I have a huge extremely rocky area and I am not sure what will grow best.
The soil is alkaline and is full of weeds. All suggestions are welcome.
Jennifer

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 19:00:17 GMT, "Doria"
wrote:

I have a huge extremely rocky area and I am not sure what will grow best.
The soil is alkaline and is full of weeds. All suggestions are welcome.

Ugh. Sounds challenging.

I think I'd use either containers or raised beds, and 'make'
the soil - fill the containers or raised beds with either a
pre-mixed soil (purchased) or purchased top soil or
purchased mushroom compost, or regular compost - or whatever
you can find, scrounge, or purchase in your area.

This is basically what we've done: we have impossible
heavy, heavy, heavy clay laced with rocks. We used tire
planters and filled them with purchased mushroom compost.

Tire planters:

http://www.tirecrafting.com/03garden...gardengrow.htm

I would have preferred regular raised beds made out of
lumber or cement blocks, but we could not afford the lumber
or cement blocks, and old tires are free.

This has worked very well for us.

Pat
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On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 19:00:17 GMT, "Doria" wrote:

I have a huge extremely rocky area and I am not sure what will grow best.
The soil is alkaline and is full of weeds. All suggestions are welcome.
Jennifer

How huge is "huge"? I ask because (don't laugh!) you might want to
bring in some rent-a-goats to do away with the weeds, rather than rent
machinery. It's being tried by government entities in some places with
success.

How rocky is "extremely rocky"? Are they big boulders or small rocks.
How deeply dug in are the rocks? Could they be removed by hand
labor?

If so, and if you are willing to spring for a large quantity of soil
modifiers, and are willing to wait at least a season for the
conditioners to change the PH of the soil, no reason why you couldn't
grow whatever your climate permits.

You would probably need to use a heavy-duty tiller or some equivalent
machine to really dig up and turn the earth, so it will better absorb
the nutrients and other modifiers from the conditioners you put in.

In any case, once the weeds are gone and the soil modifiers are
introduced, you could sow a "green manure" crop like alfalfa,
which fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil.

Sounds like a marvelous project -- to transform a "wasteland"
into a productive piece of earth. You will need some faith and a lot
of persistence -- but it can be done!

Good luck.

--

Persephone

I have a friend with some goats but there are no fences to separate the lawn
and the area.
Extremely rocky is rocks the size of basketballs and smaller (I think this
place used to be a creek bed) but still has soil not completely rocks. I
have dug about 4' down in several different places and it is the same
everywhere.
***I want to do this project at little to no cost.*** (I was challenged that
this is not possible)
The resources that are available to me are horse, sheep, and cow manure from
local ranches, pine needles, leaves, and grass clippings from neighbors,
plus any other scrounging (cardboard, tires, so on).
I think that I am in zone 5 (zip 96104 California Mts.), with little
precipitation during the spring, summer, and fall with temperatures in the
upper 90's - lower 100's. Winters here regularly get below 0 F and we get
about 30"of snow or more.
The local "wild" plants in the area are Mint, Elder Berry, Wild Plumb, Choke
Cherry, Sagebrush, Bitterbrush, Lilac, Junipers, Pines, Fir, Quaking Aspen,
Poplar, Locust. I may have missed some but these are the ones I can
remember.
I am keeping a photographic log of the work and I will post the pictures
annually.
Please keep the suggestions coming.
Thank you,
Jennifer

I have a friend with some goats but there are no fences to separate the lawn
and the area.
Extremely rocky is rocks the size of basketballs and smaller (I think this
place used to be a creek bed) but still has soil not completely rocks. I
have dug about 4' down in several different places and it is the same
everywhere.
***I want to do this project at little to no cost.*** (I was challenged that
this is not possible)
The resources that are available to me are horse, sheep, and cow manure from
local ranches, pine needles, leaves, and grass clippings from neighbors,
plus any other scrounging (cardboard, tires, so on).
I think that I am in zone 5 (zip 96104 California Mts.), with little
precipitation during the spring, summer, and fall with temperatures in the
upper 90's - lower 100's. Winters here regularly get below 0 F and we get
about 30"of snow or more.
The local "wild" plants in the area are Mint, Elder Berry, Wild Plumb, Choke
Cherry, Sagebrush, Bitterbrush, Lilac, Junipers, Pines, Fir, Quaking Aspen,
Poplar, Locust. I may have missed some but these are the ones I can
remember.
I am keeping a photographic log of the work and I will post the pictures
annually.
Please keep the suggestions coming.
Thank you,
Jennifer

On Sat, 04 Oct 2003 07:54:40 GMT, "Doria" wrote:

I have a friend with some goats but there are no fences to separate the lawn
and the area.

Stake them out on chains and collars like you would a dog.

Extremely rocky is rocks the size of basketballs and smaller (I think this
place used to be a creek bed) but still has soil not completely rocks. I
have dug about 4' down in several different places and it is the same
everywhere.

When you have rocks, build a wall. You can use it to keep the
goats in and other critters out..

***I want to do this project at little to no cost.*** (I was challenged that
this is not possible)
The resources that are available to me are horse, sheep, and cow manure from
local ranches, pine needles, leaves, and grass clippings from neighbors,
plus any other scrounging (cardboard, tires, so on).

Any oak leaves available? High acid content to counter the
alkalinity. Add the organic material just the same. Might need to
add dolomitic lime.

I think that I am in zone 5 (zip 96104 California Mts.), with little
precipitation during the spring, summer, and fall with temperatures in the
upper 90's - lower 100's. Winters here regularly get below 0 F and we get
about 30"of snow or more.

You seem to be a wierd 6.

The local "wild" plants in the area are Mint, Elder Berry, Wild Plumb, Choke
Cherry, Sagebrush, Bitterbrush, Lilac, Junipers, Pines, Fir, Quaking Aspen,
Poplar, Locust. I may have missed some but these are the ones I can
remember.
I am keeping a photographic log of the work and I will post the pictures
annually.
Please keep the suggestions coming.
Thank you,
Jennifer

On Sat, 04 Oct 2003 07:54:40 GMT, "Doria"
wrote:


***I want to do this project at little to no cost.*** (I was challenged that
this is not possible)
The resources that are available to me are horse, sheep, and cow manure from
local ranches, pine needles, leaves, and grass clippings from neighbors,
plus any other scrounging (cardboard, tires, so on).

You might want to read 'Lasagna Gardening' by Patricia
Lanza. I'd think you could manage quite well with those
ingredients...

Or not read it: just put down the cardboard first, then
pile everything else up on top and wait for it to rot.
And it will make soil for you.

I'd ignore the rocks, as I (I personally) would not be
capable of getting them out. Getting them out would enable
you to till, but you can use a no-till system with the rocks
in place. If you think about this: trees and weeds and so
on manage to get their roots past rocks.

We've put tire planters (tires with the sidewalls cut off)
down on top of rocky soil, then filled the tires with
mushroom soil, and planted in them. Very good results.

Anyway... that's what I'd do.

Pat
--
To email me, remove the trap and type my first
name in its place.

CLICK DAILY TO FEED THE HUNGRY
United States: http://www.stopthehunger.com/
International: http://www.thehungersite.com/

On Sat, 04 Oct 2003 07:54:40 GMT, "Doria" wrote:

I have a friend with some goats but there are no fences to separate the lawn
and the area.

Uh, yeah... does the lawn need mowing g? Actually goats have to
be supervised, lest they crop the lawn down too far. Take a book out
there and ride herd on them.

Extremely rocky is rocks the size of basketballs and smaller (I think this
place used to be a creek bed) but still has soil not completely rocks. I
have dug about 4' down in several different places and it is the same
everywhere.
***I want to do this project at little to no cost.*** (I was challenged that
this is not possible)

They lie!

The resources that are available to me are horse, sheep, and cow manure from
local ranches, pine needles, leaves, and grass clippings from neighbors,
plus any other scrounging (cardboard, tires, so on).

Hey, you're home free! Many gardeners would love to have access to
such resources! Personally, I'd stay away from the tires, in terms
of soil modification, but everything else sounds right on.

I think that I am in zone 5 (zip 96104 California Mts.), with little
precipitation during the spring, summer, and fall with temperatures in the
upper 90's - lower 100's. Winters here regularly get below 0 F and we get
about 30"of snow or more.
The local "wild" plants in the area are Mint, Elder Berry, Wild Plumb, Choke
Cherry, Sagebrush, Bitterbrush, Lilac, Junipers, Pines, Fir, Quaking Aspen,
Poplar, Locust. I may have missed some but these are the ones I can
remember.
I am keeping a photographic log of the work and I will post the pictures
annually.

Fantabulous!

Please keep the suggestions coming.

I hope you don't have to do all the backbreaking rock removal, etc.
by yourself? Even if you need to hire somebody and bring in
machinery in the initial stages, do it, so you don't get discouraged.

Others offered some good suggestions, like rocks (if the right shape)
for walls, and oak leaves, etc.

Do a little research on composting and K.I.S.S. (keep it simple...)
meaning, don't go for fancy equipment solutions when you have the
space to just pile up the compost ingredients, cover them, and let
them smoke (remembering to moisten from time to time).

Will be looking for your updates!

--

Persephone

I wouldn't remove the stones and rocks, it's a unique landscape that can grow plants and look nice in time. The garden at my currrent house is very standard carefully landscaped bowling green striped lawns and curved flower beds without a stone in sight, and really it's a rather artificial and unexciting landscape to work with.

Look for plants that like poor soil and would grow well there. A few bushes like budlia may work, and you can put down poppy seeds as they grow like weeds in even the worst conditions. I find that the right planting on waste land can attract a lot of nature like birds and butterflys. But, if you want to turn it in to a suburban garden for partys and playing tennis, this isn't the way to go.

"Doria" writes:
I have a huge extremely rocky area and I am not sure what will grow best.
The soil is alkaline and is full of weeds. All suggestions are welcome.
Jennifer

Pumpkins and zucchinis! Dig up a small circle of soil and improve it
with humus and mulch, then let the vines spread over the rocks to their
heart's content. Keep the water up to the plants in dry weather. Hill
the soil before planting the seeds if your locality has a lot of rain in
summer. Also try melons.

I can't comment on their liking for/against an alkaline soil. I don't
know, but my guess is that they don't mind.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)