If the grass around the tree is removed, the tree will thrive much better. 

Photo: Grøn Kommunikation

Grass that grows close to trees hinders the growth from root to top. If you don’t remove grass or similar vegetation it means that the growth might decrease up to 1.7 inches per year. Also, the top and roots reduce.

Grass uses in average 2 – 2.5 litres of water per 10 square feet per day for evaporation in the growing season from May to August. If such a large amount of water should get absorbed the root system has to be big, which it is on the grass. Grass has roots that are 50-100 times bigger per volume of soil than trees.

The measure of a trees’ stem says a lot about the roots and top volume. The thinner the stem, the smaller a top and root system.

Grass dominates, and even though the grass around the trees is fertilized it can’t be seen on the growth. You should remove the grass around your trees in autumn, hence the trees will grow bigger next season. An alternative to removing grass is to cover the soil around the tree with wood chips or similar. The area that should be covered should be at least 24 inches, preferably more.