North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lee Reich <leeareich@gmail.com>]

Anything in a planting hole that causes a dramatic change in soil texture is 
inadvisable. At the bottom of a hole, that material causes a “perched water 
table”. It’s counterintuitive but true. And any material that dramatically 
changes the soil porosity creates a “pot in the ground” effect wherein roots 
stay inn the amended soil. Rock and boulders should not interfere with growth 
as long as there’s some soil though which roots can wend their way.

Lee
Lee Reich, PhD
Come visit my farmden at
http://www.leereich.com/blog <http://www.leereich.com/blog>
http://leereich.com <http://leereich.com/>

Books by Lee Reich:
•The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better 
Garden
•A Northeast Gardener’s Year
•The Pruning Book
•Weedless Gardening
•Uncommon Fruits for every Garden
•Landscaping with Fruit
•Grow Fruit Naturally

> On Nov 22, 2020, at 8:45 PM, DB <pogohome@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I am wondering if putting some dead leaves (that time of year) into the
> bottom of a hole before planting a tree would be of any benefit and add
> some biology to the clay.
> I have thick clay just a few inches down and want to do something to jump
> start the soil for when I plant the fruit
> <https://permies.com/t/52914/videos/grow-groceries-dvd-set-marjory> trees
> <https://permies.com/t/9758/woodland/man-planted-trees> (seedlings) in the
> spring.  Pawpaw and American Persimmon.
> Since I have a concern with large rocks being just below the surface I will
> use a small backhoe to dig holes a couple feet deep and then fill the holes
> back in.
> I have ordered some expanded shale and was thinking of using some of the
> many oak leaves that get placed on the streets here.
> Would vermiculite or something else help here?
> Looking at a $100 hole for a $10 tree.
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