"Harry" wrote in message
...
When is the best time of the year to plant tube stock natives?
We intend to buy a couple of hundred Grevilia, Banksia, Callistermons etc.

Our property (Hunter Valley area) has concrete type clay with
rocks/pebbles.

Should I dig a larger hole (6") and put some good soil in to establish the
plants?

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Harry



You could get away with putting them in now, and the larger hole with good
soil will give them a good start.

However the best thing would be wait 'till spring. In the meantime spread
gypsum to break up the clay. Just throw it on the surface for the first
application, and water in. Then say in a couple of months put some more on,
but dig it in.
Also try get some pH readings (after the gypsum applications) to see what
the soil is like and adjust if needed. If possible, try get some good soil
dug in too, to break it up a little.

At work we have got clay soil mostly, on rock.

I've seen some Eucalypts and callistemons seem healthy, grow quite well, to
about 3metres tall, then a bit of a stong wind and they fall over as the
roots just haven't got down. This happens cos of the rock of course, but
also seen it happen where about half a foot of soil has been dumped on clay
for a garden. The roots stay in the good soil, but not into the clay, and of
course fall over easily. Happened in the last week with the wind we got here
(on the mid north coast).
Also I have seen Grevillias just not grow at all in the clay. They survive,
but just don't grow, and look not much different in size than the day they
were planted about 2yr ago. Other areas of imported soil, and they do well.
All the above mentioned plants have done well in gardens where a lot, or all
the soil was brought in.
About the only ones that I have seen do alright in clay have been
candlestick banksias. Never known why though.

Good luck

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