ItÂs very difficult to grow most plants under the drip-line of silver, red, or most other maple trees. You don't see lawns growing in the woods. All trees should have a mulch ring around them. Its good for the tree and it is convenient to rake you Autumn leaves into and let them decompose over winter. DO NOT pile soil up around the trunk or bury large roots near the trunk. To do so will seriously risk killing the tree. Maples are beautiful trees. The trade off is the nasty surface root system. I have mulch rings around my maples, one is oval, the other is kidney shaped. I don't think the look funny, in fact they are beautiful. Some perennial plants, flowers and ground cover does manage to grow there. You could put decorative stones and features there. Do consider placing a 15 ft. diameter mulch ring around your trees. The mulch will retain and provide moisture and nutrients for your tree to use when needed. ItÂs good for the tree. It doesnÂt have to be expensive. Your city or county probably has a place where they haul chipped limbs and lawn refuse. That makes a great mulch. Your yard will look better with your trees mulched. Take my word for it. Mulch rings around Maples are Beautiful.
Bill Hill

Bill-

Much obliged for the advice. I should have backed up a bit and explained why I think mulching my trees looks a little funny. Inside the 4ft radius, I have sidewalk. Meaning that these trees are not set back more than 4 feet from the public walk. Thus, if I mulch, I end up mulching up to that walk and for one tree, it is also bounded within 4 feet by the gravel driveway.

Since these surface roots are so pervasive, there is no way to set up a border that will retain the mulch from spilling onto either the drive or sidewalk. Additionally, the sidewalk incursion makes for some fairly irregular shapes should I mulch (I should mention that this is what I have done in the past--I'm just not satisfied with it.)

Others on the block (including two next door neighbors) have grass growing directly up to the tree. If at all possible, this is what I would like to do. I just need to figure out how to add bulk so that the grass roots can take without trucking in tons of dirt (again, I'm on a budget)

As for the health of the trees, this may make me sound callous, but I'm really not that concerned. As I said earlier, had I my druthers, they'd be gone.

So, to all (Bill included) who may have an idea as to whether I can bulk soil by mixing it with mulch (or other as needed) I'd be much obliged to hear your advice.

Cheers.

What is the level of humus in your soil?
I have several trees growing in my yard and only where the tree canopy is so dense that no sun reaches the soil when those trees are fully leafed out does grass have a problem growing under the trees. None of the trees, today, has roots on or very near the surface because of the high level of organic matter that soil has which fills in the spaces between the mineral soil particles and adds volume to that soil. A soil with little organic matter will receed from tree roots exposing them, not good for the tree or the roots, because without organic matter the mineral soil particles will not be seperated and will fill in the spaces the organic matter should be in.