"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Okay, I extracted more info from Ray this morning. ;-) Apparently the
slabs were real paving slab size - around 3' x 2.5' and they were buried a
yard below the apple trees' roots. I asked him how he had learned about
this (because I'd forgotten) and he said that 'old Tom' who used to work
for
Ray's family nursery in Essex had told him. Old Tom had actually done the
digging and laying of the slabs for dozens of apple trees in his time.

I'm sorry, I'm going to be dense and ask, why? Why does one bury paving
slabs under apple trees? Is it to give the roots something to curl around
and act as ballast or anything like theat?
--
Rhiannon_s:
Just a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong.