Landscaping Around a Property With Trees

If you are looking to get your property landscaped by a landscaping service in Chino Hills for example, you might hear everyone around you talk about completely stripping the area, and then starting over from scratch for the best results, and while we understand where they are coming from, it is not the responsible way to get your landscaping done. This process of completely stripping the area would mean removing your trees from your property as well, and while some owners might not give a lot of thought to that, you do, hence why you are here. 

The planet is suffering, and at this point, every tree counts. So, unless it is necessary, we would not recommend removing your tree before your landscaping project. If anything, it is a lot better if you work around the trees, and it is possible to landscape your property with trees already present around. 

Trees usually get a bad rep because their roots are used to taking moisture and other essential nutrients in the soil, which causes the soil around and above the tree to look barren. Plus, there is also the issue of the tree taking all the sunlight and nutrients from the soil, essentially depriving surrounding plants, and we will discuss this issue in more detail, so if you want more information on the subject of navigating a landscaping project around your tree(s), then you can keep on reading below:

If you want to deal with the issue of your tree taking up the all the nutrients from the soil, and leaving the soil barren and unusable, you can invest in mulch and get your tree mulched up. You want to make sure that you get the mulch everywhere around the base of the tree, and try to avoid the stems as well. The mulch will provide a nutrient-rich substitute for your tree, keeping it fed, and at the same time, prevent the tree from completely sucking up the nutrients in the soil, giving the other plants around it a fighting chance. You can mulch your tree, and then reapply the mulch after the first season has passed. This will give your tree all of the support it needs. 

Another way you can keep plants around your tree is to opt for plants that can handle droughts or can survive with little water. If your tree also happens to be taking up most of the sunlight around that area, then you should also look for plants that can survive with little sunlight as well. Deep shade and semi-sun plant varieties like Ferns, coral bells and so on should be looked into. You can then plant them around the tree and let the plants thrive. Of course, all plants will require intensive care and oversight during the first season since this is a critical period for them. So, as long as you have chosen the right plants and are tending to them properly, then your tree should not be an obstacle to their growth. 

You should mulch not just your tree, but also your new plants to give them a better fighting chance as well because your tree will take the lion’s share of water and other essential nutrients. Mulching them, especially during the first season will help them grow and establish themselves better.

When you are planting new plants, you do not want to raise or mess around with the existing soil level near the tree. If you raise the soil level of the tree, then you are increasing the likelihood of the soil coming to the trunk of the tree, and when the trunk of the tree gets covered in soil, then that increases the likelihood of the tree becoming infected with a disease, pests, or can even cause the tree to rot. So, if you do need a plant bed, keep it at a distance from the tree so that its soil level is not tampered with. 

You do not want to damage the roots of your tree in the process of digging your soil to make space for your plants. Some trees have deep roots whilst others keep their roots just above the surface. In the case of the latter, you have to be especially careful, and avoid using the shovel when you are making space for your other plants. If you do come across roots, then put the dirt back on top and try a different area. 

If you are not entirely open to the idea of planting plants underneath your tree, you can consider placing bricks, rocks or commercial edging. You can create a sort of boundary around your tree, which will also give a neat look to your tree. Of course, you want to make sure that there is at least a 10-inch distance between this boundary and tree trunk. This is especially recommended for trees that have shallow roots, and make it difficult to place other plants around them.