[Az-Geocaching] Digging holes

[Richard Daines]

The whole back yard is like that, you dig down about three to four inches
and then hit this rock hard aggregate zone.  Whacking it with a hand pick
slowly breaks it up but OMG it's hard work.  Good thing the wife doesn't
want to plant Spring bulbs....

On 9/13/07, dbledutch at cox.net <dbledutch at cox.net> wrote:
>
> I have seen a D9 Cat with a single tooth ripper only scratch the top of
> caliche. The area was drilled and dynamited to fracture the caliche then
> equipment could begin to work the area. So bring in the BIG GUNS when
> dealing with caliche. Or as the AG Dept says "Do you really want to plant
> right there?"  \:~)
>
> ---- ShadowAce <shadowace.az at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Here is an Article from the AG department: It might help..
> >
> >
> http://ag.arizona.edu/gardening/news/azdailystar/dealing_soil_problems.html
> > Dealing with Caliche and Other Desert Soil Problems
> >
> > A recent caller was in hopes that pouring pool acid into a bed on
> caliche
> > would somehow loosen it up. Applying acid makes sense, as caliche is a
> layer
> > of lime (calcium carbonate) which forms in our desert soils. The problem
> is,
> > it doesn't work.
> >
> > You would probably have to pour a tanker truck full of sulfuric acid in
> a
> > hole with caliche to make much of a difference. Mostly what you would
> get is
> > a lot of alka seltzer-type fizzing.
> >
> > Dealing with caliche isn't easy. Digging it out can be an arduous task.
> > People use everything from picks to jack hammers with mixed results. If
> the
> > caliche is fractured or cracked, which is often the case, it is easier
> to
> > remove. If it is solid, it can be as hard, and impervious as concrete.
> >
> > The first thing you must decide is: do I really need to plant in this
> spot?
> > Sometimes just moving the planting hole a few feet over may provide
> space
> > for digging. If it's a garden you want, think about constructing a
> raised
> > bed. Good soil can then be added to your frame to grow whatever you
> want.
> > This is a great way to grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs.
> >
> > If your planting trees or shrubs, consider mounding up your plants so
> they
> > can grow above the caliche. This works if you have at least 8 or 10
> inches
> > of top soil overlying the caliche layer.
> >
> > Dig a hole down to the caliche. Next, test the drainage by filling the
> hole
> > with water several times during the day. Drainage is poor if water is
> still
> > standing 24 hours after the last filling. It may be necessary to place a
> > drainage chimney through the caliche. This chimney hole should be dug to
> the
> > side, not directly under where the plant will sit. The drainage hole
> should
> > be about 6 inches in diameter, and filled with soil (not gravel).
> >
> > For shallow hole planting above caliche use plants in small containers.
> For
> > instance, buy a tree in a small 5 gallon pot. This way a good part of
> the
> > root ball can be set into a shallow hole. Mounding up soil up around the
> > exposed portion of the root ball will allow roots to grow out and into
> the
> > surrounding soil. This mounded soil should be gradually tapered away
> from
> > the plant so that it eventually blends into the surrounding soil.
> >
> > Even if caliche is not present, it is often hard to dig in our desert
> soils.
> > This is due to a high clay content and also gravel. Wetting the soil
> before
> > digging makes the work easier. If you're putting in a lawn, vegetable
> garden
> > or flower bed, tilling in lots of organic matter will really improve the
> > soil. The organic matter can be desert compost, peat, or composted horse
> or
> > cow manure. A three or four inch layer mixed into the top foot of soil
> will
> > make future digging and planting easier. Plant roots will also have an
> > easier time growing in this improved soil.
> >
> > Do not amend the soil when planting trees and shrubs. Research has shown
> > that adding organic matter to the planting holes of trees and shrubs is
> > detrimental to their growth. Simply fill in around the roots with the
> same
> > desert soil which you dug out of the hole.
> >
> > Our desert soils are rich in most nutrients. However they are often
> lacking
> > in nitrogen and phosphorous. These are the first two of the three number
> > analysis listed prominently on the fertilizer bag. Nitrogen can be
> surface
> > applied and will move down into the soil. Phosphorous moves very little
> in
> > the soil and therefore is most effective when mixed into the soil at the
> > time of planting.
> >
> > Iron deficiencies also develop on some acid loving plants such as
> gardenia,
> > rose, citrus, bottlebrush, and nandina. Although there is sufficient
> iron in
> > the soil, it is not available to these plants because our soils are
> > alkaline. Typical iron deficiency symptoms appear as chlorosis of the
> new
> > foliage in which leaves are yellow with the veins appearing as fine
> green
> > lines. Eventually entire leaves can turn yellow. Iron deficiencies can
> be
> > corrected by the addition of chelated iron to the soil. Chelated iron is
> a
> > water soluble form of iron available to the plant even in alkaline
> soils.
> >
> >
> > On 9/12/07, Richard Daines <rjdaines at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Not a geocaching question since we are not allow to dig or use pointy
> > > objects to make holes but I can't see that that is a problem for
> Arizonans
> > > in the desert areas since I find it virtually impossible to dig a hole
> in
> > > this caliche soil.  I believe it's also known as hardpan.  Just how to
> you
> > > guys dig a hole, my gosh, I just wanted to plant a few cacti before
> the
> > > temps went over 100F one morning.
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>
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