I would like to start planting for next year but our beds are just full of roots. We have got rid of all the leaves, branches etc above ground and i am wondering if i should make an attempt to get rid of the roots underground (there are a lot of them) or just go ahead and mix in some topsoil and start planting.
This is our first garden and i would really appreciate your advice.
2006-08-27 05:25:51 · 17 answers · asked by bambam 5 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
2 years ago I moved into my current place and the garden was knee deep in really nasty weeds. Please, please don't just dig the weeds in! It makes the problem 10 times worse. I'm afraid all you can do is dig them out - use a decent pair of gloves to protect your hands, a sturdy garden fork and start at one end and do small amounts. Pull out as much of the weed as you can, as deep as you can. If there are any real monster bits that you can't get out, you could spray a tiny bit of spot weedkiller on there.
Only plant the bits you've really cleared, and enjoy how fantastic it looks in the bits you did first. If you just plant in among existing weeds, they'll choke all your lovely new plants. Plus, the soil where weeds have been is usually drained of nutrients, so you'll need to dig in some fertiliser to give your plants a head start - pelleted chicken manure works really well.
Best of luck!
Jenn
2006-08-29 11:47:41 · answer #1 · answered by JentaMenta 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep the bed dry before planting to take the energy out of any remaining roots. After you plant do a lot of watering and they should rot away - you will see mushrooms popping up where they were. If green shoots come up then pull or cut them.
You could also try covering the area with landscaping cloth to block the light in case the old ones sprout. Cut an x in it where you are going to put your new plants and fold back the edges to go close to the new plants.
2006-08-27 12:31:50 · answer #2 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldnt dig up all the roots till I know what they are and you wont know till the plant/shrub is allowed to grow. Be daring, do your planting with your own stuff but wait to see what the others will turn out to be. Our garden was a sheer delight when we left it, a couple of things we got rid of but the rest we took a chance. Glad we did.
2006-08-27 12:34:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I did this last year and ended up hiring a tree professional to pull out the roots of the bushes. He did it for about $150 for 32 feet of nasty ugly bushes. Well worth the price!
2006-08-27 13:03:37 · answer #4 · answered by sammie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just done something similar in mine. It's a horrible job.
If the root is green it will grow again so you have a lot of work to do. There is no quick way but there are aids.
Tap rots by the hundred are easily cut with long handle secateurs 'Argos' £11 Main roots might need a chain saw 'B&Q'.£39
A long steel lever will help as well.
No easy fix to this one I am afraid.
2006-08-27 12:53:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave them in, taking them out is hard work.
I have two flower beds alongs side the walk leading to my driveway...i am putting in that weed control fabric and mulch, and that dirt has 35 years of plant roots all up in there...its a great work out for the arms to try to dig it out, but I just decided to leave it in, it was too hard getting it out.
If you have a tiller, that would probably be the way to go, but i dont want to bother.
2006-08-27 14:01:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would use a rototiller to make sure I grind up the roots really well, because some roots just don't want to die. I would also amend the soil as well to give everything a really good start.
2006-08-27 23:34:34 · answer #7 · answered by curious 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should of just used the old texas hillbilly way of removing those shrubs.....
tie a rope around the thickest part of the bush, tie a knot attach other end to the ball of a truck and let ' er rip! roots and all!
do not plant over the roots of what is left...soon you will have just as much mess as before....
good luck!
2006-08-27 16:43:04 · answer #8 · answered by Stephanie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they are tree roots, there's no use, those go on forever. If they are left over from old plants, it would be worth your while to plant new in fresh soil with plenty of room to grow their own roots.
2006-08-27 12:29:42 · answer #9 · answered by angie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't really get all the roots out, but maybe just topsoil and keeep pulling weeds up as you find them might work. Good luck.
2006-08-27 12:28:40 · answer #10 · answered by Cj 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋