Most gardeners…
By Harvey D. Goodman
A treeless garden is about what we might experience somewhere in the Midwest plains area. A garden with a sole tree to itself lacks the diversity of a natural setting — you might as well install a billboard displaying a picture of a tree.
Most gardeners would prefer a lawn balanced with trees and low-growing shrubs and grass; however, the preferred combination often involves flora with somewhat conflicting ecological needs. The end product is either trees that are stunted or lawns that are bare.
A few words of encouragement for maintaining and sustaining the regal tree: A healthy tree, in addition to providing a striking accent to the landscape, is a mini-ecosystem that provides a complex food web to literally millions of plants and animals.
The canopy of leaves voraciously converts water and carbon dioxide into food products for plant growth and provides for us the source of oxygen in the atmosphere. The shade produced by the “sun leaves” cools the soil beneath the tree some 20 percent to 30 percent when compared with unprotected sun-baked areas. The cool, moist ecosystem provides an incredibly friendly climate for insects, birds, tree frogs and a host of other wildlife.
Underground, roots and root hairs, comprising some 20 percent of the weight of the tree, provide anchorage and absorption of water and nutrients for the tree. Countless fungi, in a magnificent symbiotic relationship with the tree, feed harmlessly on root hairs while producing macroscopic threadlike filaments that greatly increase the absorptive property of the roots. Last season’s fallen leaves decay and provide a cycle of renewed nutrients taken in by the tree.
Now for some suggestions that will permit your trees to cohabitate and interact with other vegetation on your lawn.
Replace lawn grass around trees. Substitute it with compost or clumps of shade-loving plants. Young trees, and to a lesser degree mature trees, grow much better when they do not have to compete with the dense mat of roots often found in grass.
“Trunk-bashing,” the act of smashing against the tree trunk with your lawn mower, usually causes trunk wounds that can admit harmful pests and other disease-causing organisms. By replacing the grass, you provide a so-called “safe zone.”
Fragile root hairs can lie within inches of the soil surface. These surface roots and root hairs are the essential feeder roots that absorb as much as 60 gallons of nutrient-laden water to feed the tree. To avoid damaging these vital structures, the gardener should not dig or rototill near trees.
Grouping large trees with adjoining understory, or lower-lying, trees and shrubs can establish a mixed community. Nature thrives on a variety of plant types, each assuming a niche that helps the community to survive and thrive.
Pruning established trees reduces tree density, maintains health and allows understory vegetation to flourish.
Obviously we shouldn’t group every tree in the same category, nor should we assume that what is appropriate for one tree in your garden is suitable for another species. Your best bet is to check with your local nursery.
Questions or concerns about gardening or houseplants can be addressed by e-mail to Harvey.Goodman@att.net.
