Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[GermanStar]

I have a premium spot in my backyard where nothing grows, and I'm going to fix it as soon as it starts getting a little cooler. The spot is about 8'-10' long and 3'-4' wide, in between a flagstone walk and my observatory. It gets full sun through the summer until about 3 PM, more in the winter. My plan is to dig it out as deep and wide as I am able (perhaps 3' deep), and fill the entire area with premium bagged soil. If there is concrete down there, I'll have it jack-hammered out. Given the size constraints, what to plant there? My preference is a single decent-sized evergreen that won't overhang the walkway too badly, but I'm open to all suggestions, as long as it's evergreen. Any ideas?

[phoenixtropicals]

If you like tropical guavas they are easy here. I wouldn't bother doing so much digging if I were you, or filling in with outside soil. Even if you do succeed in changing the soil. It won't last. It will become native soil over time. Mixing in some compost with the backfill can help but its not really necessary.

[GermanStar]

I'm not sure what the problem is, I've lived here for six years, and nothing will grow there. Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, and Lady Banks Rose have all bit the dust. The Hibiscus did best, hanging on for nearly three years, though never growing and going slowly downhill the entire time. I assume there is either a contaminant in the soil, or there is concrete down there. I'm going to find out. Perhaps I should take some soil samples and send them out. Who's to say that a bag of lye wasn't spilled there during the construction of the observatory? If there is a contaminant, why wouldn't replacing the soil resolve the issue? I'm going to try it, if it doesn't work, I suppose I could place a large container there.

Don't you think a Guava is a little large for this spot?

[GermanStar]

I just drove a 15" drill bit (longest thing I have that I can pound with a hammer), into the soil there all the way down, so if there is a concrete slab, it's deeper than that.

And just to reiterate, when I say "nothing will grow there", it isn't just an expression, I mean that literally.

[phoenixtropicals]

Hmmm, that's a difficult one. You might want to try soaking the spot really good with gypsum. Gypsum tends to neutralize soil chemistry. I think a cactus would look good there, like a totem pole. They don't have thorns and look like a melted candle stick. Very interesting. Wait a while after the gympsum soak to plant anything.

[GermanStar]

I'm not sure what type of cactus you meant, but I may be leaning toward Yellow Bells....

[phoenixtropicals]

The cactus is actually called "Totem Pole"

http://www.delange.org/CactusTotemPole/CactusTotemPole.htm

[GermanStar]

Ah, I see now -- beautiful cactus!

[GermanStar]

Well, I did it. Got my 6# pickax and my shovel, and attacked. I got down close to 30", an area about 5'x3', then went at it one last time with the pick. No caliche, no slab, no nothing. I threw everything out, and filled the area with premium bagged soil and a 5-gallon Yellow Bells (T. stans) I picked up at the local nursery (Verde Valley). I am hopeful. Next spring will tell the tale, I suppose. It will (optimism in full tow) be really nice to have something grow there -- for the first time ever. My new Totem Pole cactus is about 15' away.

[phoenixtropicals]

Looks good.

[GermanStar]

Well, I'm now done with the backyard. I added 14 plants to the existing 6, and I'm very pleased. The only plant I removed was a dying Lady Banks Rose. Here is a pic of the final section of the yard, just completed. I added a Red Yucca, Y. rostrata, A. americana, A. parryi,, Totem Pole Cactus, and a Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans) to this section. I know it's nothing spectacular, but when you're used to looking at a lot of empty space, it's pretty impressive!

[phoenixtropicals]

Nice. I especially like how the agave on the corner looks.

[GermanStar]

Thank you for noticing, so do I! If you look at the previous pic, you'll see that I moved a lamp to make room for it. There's room for another plant or two in the back toward the fence, but I have no idea what. I wouldn't mind another Fire Bush there, but I'm thinking of reducing the drip system in the yard to two hours once per week to better accommodate the Yucca (1), Cacti (2), and Agaves (5), and a Fire Bush is too thirsty for that. I'm not sure how my Tecomas (capensis x 2 + stans) will react, but I'm willing to double up on emitters and find out. The Cape Honeysuckle's are large and well-established, but the Yellow Bells is just a pup. It will have several months to settle in, so it may be OK. If they do not go along with the program, I'll have to abandon the idea. As it is, I'll need to supplement by hand-watering my Asparagus, Sansevieria, and Strelitzia once or twice per week, but they're all in one spot, so that's not a problem.

[GermanStar]

Well, looks like another plant bites the dust in the same spot. The Yellow Bells is still there, and it still looks OK, but requires 3-4 times the amount of water it did initially. Something appears to be killing the roots, perhaps excessive heat (??). On hot days like yesterday and today, I water it twice to allay the severe wilting. I suppose it's possible that it may turn around and establish itself once temps moderate, but I'm not hopeful.

[phoenixtropicals]

Many plants will wilt on the really hot days even if they have sufficient water. Even my highest water use plants only get watered every other day maximum. Its more likely that overwatering is killing your plant rather than the heat. Are yellow bells supposed to be a low water use plant? Is so, you are watering them way to much. Unfortunately, it might be too late for that plant if its roots have already rotted. Also, some plants will go semi dormant during the hottest times of the year and will look dead but they aren't. Try cutting back on the water.