Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> About Gardening

Dogwood Decline: Grass Competition, Not Irrigation, Is the Problem

Irrigating lawn doesn't water trees—grass roots outcompete tree roots at the soil surface. Your 26-year-old dogwood in full sun is near its 25-30 year lifespan. Younger dogwoods need mulch rings, not grass, to reduce root competition. Remove turf under canopies, mulch instead.

About Gardening: Diagnosing Lawn Dieback Under Pine Trees with Webbing; Mossy Soil Under Trees: Algae, Compaction, and Groundcover Alternatives; Safely Removing Grass Around Young Trees Without Harming Roots; Thin Grass Under Silver Maples: Raise Mow Height, Fertilize Smart; Dead Grass Rings Around Live Oaks: Contaminant Leaching from Planting Hole?; Ground Cover Alternatives for Shady, High-Traffic Areas Under Trees; Cracked Soil and Dead Grass Under Trees: Drought, Not Tree Competition; Oak Tree Shade: Why Grass Won't Grow & Alternatives; Saving a Shaded Lawn Under Mature Trees: Soil, Seed, and Water; Twig Girdler Beetles: The Cause of Green Leaf-Bearing Limb Drop

Garden Articles

Erosion Control on a Shady Hillside: Plant Groundcovers, Not Grass

Planting Grass After Stump Grinding: Acidic Debris, Lime, and Soil Replacement

Renovating Mature Landscapes: Transplanting Trees & Creating Low-Maintenance Beds

Lawn Chemicals Damaging Harry Lauder's Walking Stick and Zebra Grass

New Construction Lawn Struggling Over Sand Layer: Root Diagnosis

Oak Trees and Lawns: Why Grass Fails and What to Do

Managing New Sod in Shady Conditions: A Detailed Guide

Plants

Mulching Pine Trees with Grass Clippings and Leaves

Grass Alternatives Under Mature Trees

Large Dead Patches in Bermuda Grass Near Atlanta

Why Grass Fails Under Mature Maples and the Best Alternative: Mulch Rings

Managing Lawn Under Dense Maples: Groundcovers Beat Grass

Growing Grass Under Dense Trees: Norway Maple & Apple

Transplanting Cedar Trees: Red Cedar vs. Leyland Cypress for Wildlife