What can I do to make flowers and grass grow around Gum trees?

Answer 1

Landscaping around trees can be a challenge, but not an impossible one. Growing grass under trees where there is less than 2 hours of sunlight, I would consider to be a futile effort. Rather select plants that will tolerate dry shade.
Aucuba japonica
Berberis thunbergii
Caladium x hortulanum
Clematis reticulata
Cornus florida
Dryopteris erythrosora - Shield Fern
Euonymus japonica
Hedera helix -
Hemerocallis spp. - Day lilies
Kalmia latifolia - Mountain Laurel
Ligustrum spp. - Privet
Liriope muscari
Liriope spp.
Mahonia sp. - Mahonia
Nandina domestica - Heavenly Bamboo Ophiopogon japonicus - Mondo Grass
Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Virginia Creeper
Potentilla spp. Rhododendron spp.

Answer 2

Eucalypts are very hard to grow plants under, but not for the usual reasons of acid soil and dryness, they create different problems.

Eucalypts are adapted to very hard environments and so they are very good at taking every bit of moisture and nutrients from the soil when they can. This leaves very little for anything else.
On top of this depending on which type of gum tree you grow, some sterilize the soil around them through roots or leaves as a natural way of protecting 'their patch'.

If your gum trees are this type you have no chance of establishing very much. All trees create dryness around them and some make the soil acidic but this is a lot harder problem to solve.

Another problem also, is with fertilizing the plants. If you want to grow annuals and exotic type plants, the fertilizer you use on them may kill your gum trees. (Phosphorus can be toxic for some)

You could try to improve the soil with compost and naturally impoved top soil, but be careful when building up the bed not to cover the trunk of the existing trees they may develop collar rot.

If you water alot under the trees you may get the grass to come up to them but you will have to water more to keep it going in the root zone area.

If I was in your situation I would consider improving the soil with plenty of organic matter and planting with other natives. Natives will put up with the dryness caused by the gums and lack of nutrients and if you have to fertilize you can use native fertilizers on the whole garden. Most natives like sun so make sure some sun is available to the beds during the day.

An underplanting of Acacia, Grevilleas, Callistermon, Eremphilia, Hakea etc may solve your problem. To see how toxic the trees are if you don't know the varieties and you can't check, just plant a small area to start with and see how you go. My local forestry office does this with great success, you may be lucky.

Answer 3

create a garden bed by raising the soil level, then water PLENTY as the tree will extract a LOT of moisture. Regularly remove the fallen leaves as they will take a long time to decompose and alter the PH balance of the soil. Depending on the type of gum is the amount of shade under it which will influence what can be grown. Gums are acidic so other natives will grow well. Grass will grow well if you clean the leaves regularly and water often.

Answer 4

good luck with the grass, there are some specialty grasses now that will grow in shade, you can get seeds for these.

flowers, well the old trick of keeping them in pots does wonders

Answer 5

ya'