What I use per
3x3x3(ish) hole:
One Half to One Whole
bale of Pro mix sphagnum peat moss (you'll know it when you see it. they (lowe's home depot/walmart usually have regular 'sphagnum peat moss and some sort of "Pro" or "enriched" s. peat moss)
biggest bag of
'organic' soil lowes or walmart has-(usually 40 lbs)
5lbs
worm castings. (walmart/lowes/home depot has 'em)
After
filling hole w/ above ingredients,
mix well,
place plant,
Back fill w/ native soil. Cover ground around/beneath plant w/ debris from around you. (leaves, twigs, rocks are good! This keeps soil from drying out as quickly, and disguises your plot!)
Gather all trash and move on to next spot!
For ferts, an old timer gave me this tip, and I used it w/ success; get a bag of ammonia nitrate along w/ a bag of dry feed molasses from the local feed store. When your plants get hardened enough to be able to take some nitrogen--mine usually get this way around 1st of may round-a-bouts--take a small handful (very small!) and sprinkle around the perimeter of each plants hole. Do this right before a good rain if possible and the nitrogen gets washed down to the roots of your plants. . do this 3 maybe 4 times over the course of the summer. Till maybe the end of june. Then start spreading the molasses around your plants the same way. Do this till end of August when it rains (if previous is washed away) This definitely makes your plants frostier! I can attest to this fact from firsthand exp.I fed molassses a couple of times.
Anyway there's my 2 sense.Maybe it'll help a brother out, maybe I'm high! lol sorry for the long post!
*Edit:
Also,
about the
chicken wire, you can use
fishing line instead. Tie between trees at various heights every 8in.- a foot, starting at the bottom going up to about 3-4 ft.
Check my journal pics for results.