Dead soil?
- GeorgiaDad
- Posts: 2163
- Joined: July 13th, 2011, 2:32 pm
- Location: Suwanee, Ga.
- Grass Type: Frontyard: Award, NuChicago, Midnight. kbg Backyard: Mutt Fescue with a little Midnight kbg thrown in.
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Dead soil?
I've got a spot in my lawn that is puzzling me. When I did my renovation in 2011. I dug up a tree that was dying. I made a nice island and transplanted a dogwood tree that was living, but in a too shady area. The transplant did ok for a year. Then the next year never leaved and looked dead. So in 2013 I dug it up. But the roots still seemed to have life so I planted it in another spot. It's thriving today. I bought another dogwood and planted it there. It lasted one year. The next year it never leaved out. I dug it up and transplanted it but it died. So last fall I decided to just let that end of the island fill in. It did except for the same spot my trees kept dying in. Not even weeds will grow there. Any ideas why?
Original island...
How it looks today...
Original island...
How it looks today...
-
- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Dead soil?
Maybe would be worthwhile to send a soil sample from just that area for analysis. Maybe it has toxic levels of some micronutrient or sodium? Could also try to add some gypsum just to the area and water the crap out of it to see if you can leach out whatever is causing the problem.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
[ Post made via iPhone ]
- ken-n-nancy
- Posts: 2571
- Joined: July 17th, 2014, 3:58 pm
- Location: Bedford, NH
- Grass Type: Front: KBG (Bewitched+Prosperity); Side: Bewitched KBG; Back: Fine Fescue Blend + Prosperity
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: Dead soil?
A soil test would be intriguing to maybe find out if something is wrong there, but it sounds like you already have your answer -- there's something in that soil that is keeping anything from growing there, even weeds. Chances are that a traditional soil test wouldn't even reveal the problem, as it's probably not over-abundance of a plant macronutrient or micronutrient, but rather some other chemical.
Even though diagnosis would be intriguing, the solution will probably end up being the same. I'd suggest digging out that soil to a depth of 8" and replacing it with new soil. It doesn't look like a horribly large area. One cubic yard of soil would fill a volume of 54 square feet to a depth of 8 inches.
You're at the perfect time of year in your location to replace the soil, spread some new seed, and have it look great in 6 weeks!
Even though diagnosis would be intriguing, the solution will probably end up being the same. I'd suggest digging out that soil to a depth of 8" and replacing it with new soil. It doesn't look like a horribly large area. One cubic yard of soil would fill a volume of 54 square feet to a depth of 8 inches.
You're at the perfect time of year in your location to replace the soil, spread some new seed, and have it look great in 6 weeks!
- andy10917
- Posts: 29750
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Dead soil?
+1. Almost exactly what I planned to write after reading the original posting -- answers are interesting, but solutions rule...
-
- Posts: 445
- Joined: June 7th, 2016, 3:49 pm
- Location: Fayetteville, AR
- Grass Type: Cool season and warm season
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Dead soil?
I'm not convinced this is a soil chemical problem. Never say always, never say never. But, soil chemical problems don't usually happen in patches like that. This sounds like a soil physical problem (and maybe a cultural/planting issue) to me.
When trying to plant something in this spot, pay close attention to the physical characteristics in that spot. I think therein lies your answer.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
When trying to plant something in this spot, pay close attention to the physical characteristics in that spot. I think therein lies your answer.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
- andy10917
- Posts: 29750
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
- Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
- Level: Advanced
Re: Dead soil?
Was the original tree larger, and ground down to the soil when it was removed?
- GeorgiaDad
- Posts: 2163
- Joined: July 13th, 2011, 2:32 pm
- Location: Suwanee, Ga.
- Grass Type: Frontyard: Award, NuChicago, Midnight. kbg Backyard: Mutt Fescue with a little Midnight kbg thrown in.
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Dead soil?
If this was pre-2011. Before I found this site I would agree with you. But I removed and transplanted trees there after reading on this site how important soil structure was. When I removed the tress, I put the top 5"-6" of soil to one side. I also tried to replace the soil in the order it was removed.Billy wrote:I'm not convinced this is a soil chemical problem. Never say always, never say never. But, soil chemical problems don't usually happen in patches like that. This sounds like a soil physical problem (and maybe a cultural/planting issue) to me.
When trying to plant something in this spot, pay close attention to the physical characteristics in that spot. I think therein lies your answer.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
Here is the original tree. It was there when we bought the house in 1998. It was smaller than the other two trees in the yard. Almost looked like it had only been there a year. In the 13 years it was there, it never got over 6'-7' tall. It was a sweet gum tree. I dug the tree out. Took out as many roots as possible. If I remember correctly. I went down ~3'. As I said above. I was as careful as possible putting the soil back in the order it was removed. The only thing different was I added soil from another spot since the trunk/roots took up a lot of space. I also added top soil. Now before anyone jumps up and tells me "Well there's your problem. You added soil." Something in there stunted the original tree and killed it.andy10917 wrote:Was the original tree larger, and ground down to the soil when it was removed?
Last night I went back over some old reno documents. I added a sprinkler system at the same time as the reno. I found the sprinkler drawing. On it I had add the utilities the county marked. The gas main runs 3' inside my lawn from the street. This hole is 6' to center from the street. Other than that. Everything else seems normal. Well except for the dead spot.
-
- Posts: 2692
- Joined: April 25th, 2014, 11:11 pm
- Location: Macomb County Michigan
- Grass Type: Front/Side - Emblem, Back - Panterra V
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Dead soil?
Are you speaking of the main for the subdivision or your T-off to the house?GeorgiaDad wrote:The gas main runs 3' inside my lawn from the street.
- GeorgiaDad
- Posts: 2163
- Joined: July 13th, 2011, 2:32 pm
- Location: Suwanee, Ga.
- Grass Type: Frontyard: Award, NuChicago, Midnight. kbg Backyard: Mutt Fescue with a little Midnight kbg thrown in.
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Dead soil?
Main for the subdivision.
-
- Posts: 721
- Joined: April 20th, 2014, 1:48 pm
- Location: E. Tennessee
- Grass Type: KBG: Midnight, Bluebank, Mazama
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Dead soil?
Where does the gas line run to your house? Maybe it got a small nick in it or something either when doing irrigation, planting/removing the tree or at some other time? Would a small gas leak cause this? I hit one at my house once, didn't nick it, cut completely through it so it was obvious it was leaking. lol
[ Post made via iPhone ]
[ Post made via iPhone ]
-
- Posts: 2692
- Joined: April 25th, 2014, 11:11 pm
- Location: Macomb County Michigan
- Grass Type: Front/Side - Emblem, Back - Panterra V
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Dead soil?
^ That was my reason for the question. You may have permeation of the gas line, from previous damage.
- GeorgiaDad
- Posts: 2163
- Joined: July 13th, 2011, 2:32 pm
- Location: Suwanee, Ga.
- Grass Type: Frontyard: Award, NuChicago, Midnight. kbg Backyard: Mutt Fescue with a little Midnight kbg thrown in.
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Dead soil?
Other end of the property
-
- Posts: 3226
- Joined: March 6th, 2011, 7:27 pm
- Location: frederick,maryland
- Grass Type: COCHISE IV,FALCON V,FAITH TTTF + KBG
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Dead soil?
Decades ago,when I was in college,I changed my cars coolant and spilled the entire catch can of it on the lawn......4 years later the brown spot remained,and even weed free LOL.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests