I have a number of apple trees with grass growing under them right up to
the trunk. I want to get rid of the grass and mulch under the trees out
to the drip line.

What is a good way to do this? I'm tempted to use an herbicide (like
Roundup) but I'm not sure what that would do to the tree. I have enough
trees that I don't relish the idea of digging around under each one of
them and possibly messing up the roots. I think if I put mulch down on
top of the grass, the grass would just grow right through the mulch.

Any suggestions?

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 07:31:33 -0400, WCD
wrote:


I have a number of apple trees with grass growing under them right up to
the trunk. I want to get rid of the grass and mulch under the trees out
to the drip line.

Why? If it ain't broke....

Pat

Pat Meadows wrote:

Why? If it ain't broke....


The main reason is I'm taking out the grass everywhere else back there
and turning the whole "back 40" into a wildflower meadow. I have way too
much grass to mow and otherwise worry about. I'd rather spend my time
putzing around in the garden.

The only area I'm not sure about is directly under the trees.

Also, I can't get the tractor under there to mow without risking taking
my head off in the process, or at least putting out an eye.

Thanks.

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 08:23:46 -0400, WCD
wrote:

Pat Meadows wrote:

Why? If it ain't broke....


The main reason is I'm taking out the grass everywhere else back there
and turning the whole "back 40" into a wildflower meadow. I have way too
much grass to mow and otherwise worry about. I'd rather spend my time
putzing around in the garden.


Excellent reason! Wildflower meadows are lovely...There's a
meadow across the road from us, about (guesstimate) 30 or so
acres. It's cut once a year - it would turn into forest
otherwise. It's very lovely, all year long. I'm sure it
will eventually be sold as building lots, but I hope not for
a long time.


The only area I'm not sure about is directly under the trees.

I'm not sure either.



Also, I can't get the tractor under there to mow without risking taking
my head off in the process, or at least putting out an eye.


Right. I know this can be a problem.

Pat

Pat Meadows wrote:

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 08:23:46 -0400, WCD
wrote:

Pat Meadows wrote:

Why? If it ain't broke....


The main reason is I'm taking out the grass everywhere else back there
and turning the whole "back 40" into a wildflower meadow. I have way too
much grass to mow and otherwise worry about. I'd rather spend my time
putzing around in the garden.


Excellent reason! Wildflower meadows are lovely...There's a
meadow across the road from us, about (guesstimate) 30 or so
acres. It's cut once a year - it would turn into forest
otherwise. It's very lovely, all year long. I'm sure it
will eventually be sold as building lots, but I hope not for
a long time.


The only area I'm not sure about is directly under the trees.

I'm not sure either.



Also, I can't get the tractor under there to mow without risking taking
my head off in the process, or at least putting out an eye.


Right. I know this can be a problem.

Pat

I saw this on an Elliott Coleman show. Put down several layers of
newspaper or use cardboard. Put mulch (leaves, grass, etc.) on top
and leave it for 6 months. They were doing this in the fall and said
the grass would be gone by spring.
--
Susan N.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who do not.

The Cook wrote:

I saw this on an Elliott Coleman show. Put down several layers of
newspaper or use cardboard. Put mulch (leaves, grass, etc.) on top
and leave it for 6 months. They were doing this in the fall and said
the grass would be gone by spring.


Excellent!! That's just what I was looking for.

Did you see that recently? I haven't seen Eliott on TV lately. Now
there's a guy with a ton of interesting ideas! A couple of years ago we
went on a garden tour of the Blue Hill area and their place was on it.
Very inspiring!


Thanks.

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 11:04:15 -0400, WCD
wrote:

The Cook wrote:

I saw this on an Elliott Coleman show. Put down several layers of
newspaper or use cardboard. Put mulch (leaves, grass, etc.) on top
and leave it for 6 months. They were doing this in the fall and said
the grass would be gone by spring.


Excellent!! That's just what I was looking for.

Did you see that recently? I haven't seen Eliott on TV lately. Now
there's a guy with a ton of interesting ideas! A couple of years ago we
went on a garden tour of the Blue Hill area and their place was on it.
Very inspiring!



I have his book 'The Four Season Harvest' - great stuff.

We're building a hoophouse later this summer, and I have a
personal goal (here in chilly northern PA), to eat something
fresh from my garden every day of the year.

Pat

I think this would be a mistake around trees. The water will run off
the paper and your trees will die of thirst. It is a great way to
kill off grass and weeds where one plans to plant a bed. I use
RoundUp around my fruit trees and mulch with straw or hardwood mulch.
This works fine and does no harm to the trees. Leave a 2-3 in gap
betweem the trunks and the mulch to discourage rodents, which may gnaw
the bark. Roundup is inactivated in soil and does not harm roots (but
avoid exposed roots). Just be careful not to hit the tree leaves with
the Roundup.

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 11:04:15 -0400, WCD wrote:

The Cook wrote:

I saw this on an Elliott Coleman show. Put down several layers of
newspaper or use cardboard. Put mulch (leaves, grass, etc.) on top
and leave it for 6 months. They were doing this in the fall and said
the grass would be gone by spring.


Excellent!! That's just what I was looking for.

Did you see that recently? I haven't seen Eliott on TV lately. Now
there's a guy with a ton of interesting ideas! A couple of years ago we
went on a garden tour of the Blue Hill area and their place was on it.
Very inspiring!


Thanks.

I did a little landscape fabric and mulch... did well... and next year
I'll rake out the mulch, remove the fabric, and re-apply a fresh mulch

Kevin


On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 07:31:33 -0400, WCD wrote:


I have a number of apple trees with grass growing under them right up to
the trunk. I want to get rid of the grass and mulch under the trees out
to the drip line.

What is a good way to do this? I'm tempted to use an herbicide (like
Roundup) but I'm not sure what that would do to the tree. I have enough
trees that I don't relish the idea of digging around under each one of
them and possibly messing up the roots. I think if I put mulch down on
top of the grass, the grass would just grow right through the mulch.

Any suggestions?

If appearance isn't a big deal lay down some old carpet you find being thrown away.

Although it is work intensive, we leave an exposed dirt ring around our
apple and other fruit trees. This requires pulling the weeds, then
taking a trowel and digging down a few inches to loosen the soil, and
finishing off with a bit of light chopping with a hoe. What made it
easier was mixing in a fair amount of sand (heavy stuff, not the play
sand). This keeps the soil loose so that the weeds pull out easier. It
can take almost a full day to do one mature dwarf tree, but if you are
retired, like us, we have the time. Putting any kind of chemicals in
this tree
circle will surely get into the tree's system and pass it on to the
fruit.

Sherwin Dubren

Kevin Miller wrote:

I did a little landscape fabric and mulch... did well... and next year
I'll rake out the mulch, remove the fabric, and re-apply a fresh mulch

Kevin

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 07:31:33 -0400, WCD wrote:


I have a number of apple trees with grass growing under them right up to
the trunk. I want to get rid of the grass and mulch under the trees out
to the drip line.

What is a good way to do this? I'm tempted to use an herbicide (like
Roundup) but I'm not sure what that would do to the tree. I have enough
trees that I don't relish the idea of digging around under each one of
them and possibly messing up the roots. I think if I put mulch down on
top of the grass, the grass would just grow right through the mulch.

Any suggestions?

Where do you live ? We could loan you our female dog as she seems to kill
all the grass around her pretty easy & quite well !

Seriously though, let us know how the cardboard or such works out as it
sounds like a very simple, but somewhat long process.

Troy

"WCD" wrote in message
...

I have a number of apple trees with grass growing under them right up to
the trunk. I want to get rid of the grass and mulch under the trees out
to the drip line.

What is a good way to do this? I'm tempted to use an herbicide (like
Roundup) but I'm not sure what that would do to the tree. I have enough
trees that I don't relish the idea of digging around under each one of
them and possibly messing up the roots. I think if I put mulch down on
top of the grass, the grass would just grow right through the mulch.

Any suggestions?

WCD wrote in message ...
I have a number of apple trees with grass growing under them right up to
the trunk. I want to get rid of the grass and mulch under the trees out
to the drip line.

What is a good way to do this? I'm tempted to use an herbicide (like
Roundup) but I'm not sure what that would do to the tree. I have enough
trees that I don't relish the idea of digging around under each one of
them and possibly messing up the roots. I think if I put mulch down on
top of the grass, the grass would just grow right through the mulch.

Any suggestions?

I have a row of pear trees and similar problems. I have now taken out
the grass on a row along the trees, with a rounder area at the tree.
It is a lot easier to mow. I have also pruned last year so that no
branches are at eye level (if you are sitting on a mower). I have
large trees so it is easy. Here are the two ways I have taken out the
grass (both work):

1) take out the sod (easy with my sandy soil), put a potato in the
trench (optional), backfill with manure, cover with wood chips (one
foot). The potato plants are large, and I know from past experience
that if I keep covering with grass clippings (from the lanes between
trees) the grass will not be coming back.

2) lay down cardboard, cover with wood chips.

Ther are parasitic plants growing on grassroots and by doing so
decimating the grass and giving space for flowering plants to grow.
In Dutch called 'Ratelaar' try it on a searchengine to find more
details.


On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 08:23:46 -0400, WCD wrote:

Pat Meadows wrote:

Why? If it ain't broke....


The main reason is I'm taking out the grass everywhere else back there
and turning the whole "back 40" into a wildflower meadow. I have way too
much grass to mow and otherwise worry about. I'd rather spend my time
putzing around in the garden.

The only area I'm not sure about is directly under the trees.

Also, I can't get the tractor under there to mow without risking taking
my head off in the process, or at least putting out an eye.

Thanks.

I have apples and pears, and was having the same problem with grass, quite
by accident I discovered that ashes left over from my fire place worked
great at stopping the grass growing the next year. With the rain the ash
became like a thick mulch and stayed put. BTW, my husband to lazy to dump
the ashes in the trash, is the one who started dumping them under the fruit
trees. We burn oak, hickory here. Oriole
"WCD" wrote in message
...

I have a number of apple trees with grass growing under them right up to
the trunk. I want to get rid of the grass and mulch under the trees out
to the drip line.

What is a good way to do this? I'm tempted to use an herbicide (like
Roundup) but I'm not sure what that would do to the tree. I have enough
trees that I don't relish the idea of digging around under each one of
them and possibly messing up the roots. I think if I put mulch down on
top of the grass, the grass would just grow right through the mulch.

Any suggestions?