How to stop small trees from growing in grass involves creating a healthy environment than a healthy lawn. Growing a healthy lawn allows grass to crowd out everything else in the lawn.
If you mow grass near wooded areas you often come across seedlings, or small trees, growing in the grass each time. How to stop small trees from growing in the grass? It sounds like a complex question but in reality, the answer is a combination of two simple tasks.
Learn How to Stop Small Trees From Growing in Grass
People who live around large groups of trees or wooded areas combat a yearly problem in their lawns. Each year they find small trees growing in the grass. The common question of how to stop small trees from growing in grass gets asked again and again. There are two ways to keep seedlings out. These can be used apart and in conjunction.
Natural Method
The best method of stopping trees from popping up in your grass is to keep the grass healthy. Vibrant lawns crowd out everything else because the grass will grow into any open spaces. To understand how to stop small trees from growing in the grass you must understand how to grow a vibrant lawn.
Start applying fertilizer around the middle of August. This allows the lawn to get a last dose of nutrients before going dormant for the winter. Water the grass after fertilizing to get the nutrients to the roots. Come springtime look for spots in the lawn that are failing to grow or growing slowly. Identify any spots that are low lying areas.
Eliminate the low area, bringing up the soil to match the surrounding contour. Trees such as willow prefer areas where water gathers or the ground is constantly moist. Grading a gradual slope allows for easier mowing. Break up compacted soil to allow moisture and air to get deeper into the soil, thereby allowing the roots to properly grow.
Reseed the bare spots to promote dense growth. Cornell University suggests mixing one part seed with three parts soil in a bucket; then evenly spread the mixture over the bare spot. A ratio of 15 to 20 seeds per square inch is ideal. Lay a wood fiber mulch over the area. The mulch will hold the moisture and protect the grass seed until it germinates.
Water the ground to moisten the soil but not to where the water is running off. Water daily until seedlings appear. Reduce watering time but increase the amount per watering to encourage deep roots recommends Cornell.
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Lawn Maintenance
When the grass has established itself wait for it to reach a minimum height of 3 inches. When you are seeking ideas on how to stop small trees from growing in grass an issue to consider is the overall maintenance of the lawn. An unhealthy lawn allows room for other plants and tree seeds to establish themselves.
Two things contribute to unhealthy lawns: over mowing and using dull blades to cut the grass. Over mowing includes mowing the grass too low. Cornell states that mowing the grass too close weakens the roots and thereby leaves room for other plants to compete for nutrients including trees. Dull blades tear the grass leaving it susceptible to infection and attack by pests.
Using sharp blades cuts the grass cleanly and allow it to recover. Cutting the grass in the morning allows the grass to use the entire day to regenerate. Cutting grass when the sun is high may cause the grass to burn. Tall grass shades the crown of the plant and promotes root development. The more roots the denser the lawn and the more tolerant the lawn.
Growing and maintaining a healthy lawn keeps plants and trees from establishing themselves. If a tree seedling is already in your lawn, cut the grass as normal. Continued cutting of the seedling will exhaust the tree trying to recover. Over time the seedling will die out because it will spend all its energy trying to regenerate.
References
- Cornell – https://blogs.cornell.edu/cceschenectady/author/amj22-2/
- “Great Ideas for Your Garden”: Courtier et al; 2003
- Image Credit: Flickr/Josh Sullivan
