Hi,

Can anybody held me with some suggestions?

I moved into a brand new house 18 months ago and I got the plot with the
mature trees in the garden, which I like, however the downside is that some
of them are sycamore trees.

They look okay but nothing seems to grow underneath them, I wanted to create
a mass of shrubs for all year round colour and easy maintenance so I've
planted pieris, rhododendron and various conifers. Most of these plants are
barely alive, the only plants that have done reasonably well are some laurel
which I am growing into a hedge although even these are half the size of
ones I have planted elsewhere.

The reason for the problem is I suspect the sticky muck that falls like a
light drizzle. Some times the car is covered in it and it is so thick that
it takes a few squirts of the washers to get the windscreen clear.

There are some pictures that I took of the situation last August at this
address......

http://www.sytec.u-net.com/sycamore/index.htm

Any suggestions will be gratefully received!

Thanks
Janet

Technology Graphics
:


The reason for the problem is I suspect the sticky muck that falls like a
light drizzle. Some times the car is covered in it and it is so thick that
it takes a few squirts of the washers to get the windscreen clear.

There are some pictures that I took of the situation last August at this
address......

http://www.sytec.u-net.com/sycamore/index.htm

Any suggestions will be gratefully received!


I think the problem is more to do with drought and shade. I have one just
outside my front garden and suffer the same. Plants that do ok are grasses,
hardy geraniums, hebe, box, spirea, teasel, cyclamen, sedum, marigold,
daffodils.

Root pruning the sycamore around the planted side might help, but be careful
not to make it unstable so it crashes onto the road.


Andy R
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http://www.europa.usenet.eu.org

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topics without language restrictions.

"Technology Graphics" wrote in message ...
Hi,

Can anybody held me with some suggestions?

I moved into a brand new house 18 months ago and I got the plot with the
mature trees in the garden, which I like, however the downside is that some
of them are sycamore trees.

They look okay but nothing seems to grow underneath them, I wanted to create
a mass of shrubs for all year round colour and easy maintenance

A truly challenging situation. We have just such a place here and I'm still psyching myself up to have a go at
it(elsewhere I just got rid of the sycamores and planted my Camellias, Rhodos etc) - your first choice of plants has
given you a strong indication of what you can't do ;~((((
Andy's list is good. I would add to that many spring flowering bulbs and things that are dormant in high summer like
Corydalis if it isn't too dry. A few more you might try - I'm assuming reasonable light not deep shade.
Anemone nemorosa, A.sylvestris, Lamium, Liriope Pachysandra, Lunaria, some Hellebores and Hostas, Hedera, Polygonatum,
Epimedium, Gladwyn Iris (I.foetidissima), Pulmonaria, Digitalis, Vinca, Luzula sylvatica (very effective ground cover at
Bodnant) and its variegated form 'marginata', Luzula niveum.

Rod

"Technology Graphics" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Can anybody held me with some suggestions?

I moved into a brand new house 18 months ago and I got the plot with the
mature trees in the garden, which I like, however the downside is that
some
of them are sycamore trees.

They look okay but nothing seems to grow underneath them, I wanted to
create
a mass of shrubs for all year round colour and easy maintenance so I've
planted pieris, rhododendron and various conifers. Most of these plants
are
barely alive, the only plants that have done reasonably well are some
laurel
which I am growing into a hedge although even these are half the size of
ones I have planted elsewhere.

The reason for the problem is I suspect the sticky muck that falls like a
light drizzle. Some times the car is covered in it and it is so thick that
it takes a few squirts of the washers to get the windscreen clear.

There are some pictures that I took of the situation last August at this
address......

http://www.sytec.u-net.com/sycamore/index.htm

Any suggestions will be gratefully received!

Thanks
Janet


Have a bit of woodland with the same problems as you.

I find all the Euphorbias do well and thrive as do some bamboos, spring
bulbs such as bluebells and snowdrops.
Other tings that do not seem to mind the conditions you mention are Fatsia-
Epimediums-and a variety of ferns.

If you can improve the soil with plenty of moisture retentive materials and
prune off the lower branches of the trees then you should stand and even
greater chance of growing many more plants.

Have a look at:-
http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/faqshade.htm

It is alleged that sycamore roots exude an allopathic substance. About
this time last year, I cleared several of them and the ground near them
has attracted few weeds. Where I've planted, nothing is doing really
well despite lots of compost and fertiliser.

I have two beds either side of a path which should be the same but (EG)
the Viburnum Tinis on one side hasn't flowered yet unlike the
non-ex-sycamore side while the other has been flowering for weeks.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com