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digging in rootbound soil
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Posted by sunnytop 5 Ne (My Page) on Wed, Sep 12, 07 at 18:06
| I moved into a house with a very overgrown thicket. I have thinned out the suckering and finally got to the original bushes (I think viburnums). This has given me a couple feet of bare ground that I'd like to plant into woodland type plants but the ground is solidly rootbound. I cannot penetrate the ground with any sort of tool. Even where I can sink something in a few inches it is solid roots which get thicker the deeper into the ground I go. There would be no way to plant anything if I tried. There must be some way to penetrate the roots. Dare I put roundup on the area and hope the roots will die and rot after a period of time? I don't care if it did put a damper on the existing branches. Doesn't seem to me there is any way it kill the whole thing out. What do I do next? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: digging in rootbound soil
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| Start with enlarging your area. A couple of feet will not give a plant enough room given the surounding area is roots. Try first raking the soil away to see the roots. You may find as under my maple tree the root mat is only 6-8 inches deep. If so use the heaviest shears, metal work ones work and cut a hole in the mat. Second purchase a spading fork. The tines will make it easier to dig. 3 go back to your first method but be aware that roundup really needs to go on the foliage. |
RE: digging in rootbound soil
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| i'd do a lasagna method to make good soil or truck in some loam/compost to start off then lasagna it. depends how big an area though i suppose |
RE: digging in rootbound soil
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Thanks for the suggestions. I have a spading fork I've been trying. You know it's bad when that won't even go in.
I've seen in other posts folks have warned against putting soil on top of tree roots cuz they say it causes the roots to move back up to the top of the soil, especially maple trees that are shallow rooted which is what I have on one end, so one doesn't gain anything. I do have access to a bunch of compost. Maybe that would help get something started. The whole area is more like 4 feet wide, not 2 feet. It's the back 2 feet that is rootbound. |
RE: digging in rootbound soil
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| well, seems like a great job for a maddox - one of those pickaxes with a flat end. those things are insane. i've chopped through 4 inch stumps and granted it took some intense swinging it works. itd work for roots - chop right through em. just need to put some muscle into it. im glad it's such a small space. i'd definitely use a maddox! |
RE: digging in rootbound soil
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| RoundUp is never to be used in the soil. It works by being absorbed by the foliage and translocated TO the roots. Applying it to the soil is totally against label directions. |
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