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What to plant under Oak Tree?

Posted on 9/27/21 at 10:08 am
Posted by Rehage7
Denham Springs
Member since Jan 2007
200 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 10:08 am
I just moved into a house with a hugh oak tree in the front yard. It's almost all dirt and creates a massive dust storm when I mow. What can I plant for ground cover that will grow and create a nice green area? Also, when it rains I have alot of runoff of dirt. TIA
Posted by Chad504boy
4 posts
Member since Feb 2005
171575 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 10:20 am to
Posted by Slagathor
Makin' jokes about your teeny tiny
Member since Jul 2007
38745 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 10:21 am to
Aspidistra or cast iron plant is commonly planted in a thick ring under trees and IMO is a very classic "LA" look.

I think it's really aesthetically versatile because it can be used alone or as a backdrop to shorter plants in front like hostas.


ETA: I have no idea about soil composition or drainage-- AT ALL. Just saying what I think would look pretty FYI.
This post was edited on 9/27/21 at 10:25 am
Posted by Bayou
Boudin, LA
Member since Feb 2005
38925 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 10:23 am to
Don't plant anything under it
Water saturation there may not be what you want either
Posted by CoachChappy
Member since May 2013
33863 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 10:45 am to
quote:

r cast iron plant


I can't stand cast iron plants, and don't really care for the look either.

You can make a small bed, but add the soil slowly. You don't want to choke out the tree.

Plant any shade loving plant. Hydrangeas do well.
Posted by bbvdd
Memphis, TN
Member since Jun 2009
26867 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 10:52 am to
Fescue,

You will need to loosen that hardpan before getting anything to grow however.
Posted by Loup
Ferriday
Member since Apr 2019
14115 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 11:01 am to
quote:

Fescue,



Is there a trick to getting it to grow well in the heat? I planted in a shaded area of my yard and it did well until the first couple of hot days. It's completely gone now. I kept it watered.
Posted by BRich
Old Metairie
Member since Aug 2017
2517 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 11:49 am to
quote:

I just moved into a house with a hugh oak tree in the front yard. It's almost all dirt and creates a massive dust storm when I mow. What can I plant for ground cover that will grow and create a nice green area? Also, when it rains I have alot of runoff of dirt. TIA



What kind of oak? Live oak, water oak, red oak? Pics showing sunlight/shade situation would help.

You probably have a situation over time where the oak roots (which are rather shallow and very prevalent) have sucked up all of the moisture and killed off anything growing there, leaving you with what was accurately referred to by an earlier poster as "hardpan". That will require some work to plant ANYTHING. Aerate, loosen that stuff either with a tiller or a lot of shovel work. You may need to add some organic material if you have a clay-ey soil.

If the canopy is high and the bare ground gets sufficient sunlight, you can plant some grass; St. Augustine does best in shade, and certain varieties of Zoysia do pretty well also.

If that bare dirt area is mostly in shade, you would do well to plant some ground covers as in the first response poster's photo-- Asian jasmine, monkey/mondo grass, liriope, or English ivy. Mix it up with some taller items that do well in shade such as aspidistra/cast iron plant, azaleas, camellias, gardenias. You can throw in some caladium bulbs for spring and summer color as well.
Posted by TigerGman
Center of the Universe
Member since Sep 2006
12307 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 12:22 pm to
Iron plants do very well.
Posted by Twenty 49
Shreveport
Member since Jun 2014
19976 posts
Posted on 9/27/21 at 11:45 pm to
Consider whether the canopy needs thinning to allow light to the ground.

I see people resodding and running sprinklers on the new sod under their oaks, only to see the sod die. They’ll do it again next year. But as long as there is no sunlight due to a thick, overgrown tree, that grass ain’t growing.
Posted by Pokitren
North Sydney, NSW, AU
Member since Sep 2021
5 posts
Posted on 9/28/21 at 3:23 am to
Shade-loving lawn grass will help you
Posted by Koolazzkat
Behind the Tupelo gum tree
Member since May 2021
2310 posts
Posted on 9/28/21 at 6:46 am to
Lily turf.
Posted by Cracker
in a box
Member since Nov 2009
18885 posts
Posted on 9/28/21 at 1:14 pm to
quote:

English ivy


You should burned at the stake for this
Posted by dhuck20
SCLSU Fan
Member since Oct 2012
21982 posts
Posted on 9/28/21 at 8:14 pm to

Always thought that look is awesome. What is it?
Posted by Slagathor
Makin' jokes about your teeny tiny
Member since Jul 2007
38745 posts
Posted on 9/28/21 at 8:34 pm to
Asian jasmine
Posted by hellsu
Northshore via Westbank
Member since Jan 2009
3951 posts
Posted on 9/28/21 at 9:34 pm to
I have a huge live oak in my front yard and St. Augustine grass does well there.
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