planting under a maple tree

[Tom7227]

I can't get anything to grow under a maple tree in the yard, not even weeds. My wife wants to put hostas in the space. Will that work? What would be needed to neutralize whatever bad stuff is in the soil from the tree?

Thanks for your help.

Tom

[delcecchi]

I can't get anything to grow under a maple tree in the yard, not even weeds. My wife wants to put hostas in the space. Will that work? What would be needed to neutralize whatever bad stuff is in the soil from the tree?

Thanks for your help.

Tom

If your maples are like mine, the bad stuff is roots, lots of little roots. No chemicals. Stick a shovel in and take a look. In my case, it is like 1/3 dirt 2/3 roots, or so it seems. I do have some hostas growing by the deck that are under the trees, so I think if anything will make it they will.

[gunner55]

Most will put some lime down or you can take a sample to your Co. Extension Office.

[Powerstroke]

There is nothing wrong with your soil if your tree is healthy. Maples don't harm the soil . The problem with maples is the heavy amount of shade over the top and the density of the roots.

Hostas may do ok. They can work for shady areas. The big thing is to find shade loving plants. Most maples create tons of shade and take up all the water. If you can manage that you'll be fine.

[gunner55]

PS is probably right as we have a really big red maple in our backyard & can't seem to get much to grow under it.Did get some grass seed for shady areas to take last fall but there are still a couple of bare spots.

[CANOPY SAM]

Great question! I planted two different varieties of apple trees near a cluster of Silver Maples. One of the apple trees has done very well, while the other spot, where I have re-planted trees three times, has never grown a tree well.

This spring I finally realized that the spot where the trees would not grow was just slightly beneath the canopy of that Silver Maple. I'm not certain, but I would make a fair wager that it's either the sap dripping from the leaves, or perhaps the excrement from aphids feeding on the Maple leaves that keep killing my apple trees.

I've planted another apple tree now, just up hill, and outside the canopy of this wicked Silver Maple. The site itself is only 20 feet from the previous site. It will be interesting to see if this tree will now survive more then a year.

[fivebucks]

Shade and moisture. We have a big maple in our front yard and cannot grow grass there. We put in a bunch of hostas and put mulch over it. We have to water it all the time most years. The hostas can handle the shade but the maple sucks up all the moisture. Hostas will work for you but you will need to water them.

[Powerstroke]

There is nothing uniquely harmful about maples. They do not put out any chemicals or sap or anything else that is harmful to other plants. The greatest problem is that mpales generally do not allow ANY light through their canopy. I have an apple tree that sits between two silver maples. It has never done well and primarily because it doesn't get any sun. It looks like it should get sun, but most trees filter sun through, the maple does not.

An example of a tree that does harm the other plants around it is a Black Walnut. I have grass and trees around my black walnut, but the trees barely grow and the grass never survives more than a year or two.

[Dave]

Now I know why the grass is thin under my two Maples!! Appreciate the schooling.