Hi Forum
Hope you can help me with this rather specific question :)
Situation:
Central Chile, zone 8, long summer draught 8-9 months, winter precipitation used to be 400-600 milimeters, now maximum 100 milimeters. Winter minimum temp. 5°, during summer we have large stretches with afternoon temp above 30°, 30% rel. humidity and 30 km wind. The soil is basically a weathered granite, so in terms of soil, mostly sand at the surface with patches that have a bit more clay and organic matter. The soil grades into solid granite at a depth of about 1 m.
So how to kick-start tree planting here? I would like to plant mediterranean trees, either fruit trees from the mediterranean itself, or local species adapted to the climate.
Self imposed limits: Watering mostly once per week in summer, no watering in winter. Water is a scarce resource around here.
Idea:
Pits around 0.5 meters deep and wideWatered tree logs at the bottomFill the earth back in, but ammended with compost, maybe biochar ...Put a pipe in so that I can water the tree logs, rather than the surfacePlant the young tree between boulders, to take advantege of their heat leveling properties and the moring dew in witerMulch, of coursePlant a leguminous tree (acacia) right next to it
There is some local research indicating that native trees profit from having a local acacia species right next to them.
Suggestions?
Prickly Pears as shade plants to the north-west (nothern hemisphere would be south west) of the tree?
How to avoid that the logs rot in an unhealthy way, anaerobically or something?
>Some people indicate that the tree will become instable when the logs break down. I think by that time, the tree roots will have reached outside of the planting pit so stability should not be such an issue.