The best way to prepare soil for apple, apple and cherry tree planting - Ask Extension
We have 10 acres of Virgin woods and open area
We are starting small with three apple trees and two cherry trees on a small area that we've cleared...
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The best way to prepare soil for apple, apple and cherry tree planting #876227
Asked July 07, 2024, 7:40 PM EDT
We have 10 acres of Virgin woods and open area
We are starting small with three apple trees and two cherry trees on a small area that we've cleared off. The soil is thick. Black dirt. I recently toured some projects in the cities that used angular crushed stone as a sub base prior to planting trees. From what they say this increases The root vitality and growth of the tree. We were going to use a post hole digger on a tractor to dig the initial holes, then drop in some stones and then drop in some more Stones, put dirt on top of them and then wash the dirt into the stones and then plant the root ball at the proper elevation. It is kind of like a swedish tree trench only just for one tree. Does this make sense or am I following the wrong idea for the planting? We also will be fencing around each tree to protect them from the large amount of deer and supporting them for straight growth. The area will get good Sun. In the picture showing the area the trees shown there will be cut down so we have a cleared area. On the left side of the picture is a fence and we plan on growing grape Vines on the fence. The fence runs north south . The north-south distance is 100 ft. The width is 50 ft.
We have previously met with DNR forestry and are discussing an option to reforest the 10 acres . The woods is full of morel mushrooms. Then this year we had a bunch that were 7 in tall. But that's for another discussion. Our item now is the apple and cherry trees. Please help. Thank you, Jeff
Kandiyohi County Minnesota
Expert Response
Your question is somewhat beyond the training and experience of most master gardeners, so we've asked University of Minnesota Extension Educator Madeline Wimmer about it. This is what she had to say:
"One question I would ask is how large are the crushed stone particles? Are these the same size as sand or larger? It seems like they're interested in changing the soil texture, and by saying "black dirt" they might mean that their soil has a very high clay content and is not well aerated, but it might be helpful to ask them if they are doing this based on a soil test, or by observation. Doing a moist soil test is one way to get an idea of soil texture without sending in a soil sample to a lab, but the lab test is most accurate and may give them other important information that would help their apple and cherry trees. I always recommend this because these trees can last for years and catching a nutrient deficiency or pH need before planting is ideal.
If they are planning to adjust their soil texture, I would recommend doing this to an area that would be larger than the planting hole and I would recommend mixing the crushed stone with the soil rather than layering it in between.
Depending on their true soil texture, they may want to only mix 1/3 stone with 2/3 parts soil. The problem with having too much of the crushed stone is that there could be excessive nutrient leaching, which could lead to nutrient deficiencies in the tree."
"One question I would ask is how large are the crushed stone particles? Are these the same size as sand or larger? It seems like they're interested in changing the soil texture, and by saying "black dirt" they might mean that their soil has a very high clay content and is not well aerated, but it might be helpful to ask them if they are doing this based on a soil test, or by observation. Doing a moist soil test is one way to get an idea of soil texture without sending in a soil sample to a lab, but the lab test is most accurate and may give them other important information that would help their apple and cherry trees. I always recommend this because these trees can last for years and catching a nutrient deficiency or pH need before planting is ideal.
If they are planning to adjust their soil texture, I would recommend doing this to an area that would be larger than the planting hole and I would recommend mixing the crushed stone with the soil rather than layering it in between.
Depending on their true soil texture, they may want to only mix 1/3 stone with 2/3 parts soil. The problem with having too much of the crushed stone is that there could be excessive nutrient leaching, which could lead to nutrient deficiencies in the tree."
Thank you for the information. I will do the moist soil test. What labs are available for doing soil tests?
University of Minnesota Soil Testing Laboratory is best. Go here to learn how to prepare soil samples and where to send them:
https://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/
https://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/
Here is a second opinion from one of Madeline's associates:
Madeline to Shane Bugeja, a local UMN educator who has experience with tree planting:
"Hey Shane,
Do you have anything you might weigh in on this situation? Bob had someone reach out about incorporating angular crushed stone into soil as a preparation practice for tree planting.
My concerns were that the person wanted to layer the rock rather than incorporate it, pH issues if using something like limestone, nutrient leaching if too much is used, and that this might be planned without actually knowing the soil texture. They described it as black dirt, which might be a reference to a heavier clay soil. Still, this seems like a lot of prep work without actual planning based on a soil test."
Shane's reply:
Madeline,
I'm a bit skeptical of his solution, angular gravel/rock is used in a very specific fashion for urban/street forestry. The soils there are essentially built from scratch in a well defined area with artificial drainage. It is not cheap!
I personally feel like he should work with the soil instead of changing its texture/drainage properties.
Best,Shane
Madeline to Shane Bugeja, a local UMN educator who has experience with tree planting:
"Hey Shane,
Do you have anything you might weigh in on this situation? Bob had someone reach out about incorporating angular crushed stone into soil as a preparation practice for tree planting.
My concerns were that the person wanted to layer the rock rather than incorporate it, pH issues if using something like limestone, nutrient leaching if too much is used, and that this might be planned without actually knowing the soil texture. They described it as black dirt, which might be a reference to a heavier clay soil. Still, this seems like a lot of prep work without actual planning based on a soil test."
Shane's reply:
Madeline,
I'm a bit skeptical of his solution, angular gravel/rock is used in a very specific fashion for urban/street forestry. The soils there are essentially built from scratch in a well defined area with artificial drainage. It is not cheap!
I personally feel like he should work with the soil instead of changing its texture/drainage properties.
Best,Shane
