Question
I live on long island and have just completed the masonry in my yard. I am waiting on another project in the yard to be completed before I start the landscaping. I am however beginning to research into the landscaping. Please keep in mind that I have a very rocky soil on my property. Are there different grades of soil available? If so, what is the best soil for a seeded lawn or a sodded lawn. Can I lay the new soil over the existing rocky dirt or do I have to till the two together? Also, I've been searching prices on the Internet for Leyland cypress' and found that the best price that i can find comes from the Carolina's. Should I be concerned with trees coming from Carolina which will be planted in Long Island?

Answer
Hi Steve,

Soil comes in all different shapes and sizes.  Literally, a sand particle can be hundreds of times larger than a clay particle.

As far as soil goes, you'll want to make sure the pH is between 6.0 and 7.0.  Don't be afraid to ask the supplier for a sample of the soil to have tested.  You'll also want to find out about texture (I like a sandy loam personally) and organic matter content, which any reputable lab can test for as well.  Just make sure to specify that you want to organic matter tested as it is not usually in the standard mix of tests.  The lab reports will tell you if any of these things are within or outside normal ideal ranges.

If the new soil is at least 5 inches deep, you'll be fine laying it on top of the rocky stuff.  Mixing it in will just bring rocks to the surface.  Not good.  

As for the Leyland Cypress, your concern sounds very valid to me, but I am not an arborist so I'd advise you to resubmit that question to an expert arborist here.  We've all got our niches, right?

Take care Steve.  Let me know how it works out!

C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com