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Aloha, I'm Rourk and we are buying a place in Seaview.[
] I can't wait to have garden. I've been going through some of the previous post and I was wondering how large a hole I need to dig for fruit trees, Avos, Lychee, mango etc... From looking at some of the nursery sites it seems that they mostly come in 3 gallon sizes so they are pretty small. Our property is mostly on a'a. also, any rec.s for what type of soil to plant them in, is the red cinder good?
Mahalo,
-Rourk
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I think generally the hole is supposed to be 3x the size of what you're putting in it. I've never had the patience to do them quite that big and everything has done fine. I've planted almost everything with supersoil from home depot. But I'd recommend getting a load of soil or cinder soil. I've read black cinder is better than red for some reason. Come by sometime and I'd be happy to show your my yard. I'm on Mapuana. What place are your buying?
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Hi Rob, the place on Kekaikolo. I saw your posting and pics of your yard which is very inspiring.
-Rourk
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Oscar, over at Fruitlovers, said a 4 X 4 hole is best for planting large type free trees in a'a (Lychee, Longan, Avocado, etc.)
-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".
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Hi Rourk. I'm about a block and half away from you guys. I'll have to walk by your street. Please do come by and say hello!
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I've found that red cinder will compact and can become hard like concrete (good for driveways, under slabs, etc.)
Black cinder stays looser and works better for Agriculture.
IMHO
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Seaview has smaller lots and what you are seeking to plant are pretty large trees that may crowd and shade out the area beneath them--which works well if you want a shade garden. I suggest seeking dwarf varieties.
There are different schools of thought as to the size of a transplanting hole. Some say that anything bigger than the size of the pot you are transplanting allows the water to be held around the roots for too long, causing rot. That is what I was most recently taught, locally.
Red cinder is best used for paths, as only very hardy weeds seem to thrive in it. Most others overdose on the iron and magnesium oxides. Unfortunately, most of the black cinder we had sourced in Puna is now under houses.
