Q.Do I Have To Clean Up After My Horse Chestnut Tree?
We have three large horse chestnut trees that hang over our front lawn. We have tried growing grass but the trees block too much sun and rain. So this year I have decided to get rid of the grass and replace it with all PNW native plants and mulch. My worry is that it’s going to be a mess. Every year the mess from these trees is massive; Leaves, conkers (buckeyes), and branches constantly fall from fall to late winter and we spend a lot of time raking it all up. I am HOPING that with the native plants and mulch, is it possible that I can just let the leaves and stuff fall and decay on their own? No more raking or would that just be an awful mess? My husband wants to use gravel in the front yard and continue the raking and clean up. I think that would be even harder to clean up. Any thoughts or ideas?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Planting native plants under the tree will help the health of the soil and the general area, it will make it ten times harder to clean and manage. On top of caring for the plant that you plant, you will still be removing the debris from the tree.
As far as cleaning up after your tree... that will be up to your city's code ordinance. This will be something that your local extension service or local officials can be of assistance with. The laws in your area regarding cleaning tree debris may be different than mine, here.
This article will help you to find the closest extension service to you:
