I have a gardening question, but it isn’t related to roses.
I have a small back yard, with hard pan soil. I would love to plant some dwarf or semi-dwarf trees. I was wondering if Hines is a good brand to use. They are selling them at my local Costco, but I dont’ know how good they are. And also, should I even bother planting in Hard Pan, it seems awful.
Also, has anyone heard of the “Early Navel” type of orange tree?
Raised beds can be a solution.
How Do I Create a Small Garden with Difficult Soil?
Q: Our neighborhood has horrible hardpan soil that makes it nearly impossible to garden. Are there any ways to create small gardening spaces where I can grow some organic tomatoes, herbs and peppers?
A: Nobody has perfect dirt and a lot of us have downright hostile soil. Hard pan, caliche, adobe, gumbo and a dozen other soil types turn hard as a rock in the dry season and refuse to drain in the wet. Only a few of the toughest plants adapted to those soils can survive them.
Despite all the soil amendments and products to fight these conditions, few can really change soil structure. Adding compost or other types of organic matter is only a temporary fix because soil microorganisms virtually consume it. With some hardpans it?s a chemical reaction related to calcium in the soil that makes it set up like concrete. Even after it?s broken up the soil cements itself back together after the first good rain.
Sometimes you must surrender to win. The best way to create a vigorous garden in hard pan is to build raised beds about two feet deep. Fill them with quality topsoil from off site, and do not use amended hardpan! Topsoil offers you optimal soil filled with biological activity that ensures a great chemical free crop year after year.
To create a raised bed garden that is strong enough to take the combined weight of soil, plants and a lot of water, they must be very well made. A carpenter, landscape contractor or even a skilled handyman is the best way to get it done right.
Raised beds built out of wood are vulnerable to decomposition because the wood makes direct contact with soil. Therefore you need to use thick cut redwood, cedar or other rot resistant types. These specialty woods can be expensive and require sealers.
A new alternative that?s tailor made for raised beds is Trex decking, which is lumber manufactured out of recycled plastic. It looks like wood but is thankfully decomposition and splinter free. Trex is heavy, very dense and lasts forever, but requires some knowledge of the product for best results. Whether you choose wood or Trex, raised beds make gardening fun and carefree. Best of all you have perfect drainage and perfect soil that should result in perfectly organic veggies, flowers and herbs.
Mo Gilmer ranks at the top of American gardening and landscaping. She is host of Weekend Gardening on the DIY Channel. Meet her online at www.MoPlants.com
Not sure what type of tree you are talking about. Or where you are gardening at.