I was thinking a bit more about this last night when I should have been asleep and it would perhaps help me look slightly less uncertain if I say that in all the years of weeding I've done, when I've weeded a patch of border the earth has always been clear as a result. I dig out the weeds, run the fork through the soil and it is just soil.
In this garden I can do that in some areas but in the main middle beds I can't because of the numerous spidery roots, and that is why I asked the question.
I call myself a newish gardener because although I've had gardens for years, this is the first time I've done more than just clear weeds and keep the garden tidy. So I'm newish in terms of never really grown very much from seed before or had a greenhouse and cold frame and so on, but do have lots of previous experience in weeding.
Hope that helps give some context to what I am beginning to think may have come across as a daft question
No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.
first point is there's no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to gardening. My mother laughed like a loon when I asked her which way up to plant chitted potatoes (i.e. are the 'chits' shoots or roots?) But if you don't know, you don't know, so it's a perfectly fair question.
Actually the problem with this one is it's a difficult question to answer because 'it depends' isn't very satisfactory. Some plants - most trees and large shrubs - will tolerate quite a lot of root disturbance because they have a large root system and as long as there are enough to get the nourishment it needs to grow, the very worst that will happen is it will lose some of its leaves, possibly one branch may die back (although that's more likely from damage to the bark than the root). There are some plants - asparagus is the first one that comes to mind, which isn't very appropriate, but I can't offhand think of a shrub - which will die as soon as you lay the lightest finger on the least particle of root (I may be exaggerating a teeny bit).
In the main, big plants such as those in your photos, have a tap root going downwards right under the plant. It's highly unlikely you'll come anywhere near that with a hand fork and that is the one root the cutting of which can kill a plant. This is why digging one up to move it can kill a shrub - if you break too much of the tap root, the plant won't survive. All the rest are like the branches, one or two more or less won't do any harm and may in fact restore vigour to the plant - as fritterer said at the beginning - root pruning. And also like the branches, knocking off a few twigs and leaves is trivial, won't even notice it.
The only exception - which doesn't apply to you - is a plant that has been recently planted, so not 'well established, which may not have a good root system yet and so if you happen to damage the one which was the only one it had use of, you could kill it.
Don't weed in very dry weather when the plant may be stressed and needing every bit of its roots (and weeding is pointless in those conditions anyway, as I'm sure you've already found). Add plenty of mulch when you are replanting the bed, both to give a bit more cover to the root system you've disturbed and to give new plants a chance to establish. To be honest the main problem with replanting though the roots is likely to be the new plants starving because the established plant takes all the nutrients, so actually knocking the old roots back around the newbies is a good idea, to give them a fighting chance of competing.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Sound advice. The grass to which you refer is most likely Couch Grass. It is dreadful stuff but if you persevere you will overcome. The strands are quite strong so you can tug away at them.
It's very satisfying when you root one out and see all the long strands disentangling from the surrounding plants -a bit like when you get a really long runner whilst stripping wallpaper.
Posts
I was thinking a bit more about this last night when I should have been asleep and it would perhaps help me look slightly less uncertain if I say that in all the years of weeding I've done, when I've weeded a patch of border the earth has always been clear as a result. I dig out the weeds, run the fork through the soil and it is just soil.
In this garden I can do that in some areas but in the main middle beds I can't because of the numerous spidery roots, and that is why I asked the question.
I call myself a newish gardener because although I've had gardens for years, this is the first time I've done more than just clear weeds and keep the garden tidy. So I'm newish in terms of never really grown very much from seed before or had a greenhouse and cold frame and so on, but do have lots of previous experience in weeding.
Hope that helps give some context to what I am beginning to think may have come across as a daft question
first point is there's no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to gardening. My mother laughed like a loon when I asked her which way up to plant chitted potatoes (i.e. are the 'chits' shoots or roots?) But if you don't know, you don't know, so it's a perfectly fair question.
Actually the problem with this one is it's a difficult question to answer because 'it depends' isn't very satisfactory. Some plants - most trees and large shrubs - will tolerate quite a lot of root disturbance because they have a large root system and as long as there are enough to get the nourishment it needs to grow, the very worst that will happen is it will lose some of its leaves, possibly one branch may die back (although that's more likely from damage to the bark than the root). There are some plants - asparagus is the first one that comes to mind, which isn't very appropriate, but I can't offhand think of a shrub - which will die as soon as you lay the lightest finger on the least particle of root (I may be exaggerating a teeny bit).
In the main, big plants such as those in your photos, have a tap root going downwards right under the plant. It's highly unlikely you'll come anywhere near that with a hand fork and that is the one root the cutting of which can kill a plant. This is why digging one up to move it can kill a shrub - if you break too much of the tap root, the plant won't survive. All the rest are like the branches, one or two more or less won't do any harm and may in fact restore vigour to the plant - as fritterer said at the beginning - root pruning. And also like the branches, knocking off a few twigs and leaves is trivial, won't even notice it.
The only exception - which doesn't apply to you - is a plant that has been recently planted, so not 'well established, which may not have a good root system yet and so if you happen to damage the one which was the only one it had use of, you could kill it.
Don't weed in very dry weather when the plant may be stressed and needing every bit of its roots (and weeding is pointless in those conditions anyway, as I'm sure you've already found). Add plenty of mulch when you are replanting the bed, both to give a bit more cover to the root system you've disturbed and to give new plants a chance to establish. To be honest the main problem with replanting though the roots is likely to be the new plants starving because the established plant takes all the nutrients, so actually knocking the old roots back around the newbies is a good idea, to give them a fighting chance of competing.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Sound advice. The grass to which you refer is most likely Couch Grass. It is dreadful stuff but if you persevere you will overcome. The strands are quite strong so you can tug away at them.
It's very satisfying when you root one out and see all the long strands disentangling from the surrounding plants -a bit like when you get a really long runner whilst stripping wallpaper.
Sound advice from all, thanks. I couldn't recall whether the grass was couch or twitch; either way it's a nuisance!!