Hi all,
I moved into my house last fall. The house is in Bryan. I have a large elm tree in my front yard, that shades the entire yard for the majority of the day. There are many surface roots also. After reading this week's DG newsletter, I think coleus would provide the color that I want, even in the shade, but I'm not sure how to go about prepping the packed-down, grass-less, root-filled (lots of hyphens, huh?) area so that my coleus and the tree will be happy. Any suggestions for me?
Thanks,
Suz
Advice for planting under tree?
Welcome to your new home!
I'm in sort of the same boat as you except that my problem is tall, once blooming bushes that are about 12' tall and give us privacy from our next door neighbors. All we really see is the "trees' knees" up to about 6-7' then the greenery starts. I have bought hibiscus to put under those bushes and I'm going to put them in big pots so that the ground under the bushes and their roots don't have to be disturbed. The hibiscus' will be in the sun all day because of the way the house is situated and the bushes are way over the area. Oleanders are not fun to dig into and the sap is toxic - at least to me - besides messy. I just wish that when people planted they would consider what their bushes are going to look like 5, 10, 20, + years from their planting.
Ann
Suz, I have a similar problem with a great big red oak. I considered building a raised bed, but I read so many precautions about changing the grade and/or piling dirt on top of tree roots. You can seriously injure the tree. That said, we top dress the lawn (what's left of it) under the tree every year, and that doesn't seem to hurt it.
So, I tried a slow no-till method, and it worked for me. First thing is to spread a layer of leaves, if you can. (The best thing, of course, would be the tree's own leaves.) If they are shredded, then it should only be about an inch to 1.5 inches thick. Then do a LIGHT top dressing with compost, peat, very light garden soil, or something like that. Again, you want it to only be about an inch thick--just enough to cover the leaves and help them break down. This is similar to nature's compost method in the wild, where the tree and soil are nourished by its own leaves.
Ideally, if you have the time, then you can wait about 3-4 weeks, and repeat the process. The important thing is that you only spread thin layers at a time, and give the tree time to adjust. I gave my tree about 3 weeks to adjust. It didn't blink, so I'd repeat the process, until finally I had some workable soil.
Besides not having to work the soil and disturb roots, there are other advantages to this method. It really does improve the underlying soil. It replaces the nutrients sucked from the soil by the tree. And, at the same time, it serves as a mulch and helps choke out any unwanted vegetation, like grass. But it's a cold-compost method, so it won't burn any roots. You can plant in it at any time.
I grow coleus, but I've never planted them in a lasagna bed. I would think, though, that this would be perfect for them.
Good luck!
Have the same problem with this sweet gum.
There's nothing growing there except that &*'":#* poa annua. We took the tree canopy up some, so it may get enough sun for some grass to grow this year. If not, I can do something similar to this picture, except I like the way the beds are shaped currently. Any ideas?
Here's the entire area around the tree.
And another from the opposite angle
My advice is don't. Use plants in pots around trees, you can change your mind a whole lot easier, and you don't run the risk of damaging your tree.
"eyes"
I agree with "eyes". Go with pots. When you change the soil elevation under a tree, you reduce the amount of oxygen the roots get. This can seriously damage, stunt or kill the tree. Some trees resent any disturbance at all. Post Oaks are notorious for doing this. At the other extreme is the redwood tree, which can send out a new set of lateral roots whenever there is soil buildup around its roots. In some cases as little as an inch of new soil can kill the tree. If soil is used to raise the elevation, It can months for the tree to adjust and to recover from the stress induced by the addition of that extra soil. Stressed trees can fall prey to diseases which stresses them even more. If the stress is great enough, the tree dies.
Out in the wild, decomposing leaves do provide nutrients to the tree, but it actually doesn't build up any "soil" If you walked into the middle of our woods, some areas have up to a foot of dead leaves in various stages of decomposition. Move the leaves aside and you can see the soil so oxygen can easily get to the feeder roots.
I've dealt with a lot of trees and while I love the look of the garden 'ring' around the base of a tree, all those roots are such a PAIN!
My first thought when I read your post was 'go with pots!' I really like how you did yours, Irwell! VERY nice!!
... my two cents...
I really like the idea of the river rocks. It allows air and water to get thru, but you don't have to look at the roots. Then farther out from the tree you can plant pretty much what you want if you start with really small plants so you aren't digging into tree roots.
My problem is that I already have two beds that are done that way, and I think a third would look strange. Also don't have much room between the driveway and the problem tree. I'm going to give it another summer to see what the grass does, and then we'll do something.
I realize ground cover can get outta hand and even annoying, but have you thought about something like Wedelia (goodness I have lots I could share with you), or moss rose, and I know there are others prettier than just the standard Asiatic Jasmine. The Wedelia does die back in the winter but I love the foliage and the pretty yellow blooms all over. Moss Rose could be more drought tolerant and still provide a little color.
just a thought...