Re: planting cistus

At 11:03 AM 2/15/01 -0800, you wrote:
>I've rooted a small piece of cistus that I want to put in a
>little square area in my parking strip. The soil (dirt) in
>the spot is low and I'd like to fill it. What's the best
>soil or mix to fill it with? I know it shouldn't be too rich
>and afraid of mixing sand with the clay since I don't want
>to end up with something like concrete.
>
>Barbara - in Berkeley

Hi Barbara -

You are correct in bringing up the grade of soil in your parking strip - 
the Cistus will thank you for it.

I would suggest mixing in something gritty like builder's sand (varying 
sized, non-rounded) or decomposed granite.  To prevent the 'concrete' 
effect, you should also mix in some redwood soil amendment 
(non-composted).  Equal parts of each would be good.  The concept here is 
to provide better drainage but not overly increase fertility - our local 
clays are already very rich in nutrients, once you open them up, and Cistus 
are best when grown a bit lean.  If you had access to a very stony topsoil, 
this would also be a great addition.

You should aim to raise the soil level at least a couple of inches above 
the sidewalk grade (assuming this is a level area) in order to provide good 
drainage around the root crown of the plants, or even a bit 
higher.  Adjacent to the sidewalk grade the soil an inch or two lower to be 
filled in with the thick mulch you'll also want to provide over the whole 
area when done.

What kind of Cistus are these?

Regards,
Sean O.



h o r t u l u s   a p t u s     -    'a garden suited to its purpose'
Sean A. O'Hara        fax (707) 667-1173     sean.ohara@groupmail.com
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
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