There are some fruiting tree species whose roots are vigorous enough but your yard is too small for them.
Fruit trees in 40-inch wooden tree boxes on a concrete slab southeast of Portland last about a dozen years, then need root pruning, appropriate scaffold pruning to match, and new boxes. The tree boxes are sold in kits to nurseries.
Fruiting vines and shrubs are more adaptable to clay conditions. A colleague of mine in northern CA built raised beds on top of their impermeable back yard “soil”. These are serious boxes screwed together with decking lumber including vertical side and corner supports. They are about 32 inches high – a perfect working height. The dimensions are 4’x8’. There’s at least six feet between the boxes. There is automated watering. He filled them with a loamy soil mix: I’d guess about 1/2 horticultural sand, a 1/4 triple-ground redwood/sequoia bark, and 1/4 cured dried recycled greenery. In them he planted his favorite vegetables, berries, and grapes.
With a bit of experience, a good mix of fruiting shrubs, vines, and vegetables can out produce fruiting trees per square foot of suburban backyard space.
Hi Richard
I went thru the thread trying to get your intended message (Why?). Although there is a lot to be gleaned from the postings that followed, I’m not sure I fully understand what you wanted to convey to readers.
Recently due to our extended dry summer and my impression of when the drought cycle might end here in the west, I’ve done quite a bit of research into the best way to plant trees. It would be interesting to see a current pic of your Gordon tree vs your neighbor’s now to give us a fuller understanding of the advantage your tree has had. I assume based on your native soil description that since your soil does not have the most desirable soil structure that this is your main reason for compost amending, and I assume the 8’ wide basin is to collect more natural rainwater. I am wondering if you have since mulched your tree out to the drip line? Given my belief that our western drought is with us for a few more years before it breaks, I have spent most of my summer researching soil amendments to improve my soil CEC and using wood chips to mulch all my trees out to the drip line. Your experience with some updated comparison pics might be an excellent teaching point for readers who are planning new plantings or desiring to improve existing conditions.
Dennis
Kent, wa
@DennisD
Prior to the post by Oregon_Fruit_Grow, I had not visited this thread in 7 years.
The photo was taken prior to the installation of perimeter masonry, mulch, and a miniature golf course through the tree plantings.
Two years after the photo, Janet decided she did not care for the apples and I removed the tree. For an update on that planting hole see Nikita Pineapple Guava.
I am still searching for an apple cultivar that Janet appreciates. For my latest attempt see King David Apple.
One thing I have noticed reading many many posts here @Richard trees is they are some of the best planted and cared for. All the way from putting them in the ground to training them.
In this post I like his approach of digging a big hole, amending it with loose soil + organic matter, setting/fixing for optimal drainage means the tree for the initial few years gets the best in-ground environment to size up quickly. If you see his other threads where three year old trees with what looks like 5-10" circumference trunk and thick supporting scaffolds shows that they grow quick and healthy (he also has a well planned out nutrition program which is out of scope in this discussion).
So, Ideally I too would like to replicate his approach in planting but have limitations with my grow space hence was interested in asking Richard if I can’t do the big hole approach what would he consider second or third best approach.
drainage, and too difficult to dig 3ft x 3ft x 3ft hole because the soil is hard clay which I think is dirt filled by the contractor when the house was build. Neither I can have someone bring a small excavator due to narrow access path to the yard.
I do a combination of both. I break up the ground and add soil on top and mix. Place a 36" diameter landscape border and plant the crown of the tree 12 inches above grade.
It settles over time but stays a good 6 inches or so above the yard.
The only part of my backyard that holds water after heavy rains I’ve only planted in once. A 3 in 1 hole plum. 3 trees 2 feet apart in a triangle. The soil line on those trees is a foot above grade, planted this spring.
This is my way of working around my setting issues and still use most of my yard.
this is what I have done for the tress I planted this spring. I planted them on the grade and mounded with bagged potting soil. So far it has worked good and the tree grew well. But eventually they will root/already rooted into the clay below the grade, can that slow them down?
I guess we don’t know what roots look like until we dig them up. I wouldn’t sweat it. Trees have been doing their tree things for a long time… It will grow as it needs to.
Without an exact replica planted a different way to compare, it’s not worth the worry unless you start seeing trouble.
Even if you had several trees planted differently of the same rootstock and graft variety, they still aren’t the exact same tree so…
Thanks, I have two matured apples and a fig tree, they seems to be doing good. I’ve been adding OM for last years and the first 6-8" is pretty decent and fluffy. I was thinking about sowing some ground breaking daikons.
I’ve just planted 2 more fruit trees down the side of my house. There wasn’t much topsoil (maybe a couple of inches) above the clay subsoil. I could have added a lot of organic matter and gypsum and over time that would have loosened the clay and improved drainage. Instead I bought in more topsoil and dug down quite deep and wide with a small gravel drain at the bottom just to channel any water away. I also mounded them up a little, I like to plant raised up whenever possible. I didn’t have to go to this extent and most people would have just dug a hole and planted the tree. I still have to level the site and plant lawn and mulch the new trees. My wife built the planter boxes.
Red Haven Peach and Moorpark Apricot.
