Tree Roots in Vegetable Garden

[mvona]

Hello and Happy Spring,
I was out today turning some of the soil in my beds and discovered that the pine trees which are about 10 feet north of the garden have been secretly feeding on my vegetable garden. Any ideas as to what best to do? They are not on my property and I cannot move the beds. it is one battle after another for me.
Pic attached.
Thanks, happy gardening.

Mark

 

[alp]

Very little you can do. I dug up a strong root - the size of my wrist and it was more than 1 foot long - from my flower bed 3 days ago. I literally truncated it. You could use raised beds.

 

[DirtMechanic]

There is a tool called a sawzall that is useful in dirt and around stumps and roots. It is also called a reciprocating saw. It can be outfitted with blades as long as 12 or more inches. The blades come in all forms, even diamond which will cut through rock.

There are also rough and tumble demolition blades which cut through nails.

It is possible that a tool like this might make establishing a perimeter free of roots somewhat easier, or the maintenance easier.

 

[Chuck]

There is nothing you can do except cut down the trees. You can cut the roots but they will just come back. I have the same problem, oak tree and cedar tree roots. It makes digging more difficult but as far as stealing nutrients I hasn't affected my vegetables, at least I don't think it has

 

[DirtMechanic]

Any nutrients leaching downward are lost to the garden anyway I would think.

 

[alp]

I went to this lady's house to get some free fishing stuff and she was such a keen gardening. In East London, we don't have the luxury of a big garden and hers was by no mean big and she said to me, "You can dig any more in this garden as there are roots everywhere!" True to form, mature trees everywhere and her hellebore was languishing in the shaded area with no flowers. Too shady and hers would be a no-dig GARDEN!

 

[DirtMechanic]

Our little patch of hellebores is doing nicely and starting to spread under the trees.

 

[alp]

You must take your resident artist to choose some special hellebores for your garden. You guys are so lucky to have such big pieces of land to call home. Forever jealous I am!

You could add some galanthus to keep hellebores company!

 

[mvona]

Very little you can do. I dug up a strong root - the size of my wrist and it was more than 1 foot long - from my flower bed 3 days ago. I literally truncated it. You could use raised beds.

Thanks for the reply. Actually I was digging to establish raised beds in this location. I wish it were just a couple of big roots that I am fighting but it is a pervasive web of smaller roots. Looks daunting to try and cap the problem. I think I am going to try and cut the roots just as they come onto my property (that is about 6 feet from the vegetable garden). Not looking forward to the job.

 

[mvona]

There is a tool called a sawzall that is useful in dirt and around stumps and roots. It is also called a reciprocating saw. It can be outfitted with blades as long as 12 or more inches. The blades come in all forms, even diamond which will cut through rock. View attachment 51655

There are also rough and tumble demolition blades which cut through nails.

It is possible that a tool like this might make establishing a perimeter free of roots somewhat easier, or the maintenance easier.

Thanks for your reply. I am going to try this. What I think may work best for me is if I can cut the larger roots closer to the trees before they have spread out all over the place. they enter my property about 6 feet away from my beds. Fun wow!

 

[DirtMechanic]

Thanks for your reply. I am going to try this. What I think may work best for me is if I can cut the larger roots closer to the trees before they have spread out all over the place. they enter my property about 6 feet away from my beds. Fun wow!

Thats why I thought of a recip saw. I would cut them 12 inches in from the line with the demolition blade. The foot reminds me of a sewing machine foot, you would just go along the ground like you were stitching a line. You might cut cable or phone so call before you dig...

 

[mgmine]

Since it's a vegetable garden I would assume that you dig it up every year. If that's the case then when you dig it up and rake it clean you'll be removing the roots. By the time they grow back it will be time to dig them up again. It won't do any good to cut them 6 feet from the garden since you don't know where they are. You may find a few but there will be more where they came from. I see you're in WNY so am I.

 

[mvona]

Since it's a vegetable garden I would assume that you dig it up every year. If that's the case then when you dig it up and rake it clean you'll be removing the roots. By the time they grow back it will be time to dig them up again. It won't do any good to cut them 6 feet from the garden since you don't know where they are. You may find a few but there will be more where they came from. I see you're in WNY so am I.

mgmine,
what you say here makes some sense too. I am going to cut some roots as dirt mechanic suggests, and I am going to dig and rake, and I am raising the bed, and damn it! I am going to have a vegetable garden. Thanks for reply.