Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Can Pine Needles damage grass and shrubbry?

Our neihbor has huge pine trees, one has seemed to have died over the years and all its wonderful pine cones and needles end up in our yard.


I was doing some yeard work today, and half of one of our larger size shrubs is 1/2 dead, as i look deeper in the the bush, there was a layer of about 3 inches of pine needles inside, just collecting over the years (we just moved in last fall)





another part of this question is that can there be anyway i can have this person remove this tree, without causeing conflict. The dead Pine tree is right next to our fire place, and posses a HUGE fire risk.


along with these giant trees are the roots to the trees coming into our yard and very close to the foundation, possably hitting the foundation, is there a way to remove these roots that are tearing up my yard?





and last but not least,


our backyard seens to collect lots of water due to a drainage sewer in the corner ( which i understandm that is were water run off will go) but it makes the.......

Can Pine Needles damage grass and shrubbry?
Lots of different questions.





1) Pine needles can be very beneficial if they are allowed to compost and then turned into the soil. They are very acidic, however, so too much of it can turn the soil very "sour" and kill plants that need more alkaline soil balance. On the other hand, pine needle compost goes great with some kinds of flowering bushes that thrive on acidic soils (hydrangeas, for instance). A three inch layer of decaying pine needles might cause any shrub to die back or die altogether because it can restrict air and water access to the plant's root system.


2) Even live pine trees close to a chimney can be a fire hazard. A dead one is like putting a match next to it. I hope the chimney has a spark arrester on top of it to reduce the possibility of hot ashes igniting something nearby. I'm not sure how much of a "conflict" you think it will cause, but you certainly have a right to discuss the problem with your neighbor. Offer to pay half of the costs to remove or trim the trees back to a safe distance.


3) Pine tree roots are both shallow and deep. The shallow roots go out looking for nutrients while the deep roots search for a consistent watering site. If the area around pine trees is wet and moist most of the time (sounds like it might be in your area), pine trees will be shallow rooted, making them very invasive. They will crack concrete walkways and can cause foundation damage. Roots can be cut back, but that will also destabilize the tree, risking the possibility of falling over in high winds. Anything that crosses property lines is yours to do with whatever you please, but in the spirit of neighborly love, you should discuss with your neighbor before doing anything dramatic.


4) The drainage problem is a joint project between plumber and perhaps a landscape expert or hydrologist. I wouldn't let this problem get any worse. Contact one or both ASAP and get it resolved.
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Reply:If there are lots of pine needles around trees then grass will sufficate around trees because it needs to breath inorder to grow.
Reply:I would take a mulcher blade on the lawn mower and let the pine needles work in they are good for plants and grass. If the roots are coming in your yard, and affecting your foundation, you must discuss this with them, if it is sewer water in your yard someone has to take care of this it is very unsanitary, call the local municapality.
Reply:I had the same problem. I could rake up pine needles daily. Until they go out you will forever have a problem. Try planting birch trees. Holland which grows bigger every year, plants them everywhere so that they can gain more land from the sea. I learned this when I went on my honeymoon to Holland.
Reply:Pine needles will definitely kill your grass, they pack the ground tightly and cut the air flow to the root system. Not quite sure about the shrubs. Also, if the tree is dead there is a very high risk factor of it falling over. I would talk to the neighbor about cutting it down before it falls on your home. Maybe you could offer to help him do it, that way hopefully there wouldn't be any confliction.


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