Just moved to new house- back yard has extremely hardpan compressed earth. Its desert-sandy-no clay but really tough ground. Dug holes with jackhammer maybe 18" deep by 18 wide- still very slow drainage. OK to plant 5 gallon size plants? smaller? Its a low rainfall area but still dont know. Anybody know about this stuff?
Sounds like the very first thing you need to do is add about a foot of compost. A few inches at a time of course. And till it in.
I'll second the foot of compost but I wouldn't try to till it in if you needed a jackhammer to dig a hole. Dump it all on top at once and work it. Plant one 5 gallon cactus and one 5 gallon wheeping willow. See which one does best and continue accordingly.
That and get some ostriches.
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