A common environmental battle in the home landscape is grass versus tree. As much as homeowners love and want both – a beautiful green lawn and mature shade trees, they are natural competitors. Due to too much shade created by trees, most lawns rarely do well and thrive long term growing under a tree in a yard. Both are also in competition with each other for soil, water, nutrients and space. On some occasions, a combination of a shade-tolerant turfgrass, a southern sunlight angle and the right environmental conditions does allow grass to exist under tree canopies.
When homeowners attempt to manage an existing lawn under a tree, they often complain about the tree’s large roots sticking above ground. Not only can it be considered unsightly, it also creates a tripping hazard. Mowing the lawn under a tree becomes much more difficult with roots in the way. Over and over again, people and professionals will just mow over the visible roots, with many getting cut and damaged over time. That is not what needs to happen if you really love and want to keep your shade tree.
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Creating a natural buffer zone with mulch is best for trees and lawn
Shane Harris
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