ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one

**jimmy cee** 4/6/2014, 7:25 pm

Last season was ok, 2 days ago when I was refreshing this cold frame, I discovered the entire bed, was full and I do mean full of these fine roots.
Only grass, a few unknown weeds are around, however all have been kept cut for years.
The lower part of the beds are about 10 years old, upper part I added last year, also included weed barrier and 1/4 inch screen on bottom of upper raised bed.
2 feet from each bed end I have wisteria growing, I'm wondering if these could be from wisteria ?
3 other beds have no roots as this one does, wisteria is growing along the entire edge of all my beds..
I planted a bunch of kohlrabi, broccoli, chard and romaine.
What is seen in the roots below is only a small fraction of a root system in this cold frame.
I hate to think of removing the entire mix and redoing it, I will if necessary.
Any help please ?

last seasons plants ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Planti11

ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Planti11

This seasons planting 2 days ago ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Cold_f14

unwanted..roots ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Root_110

ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Root_210

ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Root_310

ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Root_410

Marc Iverson 4/6/2014, 7:56 pm

Holy cow, that's a lot of roots! Are you sure you didn't just disturb a hibernating hippie?

**camprn** 4/6/2014, 8:25 pm

Jimmy, I have the same trouble in my garden beds, it's absolutely maddening! They are all getting raised above the ground. That is the only way to overcome the root hairs.

**AtlantaMarie** 4/6/2014, 8:27 pm

Oh, my... I have to agree w/ Marc! And I'm afraid camprn's right about the only way to solve the issue permanently...

**llama momma** 4/6/2014, 8:37 pm

Flame weeder. Love the concept but not the price

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-253-flame-weeder.aspx

meatburner 4/6/2014, 8:56 pm

lm, you can get one of those flame throwers at Harbor Freight for about $25.00. That is if you have a HF near you. It is soooooo cool! If it would take care of massive roots like those in the pics, it would be a great deal.

**camprn** 4/6/2014, 8:57 pm

llama momma wrote:Flame weeder. Love the concept but not the price

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-253-flame-weeder.aspx

Sadley it wont help when it is tree roots and they fill the bed and choke out everything.

**jimmy cee** 4/6/2014, 10:21 pm

camprn wrote:Jimmy, I have the same trouble in my garden beds, it's absolutely maddening! They are all getting raised above the ground. That is the only way to overcome the root hairs.

I do not understand what you mean ? "raised above the ground" my bed is 15 inches high for this one.

Flame thrower ?, how's that going to rid roots down under ?

Trees ? huge trees 40 - 50 feet away, no branches over the garden, none of the other beds have this problem, that's puzzling to me

**camprn** 4/6/2014, 10:23 pm

jimmy cee wrote:
camprn wrote:Jimmy, I have the same trouble in my garden beds, it's absolutely maddening! They are all getting raised above the ground. That is the only way to overcome the root hairs.
I do not understand what you mean ? "raised above the ground" my bed is 15 inches high for this one.

Flame thrower ?, how's that going to rid roots down under ?

Trees ? huge trees 40 - 50 feet away, no branches over the garden, none of the other beds have this problem, that's puzzling to me

jimmy, is your garden bed sitting on the ground??

Marc Iverson 4/6/2014, 10:25 pm

My neighbor's garden has tree roots coming up through his raised beds 30 feet from the drip line of his trees. I know because I'm the guy pulling them out. I wouldn't rule trees out as a root source.

**sanderson** 4/7/2014, 5:11 am

Mel's Mix and all that delicious compost is too much temptation for trees and shrubs. I think (and I hope I'm wrong) that the mass of hairy roots I pulled from one bed last fall were from 3 possible trees. If that's what is happening, then this fall I will raise the beds on pavers, maybe even a thin slab of cement. Shocked

**jimmy cee** 4/7/2014, 7:15 am

"jimmy, is your garden bed sitting on the ground??"

camprn, ok thanks now I understand what you mean.
OMG if I need to raise my beds ? I will do it in my next life Shocked

I wonder if there's a way I can have roots tested to see what they are?

**walshevak** 4/7/2014, 9:12 am

Don't count out any nearby shrubbery. My Japanese Quince bush roots have take over half a flower bed. My partial solution is to take a flat edge shovel and root prune the bush on the bed side as deep as I can manage. It can grow out into the yard as much as it needs.

Kay

**jimmy cee** 4/7/2014, 11:04 am

walshevak wrote:Don't count out any nearby shrubbery. My Japanese Quince bush roots have take over half a flower bed. My partial solution is to take a flat edge shovel and root prune the bush on the bed side as deep as I can manage. It can grow out into the yard as much as it needs.

Kay

Kay, thanks.
Thats an idea. I have about a 15 inch space along where my wisteria's edge the beds, maybe I can dig down there to see if it's wisteria growing over. Then I ask myself why just 1 bed and not the others ? they are all fairly close to each other with the same mixture.

**donnainzone5** 4/7/2014, 11:54 am

I had a similar problem in one bed near the fence when I lived in Southern California. Shocked

In the past, the borders next to the fences and brick garage wall (three stories) were planted with ivy. Some of it had been removed, and some of it I removed, albeit with great difficulty.

Anyway, there was no ivy along that section of fence, but it was growing mightily about 8' or 10' away. So, before each planting, I had to dig/pull out as many of the roots as I could find. What a chore!

Not to mention that the bed was placed on the spot where a hibiscus tree formerly resided.... But that was the only remaining reasonably sunny spot in the yard!

**jimmy cee** 5/7/2014, 9:12 pm

I'm thinking I found the answer to this problem.
Oak tree roots !!!!
There are 8 giant oak trees 40 feet away, the limbs do hover over the garden.
After digging down deep I found a fairly large root attached to these fine hair roots that wouldn't be of any weed, since the only trees in the immediate area are these hugs oaks I am going to assume this is my problem and I need to deal with it on a yearly basis.
I suppose in time all of my beds with suffer this ...

Pollinator 5/7/2014, 10:19 pm

Marc Iverson wrote:My neighbor's garden has tree roots coming up through his raised beds 30 feet from the drip line of his trees. I know because I'm the guy pulling them out. I wouldn't rule trees out as a root source.

A farmer neighbor of mine has tree roots out into one of his fields more than 100 feet from the hedgerow. They like the fertilizer, apparently.

**sanderson** 5/7/2014, 11:51 pm

There are many articles regarding the expanse of oak tree roots. They are shallow and far reaching in old trees. I read many years ago that they can go out to 100' from the trunk. A lot of folks building new homes in our dry, Mediterranean foothills lose the old trees because they don't realize how expansive and fragile the roots are.

**walshevak** 5/8/2014, 7:51 am

jimmy cee wrote:I'm thinking I found the answer to this problem.
Oak tree roots !!!!
There are 8 giant oak trees 40 feet away, the limbs do hover over the garden.
After digging down deep I found a fairly large root attached to these fine hair roots that wouldn't be of any weed, since the only trees in the immediate area are these hugs oaks I am going to assume this is my problem and I need to deal with it on a yearly basis.
I suppose in time all of my beds with suffer this ...

One word - tabletops

Kay

Marc Iverson 5/8/2014, 3:21 pm

One word - tabletops

Kay

+1

**jimmy cee** 5/8/2014, 8:40 pm

Marc Iverson wrote:

One word - tabletops

Kay

+1

much much easier said than done...1 1/2 year ago ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Garden21

ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS..really need some help on this one Garden22

This past March before planting, I may raise these beds in the next life, certainly not this one....
However, I do have 1 bed to go, the one closest to camera, This could possibly be done in this life....

Marc Iverson 5/8/2014, 11:42 pm

Do you think it would help to just ram a shovel deep into the dirt around the outside of your beds once in a while? See if you get lucky and sever any surface roots?

**camprn** 5/9/2014, 5:43 am

Marc Iverson wrote:Do you think it would help to just ram a shovel deep into the dirt around the outside of your beds once in a while? See if you get lucky and sever any surface roots?

I tried this for a few years but e entually lost the battle. Now all of my beds are boxes with a bottom and elevated above the ground surface. It's taken two seasons to get that done. I have one bed to go.
Not only are the roothairs a problem with choking the roots of the vegetable plants, they rob the growing medium of all the nutrients.

My suggestion is to get the beds off the ground.

**jimmy cee** 5/9/2014, 9:45 pm

After the initial shock of this suggestion that I realize is an absolute necessity in my case I am looking at this project in a different manner.
I suppose it would just be a digout and save somewhere, elevate and rebuild
I'm going to give this some long thoughts over many cases of beer ( I don't drink but I may start now ).
Actually on 2 beds I can unbolt my new side and raise them on the angle irons, their driven 4 feet down so they will hold anything..I could support the upper bed with blocks of 2 X 12s laying on the sides of the bottom bed...
hmmmmmm gimme another beer.......

**walshevak** 5/10/2014, 3:59 am

jimmy cee wrote:After the initial shock of this suggestion that I realize is an absolute necessity in my case I am looking at this project in a different manner.
I suppose it would just be a digout and save somewhere, elevate and rebuild
I'm going to give this some long thoughts over many cases of beer ( I don't drink but I may start now ).
Actually on 2 beds I can unbolt my new side and raise them on the angle irons, their driven 4 feet down so they will hold anything..I could support the upper bed with blocks of 2 X 12s laying on the sides of the bottom bed...
hmmmmmm gimme another beer.......

Sounds like a good winter project when the beds are not full of lovely growing things. Although I love my waist high tabletops, you don't have to raise them that high, just get the beds up off the ground. I had to replace supports under 3 beds this year. It wasn't too bad. Did 2 one weekend and 1 the next. Gave me an opportunity to really clear out old roots and add a lot of compost to the mix when putting it back into the bed.

Kay

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