Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Sep 11, 2011 12:08 pm Hi Fu, I wish I had found some of your terrific information before planting out fruit trees in my new house. I have a few little fruit trees no more than 4 feet or so, but after reading your posts and wondering where all my organic goodness is going I think I need to add bentonite. Is is still possible for me to add it after my trees have probably established roots e.t.c? Would you suggest hiring a rotary how to really get it in there? Thankyou Kindly Re: Fruit tree Fu 2Sep 14, 2011 11:28 pm Where do you live? Bentonite is only of benefit in sandy soils. Rotary hoeing around established plants might not be a great idea. If thery are only four foot, think about digging them up with a really sharp spade and start over. zeolite, perlite, loads of organic compost all blended through the existing soil evenly. 30cm or so deep and as wide an area as possible. Do that and you may barely lift a finger ever again on those trees. Re: Fruit tree Fu 3Sep 18, 2011 9:29 pm Thank you kindly Fu. I live in Perth sandy soils. I dug in a bunch of clay all around my fruit trees and the soil has already taken on a kind of nice muddy consistancy. It was hard work by hand but I beleive I really got the sand and clay to mix well togeter, even without a rotary hoe. I have even considered adding some to my raised vegetable beds. So far they contain Lucerne, manure and compost. Do you think adding a little clay may increase the water retention and stop all that goodness disappearing into thin air? Re: Fruit tree Fu 4Sep 18, 2011 11:59 pm Not so important in heavily composted soils. However adding small amounts of sand and bentonite will be beneficial to a lesser extent. Zeolite is really going to offer the best return on the work and money though. Heavily mulching with raw, rough course tree lopper mulch is what will keep enormous amounts of moisture in the soil. Hello. I just bought a few acres in Habana, Mackay, and my horses seem to love hanging around under this tree. I would like to name the paddock after this tree. Can… 0 9529 Fellow Perth dweller. Looks like pruns nigra. It's a dark leaf flowering plum. Doesn't get massive and is easily trimmed deciduous tree. Very popular in small gardens in Perth 7 2764 |