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Gardening in Shade

Under-tree gardens...Silver Maple and Kentucky Coffee

19 years ago

I have only 2 (semi-mature) trees on my property and they really look much better with something planted under them. I am realizing that their root systems suck the water away from any plants I put under them. I suppose I'll have to move whatever doesn't survive and/or plant something shade-tolerant and with shallow roots. Any suggestions?

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Comments (2)

razorback33
19 years ago
Can't address a question about KY Coffee tree, but I have 4 mature (40+ years old) Silver Maples in my rear garden and I have many shade tolerant plants growing under them, including, but not limited to, Native & Evergreen Azaleas, Camellias, Hydrangeas, Japanese Maples, Dogwoods, Hollies, Hostas, Ferns & Spikemoss, Epimediums, Helleborus, Asarum, Heuchera, Iris japonica, Cypripedium, Calanthe, Trilliums, Pieris japonica and many native spring flowering perennials and terrestrial orchids. I constructed raised beds about 5-6 inches deep under them and began planting about 15 years ago. When I encounter a large root, I move the planting hole to avoid it. When I fertilize or irrigate, I insure that the entire area under the canopy of the tree is treated, which alleviates the problem of tree root strangulation. While Maples are credited with a voracious appetite for moisture, many of the largest, most robust plants in my garden grow there, without any extraordinary application of water.
Note-When constructing raised beds under any tree, it is recommended that their depth be limited to Rb
shelley_t
Original Author
19 years ago
Cool! Great advice Rb.

The KY Coffee has been a trial for years now. I can get some annuals to do great there at first, but when it goes dry, the earth in the bed cracks within a day! Everything there wilts. I think I may resort to pots there this year... even though I think they can be just as tedious to water.

You've got a tremendous stock of plants under your trees. I suspect you have great luck with your zone 7... my zone 5 has hot, dry summers, but since we've had a wet winter, I hope it may have helped my plantings survive. I raised the bed about 4-5" left some space around the crown of the tree (not sure how much off hand-I will check it though). I'm trying a group of hostas, Japanese painted ferns, day lilies, and coral bells. This is their first year so I'm anxious to see how they do. I had great luck last year in the same bed with some blue hyacinth... they slowed down everyone who walked by! Hoping for a great flush again this year.

Thanks for the advice!

Shelley
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Ken, I noticed your name in another thread. I figured it was most likely something else, but couldn't help but to wonder if you were from Adrian, MI. Cool... hello neighbor... I live in Grosse Ile by the way. You are right about the view of the house once the leaves fall. I should have mentioned that it's not really the house that I want to add some privacy from, it's the people that live there. Nothing against them, they are great neighbors and we get along just fine, but we entertain in our back yard very often during the warm weather months and our neighbors across the water do as well. So I'm really just trying to create some privacy during the months when we'll be out in the yard and the trees will have leaves on them during those months. :) Your comment on conifers is noted and not eliminated from the list of possibilities; I've taken a look at Bald Cypress based on Tornado's recommendation. As for the leaves, yes they will "blow" into the water... possibly assisted by some gas powered mechanical device. :) I have plans for Green Giants along my entire 800' north property line. Do you have any Green Giants? Where did you purchase them, how large were they, how far did you space them, and how fast did they establish/grow? The prevailing wind at my house is pretty variable all the time. It generally ranges about 180ÃÂº, blowing from SE counter clockwise to NW, but it sometimes even blows from the SW. I attached another photo for a more recent and closer vantage point. This photo was taken right around early June 2009, the year we moved in. Not much has changed since then in terms of trees except a few of my many nightmare Cottonwood trees have been cut down. PS - I hate Cottonwood trees!!! This post was edited by bajafx4 on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 8:40
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I have a mature maple on my parkway. This thing produces the densest shade possible. The grass has gradually died to the point where it is mostly bare dirt. I’d like to get rid of what little grass there is and put in a groundcover, but what? I don’t like pachysandra or vinca. The area is about 6 feet wide and 15-20 feet long. I was thinking about english ivy; I’ve seen it on the “ivy lawns” in Missouri and Kentucky, but I don’t know how well it work in Zone 5 (Chicago). In my zone will it fill in? I thought of ivy and gradually dotting it with cheap hostas and other shade plants as I find them on sale. Caveats: This is not an easy area to water. I could get it started, but it would not get much watering attention down the road. It is the parkway, people would undoubtedly let their dogs poop and pee there, unless they are nice enough to direct the animal to the grass. This is a lot to cover, so cost is a factor too.
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where are you jeff ... you might not ever have to deal with PNW problems .. where are you .. and whose woods??? ... if your property ... i would suggest you mark trees you want.. with something like surveyors tape.. and move them in the proper season.. which is dormancy ... you moved this plant leafed out.. presumable from a shady spot under a canopy .. into full sun .. when leafed out.. it will be stressed.. might even lose its leaves ... may or may not releaf.. since you presumably cut off some of its roots.. etc ... all depending on where you are.. and how soon the heat of summer hits ... second ... if its your woods.. i would hope you could find a better specimen next time.. thats the easiest way lol ... all that said ... its a maple.. odds are in your favor ... the only things left to do.. is get a 4 foot stake.. paint it orange.. and pound it in about a foot or two away ... why .. so the distracted guy on the lawn mower.. doesnt mow it once or twice this summer.. lol ... been there.. done that ... check out the link for proper timing .... give location ... and we can focus in on that ... ken ps: mike has been landscaping for 5 or 6 decades .... i read his comment that his example is extremely rare ... and i dont read it.. that you should have long term concerns/problems ... imo.. 99% of leaf problems are cosmetic ... ignore them at will
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