Did you know trees in the woods are healthier than the trees on your lawn? But why?! Trees in the woods are healthier than trees in your grassy lawn because they get the nutrients from the leaves, twigs, and dead fallen trees that have piled up overtime. Eventually the piled up debris, such as leaves, will decompose, putting nutrients into the soil allowing trees to thrive and grow in nutrient rich soils. The woods provide many great things for trees such as nutrient rich soils, but any trees that need full sun and are growing in a dense forest, well that will not be good for the tree.
Trees in your yard will not be as healthy as trees growing in the woods because we rake away all the leaves that would later become nutrients to save the grass. In the fall, when all the leaves are dropping their leaves, we rake leaves off of our yard and dump them in the woods. By doing this you are taking away nutrients from the trees in your yard and giving it to the trees in the woods.
Most people have nice grassy lawns with trees in the middle. Trees planted in the grass will not thrive as much as trees planted in the woods, because the grass soaks in all the nutrient rich water unless there’s a heavy rainfall. Due to the grass and lack of nutrients from decomposed leaves and natural debris, you should provide your trees with supplemental nutrients to act like the ones you have taken away. Before you do this, call a professional to ensure they are the best thing for your tree. Although there are many downsides to planting trees on lawns, trees that need full sun will thrive in this environment rather than a tree that needs shade.
It’s like a cycle; there is a tree, a tree drops its leaves in the fall, the fallen leaves and twigs decompose, become nutrients in the soil, and that is taken up into the tree again to be used and renews the cycle.
Overall trees in the woods are healthier than trees on your lawn!
