I have a Shantung maple tree I want to plant on the side of my house. I have blackland soil; water is slow to drain out of the hole (dug for the tree). Grade slopes gently to back of lot. What can I do to this area so that I can plant this tree? Drain system? What kind?

Hi jem. You might want to ask this question in the trees forum for more replies. I think the general answer will be that your soil needs more organic material in it. To me this means roots and microbes, not compost. Obviously roots come from plants and the microbes come from being well fed with organic fertilizer.

I am not good at what plants will give you good roots. I can tell you that tall grass will give you the deepest roots, but beyond that, those other plants are deep mysteries to me. I've read that alfalfa can develop roots that go 30 feet or more into the soil. Some legumes (alfalfa is one) seem to develop deep roots, but other than that one, I don't know which ones might help.

As for the microbes, you could fertilize and mulch to grow a great herd of those guys. Deep mulch for six months, especially through the summer, will help enormously.