[David Bracey]

I always smile to myself when I read planting and soil recommendations for a particular plant.  For example the following soil is recommended for V. vinifera......well drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil.  All fine and good but as far as i am concerned I have the soil I have in the garden and changing it is a monumental challenge. It is possible to "change" the soil in the planting hole by adding compost, gravel, sand, fertilizer, and other soil amendments but after that, what?  I take the approach that the plant takes its chance in the soil in my garden and not the other way round.

How do other members approach this topic?
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[JTh]

If my soil was totally unsuitable for a specific plant and there was nothing I could do to improve it, I guess I try to avoid plantg in it, but otherwise I do the same as you, David. My vines are doing well, though, in spite of being planted in heavy, badly drained, very alkaline clay.

[Fermi]

Hi David,
Our soil is mostly heavy "adobe" clay and we amend it where possible with compost and grit and by creating raised beds which drain more freely than the native soil.
One of the biggest problems we had was finding that trees that had been planted out from pots years before were still growing within the shape of the pot! We discovered this a few years after we moved to this block and from then on tried to always bare-root deciduous trees when we plant them. They have to get used to the soil as it is in the main.
We've also found that making a mound of soil over the root zone of some trees has really helped them - in particular we've had a scarlet oak and a claret ash grow in leaps and bounds compared to their "un-mounded" companions. Of course, this was something we discovered by accident, when we left a weakling oak sapling in situ when we made a mound around it to plant some Washington Thorns. The oak suddenly grew and is now the tallest in the garden! I presume that the soil sitting on top of its root zone acted as a mulch of sorts and helped preserve moisture.
cheers
fermi

[Alice]

I would agree with Jorun. If the soil is totally unsuitable, e.g. an acid-loving plant in a strongly alkaline soil, it would be an uphill struggle to constantly try to make it right for the plant. But one can get away with quite a lot.
How interesting, Fermi. I have always wondered why some people plant the way you describe with a mound of soil around the stem. I thought it was to prevent the plant rocking in the wind. Good to know of your observations, and worth a try.