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Remove grass and ground covers
Removing grass from under the canopy can increase health of many trees more than any other treatment. This eliminates the need for operating mowing equipment under the canopy. Eliminating mowing reduces trunk injury (see below left photo) which is severely damaging to trees. Eliminating mowing reduces soil compaction resulting in increased air and moisture exchange in the soil.
Lack of turf also eliminates grass root competition for water and nutrients. This allows tree roots to grow unimpeded by turf roots. Eliminating grass removes any possible allelopathic effects from the grass. The end result is more tree root growth in the top soil layers and healthier trees.
If the tree is in decline, consider replacing all ground covers and grass with a thin mulch layer. This will allow tree roots to grow unimpeded by competition from any other plants.
