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Any tricks or suggestions for planting fruit trees in clay soil? I have tried a few times, everything dies. Our soil is extremely dense clay. Thus, I dig out an area 2-3 times larger than the potted tree, put a few inches of gravel in the bottom for drainage and back fill with clay mixed with potting soil. So far the trees just die or sit there for a year or two and refuse to grow (but do not die) and then a deer or a kid on a lawn mower eats them.
I have tried plating them at different times, usually spring or Fall (when the trees are on sale for 70% off). Planted some in the summer too, but the ground is softer in spring and fall.
I know one problem is the clay holds water in the dug out area and can cause the roots to rot. That is why I put gravel in the bottom of the hole. Each time I add a bit more gravel at the bottom of the hole. Even up to a foot. Maybe I need a couple of feet of gravel instead? Just to be different, I also tried some with no gravel at the bottom of the hole. Results were no different.
If the clay dries out, it becomes simlar to concrete. Very difficult to get tree roots into. This the larger hole. Maybe I just need to fill a huge area with potting soil? Not mix in any native clay? Use someother type of amendments?
The potting soil and gravel already cost considerably more than the tree does. Something cheaper than potting soil would be better. I think I used cow poop once, but it did nto mix in with the clay very well and created a slimy goo when it got wet. Potting soil seems to work better as far as the resulting texture.
We had a professional nursery come plant one tree for us. It cost $250 for them to plant it. It was a magnolia tree. It did not grow much, just a little. Got on or two flowers, but at the end of the year a deer rubbed his antlers against it and killed it. Deer are a huge problem. We have learned to fence in anything we plant.
I plan to plant PawPaws (once native to our area) Apples (grow extremely well in our area in general), pears (simlar to apples), apricots (grew ok at Dad's house 50 miles away but he has better soil) and plums (everyone loves plums). I might give blueberries a try for the fourth time or maybe cherries.
Also why do my planted raspberries just die while wild raspberries grow like weeds (in fact, here they are weeds). The raspberries do the same thing, just sit there and hardly grow. Then the disappear the year after planting or the following year.
Maybe I just have a brown thumb, but I grew all kinds of things in California when we lived there and they grew and produced like mad.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We did this in California with adobe soil. It would actually crack in summer like a dry lake bottom. The trees and berries were all fine after the roots were established. They were planted with a backhoe digging about 1-2 yards and replacing with good loam and compost.
Thanks. I would prefer not to plant high, then you have to water. I am not sure that will work for trees anyway. I suppose renting a backhoe or bucket tractor and having a few dozen yards of compost or something shipped in might be the only practical answer.
With all that clay your soil is probably highly alkaline. That may explain why your domestic raspberries and blueberries and the magnolia don't do well - they are acid lovers as are so many other plants and trees. The following website is a quick reference list of plants and the pH levels they do best in. Check it out: pH Chart--Acid Alkaline Preferences of Plants
Unfortunately, most mulches and composts make soil less acidic and you won't want that. So I think what you need to do, if you're going to get a backhoe in to dig up deep holes and trenches, is you need to add a whole schwack of acidic mulches to amend the soil to get it to at least neutral but preferably on the more acid side.
I'd suggest you go heavy on peaty compost and add in LOTS of fine to medium sized chipped pine bark mulch mixed in to the soil - as well as medium to larger sized chunks of pine bark on top of the rocks at the bottoms of the holes to help with drainage around tap roots. You can do an internet search for other types of acidic mulches and barks and chipped wood that might be more available to you in your location.
With all that clay your soil is probably highly alkaline. That may explain why your domestic raspberries and blueberries and the magnolia don't do well - they are acid lovers as are so many other plants and trees. The following website is a quick reference list of plants and the pH levels they do best in. Check it out: pH Chart--Acid Alkaline Preferences of Plants
Unfortunately, most mulches and composts make soil less acidic and you won't want that. So I think what you need to do, if you're going to get a backhoe in to dig up deep holes and trenches, is you need to add a whole schwack of acidic mulches to amend the soil to get it to at least neutral but preferably on the more acid side.
I'd suggest you go heavy on peaty compost and add in LOTS of fine to medium sized chipped pine bark mulch mixed in to the soil - as well as medium to larger sized chunks of pine bark on top of the rocks at the bottoms of the holes to help with drainage around tap roots. You can do an internet search for other types of acidic mulches and barks and chipped wood that might be more available to you in your location.
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I will have to try this. Thank You.
We did have a large number of ash trees on our property before the ashbeetle epidemic. Now we have tons of firewood. On the other hand a willow tree is the one tree we have been able to get to grow (like mad - it is probably 80' tall in about 10 years). It says they like acid. However were the willo is, is always wet. I think they like water - perhaps even more than acid?
Before you plant anything, I would strongly recommend that you get your soil tested. It can be cheaply done through your local county extension office and will provide you with a much more accurate ph for your soil. Also, the idea of digging an extra large hole and filling it with a lot of topsoil, compost, etc. seems to be a good idea, but is counterproductive to the correct development of the tree's roots. What happens is that the roots are so "contented" (to anthropomorphize the situation) with the softer amended soil in the large hole that they will never grow into the surrounding clay soil and develop a proper supporting root structure. In a lot of cases, the roots will simply circle around the main trunk in the hole and the tree will then wither and die.
BTW, I'm taking a Tree Steward course right now through VA Tech, and this is one of the topics that has been addressed.
Before you plant anything, I would strongly recommend that you get your soil tested. It can be cheaply done through your local county extension office and will provide you with a much more accurate ph for your soil. Also, the idea of digging an extra large hole and filling it with a lot of topsoil, compost, etc. seems to be a good idea, but is counterproductive to the correct development of the tree's roots. What happens is that the roots are so "contented" (to anthropomorphize the situation) with the softer amended soil in the large hole that they will never grow into the surrounding clay soil and develop a proper supporting root structure. In a lot of cases, the roots will simply circle around the main trunk in the hole and the tree will then wither and die.
BTW, I'm taking a Tree Steward course right now through VA Tech, and this is one of the topics that has been addressed.
When planting trees or shrubs in clay, I add gypsum and expanded shale. The shale is mixed in with the back fill. Try to make the hole more square than round (yeah, right), and notch it in about 4 or 5 areas so that the tree won't become "pot bound."
It's usually best practice to plant in very late summer to early fall in areas with 4 seasons. In the spring, trees produce leaves. Later on, it's flowers then fruit, seeds, nuts. That's a pretty tough job for a tree which is not yet well established. Planting a tree in the summer is like taking a baby out during a heat wave. You have to be all over that.
Any tricks or suggestions for planting fruit trees in clay soil? I have tried a few times, everything dies. Our soil is extremely dense clay.
Ahhh, Clay is a _____! I almost gave up on gardening because of it. I decided to accept the challenge and start amending it knowing it would be years until I actually felt better about the soil out there. 5 yrs later, I'm still amending it. Peat Moss, Compost, Lime, Sifting, ect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
Thanks. I would prefer not to plant high, then you have to water. I am not sure that will work for trees anyway. I suppose renting a backhoe or bucket tractor and having a few dozen yards of compost or something shipped in might be the only practical answer.
True about the roots drying out faster if planted higher unless you add thick mulch around it but then looks horrible with the mounds around each plant.
Also, don't forget, rains = acid soil so be careful how much you lower your PH, you might in fact need to raise it. Soil test is the first thing to do.
Don't forget the Lime thing. I live for Lime. lol Amazing benefits.
Lastly.. yes.. Backhoe and ton of compost and watch things thrive. I wouldn't do direct compost though. Might burn them if too strong. So mix it with Earth soil. Like 60 Compost 40 Top soil
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