Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Digging up roots

ShennyShenny Posts: 127
in Problem solving
This may sound like a silly question, but please  be kind as I am new to gardening!
when I dig up my (small) flower bed to plant something in a gap, There are often very many roots, possibly belonging to old plants but more likely existing plants. What should I do?
Cut through the roots so I can plant my new plant or stop?
Hope I make sense. Thanks

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Have you got any trees or shrubs near your flower bed?  They often have a lot of smaller surface  roots that spread around ... if that’s what they are it should be fine to cut through them with secateurs or a sharp
    spade to plant your plants. 

    Remember that trees and shrubs will suck a lot of moisture from the soil around them so your plants will need additional watering. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ShennyShenny Posts: 127
    Yes we do. We back onto a school fence and behind it there are some shrubs. The trees are some distance about 2 to 3 metres away. Some of the roots I came across today were quite thick and I have a hydrangea Seemanii growing nearby ( which is in its second season but has not yet flowered unfortunately) and so got worried. I stopped and covered up the hole but wanted to know what to do when that happens again. For example I have planted 3 climbing roses against the fence and would not want to inadvertently cut through their roots when I am planting in front of them. 
    Thanks for the advice of additional watering. That is very useful. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited July 2020
    We have a very large tree in the corner of our garden and its surface roots spread right across the garden ... I just ignore them and dig holes and plant my plants. 

    However I wouldn’t plant too close to shrubs and roses ... leave them a clear space about 2 ft diameter circle around them (sorry I still think in feet and inches). As your herbaceous plants grow they’ll spread and cover a lot of the bare soil but their roots won’t be on top of each other. 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ShennyShenny Posts: 127
    Thank you. I will follow your advice. 
Sign In or Register to comment.