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123cococo

help with slope

123cococo
10 years ago

Tried to post this and ended up in another thread. Have a slope very long no more than 15 ft tall. Would like conifers that grow in wider vs taller shapes. Already have ground cover junipers and mugho pines. Open to any suggestions.Thanks

Comments (10)

  • sc77 (6b MA)
    10 years ago

    I would update your post with a photo of the slope and specific details about what amount of sun the area gets, is it windy, what type of soil, ect.. Additionally, you should provide the latin names of plants you have. These are just suggestions to allow us to provide an appropriate response. Ground cover juniper and mugo pine are very broad groups, with lots of great cultivars.

    Without knowing sun requirements, here are a few I would suggest:
    Picea pungens 'Procumbens'
    Picea pungens 'St. Mary's Broom'
    Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode'
    Thuja plicata 'Whipcord'
    Pinus sylvestris 'Hillside Creeper'
    Tsuga canadensis 'Cole's Prostrate'

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Will try to get some pics this weekend. It is full sun., clay compost mix, not windy. The mugos and junipers 'blue rug' are from BB store on clearance as such a large site started there .However , you called my other opposing slope with five of the six above named thriving there. I didn't think about 'Cole/s Prostrate.', Thanks

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    and go to your members page.. and change the 7 next to your name.. to include near large city ... [or else we will ask you in every single post.. lol]

    you cant grow about 75% of what i grow in MI ... but i can tell you how to cope with the hill ...

    the hardest thing about the hill will be PROPER WATERING for 2 years.. to get full establishment ...

    and you saw how i do that in that post on transplanting a conifer .. the moat system ...

    and hopefully .. will the fletch will show you a couple pix of his hillside transformation ... unless he recalls the name of his old post on that project.. and can bump it up ....

    your only limit.. is your budget.. lol ...

    ken

  • Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
    10 years ago

    If you can get water to it I find a gentle slope like that GREAT for conifers. Water does not pool as it might in flat areas or in a depression.

    Generally my definition of a slope is something too slanted to put up the volleyball net on but not with enough of a slant to be difficult to ride the mower over.

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here is the picture of slope as seen from front porch. The reason I have taken it from the porch is I would like large conifers that can be seen from the house. It slopes down to a large pond. The slope itself is very large . I will post next the pic of what I am starting with.

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Starting with Picea pungens ' Hoopsii', Picea pungens 'Blue Fingers', Continental and 'Blue Sky'. Also have the big box clearance conifers mentioned last week.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    like my other post on how to transplant .. in regard to the slope ...

    i would remove the grass .. about 2 inches thick sod . ... 2 to 3 times the pot width ... set aside ...

    then dig a hole the depth of the pot PLUS the sod ... and place sod.. upside down in the hole on the bottom ... i am too lazy to want to haul around soil.. so why haul the sod away.. and haul back soil... eh???

    stomp the sod into the bottom of the hole... no air pockets...

    remove pot .. untangle roots and somewhat destroy the media ball ... to at least get the root ends in native soil ... you really dont have to go all bare root .... mix that stuff with the native ... backfill ....

    and make the soil into a moat.. higher on the downhill side ...so that you can lay down a gallon or two of water.. and it will stand there.. until it soaks in.. rather than run away ... and not deep water ...

    you and your finger are responsible for ALL water the first summer.. and then in drought the second summer ... if done well ... they should be rather free range by summer 3 ....

    then mulch the whole thing ...

    ken

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks. Starting working on it today. Kathy

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    near the bottom of page 2 ... look for

    HOW TO TRANSPLANT A CONIFER/TREE --- HUGE PIX POST ...

    some guy did a pretty good job.. but i dont know about him... lol

    or use the GW search engine

    ken

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Wow that guy really did do an amazing job.lol I have complete soil envy.

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