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Raised Beds near trees

kate-skate-s Posts: 9
in Problem solving
I would like to make a no dig raised bed of 1.2m width and 1 sleeper high, between the silver birch trees along the fence. You may be able to see the string line between trees 1 and 3, this would mean tree 2 would be in the bed. I have read you should not do this as the roots need oxygen. If I generously boxed the tree in the raised bed around the trunk to ensure no soil touched the trunk, do you think the tree would be ok? I have some jasmines I was hoping to grow along the fence. Many thanks, Kate
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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Yes, I'm sure your birch would be fine.
    The roots of all plants need oxygen which they get from air within the soil.
    That's why plants will often die if they are waterlogged for a long time - no air so no oxygen.

    Some trees don't respond well to having soil around the lower trunk, others don't mind.
    I'm afraid I don't know which category birch falls into though..
    Good luck!

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • kate-skate-s Posts: 9
    Thank you Pete.
  • Mrs-B3-Southampton,-HantsMrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants Posts: 732
    Some years ago, at a school I worked at, there was a silver birch which was successfully surrounded by a raised bed about 2' tall. It was skinny enough that a bottomless barrel was threaded over the top. This kept the soil away from the trunk.
    Southampton 
  • kate-skate-s Posts: 9
    That was a good idea. Thank you.
  • EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
    You should be fine, for a while. Then there is a chance the beds fill up with tree roots. I have some beds about 5m from some mature silver birch that were fine for years but lately when I dig the beds over each spring I have to tackle a mass off tree roots that are trying to take over the beds these days.
  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    I was going to say exactly the same thing. I have a compost bin in front of a dry stone wall and up above it there's a lonicera nitida. When I emptied the bin a week or so ago the bottom 12ins was full of the lonicera roots and had to be chopped out.
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • kate-skate-s Posts: 9
    I hadn't thought of that Emptyheadtime and Uff.....
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited October 2022
    What are you going to use to hold the soil in the raised bed.? Are you planning to use the existing fence as the back?  Even well treated softwood will not last long in constant contact with damp soil.

    Why a no-dig bed?  Is it for aesthetic reasons?
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    Just to give you an idea, the bin on the left is the one in question. It's about 3ft or so high and the lonicera is above it (cut back in the pic). The roots were coming up not across from the wall. 




    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • kate-skate-s Posts: 9
    Thank you for the picture Uff.

    I was going to use sleepers for the raised beds, the no dig was because I did not want to disturb the roots of the trees. I know the fencers had a real job digging the holes for the fence posts. The reason I was going to have raised beds in the first place was because any shrubs I have planted between the trees have not survived - the soil is clay and it can become water logged for a couple of weeks over winter - the trees don't seem to mind. Also, as mentioned above, even digging a hole for a small shrub is a nightmare. Maybe I should just leave it as it is.....
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