Clay soil + figs - what would you do differently?

cdh said:
Excavators, cranes, small-scale blasting operations.....these are all well-known firms of minor homeowner landscaping modalities.
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I literally don't understand... Sorry, it's just so alien to me. Is this to say landscaping can be done, but you can't do it yourself?
 
TorontoJoe said:
I literally don't understand... Sorry, it's just so alien to me. Is this to say landscaping can be done, but you can't do it yourself?
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I had planned to do this with a contractor - but they threw the rulebook at me. Complying with every rule and sub rule made the project unviable due to the timeline and cost to comply.
 
TheInvertedFlower said:
@TorontoJoe I consider myself lucky - as my friend had to uproot all his fig trees cause his HOA rules do not allow any fruit trees!

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It's not my intention to be judgy.... and I ask this sincerely because I want to understand and this is foreign territory for me... I assume there must be an upside? Why would anyone want to pay a lot of money for a property with these restrictions on what they can do?
 
TorontoJoe said:
It's not my intention to be judgy.... and I ask this sincerely because I want to understand and this is foreign territory for me... I assume there must be an upside? Why would anyone want to pay a lot of money for a property with these restrictions on what they can do?
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I told my wife that my #1 requirement when we house shop is NO hoa. Not being an HOA type of property helps with many of my other wants.
#1 - no hoa
#2 - 2 acres plus
 
TheInvertedFlower said:
I’m getting ready to put about 40 trees in the ground.

- Soil is heavy, poorly draining compacted clay. The sticky kind.
- Drip irrigation is going in now.
- Another 100–150 will stay in pots.

Right now I’m thinking individual raised beds, roughly 3x3x1 ft per tree.

Fill would likely be sandy river loam + compost, maybe some grit mixed in.

A few things I’d really appreciate input from folks who know more about growing figs than me (pretty much everyone here)
  • If you’ve planted figs in heavy clay, would you do 3x3x1 or something else?
  • What has actually worked for you as a soil mix? Obviously can't buy bagged for this volume...
  • I have trees rooted this Dec/Jan - would you plant them out this spring or let them grow in pots another year?
  • Anything you wish you’d done differently when you first planted in ground?
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I live in North Texas and have the worst clay and rocky 'soil' there is. My method is to dig out a hole larger than the root ball. Deeper and wider. In the bottom of the hole I place 4 to 6 inches of compost. Place the ball in the hole and backfill with compost and good potting soil. Water in well. When signs of growth appear, I feed with fish emulsion. Mulch as well. This method works well for me.
 
TorontoJoe said:
It's not my intention to be judgy.... and I ask this sincerely because I want to understand and this is foreign territory for me... I assume there must be an upside? Why would anyone want to pay a lot of money for a property with these restrictions on what they can do?
Click to expand...
I think the purported benefits are mostly aesthetic. No broke-down cars parked in the grass, weird paint jobs, junk lying around. Your HOA fees typically go to whole-neighborhood landscaping, lawnmowing, and upkeep, and sometimes there are community amenities like pools, tennis courts, etc. Not my cup of tea but I see why people go for it.
 
TheInvertedFlower said:
I’m getting ready to put about 40 trees in the ground.

- Soil is heavy, poorly draining compacted clay. The sticky kind.
- Drip irrigation is going in now.
- Another 100–150 will stay in pots.

Right now I’m thinking individual raised beds, roughly 3x3x1 ft per tree.

Fill would likely be sandy river loam + compost, maybe some grit mixed in.

A few things I’d really appreciate input from folks who know more about growing figs than me (pretty much everyone here)
  • If you’ve planted figs in heavy clay, would you do 3x3x1 or something else?
  • What has actually worked for you as a soil mix? Obviously can't buy bagged for this volume...
  • I have trees rooted this Dec/Jan - would you plant them out this spring or let them grow in pots another year?
  • Anything you wish you’d done differently when you first planted in ground?
Click to expand...
One thing I like using is soil conditioner from Lowes. About $5 per bag and would help with compaction and drainage IMO.
 
TorontoJoe said:
It's not my intention to be judgy.... and I ask this sincerely because I want to understand and this is foreign territory for me... I assume there must be an upside? Why would anyone want to pay a lot of money for a property with these restrictions on what they can do?
Click to expand...
If you want to be in certain school districts - HOA homes might be the only option @TorontoJoe ....
 
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