We are completing the construction of our retirement home (greater DFW area), so we are starting to dream about landscaping. The house was built on a deep base of "Select Fill" dirt (which we believe to be a 60/40 mix of lean clay and sand). It's apparently great to build on, but it doesn't seem ideal for growing anything. It currently occupies most of the areas where we intend to install flower beds, so we're wondering what we need to do to amend this type of soil and/or if we need to replace it with regular topsoil so that our plantings will grow and thrive. If we do need to amend or replace, how deep do we need to go? In most areas around the house, there is about 4-6 feet of Select Fill before we would reach the native black land soil.
We will be planting mainly Texas native/adapted drought tolerant shrubbery like Texas Sage, Abelia, Agave, Dwarf Yaupon Holly, and perennial ornamental grasses…at least, that is the tentative plan.
We tried to pick the brain of horticulturalist/landscape designer about this issue and they recommended amending the soil with peat moss and organic matter as much as possible. No real specific advice beyond that. Some internet sites suggest that plants can grow in this dirt, but it gets so hard when it is dry, it is hard to believe anything can. However, it does seem to retain water to a certain extent under the surface. So, maybe there is hope.
One article I read suggested that clay-rich soils should be amended with expanded shale (3" add to the top then tilled-in to a depth of 6") and organic compost (incorporate " to 2" to a depth of 6") to support Texas native plants. That doesn't seem like that is very deep.
I had thoughts about sending a soil sample to the A&M Soil Testing Laboratory, but I doubt that will lead to any new revelations about the current situation.
What saith TexAgs? Any real-world experience out there?
We will be planting mainly Texas native/adapted drought tolerant shrubbery like Texas Sage, Abelia, Agave, Dwarf Yaupon Holly, and perennial ornamental grasses…at least, that is the tentative plan.
We tried to pick the brain of horticulturalist/landscape designer about this issue and they recommended amending the soil with peat moss and organic matter as much as possible. No real specific advice beyond that. Some internet sites suggest that plants can grow in this dirt, but it gets so hard when it is dry, it is hard to believe anything can. However, it does seem to retain water to a certain extent under the surface. So, maybe there is hope.
One article I read suggested that clay-rich soils should be amended with expanded shale (3" add to the top then tilled-in to a depth of 6") and organic compost (incorporate " to 2" to a depth of 6") to support Texas native plants. That doesn't seem like that is very deep.
I had thoughts about sending a soil sample to the A&M Soil Testing Laboratory, but I doubt that will lead to any new revelations about the current situation.
What saith TexAgs? Any real-world experience out there?
