Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Gardeners sometimes miss the chance to develop a wonderful garden in spite of some very difficult and seemingly unwanted circumstances. In areas that are covered with salt grass marshes and are being developed into housing he challenge of growing trees is difficult. Some garden sites are downright hostile. Very heavy clay, alkali soil conditions with a high pH, high water tables and salt could doom many projects before they ever got off of or at least out of the ground.
In these cases look for plants that will survive. The best trees for problem areas have been poplars, cottonwoods, and willows. Look for Globe or Navajo willow, cottonless cottonwoods and other varieites. Russian Olives and Salt cedar are also going to grow well but are considered noxious weeds in many counties. If there is not a high water table, Siberian elms and hackberries are tough trees that grow under harsh conditions.
Most of the aforementioned trees are fast growing, weak wooded plants that are not the best types to plant.
By planting on the burms to improve the drainage, it is possible to grow aspens, blue spruce and Austrian Pines in more difficult soils. The Green Ash and the London Plane trees have done well. In his home orchard pears, apples and plums do the best.
Trees to avoid on heavy clay soils are firs of all kinds, Japanese Maples, river birch, white birch, silver maples, mountain ash, magnolias, pin oaks, peaches and catalpas. They will quickly turn yellow and die without regular infusions of expensive iron chelates.
