Rewilding My Lot

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’m a bit of a perfectionist. So when I first arrived here, I found it satisfying to dig neat round holes for my new plants.

Then I began to learn more about the soil here and how roots can behave (from my own observations and the teachings of others). Consequently, I now try to dig holes that are more square than round, and that have sides that are not particularly smooth. Here’s my reasoning:

Most of us at one time or another have encountered a plant that is “pot-bound,” where the roots have overgrown and all they can do is swirl around the edge of the pot. If I dig a perfectly round hole in my very compact soil, it is possible that a newly installed plant might just think it’s in another pot and never grow beyond the hole.

However, if the hole has corners and uneven sides, then roots are less likely to just rotate around the hole, and instead will find nooks and crannies to grow out further.

So I dig ugly holes now.