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| I have a beautiful fescue lawn. There is one problem. We had some trees removed several years ago and had the stumps grinded out. At the first sign of heat, the grass in those areas begins to turn brown. I'm sure it has something to do with the stumps rotting underground. It there some type of fertilizer I can put in these areas to supplement the soil? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Sat, Jul 2, 11 at 17:56
| In order for wood to decompose, it requires fungus. You will see it growing on dead logs in the woods. It looks like this.
The fungi that do the decomposing requires a LOT of nitrogen. If the fungus does not have access to the air, it will "rob" nitrogen from every source it can find. No matter how much fertilizer you apply, the grass does not get any because of that fungus down there. The best way to prevent this (in the future) is to have all the roots pulled out, not ground down and buried. You can try to do that at this point, and it will help, but it will be a major chore. If you don't want to do that, then applying fertilizer will help speed up the process. Just don't expect a lot to grow over top until all the wood is decomposed. |
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- Posted by bassplayer7 6 (My Page) on Sat, Jul 2, 11 at 18:04
| This is very interesting. There is a large oak tree out in front that had it's roots dug up big time when the house was built and it's probably 75% dead now. :( Every year, as soon as the slightest heat came, the grass would die, and it has come back spindly ever since. In many ways I'm surprised it's still alive. BTW, I don't think I fully understood what you said about fertilizer. Is it correct that the more I fertilize that area, the faster the roots will decompose and hopefully speed the process to a green lawn? Thanks for the awesome tips! I might end up landscaping that area, but other plants but there might now fair so well, either. Or would they? |
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- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Sat, Jul 2, 11 at 18:42
| You got the fertilizer idea right. And yes, nothing will thrive there until the wood is decomposed. Couple years ago I buried a stump under compost thinking it would rot away. After two years I unburied it and it looked exactly the same as before. Now it has been a year unburied and it is falling apart from fungal activity. It has mushrooms growing all over it. The former hard stump is not as flimsy as balsa. You can kick pieces off of it. |
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