I am sure many will comment, but my first thought is how lucky you are not to have grass. I would love to start with a clean slate and not have to fight bermuda grass.

Welcome.

First, you need to figure out what sort of soil you have. Sandy soil? Pure sand? Silty sand? Sandy loam? Clay? Clayey-sandy loam? Caliche clay and rocks? The kinds of plants you can successfully grow depends so very, very much on the answer to that question.

I've linked an article from Fine Gardening magazine that tells you how to do a simple jar soil test to determine what sort of particles make up the soil you have. After you figure out what kind of soil you have, we can tell you what sorts of plants will do well there. Unless you are matching your plantings to the type soil you have, nothing will grow. It is your job to figure out what sort of soil you have, and once you do that, it will be our job to suggest what will grow well there. I have tons of ideas, but need to know which sort of soil before I can list them.

Also, look around you and see what grows 'wild' and uncared for. That provides a lot of clues as well.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Texture Jar Test from Fine Gardening Magazine

Welcome! Your soil type is very important as Dawn mentioned. Also, given your location, you'll want to find plants that are drought, heat, and wind tolerant. Sometimes it'll say those things on the tag in the store, but we can also help suggest plants as well.

I just wanted to welcome you. Wish I had some good advice but I've no experience with growing things in such an environment. We did live in the Phoenix area for a few years but I didn't grow anything while there. We ended up hightailing it back east where there's some moisture!

Welcome!

Diane

Welcome, I haven't lived in that environment either, but have driven through western OK and KS and the thing that struck me were the rows of windbreak trees planted on the west and north around homes. I would find out what kind of trees do well there and plant a row on the north and the west and then go from there. It is very pleasant to have a garden planted on the east side of a row of trees, far enough away that there isn't much competition, but near enough that you get a couple hours of evening shade while you are in the garden.

Thank you for your replies! It'll be a little while before I get a chance to test the soil type (the link plus my math... may end up a mess haha) It is fine red dirt, that grows gourds, sunflowers, thistles, & mare's tail in abundance. The soil dries rather fast after watering and doesn't retain moisture well. Id love to plant wind break trees, and cotton wood does great in this area....... horribly messy and awful on allergies though.

There are cottonless cottonwoods.

Also, you can buy windbreak type trees from the Oklahoma Forestry Service in the spring. They are very small, but that is not a bad thing. Often, newly transplanted trees struggle or die because their root system is fairly small in comparison to the topgrowth. When you plant the tiny trees, they have a pretty good chance of survival because their roots are equivalent to their topgrowth.

We planted tiny oak saplings dug from our own woods about 11 or 12 years ago. We dug 8-10" of soil/root and the trees themselves were 6-12" above ground. So, at the age of 11 or 12, most of them now are taller than our two-story house. They've been through all sorts of weather and have handled it well and I feel like they've done so well because we didn't transplant a 5' tall tree that had a 12" rootball. Perhaps you can do that in some climates without trouble, but in our hot, dry climates, it makes more sense to plant small plants that can adapt and grow at the pace that makes sense for them in the location they grow in.

I am sure you understand that in your location, with your soil, lower rainfall and intense heat, selecting the right varieties of plants will play a huge role in your success at getting them to not only survive, but to thrive.

With the jar soil test, don't stress over how much of the soil is silt or sand or clay or whatever. The really important thing is to figure out if it is mostly sandy or mostly silt or mostly clay. I think it likely will be sand, but I've only driven through part of SW OK and didn't get out of the car to examine the soil.

There are great plants for all climates and soil types. Well, except maybe for the North Pole and South Pole. We can help you match up the right plants with your soil and your county's average rainfall. Do you know the average rainfall in your town or in your county?

I've linked the webpage of the Oklahoma Forestry Services for you. Their page that shows what seedlings they'll have available for sale in winter or spring should update in September. They have great prices for bundled trees for conservation, which in your case would be any windbreak trees you plant to shelter the rest of your land from erosion or to plant for for wildlife.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Oklahoma Forestry Services

Id guess sandy is the type, cactus and yuccas love this area. We planted 80 twigs(siberian elms)in spring. Something kept breaking them in half and leaving them there. We also had a dragging the water hose out issue, so sadly they have died(needing to invest in a drip system?). Im not sure of average rainfall b/c its always different every year. This year has been very dry. Not even wheat grew. Id say we have had good rain only twice this spring/summer not counting a couple of sprinkles. Thank you for the link, i will save it.

What do you all think about square foot gardening? If I had heard about it before I may have started out with that and eventually created more and more beds. I will prob add the peat/vermiculite next spring to help with water retention. I compost a ton, too, though.

I think if I were out west, I would start small like that and find my learning curve, BUT, I am on the lazy side and have no green thumb, and the western areas are like mars to me. Yuccas and cactus are so foreign. I would truly feel like the grapes of wrath out there.

Good luck, Jammie

I don't think you're too far from the yuccas and cactus, Jammie. I have them in my backyard. Though, I suppose I-35 is kind of the dividing line between the "southeast" type climate and the "southwest" type climate. I haven't managed to step on a prickly pear yet, but I've come close.

lizgyrl, I tried growing the tiny sticks my first year here near Oklahoma City, and they died on me too. I still have two that are trying to hang on, but between the rabbits and the mower they haven't gotten far. In fact, I think the redbud is shorter than when I planted it, and that was five years ago now. If you want an easier tree to grow, I'd buy the larger ones they sell in pots at the garden centers. Then you just have to remember to water them, especially out there! ;)

I think there's a happy medium in tree size. Just look for a canopy that is proportionate to the root size. No matter what size you bring home, I'd invest in either soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system. Newly transplanted trees need access to water near the surface where their roots are and sandy soil drains very quickly. Once the trees become established and the roots grow several feet down, you'll only have to help them out during summers like this one.

If I lived out west I'd do xeriscaping. It doesn't mean just planting cactuses. There are lots of neat plants, native and exotic, that don't require much, if any, extra water. Just keep in mind that this is one of the hottest and driest summers on record. Hopefully the trend will go back to our historical normal and then gardening will be easier on all of us!

Welcome! I live in the panhandle which probably has a similar climate to yours. This year has been very challenging because of the high temperatures, wind and extremely dry conditions. Hopefully, we will have a better year next year. The local OSU extension office and the soil conservation office nearest you will have information that will help you select windbreak trees and also have maps available with soil types. It is still a good idea to use the jar test to test your soil type because it may vary from the maps. A solid fence is a real asset out here where the wind blows constantly and rabbits and other wildlife can eat your garden faster than you can replant.

Jan

Jan,

If you see this, got rain?

Dawn

I've bought thousands of those OSU trees, and before that, I purchased hundreds of them from Colorado State. I found that heavy mulching was the key to helping them survive. I used the cleanings from my horse stalls, a mixture of manure and wood shavings. But, if you compost or can find leaves,grass clippings, haul in the neighbor's aged horse manure, anything. I piled up mounds along the tree rows long before the trees arrived. Then, planted my seedlings in the mounds, giving them a windbreak of mulch and making sure to leave an area around each tree free of mulch. Also, lay your soaker hoses under the mulch and they will last longer, since the sun causes them to dry out and break.
I would drive around the big, old farms and ask what type of trees they have for their windbreaks before purchasing your seedlings.

Dawn,

We had .35" last night. Last rain (other than sprinkles) was an inch the last of April. It was nice to smell the rain and we are thankful for it. We sure do need much more. The lightening was really bad last night so very glad we had a bit of rain. There are many harvested wheat fields that sure would burn. We have had less than 2" since Jan. 1. Praying for rain.
Jan

I love poplar trees. I cannot iterate sufficiently that they are highly invasive. HIGHLY. But they grow quickly and make excellent shade trees if pruned. I enjoy pruning trees.

Jan, Well, while .35" was nice, I wish it could have been 3.5"! Any rain is good and y'all get so little of it.

I heard parts of Beaver County were without power today after as storm took out power lines and power poles. What a day to have the power out! I wouldn't complain about losing the power for a day or two if it came with good, hard rain that would make a big difference. I don't know if they got that kind of rain or if they just got wind and a little rain. Of course, having the power out is uncomfortable in this heat and has the potential to be downright deadly.

Miraje, He really doesn't mind the drive. He's a police officer, so in his younger days when he worked the streets he drove all day or all night at work anyway. Now that he's chained to a desk most of the time, maybe the long drive makes up for not being out in a squad car very often.

Tim does watch the development of commuter train lines in the D-FW area with great interest. The train finally made it as far north as Denton this year. Of course, he'd ride the train if it ever could come as far north as Gainesville, but I figure he'll be retired long before that happens. Plus, his crazy hours are non-traditional and the commuter trains cater to people with more normal hours.

We knew when we moved here that he'd likely work at least 20 more years and would have a long commute "forever" but accepted it as part of the price you pay if you choose to move way out into the country. We've been here 13 years now, and when we moved here, once you left the northern edge of Fort Worth, you were "in the country" for the rest of the drive. Since then, they've built the speedway and all that development has happened around it and really all the way up I-35. I'm glad we moved out as far from Dallas-Fort Worth as we did because even Denton is getting huge and Gainesville is growing faster than I ever thought it would. I wonder how much longer people like us who want to live on a few country acres will be able to find a few acres to buy.

Dawn

From what I hear the neighbors have a great garden, its their first year also. I plan to check it out this weekend and ask questions. We are struggling with the grass also. We planted some spring of last year, but it all washed away into a clump. We have access to farm use round-up and was considering spraying the entire yard if it would ever rain a bit first. Then maybe turning it all over in winter.. bad idea? It is all just weeds, and the garden is officially gone. We had rain 2 mornings in a row this week, it was wonderful. It was also horrible hot after, but loved the rain. I think poplars would be awesome bc i hear they do grow fast. Ill definitely look into cotton-less cottonwood. We have tons of cattle, would the manure benefit a garden and trees? Our backyard has a large privacy fence but it didn't help with wind. The yard is large and sloped downhill from the house. Our yard has lots of rocks also.