I had the same problem trying to grow things under a sycamore here. I became too busy with things and couldn't take care of the bed well (with watering mainly) and so scrapped the bed. There is still a strip inbetween the tree and the foundation though, just not directly under it any more. You are not alone, I also found the tree slurped up a lot of nutrients from the surrounding soil. Seriously, some pockets of soil underneath looked devoid of any nutrients. The problem I had was that most of the plants did indeed seem to need yearly feedings to keep from noticeably dwindling in size. There is only so much compost one can put on that sort of bed, especially since too much build up of the soil won't exactly be good for the tree and the roots and "smother" them if too much is used. The strip I have is also getting tapped out in the nutrient department, though I composted it generously the fall before last. I'm going to get some good organic fertilizer for this area and give them a helping in those years I am not able to compost. Liquid fish fertilizer is also a pretty easy way to give them a booster. Alfalfa pellets did okay, but I'm not sure that alone would be enough. Ps. it is not impossible to grow under trees. I had several plants that did surprisingly well there, with regular watering and a bit of nutrient supplements from time to time. Epimedium, Cymbalaria, Omphaloides (surprising), Polygonatum, certain Geraniums, to name a few. Sometimes in "difficult" areas I plant somewhat invasive spreaders, since they are kept more in check in this situation. Carex morrowii, variegated ribbon grass, Ajuga, creeping jenny, Dicentra (formosa I think it was), Limelight Artemesia, Lamium, etc. It's just a matter of finding what what works well for you and a little extra upkeep... Just my thoughts anyway! CMK

Here's Western-y poetics for ya..... Snakeweed, Shindagger, Horsecrippler, Dogweed, Cowblinder, Rattlesnake Master, Flameflower, Scullcap, Starvation Cactus, Antelope Horns, Mosquito Grass (or Skeeter Grass if you're a real hick), Barometer Bush, Rabbitbush, Winterfat, Mormon Tea, Indian Blanket, Mexican Hats, Scrambled Eggs, Texas Yellow Star, Locoweed, Bitterweed, Scorpion Flower, Devil's Claw, Navajo Tea, Prince's Plume, Leadplant, Indian Tobacco, Desert Spoon, Beargrass, Soap Tree Yucca, Buckwheat, Firewheel, Deergrass. Beargrass and of course Sitting Bull Falls Cardinal Flower. Its not really poetry but its a bit of brief story telling. I'm not in the horticulture or nursery business so unless I need to specify or pin a species down for some reason I use the vernacular, some people frown on this. I do look them up when necessary. Semi-arid, wide skies & flat windy landscapes sounds like it would be perfect for many of the natives around here. What kind of soil, I'm interpreting that you are saying there is a lot of natural peat? BTW, wantanamara is in a primo-de-la-primo spot for native plants-- the Texas Hill Country-- the place is famous for their natives. They've got the Lady Bird Johnson Native Plant Demonstration Gardens and everything. Lady Bird did more for stirring up interest in natives than anyone else I know of. Our highway wildflower plantings, among other things, show her influence. Each year I collect gobs of seeds stored in several ziploc bulk sized baggies with various SW & prairie natives to keep my populations in check since I have more limited space than some lucky people I could mention. If I lived on an acreage, I'd just let them fall. I'd be glad to to send them later in the year for fall sowing, I try to pass them along to anyone really interested in naturalizing natives. Most are easy, low growing & long blooming making them good for naturalizing with reliable color. This post was edited by TexasRanger10 on Thu, May 8, 14 at 18:20

Alfalfa tea is a great fertilizer for perennials. I also bury raw kitchen scraps between my perennials. Both of those methods encourage earthworms who leave the best fertilizer there is - worm castings. Always use an organic mulch such as shredded bark which will gradually break down and improve the soil. If you have grass clippings they work really well as the worms like them. Here's a pic of my garden after 3 weeks of neglect last summer. Fortunately it rained but I hadn't done any fertilizing or any care. Just years of regular application of alfalfa tea, compost, and mulch.

...and now you see the problem. Three gardeners. Three different opinions. That's the way it is with most questions about gardening! Personally, I look at it this way...it's Michigan. Summer is short. I want to get as many blooms as possible. Therefore, I feed. I'm OK with doing more than what's adequate. In fact, I'm shooting for "exceptional." P.S., before you use Milorganite, smell it and consider whether you can stand the smell. It's made from sewage. I put it on my garden one year and it chased my family indoors from the patio until I covered it with fresh mulch. Wheewwww! Even then, we could smell it after a rain. Or sometimes I'd dig up a plant and get a whiff of it. Gag! I admit I'm sensitive to smells. I'm betting MagicKiwi uses it FAR away from the house! K.