Planting Natives

It's not just like mother taught you



OK, you have your plan and the plants. From here it's more than just digging holes - though there's that of course.

Try not to disturb the soil more than you can help. This means, don't rototill only disturb the dirt a little with the aforementioned hole. Also, don't fertilize or amend unless perhaps adding sand in a kind of raised bed to promote drainage. Although it might take some research to find the right kind of plants for your soil, the planting and growing will be easier and the results more predictable. I will discuss mycorrhizal fungi soon, to explain why no fertilizer and why to not disturb the soil.

Begin with a hole bigger than the plant, but check to make sure that the dirt currently around the plant will be just about 1/2 inch higher than the ground around it - when you build a small basin around the plant (noted below) this will help keep the stem dry which many plants prefer.

Once you have the hole ready, fill the hole with water and let it drain twice, before planting. Then put the plant in and and fill with the local soil. If you are likely to need to water before the winter rains, you can make a basin of about an 8" radius around the stem with extra dirt to hold the water. On top put mulch. This is wood chips on all plants except succulents, desert plants, and those needing good drainage. Gravel sized rocks around all the plants is good. One other thing, put a nice sized rock to the west or south of every major plant. This is to both hold moisture and for the thermal mass it provides. Come to the Botanical Garden Tour on the Oak Glen Pavilion (Education Building) to learn more about thermal mass. It's a property of some substances, including rocks, that keeps the temperature from extreme fluctuations. A rock retains heat captured during the day into the night, then keeps the plant cooler into the day following the night's cooling effect on that same rock.

Depending on the rains you might want to water in a few weeks - deep water is usually best. Check the soil an inch down once a week or so, and only water if it's dry. Some California natives, like Dudleya might not ever need summer water - not even the first two years.

Coming soon - What is Mycorrhizal Fungi - and why would I care?