rayxray
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How to Grow Grass After Cut-down Pine Tree

Hello,

I have a very small backyard that had a pine tree in the middle. A large branch of the tree broke off during a storm, and we decided it would be best to cut the tree down for safety reasons. HOWEVER, now I have a lawn of scattered pine (where nothing grows except maybe a few weeds) and small patches of grass....and more weeds.

I am not trying to have the most beautiful lawn on the block, I just would like to see some more grass and have it not look like a complete disaster. Any advice on where to start?

Thank you to anyone who can help me!

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I cut down a tree that outgrew my courtyard about 4 years ago. I put stump killer on it but did not grind it. it took a couple of years maybe three for the roots to rot and subside. nothing much grew where the roots were. The grass that was on top of where the roots grew died as the root decayed it left air gaps under the soil and the grass had nothing to hold on to and I don't water this grass very much. Now that the ground has subsided (sunk) , don't see the white fungus (actinomycetes) much anymore. The grass has started to grow again with the rain as well as the weeds.

For the weeds, either dig them up or round them up.
If you did not grind the stump which can be costly, it will take a couple of years for the stump to rot with stump killer. I put bricks and a planter over the plastic that covered the stump. You can also bury it after you put the plastic on and create a mound. You can put a temporary garden on the mound of annuals or potted plants. You can convert it back to lawn later. The ground subsides whereever the roots reached out. Large roots will leave a vacuum space when they decay. I had fingers of dead grass over the area where the roots decayed and subsided. After it subsided, I filled the low spots and the grass is growing back into it now. I still have to contend with the weeds.

If you have the stump ground, decaying of the peripheral roots will be faster, you can fill and plant the hole where the stump was a lot faster. You may have to lime the soil, pines are acidic and aleopatic to some plants.

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

Grinding the stump is very fast, but can be expensive (you need to hire someone who has the big augur).

What I did to get rid of a stump was pile a whole bunch of charcoal around the sides and across the top and light it. The fire just smoldered and eventually burned out the roots and everything. Took a couple days, but it was just smoldering, no flame, so wasn't going anywhere.

But however you do it, you will have to fill the air pockets and sunken areas with new soil and then you can plant grass seed.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Do you want it to be grass? Where a pine tree used to be might be a good spot to grow blueberries....



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