Trees and Your Lawn

Trees are a wonderful addition to any landscape plan and fall is an ideal time to plant them.  You may already have beautiful trees adding value to your property, or you may just be starting out and wondering what to plant.  Either way, trees and your lawn have to co-exist in your yard.  Here are some tips that will allow both to thrive, contributing to the beauty of your yard and home.

Select your trees with your lawn in mind
If you want grass to grow beneath your trees, it’s best to select trees that will at least give it a fighting chance.  The key is to have some shade from your tree, but not total shade which will snuff out your lawn.  Ask about the size of the tree when mature, and despite how small the tree may look now, follow directions on how to space trees if you are purchasing more than one.  Even small trees need about 12-15 feet of space between them.  Planting a single tree in the center of your yard will not cause any problems because the sun should be able to reach the ground during the different parts of the day.

Manage your existing trees
Trees, like any other plant in your yard, need grooming and care.  Remove dead branches and consider having a professional open up the canopy to allow more light to reach your lawn below.  This can be done without adversely affecting the shape or health of your tree.

Trees, plants and lawn compete for nutrients
Most people don’t really think of the competition going on out in their yard.  Everything with roots in your yard is reaching down into the soil to find what it needs to survive.  A mature tree has lots of roots in the two feet of soil below it.  It’s best to establish grass around a mature tree in fall when the tree is approaching dormancy. This will allow more light to pass through the branches to help the grass seed germinate and grow.  Use a starter fertilizer to give the new grass a boost.

If you have mulch and plant shade-loving perennials beneath your trees, remember that they are also competing with the tree for nutrients. Be sure to fertilize these plants by placing the fertilizer in the soil around the plant and its roots and not on top of the mulch itself.  Plants under mature trees will need a little extra attention and fertilizer throughout the growing season if you want them to thrive.

Good mowing practices around trees
For the most part, mowing around trees is no different than mowing the rest of your lawn.  Never mow more than one-third of the height of the grass. Trimming can be more of an issue.  It’s easy to damage trees by string trimming incorrectly.  You never want to make contact with the tree trunk when you trim.  To ensure your trees won’t be damaged, create a ring of mulch around the tree trunk.  Watch our video on How To String Trim Like a Pro to learn more.

Dealing with tree roots at the soil surface
Some mature species of trees, such as the silver maple, are notorious for roots that grow at the soil surface in the surrounding area.  This can pose a problem when it comes to mowing.  If you strike the roots when you mow, you will quickly dull your mower blade and eventually damage the tree.  So what can you do?  You can carefully trim the lawn in the area around the roots.  You can also add mulch to the area around the tree to avoid the mowing problem altogether.  One thing you shouldn’t do:  Don’t place soil over the roots and think the problem is solved.  The soil will alter the tree’s oxygen/carbon dioxide ratio and may kill the tree.

Don’t let wet leaves cover your lawn in fall
A layer of leaves – especially wet leaves – can smother and kill grass in a matter of a few days.  If you have deciduous trees (the kind that drop leaves), you will have to rake the leaves in fall. 

With a little landscaping foresight and a few corrective measures, your lawn, trees and other plants can co-exist and add beauty to your home.