Oak Tree: Heat/Water/Light

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
Post Reply
JHazzardB
Posts: 417
Joined: August 7th, 2012, 11:16 am
Location: OKC, OK
Grass Type: Front Yard: KBG blend. Back Bewitched/Nuglade
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Experienced

Oak Tree: Heat/Water/Light

Post by JHazzardB » December 16th, 2019, 1:19 pm

I have a giant oak in the front yard. Every season it's pretty dry under the tree. I always suspect it's lack of water. However, as soon as the oak loses it's leaves in Dec-Feb, the grass starts perking up again. With leaf cover, the grass under the tree only receives light for the first hour and last hour of the day pretty much. It sounds dumb but looking at the (thin) grass, I find it difficult to assess whether I'm dealing with heat, light, or water problems sometimes. It could be a trifecta, who knows! Does anyone have a distinct "not enough light" sign, besides cholorosis, that nixes heat or water stress? Lord knows I don't.

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
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: Winter Discussion Topics

Post by andy10917 » December 17th, 2019, 9:26 am

I'm going to move the specific question to a thread of its own, so you'll get more responses.

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
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: Oak Tree: Heat/Water/Light

Post by andy10917 » December 17th, 2019, 9:41 am

Actually, it could be four factors, or some number in combination. Heat, Light, Water are all possibilities - but some Oaks show degrees of allelopathy too.

Does the pattern of less-robust grass follow the area right under the canopy for the most part, or does it follow the shade pattern of the tree (they're not the same!).

A mature tree like an Oak can require 40,000 gallons of water in a season - that's pretty demanding. Directly, I'm not betting on heat, as it's not likely that it's hotter under the tree's shade than in sunny areas -- but it could be a stress factor that piles on the issue indirectly.

My bet would be on the primary stressors of less light in combination with competition for water.

TimmyG
Posts: 2244
Joined: May 15th, 2012, 6:04 pm
Location: Dracut, MA
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Experienced

Re: Oak Tree: Heat/Water/Light

Post by TimmyG » December 17th, 2019, 11:32 am

Even with more than sufficient light (vase shape w/ high limbs), I never had any success growing grass near a mature oak. And I don't have the summer heat of OK to contend with. The demand for water by the tree was always just too great. Yes, the lawn would do somewhat better after the leaves fell, but the lawn would quickly decline again after the spring rains subsided.

Re: Strugglin' Lawn Around Tree
Re: Is mulching really necessary?

JHazzardB
Posts: 417
Joined: August 7th, 2012, 11:16 am
Location: OKC, OK
Grass Type: Front Yard: KBG blend. Back Bewitched/Nuglade
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Experienced

Re: Oak Tree: Heat/Water/Light

Post by JHazzardB » December 17th, 2019, 1:13 pm

Thanks for moving this to a new topic Andy!

The lesser growth does follow mostly directly underneath the canopy give or take a foot or two.

Timmy, I’m assuming those spring rains coincided with leaves filling out and the tree waking back up?


TimmyG
Posts: 2244
Joined: May 15th, 2012, 6:04 pm
Location: Dracut, MA
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Experienced

Re: Oak Tree: Heat/Water/Light

Post by TimmyG » December 17th, 2019, 2:14 pm

I wouldn't say coincided necessarily, but close enough. It's all part of the same story: a mature tree with leaves simply outcompetes grass for water. Add shade from the canopy, and sun-loving grass doesn't stand a chance.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests