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Gardening under Evergreens
This archived discussion is "read only".
» acaudle - Winter Droppings I have 4 evergreens and they tend to have quite a bit of small branches and "needles" falling off yearly. This puts a lot of pressure on plants trying to grow underneath, although it does provide great mulch.Is this normal, if so..how can you keep healthy plants growing underneath? -- posted by acaudle » Marge_Talt - Re: Winter Droppings In response to message posted by acaudle:Hi acaudle, Welcome to Gardening in Shade! Most evergreens shed their needles, either yearly or every couple of years, but whatever their schedule, it means that there is a yearly drop of old needles. It's normal. You don't say what kind of evergreens you have. It's easier to grow plants under some than others, but in all cases, you need to select plants that would normally be found in close association with the type of evergreen you have. That does limit your selection, somewhat, but it can be done and provide interest. So, what kind of evergreens do you have and what are you trying to grow under them? -- posted by Marge_Talt » biogardener - Principles of evergreens The problem of growin under evergreens is not the amount of the mulch but the acidity of the mulch. It requires plants which thrive in acid soil. Removing the mulch and replacing it with alcaline soil is not the answer either, because the acid mulch is the right mulch for the trees.Everygreen roots lie close to the surface and need protection from heat and drying out. I hope that you are not cutting off the bottom branches of the trees as I see done so often on trees growing in cities. The bottom branches are the everygreen root's best protection and are necessary to keep the tree healthy. If you want healthy plants under a certain tree, go out in the wild in your area and see what grows there naturally. Here are some of the plants which I remember on the sunny side of evergreen trees in my part of the world: wild strawberries, blueberries, and columbines. In warmer climates, I understand that azaleas also like acid soil. I know that my flowering bulbs get the most vibrant color when grown next to evergreens, because the acid needle mulch brings out the color in them, but of course, you would not want to plant them right under trees, because the soils is too shallow. -- posted by biogardener
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