Recently moved in and not sure how I go about this. The previous homeowners said they tried to grow stuff but because of all the trees, he didn't have too much luck with all of the shade.
I don't need a full lawn, but just so that the wind isn't constantly kicking up dust. My inspector also recommends trying to grow something close to the house so the erosion won't be a problem for the foundation of the house in the future.
Thanks, any help is appreciated. We are located in Arlington, TX. Go Cowboys
by Shaunosaurus
3 Comments
Ooh dang that’s rough. That’s a LOT of shade in spring I bet. Probably nearly total. Like 90%. That soil looks “dead”. Hydrophobic possibly.
Trim back the trees… if done well and correctly, you can buy a few years of sunlight, and hope grass roots can compete with the roots of all these here.
Better option, shrub beds away from them. And then ground cover with maybe a pathway of mulch through or around something.
Even if you remove a tree, their canopy will fill the area I think, and the soil would still need a couple years to adjust after having a tree removed. Though sod is potentially viable if they ground the stump low enough. But that would destroy some home value, and those trees are awesome.
Contact the Texas A&M Extension and get a soil report done. [Texas A&M Extension ](https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu)
I would guess that your soil is in need of amendment- which usually means bringing in a bunch of topsoil, compost and maybe other stuff and tilling it in.
If you aren’t married to having grass and want to stop erosion you can quickly help by covering the area in mulch. I’d recommend Living Earth as they have locations in your area and deliver in larger quantities. Their black mulch is natural/not dyed and full of compost. Smells awful at first but it’s fantastic for soil, and yours clearly needs some love.
For plants near the foundation, look for location specific groups – there should be some Fort Worth gardening groups on FB if you’re on there. Learning what works in your area, especially in Texas, can really help. Anywhere you want to plant anything you’ll need to amend the soil. Also, do you have irrigation installed? If not, that’s something to consider if you’re planning to grow grass and plants. Your current situation looks so very dry.