Efrain Cortez
Notes from our visit at your property, plus what we're proposing for ongoing care.
You're in a good spot here. You've already got good knowledge and a good base to build from, so don't get discouraged by the rocky soil or the slower start. Stay consistent with the steps below and each year your efforts will multiply.
Root Flare & Water Wells
Every tree on the property needs the same treatment. This is the single most important thing you can do for their long-term health.
- Dig out the root flare. Find where the trunk actually starts to flare out at the base and clear soil away from it so it's visible, not buried.
- Build a proper water well. Create a basin around the base wide enough to hold water and let it soak down to the roots instead of running off.
- Pull the rock back. This includes clearing rock out of the water well itself, not just around it. Rock right up against the trunk holds heat and blocks water from getting where it needs to go.
- Add compost, then mulch on top. Compost feeds the soil biology around the root zone, and the mulch layer on top holds moisture and moderates soil temperature.
Starting Point: Poor, Rocky Soil
Your soil is starting from a tougher place than most, poor and rocky, so plants are going to take a bit longer to settle in and establish than they would in richer ground. That's normal and expected here.
The way to speed that up, and to build something that holds up long term instead of needing constant intervention, is getting on a regular fertilizing program. Feeding the soil consistently is what turns rocky, poor ground into something that actually supports healthy growth on its own.
Prune Less, Not More
Your shrubs don't need to be kept tight and formal. Two hard prunes a year is all it takes.
- End of summer, going into fall. First hard prune of the year.
- End of winter, going into spring. Second hard prune of the year.
Outside of those two windows, leave them alone and let them grow. They'll fill in and establish faster, and they'll be noticeably happier plants for it than if they're getting shaped or trimmed back regularly in between.
Slow Drip Soak
For anything on the property that isn't looking its best right now, this is a simple fix.
- Set the hose to a very slow drip. Just barely coming out, not a steady stream.
- Let it soak for 24 hours. This gives the root zone a deep, slow soak instead of a quick surface watering.
- Move to a new plant each day. Rotate the hose around to whichever plant needs it next.
More Water on the Trees, For Now
Add 30 minutes to each tree watering cycle, on top of what you're running now. Keep this up through September.
Once we hit October, we'll dial it back down. Post in the Garden Nerd Club when we get there and we'll figure out the right number together based on how things are looking.
Rock to Mulch
Where the orange jubilee and red push pistache are planted, they'll be noticeably happier with mulch around them instead of rock. You don't need to clear every bit of rock, just remove the majority of it, then add a layer of mulch on top.
Monthly Organic Fertilizing
Given where your soil is starting from, this is the piece that ties everything above together. It's what turns the root flare work, the mulch, and the extra water into lasting, established growth instead of a slow uphill fight.
Here's what's included:
- Monthly liquid soil treatment. A custom organic blend applied across your whole landscape and lawn, feeding the soil biology that makes nutrients available to your plants instead of just feeding the plants directly.
- Compost applications, three times a year. This adds organic matter back into your soil, exactly what rocky, poor ground like yours needs most to start building real structure and life.
- A dedicated technician. The same person on your property every visit, who gets to know your yard and flags anything that needs attention before it becomes a real problem.
- Priority access. As a monthly client, you're first in line if something needs quick attention between visits.
Feeding the soil, not just the plant, is the whole philosophy behind how we work. It's a slower approach than synthetic fertilizer, but it's the one that actually builds healthier soil over time.