The pasture has been mowed for 40 yrs. No lime has been put on for 10 yrs. Should I apply lime now? I have a large amount of 2 yr old horse manure mixed with fir sawdust. Should I mix it in the bottom of the tree hole? I am getting the trees from Nick Botner. Pat Lundsteen
There are many different theories on this one, so all I can say is what I do. I will say that the trees that I have redug up are in extremely healthy soil and condition.
I would think about what the soil is like right now, and then go about half way to what the trees would like in natural habitat. If you've got heavy clay, I would put half of that heavy clay back in at the same height and partially amend it with old wood, leaves and gravel or pumice. Don't make a round hole. You'll get a clay pot with no hole in the bottom. Triangle is a good shape. Sawdust can mix in, and old wood has turned half way into soil. I would put compost on top and cover the grass around it with newspaper/cardboard so the grass doesn't grow until the drip line. SOmething on top of the cardboard like just the sod with dirt removed upside down so it doesn't blow away. No fertilizer.
John S
PDX OR
I wouldn't apply lime without getting the soil tested for pH to see if it needs lime.
I don't mix anything with the dirt when I plant trees. I do mulch with organic stuff like the rotted manure and sawdust.
As a generalization, fruit trees don't need a lot of fertilizer. If you grow a lot of rich foliage, it has a negative effect on the quality of your fruit.
I would, however, keep a very close eye on the soil moisture for the first several years. If you get a long dry summer, you might need to irrigate until the roots get well down into the soil. If you are east of the Cascades, you will need to irrigate every year
I like these guys suggestions and will add that I wouldn’t put any sawdust down the holes, as it takes sawdust years to break down while it saps the nitrogen from the soil inside the hole, robbing it from the tree roots. The trees are going to have to make a go of it in the native soil anyway, so rather than ‘taking off’ inside a hole - only to butt up against the less fertile soil beyond and possibly reversing their direction to remain in their ‘pot hole’ - they’d extend at a more sustainable rate into the surrounding soil.
The suggestion of using that sawdust and horse manure as a mulch around the base sounds like a better idea than placing it inside the hole, to me. It would keep the grass root competition down and maintain the soil moisture nearer the surface, which is where the trees feeder roots end up. The watering suggestion is a very good one, too.
One thing about the mulch - watch for meadow vole holes! They wiped out a dozen 12 year old blueberry plants of mine by eating their roots under the cover and protection of mulch! If you’ve got vole holes in the vicinity, I’d recommend eradicating them: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1201&start=15 That’s page 2 of two…
I’ve watched a local farmer plant a hundred apple trees, with flags up for another hundred this Spring... He’s dumped heavy loads of rotting grass about 5 feet out and around each tree. …If I see him I want to stop by and ask about his pruning and voles… just to be neighborly.
If you live on the west side of the cascades, your trees would probably benefit from an application of lime as the rain leaches the soil and makes it acidic. A good indicator of acidic soil is the presence of moss in the grass but a ph test (you can purchase a DIY kit at many garden shops) is better. I always have an abundance of volves and keep all ground cover and mulch at least 18" away from the trunks.
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