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old_dirt

Tree roots

old_dirt 6a
9 years ago

I have several hostas planted in an area with heavy tree root competition. I really do not have much choice, I can't remove the trees and right now no where else to go with the hostas. Root bags and pots are not an option right now.

My question is, is it better to lift the plants, clean the roots free of the tree roots and replant in the same spot or just leave them as is? I did lift a few and they did have lots of tree roots tangled in. I cleaned them good, enlarged the hole as big as possible, removing all the tree roots and replanted.

I wonder if digging them up will set them back more than the root competition will and how long does it take for the roots to infiltrate again.

Thx. Jerry

Comments (7)

  • in ny zone5
    9 years ago

    It is important not to fertilize and water only the hostas, but the whole area. Otherwise tree roots will concentrate where the hostas are. Occasionally it is also advised to drive a sharpened spade into the ground around the hostas cutting tree roots, but not cutting hosta roots. Bernd

  • Eleven
    9 years ago

    Ditto to watering and fertilizing the whole bed and not just the hostas. Even so, the tree roots will likely be completely infiltrated again by next year. That's my experience with tree roots anyway. The usefulness of digging, removing tree roots, and replanting is entirely dependent on the hosta, tree, and your goals. I've done it multiple times on a few that I have planted in roots with differing success:

    Under the crabapple, I gave up on the smaller ones and just planted them in pots that I then sank in the ground. They were never going to be able to get ahead of the tree roots.

    Under the oak and further away from a different crabapple: Re-did the hostas three times, and now they're all strong enough to survive in the ground on their own. Will they thrive and grow huge? No.

    You'll have better luck under trees by planting the largest hostas you can. The digging up of hostas has only really set back the large ones for me, those that have deeper roots.

    This post was edited by Eleven on Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 15:04

  • hostatakeover swMO
    9 years ago

    Since Hosta require lots of shade and trees are the greatest, most widespread source of such, I wonder how most would escape planting their Hostas anywhere BUT around tree roots.

    Some of my Hostas do seem to require being dug out and rescued from strangulating tree roots more than others, but yeah, tree roots seem to be back full force within 2 years here. However, most Hostas I "rescue" respond with growth spurts and overall improvement. Very few seem to suffer a setback of any sort.

  • mctavish
    9 years ago

    Hi Jerry. I've been dealing with tree roots (cedar) ever since expanding into the woods in 2009. I've tried all the methods you mentioned and then some. The results are varying degrees of success. The best piece of advice is what Bernard said - water the whole area.

    I started with drippers and soaking hose in the beginning trying to keep the hard water spots off the plants. I finally switched because the hard water also clogged up the small holes. When the gardens were not being watered from above I had no way of seeing if they were working or not. That actually helped with the roots. They stopped going exclusively toward the water and to the hostas.

    Now I have some in bags, some in pots sunk in the ground, some in pots with no bottoms, some in pots with no bottoms and with the bag fabric glued to the bottom, some with shallow flat pieces of fabric with soil and plant on top. I have also started using landscape fabric while convincing myself that though it's not forever, it will help the hostas get started at least. I lifted a few this year, found they weren't too bad and just removed the cedar roots and put them back in the same place.

    I never get my 'check root' list completely done. It is interesting to me that some I'm sure are suffering suddenly get going and seem to be doing fine. I am guessing they make it through the root level and are deeper and settled. Good luck!

  • mikgag Z5b NS Canada
    9 years ago

    Since when did hostas require lots of shade???

  • hostatakeover swMO
    9 years ago

    Here in the states they do, mikgag. Can't speak for elsewhere.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    i moved before i ever figured out if this worked ...

    but i used to take a common spade ... dig around the entire canopy .. inserting the shovel the entire one foot [the common shovel blade is one foot]... and heave back on the handle... and 'pop' the plant out of the ground.. hoping i was severing the maple roots under ... and just letting it settle right back into the hole ...

    my theory was... the roots most likely.. did not extend beyond the canopy ... so i wasnt cutting off the growth tips .... no clue if that theory held water.. lol ...

    i also had the workhorses in this location.. none of the foo foo ones ...

    presumably.. the labor is free... so go for it... no cost.. whats to lose????

    ken