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Mound planting fruit trees

LiriodendronLiriodendron Scariff, County Clare, IrelandPosts: 6,510
in Fruit & veg
Have any of you tried this?  I believe Monty did so, a few years ago, in an area which flooded.  Our back garden currently looks like this, in places:



- though admittedly that's at the bottom of the slope, where a mini digger has been trundling about.

Nearer the top of the slope (which is slight) I want to plant some apple trees.  I'm selecting Irish varieties so they should be used to the general weather conditions, but the soil is pretty heavy.  I've just watched a Youtube video of orchard planting in America where they dug over a 4ft square of meadow, then used a 4ft square raised bed, about 8" high, filled with decent soil, to plant their tree into.

Any thoughts, anyone?  All suggestions - including negative ones - gratefully received...
"The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life."  Rabindranath Tagore

Posts

  • NollieNollie Girona, Catalunya, Northen SpainPosts: 3,884
    Olive trees are routinely planted on raised mounds south of here, in areas with heavy clay soil/subject to flooding both on sloping and flat ground and that seems to work. The fields could  be totally flooded but the trees on their mounds, like little islands, cope fine.

    I planted two identical sized pomegranate trees in my garden, one in improved soil directly in the ground and one in a (coincidentally 4x4ft) raised bed. The one in the raised bed has thrived and grown really well, the other in the ground is a sorry specimen. My soil is shallow and poorly drained, so I couldn’t say for sure that the thriving one is benefiting from the greater soil depth or better drainage, or both. I am about to order a crab apple tree, it will be going in a raised bed! 
  • floraliesfloralies Haute-Garonne SW FrancePosts: 1,054
    Mound planting is used here quite a lot, we have heavy clay soil and I wish I had done this when I planted two Amelachier Canadensis. They are still alive but alternate very heavy rainfall and baking temperatures in the summer haven't done them any favours. 
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Scariff, County Clare, IrelandPosts: 6,510
    Thank you both.  That's very interesting... it looks as if it might be worth a try.
    "The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life."  Rabindranath Tagore
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