co-dependent is even far from the difference between grass and trees.
They are completely different except for their color and how they process sugar.
I know they have some things in common but they just compete, thats it. Walk in a forest vs walking through brush or a field. There is a reason in nature they more often than not they just dont grow together.
It is only a "natural" setting in urban environments when we manipulate the situation. I tell customers all the time the best growing conditions for a tree are when the grass is removed out past the drip line. Think about the soil horizons and how different the growing habits are with and without grass. Grass sucks nitrogen from the soil, so we have to replace it much faster than if there is a good organic layer ripe for the picking under a tree.
Too many times people think that putting down a plastic ring a few feet from the bottom of the tree is going to do much good. I think this is because people have a lot more contact with landscapers and not enough with an Arborist. The only it IS good for is to keep those mowers and weed wackers away from the trunk. Shallow roots are good but they are usually very shallow because they have to be. Shallow roots make trees weak in the long run.
Think about a tree that has no competition from grass, most tree absorbing roots should be a few inches below the surface. This horizon has a decent amount of moisture which benefits fungus, bacteria, and the macrobiotics that feed on organic material breaking it down for trees to use.
When roots are too shallow they dry out, lack symbiotic fungi, and have to work harder to get what the tree needs.
You have to look natural to get good results. You have to look at the woods and three or four inches of decaying matter in the duff layer which feeds the roots down below.
It is usually just a matter of what people prize more and the collective "expert" advise they receive on a regular basis. Most people think watering daily is the best way to get healthy plants when really watering once or twice a week is the better way to get deep (3-4 inches) root systems.
Someone might criticize my thinking but I think with all the irrigation systems being installed in the US we are wreaking havoc on our micro-environments. Dont you notice how these customers are also getting high nitrogen fertilizer put down on a yearly basis.
Education and ethics have a long way to go in arboriculture and landscaping.
I m really not preaching just opening the dialog to a deeper understanding of plant biology and ecology.
They are completely different except for their color and how they process sugar.
I know they have some things in common but they just compete, thats it. Walk in a forest vs walking through brush or a field. There is a reason in nature they more often than not they just dont grow together.
It is only a "natural" setting in urban environments when we manipulate the situation. I tell customers all the time the best growing conditions for a tree are when the grass is removed out past the drip line. Think about the soil horizons and how different the growing habits are with and without grass. Grass sucks nitrogen from the soil, so we have to replace it much faster than if there is a good organic layer ripe for the picking under a tree.
Too many times people think that putting down a plastic ring a few feet from the bottom of the tree is going to do much good. I think this is because people have a lot more contact with landscapers and not enough with an Arborist. The only it IS good for is to keep those mowers and weed wackers away from the trunk. Shallow roots are good but they are usually very shallow because they have to be. Shallow roots make trees weak in the long run.
Think about a tree that has no competition from grass, most tree absorbing roots should be a few inches below the surface. This horizon has a decent amount of moisture which benefits fungus, bacteria, and the macrobiotics that feed on organic material breaking it down for trees to use.
When roots are too shallow they dry out, lack symbiotic fungi, and have to work harder to get what the tree needs.
You have to look natural to get good results. You have to look at the woods and three or four inches of decaying matter in the duff layer which feeds the roots down below.
It is usually just a matter of what people prize more and the collective "expert" advise they receive on a regular basis. Most people think watering daily is the best way to get healthy plants when really watering once or twice a week is the better way to get deep (3-4 inches) root systems.
Someone might criticize my thinking but I think with all the irrigation systems being installed in the US we are wreaking havoc on our micro-environments. Dont you notice how these customers are also getting high nitrogen fertilizer put down on a yearly basis.
Education and ethics have a long way to go in arboriculture and landscaping.
I m really not preaching just opening the dialog to a deeper understanding of plant biology and ecology.
