How to plant in fill dirt

[Orkine]

I had some part of my yard filled recently with several loads of fill dirt (Number 1 I believe).
New space for a few new trees, Yay.  Now what do I need to do to be able to plant in the area.
I understand that what I got was dirt not top soil.  I believe this type of soil is no good for plants and will need to be improved.  What can I do to prepare a few sites for trees.

The characteristics of fill dirt as I have heard are high salts, low nutrients, low organics (maybe none).  The soil drains relatively well, a plus.

I am willing to do prep now and plant later, any suggestions?


PS.  I will like to get the biology going so suggestions along those lines welcome.  Biochar, compost inplace or importing compost ....

[brian]

Maybe a soil test to start?

[achetadomestica]

Great idea to have it tested. There is an Florida Ag office
in a close town and I give them a small sample and it's $8
In Ft Myers, I think it's at Terry Park every Thursday
in the morning you can drop off a sample and it's free

Also what you plan to plant there will determine what
you add to the soil? 

In my area Lee County has designated mulch dropoffs and
I have been adding a ring of mulch to my trees 2-3 times a year.
The trees that have been there for 10 years have several inches of
black soil now. If you dont want to mess with a test you could
dig a small area out and add a good mix and make a mound of good
dirt. I like to add 2 scoops of peat,1 composted rabbit manure, 1 coffee grounds,
1 compost.
If you had to add fill you you were low anyway and a mound wouldn't hurt
Then add a large ring of mulch and keep adding mulch. Annonas seem to like
that mix, mangos don't

[forumfool]

Daikon radish is great at adding organic matter to soil. Just sow and leave them in ground to rot. Annual cover crop, manure, worm casting, compost whatever is around cheap/free

[Francis_Eric]

I had some part of my yard filled recently with several loads of fill dirt (Number 1 I believe).
  The soil drains relatively well, a plus.

I am willing to do prep now and plant later, any suggestions?


PS.  I will like to get the biology going so suggestions along those lines welcome.  Biochar, compost in place or importing compost ....

The soil drains easy

How deep is it Could you dig a whole , and fill it with water, and see how fast it drains
get it very saturated .

I looked up "Soil Amendment " here in quotations , and there is some good stuff

Flying fruit fox recommend Agri pro Dry
http://www.turfprousa.com/agripro_dry_1004a.html

FM Fruit forest

 

not sure what to do about the bedrock but before i plant, i like to amend the soil with compost, azomite, bone meal, blood meal, and all purpose organic fert.
Compost can make the soil heavy so be sure to mix with native soil well

What I was thinking is growing anything there for now
I have heard it here (in the past chop, and drop), but

I was just thinking to test how it is suitable for growing

I have had very sticky soil, that clumped up in a pot dropped off  for a raised garden,
( because mysteriously I was awake  a land scaping company had a dump truck full, next door)

I was worried for the garden, but things just grew in it just fine (not tree's )
Stuff with tap roots is good to break up soil, and let it rot in it
(Japanese radish is used for that, and other stuff)

Having a layer of good soil on top will of coarse help with thick soil if it ends up being thick soil.


you could also call a municipality place, or look online for free mulch
Or take grass clipping (hopefully they didn't use pesticides)
you can also get that wire mesh from the hardware store,
and make a round basket to put stuff to compost

(note I'd rather post a picture , but can only find a video with the mesh I am thinking of.)

The mesh doesn't have to be expensive the holes can be big like this one on the video.)
My neighbor has had his 2 for many many years without it rusting, and falling apart.

people make them out of PALLETS
if it looks un slightly you could get a closed system one that's what we have,
but I do not like those, and would rather turn compost leaves on the ground
to break down -- works okay for food scraps though.

I'm sure you may know most this stuff , but thought I'd post anyways


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=gxaR-Xs0iSc&feature=emb_logo

[Francis_Eric]

(edit Thank you forum fool I meant Daikon radish (same thing )
 just do not fall for the higher price marketing  (trade name )thing  on some of these amendments
(Field  Bulk amendments ground cover etc.)

I meant grow anything to see if the salts where to high

Also cover crop clover, alfalfa penut
junk fruit tree seeds from grocery store you'd (maybe) throw away anyways
 to chop down, and let decompose.

things in the pea , bean family Fabaceae to fix nitrogen
(pea's  peanut )
any weed seeds that grow do not let them go to seed, but chop ,
 or till in soil (which some are against tilling , but some will reseed even if chopped,)
even from chopped part if you know of a aggressive weed may be better to discard or burn
(some seeds will die in a compost bin high heat for 2 years.)

We can use alkaline wood ash, but I am not certain you need that in Florida
isn't it alkaline enough there.

I do not know but would gypsum , be good in Florida ?

[Tommyng]

Orkine, just start putting mulch in that area, a lot of it.  Do some banana circles and put garden scraps and kitchen scraps and anything organic you find there. It will all slowly breakdown and make that fill more fertile.  That’s what I did to my filled pond and it’s a fertile area now.

[FMfruitforest]

Mix in organic matter( compost)  neighbors thought we crazy when we began mixing our front yard up

[Orkine]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have registered to take wood chips from landscapers in the area.  Since I am not in a great hurry, I can make a bed of wood chips where I plan on planting trees.  Let it breakdown some before I plant.  If I get enough, I might just mulch the entire run. It's about 10 to 15 feet by about 300 feet.
It's a whole lot of mulch if I do the entire reach but a lot more manageable if I only did a few spots where I want trees and let the rest grow grass.