"JNJ" wrote in message ...

The soil's fair-to-middlin' -- it's mostly clay. Yes, there is some grass
around the tree but the tree is a happy 50 feet tall now -- I find it hard
to believe that after 20 years it's now having problems with grass. If I
put wood chips all the way to the drip line it'd be pretty big.

James

That is the way with trees. They look fine for 20 years running and
then suddenly they start to keel over. If it looks stressed you should
react. And it is a one ton tree, so it will want tons of organic
matter.