On 8/19/13 12:36 PM, Tone70 wrote:
I'm in the midst of totally overhauling my garden and whilst digging up
the top end of the garden I'm constantly coming across
bricks/rocks/stones/broken paving slabs of all shapes and sizes buried
deep in the ground which were put there by the previous tenant.
I'm a complete novice when it comes to the world of the green finger
but am improving and learning all the time. What I need to know is what
is the reason and fascination for having these pain in the arse objects
buried underground in the first place? Is there a mystical garden
enhancing reason why they're there? Also I keep coming across a sort of
(I can only describe as) green netting buried underground which comes
apart easily when I try to pull it up. Is this connected to turf or
something? Am I undoing the work of a gardening genius or a lazy arsed
individual who couldn't be bothered to throw the rocks etc away?

Yes, the rubble is there only because either the builder or a prior
resident did not want to pay to have it hauled away and properly
disposed. If there is a large amount, I would indeed remove it since it
will interfere with roots of trees and shrubs. If there is only a
moderate amount, leave it; the roots will grow around it.

The netting is probably the result of a grass lawn installed as sod
rather than seed. Sod is farmed on shallow soil about 2-3 inches --
5-7.5 cm -- deep in which plastic netting is laid at half that depth.
When the grass roots penetrate through the netting to the hardpan below
the soil, the sod is cut in long strips. It is then rolled up with the
grass inside and the roots outside for transportation and installation.
Installation requires preparing the existing soil and then unrolling
the sod. Poorly installed or poorly maintained sod lawns often show
bare patches with the netting quite visible.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary