Planting in very hard, somewhat rocky dirt

[Bamboozled]

Part of my sloped backyard is hard dirt with jagged rocks (mostly small, the biggest are about 2" in diameter). I'd like to put some trees and plants there but I'm not sure it's worth the effort to dig holes if they'd be essentially contained by the dirt/rocks-- if that's the case maybe I'd just go with planter boxes or something. I used a demo hammer with spade bit to dig a couple test holes about 16" wide x 16" deep and it was a slog. No clay, it's dry compacted dirt. Any chance roots would be able to push through that and grow? I'd prefer to plant in ground- thanks!

 

[Tetters]

Well now, this is really @zigs subject, but cactus would probably love the conditions there!

 

[zigs]

If it were my place I'd try several different cacti and succulents to see which one's can get a foot hold. Many of them have evolved to grow in conditions like that. If you can get hold of them I'd try a Joshua Tree, Agaves, Opuntias like the Teddy Bear Cholla and some of the prickly pears. If you can get any of those established then add some smaller ones like Mammillarias and Parodias

 

[Bamboozled]

Hey thanks for the suggestions, I've actually got some succulents that grow fairly tall (2'-3') in small pots so I'll try some of those- it'll be interesting to see how well they do out there.

Cheers!

 

[Tetters]

Zigs grows cactus, he has a channel on YouTube. He propagates many of these plants in pure grit. They do so much better than the previous ones he tried in compost.
If we ever spot a new variety in a nursery, we take it home, get rid of the compost, and put it into - what I call a very unfriendly environment!!

 

[Bamboozled]

Whoa very cool- thanks for passing it along, it's quite inspiring!

I really like these succulents:

Just planted one:

I like gifting them:

 

[cpp gardener]

Where are you in CA? 24 Sunset zones makes it interesting.

 

[Bamboozled]

SF East Bay Area. Very grateful for the climate, and having a place with space to grow.

 

[MowgFace]

SF East Bay Area. Very grateful for the climate, and having a place with space to grow.

Hey neighbor!

 

[cpp gardener]

Number one first thing to do is MULCH. If you can get chipped tree trimmings spread a layer at least 6" deep over the area you want to plant. Then soak the area. It will take time, probably months, for soil micro-organisms to do their thing, but eventually they will loosen things a bit. Keep adding chips or compost as the layer thins. Don't mix in organic matter, let gravity and micros do the work.

 

[Tetters]

Number one first thing to do is MULCH. If you can get chipped tree trimmings spread a layer at least 6" deep over the area you want to plant. Then soak the area. It will take time, probably months, for soil micro-organisms to do their thing, but eventually they will loosen things a bit. Keep adding chips or compost as the layer thins. Don't mix in organic matter, let gravity and micros do the work.

I've always soaked the soil first and then added the mulch

 

[Bamboozled]

Hey neighbor!

Hey there! We got a fair bit of rain this winter, I was surprised how much water could be saved off of a hastily thrown together catchment setup (couple of old 2'x8' polycarbonate panels draining into large garbage cans). Next year I'm going to set up something better.

 

[Bamboozled]

Number one first thing to do is MULCH. If you can get chipped tree trimmings spread a layer at least 6" deep over the area you want to plant. Then soak the area. It will take time, probably months, for soil micro-organisms to do their thing, but eventually they will loosen things a bit. Keep adding chips or compost as the layer thins. Don't mix in organic matter, let gravity and micros do the work.

Good to know, thanks! There are two very large pine trees at the back of the yard, would fresh trimmings from them work? I was planning to trim them anyway and it would save me from weeks of adding them to the green waste bin.

 

[cpp gardener]

If you can chip them up, yes. The chipping helps them break down faster and allows more microbial activity. The needles make good mulch too. If you've got the space for them to dump, you might be able to get some chippings from a tree-trimming company.

 

[Bamboozled]

Thanks cpp-- I can't chip them up right now, but I think I can find free mulch elsewhere.