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| I brought two "Little Lime" paniculata hydrangeas to my daughter's house today, along with two products that I hoped would help her very sandy soil: a bag of Miracle Gro Organic Garden Soil for Trees and Shrubs, and a bag of purchased compost. We (my son-in-law) dug two big holes, and then we mixed the soil with the contents of the Garden Soil bag and about half the bag of compost.
The planting went well, but I'm worried because the "sandy soil" turned out to be only on top. About an inch of it. After that the soil was clay--practically hardpan. I'm wondering if my soil amendments were completely wrong for this situation, and I'm also wondering what the Little Limes' roots are going to do when they exceed the dimensions of the hole. They were big holes, but still..... I'm not familiar with clay, and unsure what I should do, if anything, at this point. Your advice is appreciated! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by garystpaul z4 MN (My Page) on Sun, Jun 12, 11 at 23:33
| Frankly, I wouldn't despair. You've added some amendments to the soil, all to the good. Now I would cultivate the soil about a foot and a half away from the trunk of the peegee--I use a three-pronged handfork that looks like a minature spading fork, about 6" long--and put on a nice heavy layer of compost and/or mulch. Let the worms start helping you out. I think you'll be fine. Gary |
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| Thank you, Gary. I feel better now (really!). |
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| Perhaps you have read here or elsewhere that it is no longer recommended that, when planting hole by hole, amendments be used. What can very well happen is that the roots won't leave the amended soil, but will grow round and round within it. That hard clay could simply have been compacted due to the construction process and fairly easily broken up so that it could be planted into. It's recommended that a shallow but wide hole be dug for a new plant; no deeper than is required for a plant to sit at or above the natural grade of the surrounding soil. Clay should be loosened but not amended. A 2-4 inch layer of mulch should be applied to the top after planting, and replenished as needed over the years. If the soil is truly deplorable (I have hard clay,too, but the plants thrive in it), then the whole planting bed should be prepared with plenty of organic amendments like your compost, bark fines, etc. |
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- Posted by garystpaul z4 MN (My Page) on Mon, Jun 13, 11 at 20:10
| Rhizo, I'd be interested in getting some references and reading up on that. The advice I gave Alisande was based on years of experience--I can't imagine planting in hard clay without amending the soil first--but I recently had a case where a hardy tree rose, actually two of them (replaced, one year after the next) succumbed in mid-season. Now I'm wondering if that might be part of the problem. In any case, if you have articles to share, I'd love to read them. Thanks. Gary |
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| Gary, your advice is what I would have given Alisande many years ago. The practice of amending planting holes was recommended for many long years. Once science advanced to the point where we could SEE what was going on in the soil, and years of studies had been done to increase our understanding, we've learned that 'improving' the planting hole with amendments isn't a good thing, after all. I very much appreciate that it sounds counterproductive, planting into a clayey or sandy soil without amendments...but the opposite is true. Once you understand the reasons why, the light bulb will go on in your head, lol. I can show you hundred of articles...but the attached link sums it up as well as any of them. Please let me know if you want to chat about it some more...you're welcome to email me (check 'my page' for address). |
Here is a link that might be useful: Click here for a good fact sheet
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| I think this one sticks around so well, in large part, because it's what the pros do. A nicely amended double or triple excavated planting pit will usually give the trees and shrubs a great environment to get established in. After the roots try to move out of the backfill and into the native, can there be problems? Sure! But hey, a typical general landscape installation is guaranteed for 90 days for turf, shrubs and groundcover and 1 year for the trees. After that, everyone's been paid so you're on your own. Amended planting pit are cheap insurance for a quick establishment for architects, designers and contractors. From that point, most people think, "Well, if it's good enough for the pros, it's good enough for me". And one little correction for Dr. Chalker-Scott's piece. She states that the ideal organic content in the soil is 5% by volume. She meant to say 5% by dry weight. (Or she actually meant to say 'by volume' in which case she would be incorrect.) |
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- Posted by garystpaul z4 MN (My Page) on Tue, Jun 14, 11 at 10:05
| Well, that was informative and eye-opening. My second attempt at the Polar Joy hardy tree rose is still in the ground, dead from last season. I'll try to see what was going on down there. Thanks for the article, rhizo. Gary |
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- Posted by maximavswife (My Page) on Fri, Jun 17, 11 at 18:44
| Gosh I am feeling pretty darn smart right now :) Several weeks ago we planted a lilac (Miss Canada) in memory of DH's DGM. DH dug the hole and then stood back and asked if I was going to go get compost or something to put into the hole. I said nope, I want the lilac to grow in the soil it is always going to be in. I had no basis for feeling this way other than it just made sense to me. Kath |
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- Posted by joepyeweed 5b IL (My Page) on Mon, Jun 20, 11 at 11:09
| Typically a first season shrub or tree transplant needs to be protected over the winter. I noticed a z4 MN and the OP is z4 trying to grow hydrangeas. If you are in zone 4, you probably should be winter protecting all hydrangeas and other woody non-native plants. First season transplanted shrubs and trees get a ton of benefit from being buried in a thick layer of leaves over the winter (particularly if you live in a cold zone). (Those Styrofoam insulated covers are not as effective IMO.) My hydrangeas get surrounded by a chicken wire circle that is filled with leaves each fall. I keep filling the circle as the leaves compact, such that they are surrounded by about 4' of leaf insulation in any direction. In the spring, I rake out the leaves, shred them with the mower and the spread the shredded leaves back as mulch. My hydrangeas love it. |
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