There are other ways, but here is what I would do. I have had good luck with this method. Mark off the area and cover with newspaper; wet it down as you go to keep it from blowing away. Use 15-20 sheets of thickness. Cover with 3" of mulch. This will work without planting anything if you want to leave it. If you want to plant, put down some soil unde the mulch. Staart with small plants or seeds; they will be easier. If you want shrubs or large plants, Plant them first before putting the newspaper down. I have used this method many times and had good luck.

Please do not plant directly in the root zone of trees. It will injure or kill them if repeatedly gardening there or smothering roots with soil. Not to mention the competition for water and nutrients could be lose-lose for all plants involved.

There is only one thing you can plant in the root zone of trees.... 1-3" of mulch

I agree with QQ, roots need to breathe and so one generally doesn't change the soil level after they're established.

Not to argue with the more experienced gardeners, but I have had very good results around tree roots putting down several inches of compost adn planting shallow-rooted shade plants like hostas, ajuga, and Solomon's seal. Of course, the trees around which I did this are in a part of my yard that stays naturally moist, so competition for water was less of an issue. I also don't cultivate there very often, just some light weeding and a thin layer of compost or mulch once a year. I have seen no damage to the trees, and the underplantings have thrived.

low-water consumers of high interest (like anything in the sedum family) would work like champs without any damage or ill effect to the tree(s), though, eh?

Yeah a little compost and stuff like hostas are ok is what I've been taught but post does say "under tree planting beds" so forgive me if I'm jumping to conclusions but that is not the same as a little compost and some hostas or other groundcovers, sedum, liriope (if you must)

I have an area like you are describing and it is extremely packed with sweetgum tree roots. Lots of the sweetgum roots are several inches in diameter and are at the surface of the ground, so they would be really hard to deal with. Instead of fighting with all the roots, we put down a couple of inches of mulch and then put several large pots of annuals in the area and it looks great. I have pots of angel-wing begonia, impatiens, etc.
I would've much rather have had plants growing in the ground, but decided to save myself the misery and sore back!
Vicki

Hello All,

Some things I have had success with under trees

Epimedium
Veronica "Georgia blue"
Spring ephemerals
Ajuga
Begonia grandis
Jack in the pulpit
Tricyrtis hirta (toad lily)
Bulbs and corms
Cyclamen

I bury a soaker hose under the newspaper and mulch and even during the hottest days, got away with watering well once every ten days to two weeks. and all but the begonia are still doing well despite the the new tightened restrictions.(well... the ones that are still supposed to be above ground are)

I think most of these things have shallow roots and tenacity, and the bulbs and corms do there thing and then are on no competition until the next season, which I know we all hope will be easier on our plants and ourselves.

Maria