On 2006-05-30, IPFreeley wrote:
I bought a small blackberry bush and planted it about two weeks ago
following the directions on the tag that came with it. I mixed in some
potting soil with the all clay ground, watered it, and made sure everything
was tamped down. The plant's leaves are starting to curl and I've made sure
to water it every day or two and have tried some liquid fertlizer too. What

What do you mean by "tamped down" ? I always dig a hole roughly twice as big
as the container, with a thick layer of loose dirt on the bottom. I put the
plant in the hole so the original dirt line on the plant is about an inch
higher than the surrounding dirt, to allow the plant to settle. I then fill
in the remaining dirt and cover with mulch/pine straw. I don't ever tamp or
pack the dirt.

If you are planting in clay, remember that the surrounding dirt is going to
act like a bowl, taking a long time for the water to drain out. As noted, you
may be watering too often, leaving the plant to drown.

I had a neighbor years ago that used to plant, by digging a hole just slightly
larger than the container. He would then fill the hole with water, and place
the plant into the hole. This was followed by him smashing the plant down
with his foot to get it to fit the rest of the way into the hole. And he
wondered why they usually died.