Lawn Question Deux

[2LaneCruzer]

Sharn Jean and I have lived in this house for 46 years and my lawn has always been kept nice. Up until this year, the only problem I had with trees was the two huge Maples on the East property line. Grass around those trees was thin, with some bare ground showing, but I could keep it at a minimum with lots of water. Sometimes I let it run all night.

This year all of my trees on the North and East side of the house have huge bare spots under them...including a large Magnolia bush. I don't know what's happening that is different. In fact, some soil has eroded and it looks like I will need to bring in some topsoil. Any comments any one?

 

[oldballs]

Sharn Jean and I have lived in this house for 46 years and my lawn has always been kept nice. Up until this year, the only problem I had with trees was the two huge Maples on the East property line. Grass around those trees was thin, with some bare ground showing, but I could keep it at a minimum with lots of water. Sometimes I let it run all night.

This year all of my trees on the North and East side of the house have huge bare spots under them...including a large Magnolia bush. I don't know what's happening that is different. In fact, some soil has eroded and it looks like I will need to bring in some topsoil. Any comments any one?

2Lane......My place is identical to yours in years and trees and the bare ground....46 years of Soft Maple, huge Sycamores, and Black Walnuts trees. And, yesterday my water main broke .... had to replace 85 feet of line and now have a huge pile of dirt and messed up lawn. I ain't gonna sweat it and will deal with it in the spring.

Cheers, Mike

 

[2LaneCruzer]

2Lane......My place is identical to yours in years and trees and the bare ground....46 years of Soft Maple, huge Sycamores, and Black Walnuts trees. And, yesterday my water main broke .... had to replace 85 feet of line and now have a huge pile of dirt and messed up lawn. I ain't gonna sweat it and will deal with it in the spring.

Cheers, MikeView attachment 581936

I'm with you Mike. If you figure it out, let me know.

Dennis

 

[plowhog]

Sharn Jean and I have lived in this house for 46 years and my lawn has always been kept nice. Up until this year, the only problem I had with trees was the two huge Maples on the East property line. Grass around those trees was thin, with some bare ground showing, but I could keep it at a minimum with lots of water. Sometimes I let it run all night.

This year all of my trees on the North and East side of the house have huge bare spots under them...including a large Magnolia bush. I don't know what's happening that is different. In fact, some soil has eroded and it looks like I will need to bring in some topsoil. Any comments any one?

I'm not qualified to diagnose what might cause the lawn to disappear, but you might consider putting a layer of mulch below the trees instead of lawn. Depending on what you put there, it can add to the beauty of the yard while also helping hold in moisture and protect any surface roots. I've done this for a few trees and planters and was satisfied with the results. Just another option to consider ...

 

[MossRoad]

Sharn Jean and I have lived in this house for 46 years and my lawn has always been kept nice. Up until this year, the only problem I had with trees was the two huge Maples on the East property line. Grass around those trees was thin, with some bare ground showing, but I could keep it at a minimum with lots of water. Sometimes I let it run all night.

This year all of my trees on the North and East side of the house have huge bare spots under them...including a large Magnolia bush. I don't know what's happening that is different. In fact, some soil has eroded and it looks like I will need to bring in some topsoil. Any comments any one?

Our neighbor has a huge maple and I notice that in times of little rain, the grass in his and our yards dies first under the dripline of that maple tree. It sucks out HUGE amounts of water from the ground. So, it could be the groundwater is receding under those trees. Insects in the soil. PH is off. Lawn diseases. Heck, I've once seen a broken gas line that killed the grass.

Dryer vents (although usually a small area). Hot water leaks. Chemical plumes from industrial sites.... yikes!

Let's hope it's just water. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Once you notice grass dying from lack of water, it's hard to bring it back with sprinklers for that year. That's why it's best to start watering early in the year and keep it up all year if you want to maintain a lawn.

 

[Diggin It]

I'm more concerned with finding something with a more vigorous root system that will hold better with 2,500 pounds of tractor, attachments and operator running over it.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Maple trees have a very shallow root system, and as a result grass is hard to grow underneath them. Be careful with more topsoil over the roots, as the same shallow roots don't want to be covered; trees breathe through their roots. Also, how long did leaves lay under the trees this fall?, that could be why more grass died out. Someone mentioned mulch under the trees, that is fine as long as it isn't too thick. You can also try limbing up the trees some, to allow more sun to hit the ground, and this will help the grass. FYI... Bachelor of Science in Horticulture...

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Maple trees have a very shallow root system, and as a result grass is hard to grow underneath them. Be careful with more topsoil over the roots, as the same shallow roots don't want to be covered; trees breathe through their roots. Also, how long did leaves lay under the trees this fall?, that could be why more grass died out. Someone mentioned mulch under the trees, that is fine as long as it isn't too thick. You can also try limbing up the trees some, to allow more sun to hit the ground, and this will help the grass. FYI... Bachelor of Science in Horticulture...

Good info. I mulched the leaves once this year, first nice day I'll do it again. The leaf fall is very heavy in that area; my neighbors trees contribute a bunch also.

 

[Stancoll]

I agree with the mulch idea. You've got to consider that with a tree sucking up the available water it's also sucking up all the availalble nutrients in the soil also. One way to feed your trees . Consider a auger drill bit for a cordless drill. Drill holes (3-4 each) down and around the drip line and add 5-10-15 or 10-10-10 fertilizer and cover the hole up, usually once a year. You can use the fertlizer sticks but they can get pricey. My dad told me (I'm taking it for the truth), that certain trees drip a type of acid in their sap ( where I'm from it's oaks and pecan trees). It prevents other trees from competeing with them and cuts down any competition. Evidence is cars left under the trees usualy the paint job gets eaten up and rust starts in if left for extended periods of time so it applies the sap much have something in it to kill off grasses. Pines around here not so much but they have a lot of surface roots just on top of the ground. Grass around oaks here in GA is almost a nono. When I was a small lad folks kept a swept manicured sand yard, no grass whatsoever.