I live in a small rental house with a small garden in Sunset zone 22-23. I hae filled all the beds with flowers. I usually have no problem growing anything but now am stumped. The ground here is heavy clay. I am on teh side of a hill so it tends to be wet clay from people higher on the hill watering. In the raised beds and planters no problem, but I have been trying for years now to grow a small tree.
For the first tree, I dug a decent hole about 2-3 feet deep and 3 feet wide. I used compost and mulch and all. It (a Meyer Lemon) drowned. The second tree I dug the hole deeper and used more compost. It drowned. The 3rd tree - a Mimosa seems to be officially dead. The hole has standing water. It smells sour and mildewy. Did I mention this is Los Angeles? The desert? I know there is no issue of underground wells, broken pipes, etc just there is an orchard up the hill from me and all the water drains down and puddles in my back yard. Plus I water a lot as I have roses, jasmine, fucshias, begonias, impatiens and all kinds of water looving flowers.
So if I dig another hole - like 6 feet deep and fill it with gravel? compost? planting soil? what? Can I then plant another mimosa and hope it won't jsut drown as I have improved the drainage?
Any ideas? Hilda