Hey all, first post here.. I'm helping someone plant a few windmill palms just outside of Vancouver, in Coquitlam and have already dug 3 holes. The soil is a bit more sandy and loamy near the surface but getting beyond 1 foot down+ it has more rocks, sand, and clay. I did a drainage test and one hole took a while (a few minutes) but the water did dissipate and the other ones drained quicker My question is, with the soil conditions, did I dig the hole deep enough (more than double the rootball height and almost triple the circumference), and also I'm hearing some mixed ideas about what to amend the hole with depending on your original soil condition.. Should I add rocks to the bottom for the slower draining hole? My initial thoughts on amendments would be: Myke (mycorhizzal root stimulant) in planting hole and a bit in soil mix, mix original hole soil with compost and some peat moss. Also if all goes well, how often should they be watered as the seasons progress until they are established? My initial thought is watering them good every 3-5 days during the summer or is that too infrequent? My other strategy was to plant so that the area riased up slightly so it wouldn't create a depression and excess water soaking. The picture of the small windmill palm in the planting hole, I was going to backfill the hole a big to create a nice amended area, considering not burying the trunk and keeping the top of the root ball at surface level. Any feedback is highly appreciated!
Start with The Myth of Soil Amendments: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/soil-amendments.pdf And read this about Mycorrhizae: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/mycorrhizae.pdf
