Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run what
seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the entire 100+
feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few have been
deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually about
1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full inch. Roots of
garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on either side of this
tough root resulting in very sore muscles.


Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines and
maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the bottom of the
drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet spire - native shrub)
and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a drought.

OKay I'm in southern NH and this root wasn't there went I built the bed
20 years ago. I want to do a serious overhaul of the whole thing, but
this root is making this old lady achy.

Thank you all

Cheryl

Cheryl Isaak said:


Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run what
seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the entire 100+
feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few have been
deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually about
1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full inch. Roots of
garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on either side of this
tough root resulting in very sore muscles.


Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines and
maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the bottom of the
drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet spire - native shrub)
and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a drought.

One or more of the trees at the top of the slope are following the lovely bit
of cultivated ground you built down to the moisture at the base of the slope.
A tree's root system spreads out a lot more than you would think--much
farther than the canopy.

When we put in our second raspberry patch, we found an amazingly large
root that ran like a shot from the mulberry tree in one neighbor's yard
and across a stretch of lawn straight to my vegetable garden. There was
another root that crossed from a different neighbor's yard directly
to my compost pile.

When yet another neighbor's white poplar tree was cut down, the extent
of the area its roots covered was revealed by the shoots they sent up.
They reached outward at least as far as the tree was tall, possibly more.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

On 7/12/13 7:42 AM, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Cheryl Isaak said:


Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run what
seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the entire 100+
feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few have been
deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually about
1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full inch. Roots of
garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on either side of this
tough root resulting in very sore muscles.


Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines and
maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the bottom of the
drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet spire - native shrub)
and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a drought.

One or more of the trees at the top of the slope are following the lovely bit
of cultivated ground you built down to the moisture at the base of the slope.
A tree's root system spreads out a lot more than you would think--much
farther than the canopy.

When we put in our second raspberry patch, we found an amazingly large
root that ran like a shot from the mulberry tree in one neighbor's yard
and across a stretch of lawn straight to my vegetable garden. There was
another root that crossed from a different neighbor's yard directly
to my compost pile.

When yet another neighbor's white poplar tree was cut down, the extent
of the area its roots covered was revealed by the shoots they sent up.
They reached outward at least as far as the tree was tall, possibly more.



Well, lets hope which ever tree is sending these roots down the slope
survives with them cut. You don't want to know how much my knee hurts
today from trying to lift one medium sized daylily. This root has to be
over 100 feet from the tree.

I've cut that sucker on either side of the hole. At least when I lift
the next few, it won't be an issue on the down side of the bed.
Thanks Pat

Cheryl Isaak writes:

Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run
what seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the
entire 100+ feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few
have been deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually
about 1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full
inch. Roots of garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on either
side of this tough root resulting in very sore muscles.

Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines and
maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the bottom of
the drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet spire - native
shrub) and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a
drought.

OKay I'm in southern NH and this root wasn't there went I built the
bed 20 years ago. I want to do a serious overhaul of the whole thing,
but this root is making this old lady achy.

You can leave them or remove them.
Depends at least partly on how much you value the trees.

I tend to remove them.

If you grab hold and pull, you're likely to make a big mess besides
all the hard work. If you just cut it, it's essentially gone.
A few years and it will grow back, but the downstream end is dead.

I use either loppers or an axe to cut the root.
Cut the segment under the flower bed at both ends, and it's pretty
easy to pull out.

--
Dan Espen

On 7/12/13 9:24 AM, Dan Espen wrote:
Cheryl writes:

Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run
what seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the
entire 100+ feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few
have been deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually
about 1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full
inch. Roots of garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on either
side of this tough root resulting in very sore muscles.

Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines and
maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the bottom of
the drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet spire - native
shrub) and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a
drought.

OKay I'm in southern NH and this root wasn't there went I built the
bed 20 years ago. I want to do a serious overhaul of the whole thing,
but this root is making this old lady achy.

You can leave them or remove them.
Depends at least partly on how much you value the trees.

I tend to remove them.

If you grab hold and pull, you're likely to make a big mess besides
all the hard work. If you just cut it, it's essentially gone.
A few years and it will grow back, but the downstream end is dead.

I use either loppers or an axe to cut the root.
Cut the segment under the flower bed at both ends, and it's pretty
easy to pull out.


I'll use the loppers as I find it in digging stuff up. Next week is
start marking more daylilies to either remove permanently from the
garden or just divide most of it. Ditto for the Siberian irises.

I'm just amazed that any tree would send out that long a root and it not
be a foot or more deep - like right to the water table.


C

Cheryl Isaak wrote:
On 7/12/13 7:42 AM, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Cheryl Isaak said:


Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run
what seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the
entire 100+ feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few
have been deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually
about 1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full
inch. Roots of garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on
either side of this tough root resulting in very sore muscles.


Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines
and maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the
bottom of the drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet
spire - native shrub) and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a
drought.

One or more of the trees at the top of the slope are following the
lovely bit of cultivated ground you built down to the moisture at
the base of the slope. A tree's root system spreads out a lot more
than you would think--much farther than the canopy.

When we put in our second raspberry patch, we found an amazingly
large root that ran like a shot from the mulberry tree in one neighbor's
yard and across a stretch of lawn straight to my vegetable garden. There
was another root that crossed from a different neighbor's yard
directly to my compost pile.

When yet another neighbor's white poplar tree was cut down, the
extent of the area its roots covered was revealed by the shoots they sent
up. They reached outward at least as far as the tree was tall, possibly
more.


Well, lets hope which ever tree is sending these roots down the slope
survives with them cut. You don't want to know how much my knee hurts
today from trying to lift one medium sized daylily. This root has to
be over 100 feet from the tree.

I've cut that sucker on either side of the hole. At least when I lift
the next few, it won't be an issue on the down side of the bed.
Thanks Pat

If you figure out which tree the roots come from, you could try adding a deep
root fence between that tree and the garden to try to force the roots deeper.

Cheryl Isaak wrote:
On 7/12/13 9:24 AM, Dan Espen wrote:
Cheryl writes:

Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run
what seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the
entire 100+ feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few
have been deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually
about 1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full
inch. Roots of garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on
either side of this tough root resulting in very sore muscles.

Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines
and maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the
bottom of the drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet
spire - native shrub) and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a
drought.

OKay I'm in southern NH and this root wasn't there went I built the
bed 20 years ago. I want to do a serious overhaul of the whole
thing, but this root is making this old lady achy.

You can leave them or remove them.
Depends at least partly on how much you value the trees.

I tend to remove them.

If you grab hold and pull, you're likely to make a big mess besides
all the hard work. If you just cut it, it's essentially gone.
A few years and it will grow back, but the downstream end is dead.

I use either loppers or an axe to cut the root.
Cut the segment under the flower bed at both ends, and it's pretty
easy to pull out.


I'll use the loppers as I find it in digging stuff up. Next week is
start marking more daylilies to either remove permanently from the
garden or just divide most of it. Ditto for the Siberian irises.

I'm just amazed that any tree would send out that long a root and it
not be a foot or more deep - like right to the water table.


Many trees are shallow rooted. I guess they like oxygen too.

In article
writes:

I'm just amazed that any tree would send out that long a root and it not
be a foot or more deep - like right to the water table.

My back yard is 100 feet deep and 65 feet wide. Since it is sloped
toward the house, I'm working on a terrace right about in the center
of that. In doing that, I found a root running side to side, about
a foot deep and 1 inch thick.

I was initially concerned I had dug up a power cable, it was that
straight and even.

The most likely source is a Norway Spruce that is about 20 feet on
the other side of the fence.


--
Drew Lawson | Savage bed foot-warmer
| of purest feline ancestry
| Look out little furry folk
| it's the all-night working cat

On Fri, 12 Jul 2013 09:24:30 -0400, Dan Espen
wrote:

Cheryl Isaak writes:

Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run
what seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the
entire 100+ feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few
have been deeper, less often shallower
snip
I use either loppers or an axe to cut the root.
Cut the segment under the flower bed at both ends, and it's pretty
easy to pull out.

A battery-operated Sawzall works really well, too. We were up to that
fun not more than a couple of weeks ago.

Boron

On Fri, 12 Jul 2013 06:56:48 -0400, Cheryl Isaak
wrote:

Okay - this is truly a mystery. There are a series of root that run what
seems to be the length of my long garden bed (very close the entire 100+
feet of my driveway) Usual depth is about 6 inches, few have been
deeper, less often shallower

Each time I find another, it's another fresh hell. They're usually about
1/2 inch in diameter, but yesterday's approaches one full inch. Roots of
garden plants I'm trying to divide grow down on either side of this
tough root resulting in very sore muscles.

Near the top of the bed is a Manchurian Crabapple with oaks, pines and
maples at the very top (typical New England woods). At the bottom of the
drive are my snowball viburnum, a clethra (sweet spire - native shrub)
and my neighbors ornamental evergreens.

The driveway goes downhill over its length (top being the house etc)
maybe 15 degrees. The base tends to stay damp unless there is a drought.

OKay I'm in southern NH and this root wasn't there went I built the bed
20 years ago. I want to do a serious overhaul of the whole thing, but
this root is making this old lady achy.

At only 6" deep it shouldn't be much of a job to follow the root back
to its source... you can lop it off at the edge of the woods but
depending on circumstances I'd be more apt to remove such a plant. New
England woods are rife with wild grape vines... from my own experience
with removal I'd bet that's what you're dealing with... search further
into the woods than you might think, the mommy vine can be a good
100'+ into the woods and a good 3"+ in diameter. Wild grapevines are
very good at hiding along forest floors and up against tree trunks and
don't need a lot of foliage to thrive. Wild grapes are very difficult
to get rid of, If your planting beds are relatively close to the
woods odds are you will never totally eliminate wild grape vines. Be
persistant and good luck.
http://gardening.stackexchange.com/q...ld-grape-vines