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Root problem
green.stuart
Posts: 16
Hello, I have this ugly space in my back garden and am unsure how to approach it. Ideally I would like to put in a flower bed but as you can see from the photos there are a number of stumps that need to be dealt with beforehand. I am unable to dig as the soil is so hard and I have a feeling that the wall will hinder my attempts. I am just wondering what my options could be? A rockery maybe or some kind of raised bed? Any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance...
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Posts
Anyone?
Which way does it face? What is the slope ... it' s hard to see from the photos.
To create a worthwhile flowerbed I would bring the edge forward into the garden doubling it's depth front to back.
If you don't want to do that a simple solution would be to add some organic matter and then plant hardy groundcover-type plants such as vinca and lamiums which will cover the soil and give a bit of colour.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As above plus hardy geraniums.
Thanks so much, I'm not sure the way it faces but the slope is about 30 degrees. A gardener said he can't take the stumps out as he wouldn't be able to get the machine up there. My question would be, Do I need to remove the stumps at all?
I have planted with stumps in the ground.....cut away as many roots as you can and add fresh soil/compost.
A pick is your new friend! I worry that if the ground is too hard to dig the roots out, any new plants you put in will struggle. A stump grinder is a bit ott for what look quite small stumps. What you need is a pick and a good sharp spade and a saw or a pair of loppers. And a bit of effort.
Even if you do decide to leave the stumps you are still going to have to break up and enrich the ground before any planting. Gardening can be quite challenging and strenuous at times.
I'm a lazy gardener, and I'd just put in some self seeding perennials suitable for the site. I'd be tempted by foxgloves, I think. Buy up a couple of plants for color this year.. dig a bit of a hole where you can, add in some multi-purpose compost, mulch with more compost, water well when dry, and let them get on with things. Encourage them to self seed around the area, maybe even spreading a bag of compost thinly across the area in the fall to encourage good germination. The leaves will hide the stumps as they rot out, and in a few years the bed will be filled with fox gloves and the stumps and roots will have rotted away. Each year in the spring be sure to mulch with home compost or leaf mould, etc around the plants, and gradually the soil will improve. The worms and little critters will take it down into the soil for the plants. It's a long term method, if you have the time. You could also put in some inexpensive annuals along the front for the first few years, until the bed fills.
Photo 2 looks like it could be tricky but the others just need a bit of hard work. As mentioned a pick if the ground is really hard, a good spade and loppers. It would be a lot easier with two people working together.
Just have a go, one root/stump at a time even if it takes several weekends.