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Ontario, Canada.

Mr. T. Caution about the pit idea. You need very good drainage for this to work. Any pooling of water in the pit will cause the tap root to rot. If you can drain the excess water away it might work. A drainage pit or dry well at the bottom to collect the water and pump it out with a float switch would be best. With this approach you can ensure that you get maximum moisture without the complete saturation. This is very costly to setup in the garden. You would need a glory hole about six feet deep x 15 ft raduis. Install a sump and pump at the bottom with weeping tile running in to it. Line the botom with gravel and sand. Then the soil mix. The hole at best could be cone shaped or tappered to about 12 to 18 " from the surface out to about the 15' area from the center. I don't know if anyone has tried a hole this big before. I have seen a few pics from Ben Boytons diary this past season down under. Sweden-Gustavsson has some neat ideas about this. He runs verticle drain tubes into the soil at an angle. They provide an air space and help to accumulate any excess water at the bottom of the pipe. http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=14893
I just wish I had the budget for this to try one circle patch with this technic.
Cost for one hole > Sump pump with float, drainage tube, gravel, sand, excavator for a day. My idea would be similar to contsruction of a golf course green but modified into into a shallow bowl with a center drainage pit.

3/23/2004 5:25:20 PM

Nova Scotia

Kahuna2 i think you misunderstood me. i was reffering to sand only as a vine burying method. i have a raised bed 6-8" since i'm so far south i water about 50% of the day to beat the heat and have some rotting problems because of this.

3/23/2004 6:17:58 PM