In article ,
Dave_S wrote:

I am carefully reading these mail notes from Sheldon and Bill and Billy
to determine the best approach to fix my 'backyard' RED APPLE problems.


The soil in the 'front yard' is similar to 'backyard', not compacted,
but is flour like. So I will be obtaining 'rich topsoil' for 'front and
back' RED APPLE plantings. Will be a busy winter.

In my front yard, I also have much RED APPLE. Many of these locations
are under a large Camphor tree. The tree constantly drops leaves which
completely fills in the spaces between RED APPLE leaves. The leaf cover
is very dense and constantly drops leaves all summer. The color of the
RED APPLE leaves is sallow, light yellow where the Camphor leaves are
covering densely. Where RED APPLE is beyond the reach of those Camphor
leaves the RED APPLE leaf color is deep green. Should I regularly remove
as many of the 'on top' large leaves covering the RED APPLE leaves?
Under the dry large Camphor leaves is a layer of tiny mulch like
decomposing CAMPHOR leaves. Should these small particle mulch like
material be preserved but remove the dense large leaves on top?

Where the soil is flour like, should I work in that decomposing mulch
layer of CAMPHOR leaves? Is the Camphor leaves too acid for a good
mulch? I can discard that mulch like material or work it into the not
compacted flour like soil near the RED APPLE.

I sure appreciate you hints and suggestions and explanations!!

Many thanks folks. Dave_s

Check your soil composition. Clear off the top couple of inches (5 cm)
of a small patch of your growing area and then take a plug of soil
(approx. 250 cc: about 6 x 6 x 6 cc). Make a slurry of this soil to
about 1 qt. to 1 liter in volume in a glass jar. Make sure the soil is
thoroughly broken up. The sand will settle in about 20 min., the silt in
a couple of hours, and the clay in about 24 hours. Measure the depth of
the soil in the bottle. Then measure the width of the three bands. You
want 20 - 30% clay, 30 - 40% silt, and 30 - 40% sand. If you are within
these parameters, then I would only add organic material (alfalfa
pellets, compost, and some manure or fish emulsion. If the soil is truly
hard and compacted, garden fork up the denuded area where you want to
plant. Turn in the organic material (including kitchen scraps but not
coffee grounds) and top dress with alfalfa pellets, compost, and some
manure or fish emulsion. You may want to cover this with a sheet or two
of newspaper and the newsprint in turn with mulch.

From Camphor trees I know nothing, except . . .The camphor content of
the leaf litter helps prevent other plants from germinating
successfully, helping to ensure the camphor's success against any
potentially competing vegetation, . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor_tree
--

Billy
Republicn and Democratic "Leadership" Behind Bars
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1248.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net