Allelopathy - Lawns Under Sweet Gum Trees - Ask Extension
Struggling to maintain a healthy lawn underneath a sweet gum tree. Coincidence? All other lawns I care for in similar fashion are doing fine.
Knowledgebase
Allelopathy - Lawns Under Sweet Gum Trees #877026
Asked July 12, 2024, 5:24 PM EDT
Struggling to maintain a healthy lawn underneath a sweet gum tree. Coincidence? All other lawns I care for in similar fashion are doing fine.
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Thanks for your patience while I researched this question.
I wasn't able to find anything on allelopathy of sweetgums. (In fact the one thing I was able to find was on allelopathy of fescue against sweetgum seedlings!)
Is it possible that there is a shallow root system? Or maybe the tree is boxed in with sidewalk and street so there is a large amount of roots? What type of grass is planted? Is it adapted for shade conditions? There could be other soil factors at play.
Feel free to send some photos of the site and we can dig deeper into this.
I wasn't able to find anything on allelopathy of sweetgums. (In fact the one thing I was able to find was on allelopathy of fescue against sweetgum seedlings!)
Is it possible that there is a shallow root system? Or maybe the tree is boxed in with sidewalk and street so there is a large amount of roots? What type of grass is planted? Is it adapted for shade conditions? There could be other soil factors at play.
Feel free to send some photos of the site and we can dig deeper into this.
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for taking the time to look into this.
Your findings match my own.
After further study, I've concluded the soil in the area is not ideal and the tree roots are competing with the turf grasses.
James Nelson
Black Feather Landscapes, LLC
LCB #9338
<personal data hidden>
