Hi,  I'm told that invasive Holly can be eradicated by applying herbicide to the freshly cut stump.  (https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/weeds/english-holly-invasive)  Is there any non herbicide options that would work; e.g. salt, vinegar, etc?  I was once told that boring a hole into the stump and packing it with salt would kill the roots & help the stump to rot.  Any viable option would be appreciated.

Thanks! 

Hi! We recently moved into a home with two large spruce trees that shade nearly the entire back yard. When we moved in, there was no grass in the yard and only hearty weeds were scattered around the soil. Is there a type of grass that is best to grow under spruce trees and with mostly shade? If not grass, is there a different ground cover that could be used? We weeded and raked the yard well in the fall. After just a few months, the entire yard is already covered with spruce needles that were blown down during wind storms. Since there is no ground cover, the yard has been a mud pit this winter, which we would like to prevent in the future.