Drought tolerant trees flourish in bentonite rich soil.
Bentonite is an expansive or "swelling soil," absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate, containing montmorillonite clay minerals that absorb water and expand. If water is taken away, the soil shrinks. A soil sample of pure montmorillonite, if supplied with adequate water, can increase up to 15 times its original volume. Expansive bentonite soils are found throughout Colorado.
Bentonite Expands Soil
Do not plant any shrub or perennial ground cover closer than 4 to 6 feet to the foundation of your home. Plant trees at least 15 feet away from foundations and walls. Savvy homeowners plant trees and shrubs that require a minimum of water. Garden sprinklers should not spray within 5 feet of the foundation. Excessive watering will cause the bentonite soil to swell. Repeated swelling and shrinking may create a break in a foundation wall or underground pipes. In new constructions, builders often incorporate lime into the soil to depths of 12 to 18 inches to stabilize the soil. Liming increases soil pH. Soils may have a pH of 8.2 or greater. Rather than lime the soil, builders may replace the top 4 to 5 feet with a non-expansive, impermeable soil. When planting trees in landscapes suspected of having a high bentonite content, take a sample of the soil to your local county extension agent for analysis. Follow the extension agent's advice for tree species selections compatible with your soil.
Bentonite Absorbs Moisture
Landscape in a manner that reduces fluctuations in the water content of the soil. Sedums, Yarrow, Potentilla, Mountain Juniper and Creeping Juniper are excellent drought tolerant species to plant around the base of landscape trees growing in bentonite soils. When planting trees in a landscape with a heavy bentonite content, always select drought tolerant trees suitable for cultivation in your hardiness zone.
Soil pH
Gardeners planting trees on soil that has been amended with lime should not apply gypsum, iron sulfate fertilizer, sulfur, ammonium, pine needles or coffee grounds to the soil. Avoid applying organic materials to treated areas around the foundation. Organic material will dilute the impact of the lime. Do not attempt to improve the drainage of your landscape. Lime will leach out and destabilize the foundation.
Tree Maintenance
Calcium Bentonite Clay is an ideal dressing for tree wounds. When trimming or pruning trees, apply moist bentonite clay to fresh cuts in trunks, branches and limbs of trees. Mix bentonite clay with water to form a thick paste. Apply with a spatula or putty knife. The clay and water mixture will seal the wound and prevent infection or insect infestation of the exposed bark surface. When transplanting young trees or shrubs, soak the root system overnight in a 5-gallon bucket of water to which a cup of bentonite clay has been added. Stir the water until clay is dissolved. Soaking seedlings and shrubs eases the shock of transplant and helps the plants get off to a good start.
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