Pine Trees

[MJBaldwin]

Few questions for you guys.

1. whats the best leaf blower/vac to pick up pine needles im open to gas or electric but dont want to spend an arm and a leg.

2. whats the best grass seed in order to get growing under these pine trees? I know its very hard to get grass to grow but there as to be something that will grow? Its not all completly dead under there just needs some added attention.

Thanks!

[Powerstroke]

What kind of trees are they exactly? Pine or spruce? Pines have long needles and spruce trees have short needles. I have some of both and I find that a rake is the best way to manage them. Sometimes the leaf blower works well onthe white pines because the needles are so large, but I still have to rake to pick them up.

As far as growing grass, depends onthe types of trees, how many and dense they are and what the soil is like. You may be better off using some type of ground cover plant or just mulching.

[delcecchi]

From my experience, you need to prune the branches up a ways to get grass to grow. But I like pine needles on the ground under the white pines. Reminds me of BW.

[leech~~]

I think mainly it's the falling tree sap that wouldn't let much grown under pines and the cover from the needles. I cut about a 50foot dying pine out of my front yard and everyone told me no grass would grow there. I raked the craap out of it, through down some black dirt, got a bag of Quick grow seed and Blue grass seed from Fleet and kept dumping on a hand full once in a while until it all filled in and you can't tell the tree was ever there.

[Powerstroke]

It has nothing to do with tree sap.

Its combination of shade and needles decomposing creating a very acidic soil. Dead evergreen needles will lower the soil PH. Most spruce trees grow close to the ground so they create shade and diffuse the little bit of sunshine that does get through. Also, most evergreens have large dense rootballs that also compete for moisture and nutrients.

The right recipe is the one leech shared. If you are determined to grow grass, you are in for lots of work. You need to have at least a half days worth of sun. You may need to trim some branches. By raking up the needles you will help with getting the soil ph to balance, but you're also removing the natural mulch that the tree prefers. Then get a shade tolerant grass seed and keep it wet.

Then you can add more grass that needs to be mowed, around trees that are pokey and no fun to mow around and will never grow very well since the grass doesn't really like growing under evergreens. I think its an opportunity for some wood mulch or some acid loving ground cover.

[SkunkedAgain]

I know its very hard to get grass to grow but there as to be something that will grow?

You're sacrificing the health of the tree for having grass. As Powerstroke mentioned, the tree needs the nutrients and not a bunch of grass stealing its nutrients.

[Tom7227]

What grows under a pine tree out in the woods? Nothing unless it is one of the ones that doesn't have any limbs until about 10 feet in the air. The look foolish in a yard. You can have pine trees or you can have grass. Not both in the same area.

[CANOPY SAM]

I put large mulch plots around all of ours. Added a large decorative rock or two here and there, a strategically placed solar light here and there, and now they look nice!

Plus I don't have to mow under them at all!

As to your question about leaf blowers. We owned a home in Grand Rapids that was literally filled with pines, spruce, birch, maple, etc. They were absolutely gorgeous. I really miss that place. Anyhow, the previous owners had added huge rock gardens, with edging, around literally every single tree, or clump of trees on the property. He must have hauled in many truck loads of decorative crushed rock!

They did look nice, but it was really overkill. The real problem we found was how all the pine and spruce needles would fill those rock gardens every year. I don't know if there is a "best" leaf blower out there, but pretty much any good, strong leaf blower would move all the needles out of the rock landscaping, then I would simply run around each plot with the riding mower and clean it all up. Of course I'd also blow a few rocks out with the needles, but not too many, so I'd just toss those back into the landscaping, then mow/clean up the mess.

I don't think you'll have much luck growing lush grass under your pines/spruces. It's just too acidic while the tree is still alive. Just trim them up a bit, so they're easy to keep clean, and add a few inches of shredded hard wood mulch. This is actually much better for the trees themselves as well, as it will help maintain a bit more moisture in the tree's root ball.

I also laid down one layer of weed blanket as well, before adding the mulch. Moisture percolates thru, but you don't end up with mulch gardens filled with weeds.

[pushbutton]

What grows under a pine tree out in the woods? Nothing unless it is one of the ones that doesn't have any limbs until about 10 feet in the air. The look foolish in a yard. You can have pine trees or you can have grass. Not both in the same area.

I live on an adjacent property next to a "doctors park subdivision" with a row of pine trees separating and screening the two. Seems of couple of them also wanted a more septic look out their McMansion back yard. Would see them with their electric chainsaws removing bottom branches, raking of the needles, moving in dirt, planting seed....repeating the process over and over throughout the years....it almost appeared to be an ocd thing. Regardless, 10 years later there is still no greenery; well, a couple of noxious weeds, and they trimmed the trees so high that there is no longer any screening and can see each others place as plain as day.......

[Stick in Mud]

What grows under a pine tree out in the woods? Nothing unless it is one of the ones that doesn't have any limbs until about 10 feet in the air.

Lots of good mushrooms under them.