (greenthumbgrow) mavis07 zone 7 VA (greenthumbgrow) morbidzero zone 8b (naturegirl236) bizarrogir zone 10/Sunset 22 Southern CA (cryptid) Scratchits zone 8 OR (canyonwind) NancyPlants zone 5b Kansas (ishareflowers) azmountains_gardener zone 5b/6a AZ (beth_b_kodiak) wjarvie zone unk Wyoming (skybird) sharon5840 z6b Southeast MO (aquawise) celeegra z6 NYC (ishareflowers) nuttnhunee z5a (smitties) sundog2010 zone 5a WI (elvis) bhscarlett (aquawise) jshipway zone 6 MD (beth_b_kodiak) Nis941 zone 9 FL/Sarasota (alwaysagarden) wren1 zone 5, Central IL (smitties) HoHumHollow zone 6A RI (dem_pa) BeesNeeds zone 5 deep SW MI (dem_pa) wrenhouse10 zone 5 (diene) ckap zone 9a TX (piksi_hk)

Too shady for junipers. In the PNW and a steeper wooded setting, I'd go with a native groundcover. Something like salal (Gaultheria shallon) or creeping mahonia (Mahonia nervosa or repens). Both spread stoloniferously but are not overly aggressive. And they are fully evergreen, ideal for a dry shade situation, pretty much ignored by deer and are recommended for erosion control. Rarely (never?) available by seed so you will have to dig and plant. But because of their spreading nature you won't have to plant many. If the English ivy already exists, I'd suggest you leave it where it is but keep it restrained. Yes, it is an invasive nightmare here and new plantings prohibited and existing ones highly encouraged to be removed. But removal in that situation will further destabilize the slope and complete removal in our area is pretty much just wishful thinking anyway. But you will need to stay on top of its maintenance and do not let it spread, flower or set seed or begin to grow up any trees.