I’m getting ready to start espalier apples and pears in an area that is currently a grass lawn with heavy clay. I know that isn’t ideal, so I’m going to try to raise up the bare root plantings a bit in raised beds to form the mounds that some of the Dave Wilson YouTube videos recommend.
I know from multiple sources that amending the soil isn’t ideal for fruit trees, so my question is: where do I get “unamended” and “native” soil to fill in these raised beds if I’m creating them on a lawn? The soil has to come from somewhere, and I’m guessing folks don’t go digging around the rest of their lawn to find “native” soil to create the mounds.
Any help is greatly appreciated! I need to get going on this since I’m picking up my bare root trees next week!
My soil is pretty much rock and clay. The trees seem to do fine. Where the clay is thicker they tend to grow a little slower. I did a little less than a 50/50 amendment on the bare rooted ones . The amendment is just to get the roots going. After they get established they do fine. The roots will stretch well past the little amended area in no time. The roots will stretch out of your boxes as well if they have access. If you really want to go the route your saying most construction sites strip the top layer of soil. I’m sure they would not care if you took some.
Most bigger cities have a landscape supply or a construction supply yard
that will sell ‘sifted’ topsoil
by truckloads
(for several hundred dollars delivered ofcourse).