Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] augers

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] augers
  • Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 21:07:23 -0600

I've considered trying an auger just to try to do something about our red clay soil. I use any excuse to get holes down into the soil and put something else in the bottom of them. I thought that with an auger I might simply be able to make a lot more holes down into the subsoil to increase infiltration when it rains and get some lime and organic matter down deep. We are on a slope so I don't have to think about increasing drainage.
I have never seen what an auger does in our soil. If I were you and I were worried, I'd ask someone with a tractor auger what they think, or get them to dig a hole or two for you to look at. If you think you want to use one for planting, here is what I would do:

1: If you have a drainage problem, dig about 4 more holes around each tree you plant, so water and nutrients can get down in the general area of your tree, not just in the hole you planted it in.
2: I'd drop plenty of high calcium lime in each hole and mix it with the clay subsoil. I'm digging all my holes by hand, and use a long skinny spade to mix the clay subsoil and lime as much as possible, then I usually add old sawdust and mix some more. The calcium will improve drainage over the surrounding soil, so you may really be risking such a drainage problem as you might do without the calcium.
3: If you do find slick sides in your holes, I'd do the auger work when the soil was as dry as possible, even if ou have to wait till late spring or summer. Potted plants won't suffer too much transplant shock, you will merely miss the chance for them to get their roots into the soil, which could of course be a problem if you turn out to have a bad drought.
We were dry in summer, got some decent rain for once in Sept, more in Oct, but now it's dry again, and I can dig in the garden without it being too sticky, not that I am happy this is going on. Here in TN we are supposed to have wet winters and dry summers. When we have dry winters, we tend to have more severe cold and more drought in summer. (Where is El Nino when we need him, and how can they be having a thousand year drought in Australia with us not having rain here? ) Donna




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page