I've got about a 6' x 12' area that gets no sun at all and nothing has ever grown there other than things that have creeped in like vines or whatever, so it's basically just dirt. I'd like to do something quick and easy like lay down some weed mat and mulch, but the tree that's rooted in the area develops a mold problem if the ground surface isn't kept clear of leaves (meaning wet conditions) so I'm concerned that anything I put down will do the same. Any ideas what I can do with this ground to make it look more civilized? I'm open to almost anything. Thanks. PS. This is not the same ground area as mentioned in a previous thread of mine.
Bradley, first of all welcome to the forum. Hopefully you will find a bit of help here with your shade problems. There is a lovely long list of plants that would enjoy a home in a shady place, or a wet place in your garden, but it would be a help to have a bit more information about the area - especially, as Logan mentioned, more details about the tree you told us about. Some moulds are just nature's way of dealing with debris, and not harmful, while others could show more problems. Nothing much wants to compete with a well established tree, as that will take most of the nutrients out of the ground. Trees however will sup up excess moisture in those wet places. Soil needs nutrition to aid the growth of plants, whether we're talking about grass, shrubs, perennial plants or annual ones. I daresay it would help if you could upload a few photos of the problem areas.
Welcome to the Stew, Bradley! What Tetters said. It's a lot better to choose plants suited for the growing conditions than to try and make good growing conditions for the plants.
Hey Logan. I think it's some kind of maple, 6 yrs 35 ft tall, 5" diameter trunk. Not sure about the mold. It was there toward the end of the summer a few years ago when the leaves from the fall before still hadn't been raked out yet. This was the pic I took on Aug 19 and sent my local horticulturalist and her response... Horticulturalist...I’m not 100% sure, but more than likely you are looking at tar spot. That is a fungal disease that often hits maples after prolonged wet springs, which we certainly had. This is just a cosmetic issue. You will want to rake up and dispose of the leaves this fall to help prevent this from happening again next year. If this isn’t tar spot, you’re looking at one of the other fungal leaf disease. Same leaf removal procedure applies to cut down on the chances of a repeat next year. Thanks! ------------------ Thanks Tetters. Here's a pic of the area... The wood will be moved out soon and as you can see it's just dirt and sparse viney growth just cut out. Elsewhere I've been suggested laying down mulch without any weed mat, moss and Clover. Any ideas on these?
Bradley, your tree is showing maple tar spot which is indeed a fungus. It is very common to see and is more of a cosmetic problem than anything else. It's something we just leave alone to be honest. The area in your photo would indeed benefit from mulching without weed mats. Those things in the wrong place can really be a pain - and prove to cause more harm than good. The best thing to use is an organic mulch like manure from a farm, or spent mushroom compost for example. These mulches will then break down and add nutrition to your soil, which will help to grow some nice plants. The plant in your photo doesn't look too healthy. Has it been sprayed with something? Organic gardening is excellent. Not every tiny creature is an enemy, and in fact a hell of a lot of insects can be beneficial. Try not to resort to poisons if possible. It pays to learn which creatures are friend, and which foe.
