to be sure.. 2 to ten INCHES... right??

many conifers live on mountain sides .. in what is scree.. basically gravel ... soil, per se ... isnt an issue ... subject to proper watering to get them established ... and long term ...

i am thinking that if you start small enough.. so that the trees can put their roots where they want/need them ... soil depth shouldnt be all that much of an issue ... as compared to trying to move in huge transplants ... which would have a harder time trying to adjust to the new situation ...

but what might be an issue... it height and how it relates to the ability of the roots to hold the plants firmly ... so cultivar selection as to height and form might be the most important issue ...

i am curious what others think ...

ken

ps: your pix startled me at first.. i couldnt believe you still had a bank of snow.. lol ...

Yes, 2-10 inches. The depth is smaller at the top and increases closer to the grass.

I was thinking mostly prostate conifers in this spot. I think starting small is the right way to go. I just didn't know if there would be a problem long term.

LOL re snow. When it is in full bloom it looks like a giant cloud.

Normally conifers would be planted at the top of the slope and grown down, but with your limited soil at the top, Id plant them at the bottom and train them up the hill. They would get better water, and a solid amount of dirt to anchor in, allows for plants to be trained to a certain height, them weep down up the hill.

The only one that might work from the top would be Juniperus horizontalis or something equivalent that is very drought tolerant and has minimal height, because anything tall will just get ripped out with your first wind storm in that shallow of soil...