For in-ground fig, in a 60 gallon hole, should I pour soil mix directly into hole?

General Fruit Growing
#21

I think the answer is in between somewhere.

First off to be clear there are many different kinds of soil makeup, so creating an in ground ‘pool’ so to speak can happen if your soils are tight clays (we have the term called gumbo clay down here), it is effectively a pool liner. If you add amended bag soil to a hole created in such a soil you definitely are creating an in soil pot.

Regardless I think it makes sense for roots to stay in the amended soil for longer than if planted in the native soil alone. Eventually they would outgrow it and move away but there could be a short term effect from that difference

I’ve seen, and it makes sense, people making sure not to water near the base of a newly planted tree. Water further away and the roots will grow to reach and find it… If you give them everything the need in the amended soils alone they will tend to grow only there for longer.

So maybe it’s not either or, but a short term effect on how the roots develop.

Or something like that.

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#22

In my limited experience, i have found good results with massive holes with with basic composted woodchips. 8 to 10 ft holes and deep enough to break up hard pan. 4 or 5 ft deep. No compost added at that depth.but making sure of proper drainage. Trees have grown much better than small holeswith little or no amendments. I have noticed that those trees in the well dug holes have slowed down growing at around year 5. Maybe they have reached the edge of the holes. My native soil ones just grow more slowly.

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