Planting in lawns
This poor Pieris is clearly struggling. That’s why I don’t recommend planting shrubs and trees in lawns. It is usually a bad idea. I was reminded of this when a buddy of mine posted the picture above on WhatsApp and made fun of the poor shrub. I actually know this shrub and I’ve been watching it for several years, wondering how long it would soldier on. Let’s see why planting trees and shrubs isn’t a great idea.
Don’t do it
Don’t do it. It looks weird, stuck in the lawn all by itself. The grass is a tough competitor so the best you can hope for is status-quo. I wouldn’t expect this Pieris to thrive and overwhelm its space. It’s definitely true in this case. Grass is a tough competitor. Respect it. This applies to trees and shrubs.
We could help the shrub by establishing a tree well around its trunk and installing some mulch to keep moisture in. This pushes the grass away a little bit, allows for water and nutrients to enter the root zone and, crucially, deflects lawn care machines. Collisions with line edgers and mowers stress the shrub and, when done repeatedly, kill it. It wouldn’t surprise me if the bark was missing on this shrub.
Yes, we train new landscapers to avoid slashing trees and shrubs but one dude always seems to slip through the cracks; somehow he’s convinced that he has the right of way, which is wrong. We can handle a bit of shaggy turf; dead trees not so much. When trees die we lose many free ecosystem services. I stress this point in my online course on the top five lawn care mistakes.
Before planting in turf, you also have to consider proper light conditions. For example, some dogwood trees are forest understory plants so they suffer when they’re out in the open in the middle of a grass field. It’s best to not plant in turf.
No future?
I don’t like this shrub’s long-term chances. It desperately needs a tree well; maybe transplanting could save it. We shouldn’t make fun of it. Let’s save it.
