Creating a planting bed around oak trees

16 years ago

I have 2 good-sized oaks near my property line. I think they're pin oaks. They're at least 50' tall, and the canopy starts about 20' high. I'd like to create a large garden bed that includes these two trees and adds at least one other smaller tree (maybe more) + several shrubs + smaller stuff. There's plenty of space to create and extend a planting bed into the yard, which is quite sunny because the oaks' canopies are high and there isn't much else around.

How should I prepare the bed? I'll need to add loam and compost, and dig down to remove some of the many rocks that currently reside in the soil. How close or far from the oaks can I add extra soil? How far from the oaks should I keep from disrupt the existing soil?

Any suggestions for smaller trees that might be happy and attractive in this bed with the oak trees above and behind?

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Comments (4)

mainegrower
16 years ago
Oaks are among the easier trees to garden near as opposed to things like maples. Oak roots are not nearly as invasive, but sprouting acorns are always a nuisance. All in all, you're probably better off if you keep actual digging to a minimum and add a layer of coarse, highly organic planting medium (leaf mold, aged bark, coarse compost, not loam - too much clay)in the area you want the bed. As long as oxygen is not excluded from the oak roots by compacted clay/loam soil, the existing trees will be fine.

Far more detailed instructions can be found in William Cullina's book on gardeneing with native plants, George Schenk's The Complete Shade Gardener and The American Woodland Garden by the author whose name I can't remember.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
hi

dig hole.. insert plant.. refill with what you dug out..

do not lift the soil level with soil ...

add a nice mulch ...

under large trees.. we dont want to encourage them to grow into planting holes... hence native soil return ...

and we dont want to bury the roots too deeply at any given time... compost applied generally to the bed.. is just feeding a massive tree that doesnt need it.. so just apply a bit around plants ... but that will also encourage the tree to come there ....

frankly.. unless you have some barren soil .. which a soil test will tell ... not much in your garden needs to be repeatedly fed .... and trust me.. feeding plants under trees.. just causes all kinds of tree issues ....

any course mulch would just be pleasant for both the tree and the garden .... and over the years.. will break down as compost...

this isnt a veggie garden... so forget about the tilling and soil amendments .... and fertilizers .... and victory garden .. and all those other tv shows ....

good luck

ken of 1500 hosta .... trust me.. been there.. done that.. made every mistake.. TWICE.. lol
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still_lynnski
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the responses. I'm glad to hear that oaks make such good bed-mates. I will do exactly what mainegrower said--basically add good stuff on top of the current soil, don't compact the soil especially around the oaks, and read more books.

ken--you don't live in the zone 5 where I live! When I pull out a shovel full of dirt, I get 3 shovels full of stones. Yesterday we had a tractor help us dig out an area of the sloping lawn so we could create a 12x12' flat seating area. He pulled out about 2 cubic yards of field stones ranging from 6-15" long--not including the boulder shaped like an egg that was 34" long! I really cannot dig hole.. insert plant.. refill with what you dug out..cuz I haven't met any plants that appreciate a stone diet.
whaas_5a
16 years ago
Speaking of maples...I've had good success planting plants in maple root zones at the same time as planting the maple.

Yesterday...saw the darndest thing. 15' Celebration Maple planted 3 years ago. Went digging a shrub hole 10' outside the maples dripline. I pulled a root mass that filled a 5 gallon container after I shook the dirt out.

I'd say its well established, lol.