Why Doesn't Grass Grow Under My Carob Tree?

Description

• Carob trees grow to mature heights of nearly 50 feet tall. The canopy tends to be very full and dense. These trees tolerate light frosts in climates that experience temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Late spring frosts may damage the blossoms and result in poor fruit-set.

Soil Changes

• The seedpods of carob trees are astringent and contain isobutyric acid and tannin, two chemicals that can affect the soil as fallen pods decompose below the tree. Raking the fallen pods off the soil will help eliminate chemical changes in the soil that may affect grass growth.

Sunlight

• Most varieties of grass require large amounts of sunlight. The grass that grows well in exposed areas of lawn may suffer and die under the thick canopy of a carob tree. Planting shade-tolerant varieties of grass seed, such as Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue, help to cover the area below carob trees. Regular pruning can help remove some of the dense foliage and allow more sunlight to reach the grass. Grass grown in shady locations requires less fertilizer than grass that grows in sunny areas of the landscape. Feeding the grass under your carob tree at the same rate as the rest of your lawn can damage the grass and result in bare soil.

Moisture

• Grass beneath tree canopies also requires less moisture due to the slower rate of evaporation and cooler temperatures in this shady location. Too much water can result in fungal conditions that cause the grass to stop growing and can result in the death of the lawn in this area. Reducing the amount of water beneath the canopy and treating fungal conditions with a fungicide may help save the area of lawn under a carob tree.