The first step of growing fruits or vegetables is to have or make good soil. Here is a good place to start http://extension.missouri.edu/p/MG4. This document does a great job of explaining basic soil science so when I saw it I thought I would share and hopefully it will benefit someone.
So you might already wonder if Step 1 is good soil what’s step 2? The right plant for the right location. In Kansas we grow good pears I think, wheat, hay, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, corn to name a few. We don’t try to grow bananas because we can’t anymore that Florida grows good winter wheat.
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Id agree that good soil is key to vegetable gardening. And while natural perfect rich loamy soil is also desirable somewhat for fruit growing, its far more important to determine what soil you have and deal with and choose a rootstock accordingly. “Good” soil isnt required for fruiting trees, but a rootstock that likes what youve got is.
We grow on highly sodic (salty), highly alkaline (pH of 8.3) low organic matter clay. Its general accepted knowledge here that nothing will grow in this soil accept cactus…and yet we grow some of the best fruit in the west (in my not so humble opinion). The key is rootstock that dont mind our specifics.
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I agree with that but growing blueberry in this location would be more trouble than its worth on a large scale for example. Our soil has a ph of 7.5 to 8.0 and blueberries like 5. Its not that our soil is terrible rather its not acidic so no matter what i do its not great blueberry ground. With some effort sulphur could be added and it could be done. We have a natural magnesium defiency here so it makes a huge difference for fruit trees, vegetables etc when thats corrected. The right plants are very important so i do agree with what you said. Your soil you could say matches your rootstocks or they tolerate a certain soil. So to that rootstock the soil is good for them. We use mm111 alot because of standing water, droughts, thick clay etc but i still give them a bit of manure and wood chips. Different apple rootstock would die.
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