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[Steven Covacci <filtertitle@gmail.com>]

Thank you for the response, Mr. Lehman.  I just discovered that the
seasonally high water table is said to be "24 to 36" under the soil
surface, as opposed to 18" to 30", which is quite a bit more promising.
The soil is described as stony, course, sandy, deep and well-drained, and
moderately retentive of moisture.  This is good.  It's described as 'poor
agriculture' soil-- I"m pretty sure this is for the fact that it's so
stony; but since I'm intending to grow perennial fruit trees, this doesn't
bother me.  What concerns me a bit is that the upper inches are described
as acidic and the lower inches of the top soil as well as the subsoil is
described as having a reaction which is 'very acidic'.  I hope that I won't
have to forgo thoughts of planting things like apricot (on Manchurian
rootstock) and Cornelian-cherry.  I don't know if getting truckloads of
crushed (gravel size) limestone would help; that I could back the gravel
and even larger pieces into the ground around the roots of these
calcium-dependent crops.  And I'd definitely compost trees around them to
neutralize pH; I've read the same.  Very interesting tidbit re: pH and paw
paw/Ukraine.

It will be about 45 acres, but I figure dedicating 3 acres of the 45 to
calcium-dependent crops might be manageable.

Thank you very much,
Steve

On Fri, Jan 6, 2017 at 4:25 PM, Jerry Lehman <jwlehmantree@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 1/6/2017 1:51 PM, sc wrote:
>
>> Hi, Ive been working at searching for a property.  One I will check out
>> next features a soil type which is categorized under the "Rockaway Series".
>> Rocky, sandy, deep, supposedly well-dained soul, but there is a 14" clay
>> fragipan a couple of feet down.
>> A seasonally high water table is of special concern; water table during
>> is just 18" - 30" under the soil surface during these times.
>> Also, the soil is very acidic (pH of 5).
>> My focus is on growing native persimmon, paw paw, native plums (P.
>> americana, P. munsiniana, P. angustifolia) and apples.
>>   However, I would also like to grow Cornelian-cherry, sour cherry and
>> apricot.
>> In dealing with the issue of a high water table, the thought I had was to
>> clear 9 acres of upland woods (necessary for the creating space for the
>> projected orchard) and then dump all of the non valuable lumber and rock on
>> 3 acres of the cleared orchard surface then overtop with a few inches of
>> top soil/sand.
>> On this 3 acres, i could plant apricot, stone fruits, etc.
>> I think persimmon, hickory, chestnut, paw paw would do ok with a
>> seasonally high water table just 2' below the surface?
>> It might not be the right site.  Then there's the issue of pH.  I'd
>> Would something like this work?
>>
> Hi Steve,
>
> That 14 inches of clay hardpan a couple of feet down doesn't scare me and
> I like the sound of that much better than the previous one you asked about.
> The pH of 5 I don't believe is that detrimental and can be partially
> overcome with agriculture lime, I would think. Also if you have a few trees
> compost around them tends to neutralize pH, if it's acidic it raises the pH
> and if it's high it lowers pH. Or at least so I've read and been told. But
> when I was in Ukraine I saw them successfully growing pawpaws in the soil
> with pH 9 by having about 6 inches of mulch about 4 foot around each tree.
>
> If these 3 acres are near you and the price is right I believe you should
> give a strong consideration.
>
> Jerry
>
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