Desert Willow In North Texas Clay Soil

Question

I have 7 desert willows in my yard in North Texas – the soil here is clay, probably not the best for desert willows, but I didn’t know that when I had the trees planted in the yard about 6\7 years ago. I planted them 30′ apart and they’ve been in the ground and getting taller and wider – at this point, many of the branches are getting close to other trees. In the winters here the trees are completely bare, but each spring they start out strong, with robust growth and lots of flowers, but after a month or so the leaves on the bottom half of the trees start falling, and greenery on the bottom half of the trees becomes pretty sparse – the top half of the trees look OK, with plenty of leaves and flowers. We had a VERY wet Spring, and then an extremely hot few weeks of 100 degree days, a strong breeze, and full sun. Is there anything I can do to improve the appearance of the trees besides replacing them with a variety better suited to the clay soil? Thanks for any suggestions!

Answer 1

A wet season paired with clay soil is definitely can cause some issues. This will suffocate roots and invite diseases into the area around the roots.You may try and incorporate compost around the roots. It can help loosen and break up that soil over time. Adding extra worms isn't a bad idea, either.

Keep an eye out for diseases. You may notice wrinkles, brown, or patchy leaves. This will need to be addressed if you find it.

Your local extension service can help test the soil and see, exactly, what it needs.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/what-is-extension-service.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/desert-willow/caring-for-desert-willow-trees.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/desert-willow/pruning-desert-willows.htm