How to Plant your new landscape organically---


Remove grass and weeds from bed area--do not turn in.
If bed levels are being raised use enriched topsoil to raise beds.
In beds where soil is just being amended add 4" of organic compost mixed with 10% Lava Sand and till in to 8"deep.

Note--we have talked about the option of adding expanded shale to handle both  poor drainage when it exists and also to hold water and release it when the soil dries out making plants more drought tolerant--this is a great amendment that never goes away or stops working.  It is expensive  but  it is an expense that gives you your moneys worth and makes plants more successful if problems occur.

However most of my projects don't have it--so it is optional .    If the Expanded Shale is added to the bed you need to lay it on the bed area 3" thick and till it evenly down to 8". 
Have a 50/50 mixture of  Rabbit Hill Farm worm castings and rock phosphate handy  as a hole amendment and Maxicrop Sea Weed to use as root stimulator.

When you plant you need to have well watered plants and the soil where you are planting needs to be moist. This is called the wet-to-wet planting method and eliminates  plant shock.

Remove the plants from their pots and loosen the roots by combing them down to keep them from being planted with their roots going around.  Sometimes plants are so root bound you will need to score the root area by cutting into it with a knife or a sharp trowel.  If the plants were planted in a lot of peat moss [some are-some aren't ]
you will need to remove as much as possible before planting.

Dig your holes and add the wormcastings and rock phosphate mixture  [  approximately a  hand full to a 4"  hole -- two hand fulls to a 1 gallon hole and a cup to a 5 gallon hole ] .  Add a little moisture to the dry amendment and work it lightly around  in the hole.  Place the plant in the hole--be sure it is not too deep--be sure the plant is not planted too deep--but at soil level.  Fill the hole with the Maxicrop seaweed mixture and push soil into the hole. Press the area firmly around the plant to make it stable and wet again with the seaweed mixture--once again being careful not to plant it too low. 

Most of your plants will be planted using the afore mentioned wormcastings/rock phosphate mixture. 

Cools Season Annuals need equal parts -alfalfa meal / worm castings / rock phosphate

Hydrangeas , Magnolias and Hypericums  which are traditionally acid loving plants need to have Rabbit Hill Farm Bunny  Trails
[ rabbit manure] added to the 50/50 mix of wormcastings and rockphosphate.

Roses need to be planted with a product  by Rabbit Hill Farm called Something Special --follow the directions on the bag.

Camellias , Gardenias and Azaleas-plant  by adding a 50/50 mixture of compost and hardwood bark mulch tilled into the area to make it better drained and then dig a hole--amend the area further by mixing 2 cups of  Rabbit Hill Farm Rabbit Manure and 1/4 cup of  Dispersible Sulphur and 1/2 cup of  Greensand into the soil that you plant these plants in. [ note Greensand is a replacement for the Ruffin [Iron Source] which is no longer available]

After Beds are planted add Hardwood bark mulch 3" deep where possible--be sure not to cover the base of the plants--this could rot them out. After applying the mulch--wet it