Question
Thank you for your expertise. I live in Southern California. I had about 100 ficus trees (approx 6 feet tall) planted along my property line about two years ago. They were supposed to thicken and become a thick hedge for privacy. My soil is fairly rocky. The ficus trees have grown about 2 feet taller in two years. However, they are thin and do not provide any privacy. Some trees are more yellow than others. Two of the trees became thick but that's about it. Any ideas on how to thicken my ficus for privacy in rocky soil?  Thank you, Jeff

Answer
Jeff,
The best advice that I could give is to try to amend the soil by adding compost and topsoil into the beds. This mixture will work it's way into the soil slowly changing the soil profile.
Fertilize the ficus in the spring with a good balanced fertilize and organic biostimulants. This should help to thicken them up and should address the yellowing.
Ed Gulliksen