The donut idea would be more tolerable to the tree. Trees generally resent any fill around their established root systems. The question then is one of degree; A smallish bed, no soil against trunk, may be okay for a time. Know too that in a surprisingly short timeframe, tree roots will grow up into the new soil. You'll be battling those roots whenever you get in there to dig. And if it's perennial plants you are working with, they will be in for some tough competition as the years go by. But all this being said, a smallish bed could be accomplished.

+oM

Don't change the soil level. Even a few inches of increased soil over the root system could smother roots anbd kill the tree/shrub.

What you can do is remove the sod and create a bed to desired shape and size at the current soil level. OK to fill in with soil even with the sod but no deeper. This should provide sufficient protection for the mower or trimmer and still allow some loose soil for planting. Start with small plants and focus on those perennials that do not require frequent dividing - no tree or shrub likes to have its roots messed about with.

are you a masicist???

kill grass with roundup ..

add 2 or 3 inches of mulch..

insert pots .. or even better.. a couple lawn chairs.. and be done with it ...

looks like you have a lot of property to build beds in.. why potentially harm the tree???

ken

Thanks for the suggestions! I guess I'm trying to make the photinia the 'centerpiece' of the large open area around it. I have over 2 acres of grass within my new property and I plan on planting an orchard of productive trees (fruits and nuts) but in the meantime, this spot is a really great place to sit and enjoy the surroundings.

Maybe I'd be better off planting some companion plants in the adjacent native soil.

To clarify, the shade from the photinia is dense and does keep most of the Centipede grass away from the trunk, but it just looks a bit desolate beneath its dripline. There are some (unwanted) annual grasses that take over in that space during the summer and thats what I'm trying to replace.

The photo above captures about 1/10 of the property, including all of those tall hardwoods in the background (its spring in the pic). The garden in the distance is about 2000sqft and has produced herbs and veggies for us all year so far!

So 2-3" of mulch right around the tree would be ok. I should leave a few inches around the trunk to prevent disease then - and about how far out towards the dripline would be good? I'll probably put a few chairs on the mulch and enjoy. I have some landscape cloth to put down, would that be ok?

-Thanks again!

Mulch several inches deep.

No landscape fabric.

Once you establish that mulch bed (2-3 inches) in a wide area around the trunk, even past the drip line, it won't look desolate. It will look 'finished', purposeful, groomed.

You'll still have to spray every once in a while, and the mulch will need to be renewed periodically, but it will look great. And the Photinia will love that mulch.

God never intended the soil to be covered with a plastic-like weed mat ..

seriously.. 99% of weed seed is air borne.. mull this.. within minutes of putting down the mat.. there WILL BE seed on top of it ...

take what you have.. throw it away.. and raise your right hand .. and say aloud: I PROMISE TO NEVER USE IT AGAIN ..

its going to be a great spot for sitting in your garden.. and dream up ideas where you will plant things ... that is its defined use.. shade.. nothing else ...

ken

laserboy, I'll bet that pinestraw is an abundant resource in your area, right? If so, that makes a nice mulch and has some additional benefits in that is prevents the seeds of some weeds and grasses from germinating.

Great, I will use your recommendations!

I'm really starting to dig the idea of potted plants and/or small planters on top of the mulch as well.

Ken, I'll leave the plastic off the tree - thanks for the advice. I am going to try it though over a small section of the fall garden - my late veggies are completely covered with 3' tall grasses, and it is just too much to weed out.

Rhizo, luckily almost all of the trees on my property (about 1.5 acres of trees) are hardwoods. The only pines are a 250' long straight line of about 15 pines on the N edge. I'm guessing they're 15-25 years old and they do drop quite a bit of clean pine straw in a completely separate area from the ton of leaves in the fall. The cool thing is I can run the tow-behind sweeper up and down a few straight rows and harvest it very easily.

If there's no reason not to use the pine straw (acidity?) as mulch, I can easily get enough to mulch under the photinia and the rest of the ornamentals and blueberries.

That pine straw acidifies the soil is an urban legend....something that many people believe but has no basis in fact. Green pine needles are quite acidic and might cause a pH shift if lots were incorporated into the soil...but the dead straw won't do that. Certainly not when used as a mulch.

If there's no reason not to use the pine straw (acidity?) as mulch

==>>> pH is a .. and i can never bring the term to mind quickly .. so i will keep typing.. lol.. exponential function ???

to have any real affect on such.. [and to exaggerate...] you would have to put about 20 feet of pine needles on the given space.. for about 20 years ... you simply are not going to SIGNIFICANTLY change pH with a few inches of pine needles ...

now.. if you have a 50 foot tree that has been there for half a century.. the soil below MIGHT have a miniscule change ...

anyway.. pots under there .. with the chairs.. give you something to fiddle with.. while consuming adult beverages.. and gazing over the rest of the yard.. dreaming up useful projects ..

do NOT leave 3 foot tall.. seed baring weeds in your veggie garden.. they seed should be removed.. as well as the 3 foot stalks.. e.g. should you decide to till it next spring.. you will spend a vast amount of time unwinding the stuff from the tiller blades.. been there.. done that.. lol ..

with the size of your lot.. unless you have the time to do all this stuff by hand.. you ought to learn about the glory of generic roundup.. the proper way to use it.. etc ... but that isnt the subject of this post ...

ken

Photinia is one tough tree. You would be hard put to smother the roots with topsoil less than a foot deep. Why go to the trouble?
I like the idea of using Pine needles you have for a mulch and be done with it.
Mike

You could utilize a tree ring, if your only concern is the mower. It will take you just a few minutes to place it around the tree, and they are extremely inexpensive!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tree rings