Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on planting a redbud tree sapling in a corner of my house, right in a garden bed that's surrounded by a retaining wall. I've already dug a hole two feet across and about a foot deep, but I hit some gravel and a layer of geotextile fabric underneath. I'm wondering how I should move forward with planting the tree. Should I cut a circle in the fabric or just let the roots find their way through it? The tree will be at least 8 feet away from the foundation. Thanks for your help!
2 Answers
Go ahead and plant! The wall is likely backfilled with gravel for drainage, and that fabric is doing its job preventing soil from clogging it up. Looks like a great spot for a redbud tree to thrive!
You're in a good spot to plant, especially since the tree is 8 feet away from your house. Redbud trees are relatively small to medium-sized, so they shouldn't cause any issues. The gravel is probably just leftover fill from construction. About the geo fabric, it could be for stabilizing the wall, but it's likely okay if you just plant the tree and let the roots work through that fabric. Just curious, though—why did you dig such a large hole?
You might be right about that fabric being for weed control. It’s tough to tell just from pictures without seeing the whole area!
I made the hole double the size of the container! It’s about 1 foot in diameter, so I figured two feet would be just right.