but I decided to just leave whatever there alone.

===>>> pure genius ... lol .. dont fix what aint broken, as they say ..

as to bulbs.. a tulip should be around 6 inches deep.. or about 3X its diameter ...

go out under the tree in june/july/august... and dig a couple 6 inch holes.. and find out if ANY water is getting that deep ... and if its bone dry.. the bulbs will probably fail over time ...

what is there is rather shallow rooted mat forming plants.. that really dont put roots that deep into the fibrous root system of the tree.. and that is why they can succeed ...

so while trying to dream up idea under there.. work with that.. rather than thinking about invading the deeper root mass.. and trying to out compete the maple ... as a hosta grower.. trust me.. you will not beat a large maple in its root zone ...

make any sense???

ken

One fall I did plant bulbs around the base of a maple (too close to the base?). The next spring not one came up.

This spring/summer I am going to try a few yellow corydalis in this location.

Silver maple has one of the densest, most fine root mats. The roots literally suck the life out of the surrounding soil, making it pretty hard to grow much under there. If you've found two things that thrive, vinca minor and lily of the valley, at least it's not bare ground.

I have a big silver maple in the front of my house. I love the tree, but it does create a zone of death quite a ways beyond the drip line where roots are thick.

The best solution I have found is container gardening under the tree. Even then, you need to be sure to move the containers a little 3-4 times a season, or the roots will grow up into them and fill the containers with roots.

literally suck the life out of the surrounding soil, making it pretty hard to grow much under there.

===

really denni .. 'literally' ... lol ...

does soil have a life in and of itself???

what a hoot..

i know EXACTLY what you mean ... your terms just cracked me up ..

can you hear the soil screaming in the darkest hour of the night.. ohhhh the humanity .....

ken

I tried the spin out bags late last summer - planted some hosta in an area near a mature maple. I'm eager to see how the hostas do this year in the spin-out bags.

Thanks to the previous owner, I have a big Silver maple in the front yard too. Its roots are unbelievable. They have heaved the sidewalk growing towards the gutters, grown into the septic tank, and grow right into the roots of the perennials and grasses in the nearby "Xeric" garden. This garden became a xeric one partly because of that Silver maple! It sucks the moisture out of its entire root zone. Vinca minor grows under mine as well. Orange ditch lilies manage to do okay too.

Acer saccharinum is naturally a very thirsty tree; its native habitat is usually wetlands. I love Silver maples, they are fabulous wildlife trees, but I would never plant one anywhere near a structure, garden, pipes, etc.