Living in the Southwest is a challenge. The soil is a HARDPAN CLAY here. It can be very difficult to grow things in. Due to the lack of any natural mulch and the fact we live in a flood plain during summer monsoon's; the soil is real alkaline. I heard that COFFEE GROUNDS (a good soil conditioner) add acid to the soil . I add them to every hole I dig. Recently, I put more than I meant to around a PHOTINIA FRASERI and now it's leaves look like they are burned. What do I add to try to counteract this mistake? I've been trying to water it more often than the others but may have to admit defeat and replant. Any suggestions?

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Gardening in the desert,

Sonoranliz

Hey sonoranliz try crushed egg shells with your coffee grounds also mix some leaves in the soil water and epsom salts will help with coffee ground od. Hope that helps you some. In New Mexico we had heavy red clay in some area's and almost pure blow sand in other area's we would haul the sand and mix it with the clay makes a pretty good sandy loam clay type soil with benifits of each. Also mix a little small gravel (pea gravel is best) will help with drainage through the clay as does the sand.
Jimmy

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