Marianne's Response

terryt-question

I have a strip of property I’m trying to plant with coniferous trees ( so far Hemlock and Doug Fir) to create a buffer (sight and sound) from a road. The soil is poor (rocky clay) and tends to flood in the spring then dry out by mid summer. I’ve brought in better topsoil to cover the entire strip and good planting soil where I set the new plantings but nothing seems to be working. Cuttings I worked in last year that took, of Pacific Ninebark and Salmonberry also appear to have flooded out this spring. Originally, the property was filled with Red Alder and Big Leaf Maple. Do I need to go back and try them or some other native deciduous trees instead

Posted by on May 11, 2011

Marianne's Response

Sounds like you have typical clay soil that is wet in the winter and dry in the summer. A big challenge. Native alder and maple are the most adaptable trees for this type of soil. You may also want to try red twig or yellow twig dogwood, sword fern, evergreen huckleberry and black pine trees. You are on the right track with topsoil but you need to improve the winter drainage by mounding the site and water the first few summers until new plants are established. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

    Search the Ask the Gardening Expert library

    Looking for a quick resolution to your problem? Marianne has answered thousands of gardening questions. One may be similar to yours. Try searching our library to get the answer you need — fast!

    My Topics

    View questions you submitted to Marianne in the past

    VIEW MY QUESTIONS