A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Oak tree In Florida ..Ouestion........

My neice in Florida wants me to ask.......

I have a question about flowers that maybe you can ask your flower friends about. I want to fill in dirt around the base of my Live Oak tree and plant a bunch of flowers in the bed. I asked someone and he said he heard that if you do that it will not let the tree have air. Can you ask around and see?


I think the person is incorrect......More soil around the roots will benefit ......THe oak tree will benefit the flowers with shade in florida sun


LETS HEAR FROM ALL WHO KNOW.....

thanks dodge

It can cause a disease that can kill the tree if you add soil above ground level.

If she wants a flower bed around a tree set a solid edging around the tree trunk about 6 inches out. Increase the soil level outside the edging to the end of the flower bed that she wants and then she can plant all the flowers she would like without damaging the tree. That's what I'm doing with my tree bed.

Well it partly depends on how much "fill in some dirt" actually means but in general it is Not advised to add fill soil around any tree. The roots need both air and water and the addition of fill soil well reduce the air exchange of the soil and depending on the soil texture can reduce water mobility. Additionally there is the issue of planting and water flowers at the base of a tree this can disturb the tree roots and the additional water at the base can promote fungal decay. So will in some cases it may not significantly harm a tree it is not in the best interest of long term tree preservation. Hope this is some assistance and good luck!

I made several flower beds around the base of trees before I heard how harmful it could be. I used a small motorized tiller to loosen the soil and didn't add any dirt -only shaped the bed a bit rounded. I've had no problems in six years. but, yes I have read that it is not a good idea to add too much soil around the base of a tree. I also have probs in some beds with too many roots.

I've heard that it's bad for the tree too but you do see alot of people who do it.

Thanks gang.

Some say Oak doesnt need much water, but the flowers will........Not a good combo.....

i like the pot idea around the base instead..........Shade there too.
thanks for helping........I will write becky.

I would like to add two points to this discussion one is in response to "I've heard that it's bad for the tree too but you do see alot of people who do it." I must say that most of what I see people doing around trees is Not good, but as trees are long lived its quickly lost on humans that a tree that should last 300 years that only lives 40 years is a very sad state of affairs. Just because the tree "survives" while that homeowner resides there does not mean that they have been good caretakers of their trees.

"Some say Oak doesnt need much water, but the flowers will........Not a good combo....." Oaks, are the species Quercus, and are found across north america, europe, and asia and are found in many different climates and environs. Living in California our Oaks have evolved to the dry summers and as such the most effective way to kill an Oak here is to water it in the summer. Now Oaks that have evolved in areas that receive a lot of summer rains would be a different story as to how they will respond to additional irrigation. One can not go wrong by looking at the natural conditions under which that tree species has evolved and try to as closely match that as possible in ones yard. Everyone go out and hug their tree!

This is a real Oak war......

My hd would go ape if I hugged a tree........LOL
We are having a war over maple and chestnut.........He hates my maples, I hate his c nuts.........

Maple is pretty....chestnuts mess the yard.........I have to rake it not him.

LOl
one 2 tree war...........