I bought a new hourse (my first) and for the last few months i've totally neglected to take care of my yard, except for lawnowing every other week. Lately i thought about reseeding some bare patches under 2 trees i have on my back yard. But a friend of mine told me the trees leave some kind of substance underground that doesn't let anything grow underneath them. Is that true? I was hopping with a bit of lime i could make that area safe for growing grass again, or am i wrong?

Any yard experts out there?

My knowledge of horticulture is as good as Paris Hilton's knowledge of rocket science, but I thought I would give this a shot anyway. :rolleyes:

Maybe if you choose plants that are native to the area, they will grow better? And maybe mulch will help the soil under the tree? Or maybe you could just buy some potted plants and put them under the tree, with the mulch.

I don't know, I'm just rambling. Sorry!

p.s. congrats on your first house

We just built a new house last year. The lot we bought was nothing but trees. We (obviously) had to clear a lot of them out to build but we haven't had much trouble getting grass to grow. We have gotten a lot of help and info from Scott's web site. Check it out! They also have a forum there.
http://www.scotts.com/

I shouldn't even be responding because my thumb is transparent, but is it just that particular tree? Or is your friend saying trees in general, because frankly I've never heard of that! Grass is probably the easiest thing to grow, at least in my backyard it is, popping up everywhere. Why don't you just pick one patch and try it this season so you know if it works for next?

I'm no expert, but I just went through some hellish experiences with my lawn. Where do you live? What kind of trees are you talking about? Do you know which type of grass you have? Do you have an irrigation system? Wow, I ask a lot of questions, don't I?? :huh:

I know a little about gardening but I'm no expert. I know that a lot of trees have subtances in their leaves that prevent grasses and other small plants from growing around their bases. Some trees are worse than others. You have a better chance if you rake up fallen leaves right away. Not only do leaves create a chemical barrier, but a physical one. Grasses and small plants have a harder time growing through a thick layer of anything. You may also need to amend the soil if it has already been chemically affected. You can pick up a test kit pretty cheaply from the lawn and garden department at your local home improvement store.

I just thought of something else.....you could just mulch a circle around the base of the tree and use some type of edging around it.

What kind of grass do you have? Maybe it won't grow in the shade. But then again I am not the one to ask since my yard is dead since it never rains in Texas anymore!!!!