By Gailo
United Kingdom
Hello. We put in raised beds for growing veg 2 years ago, about 2 feet from a privet hedge. There are now lots of roots growing into the beds from below, I'm presuming from the hedge. The crops aren't doing well and I wonder if the hedge is stealing the nutrients in the soil. What can we do?!
- 29 Aug, 2011
Answers
That's 18 inches down from the original soil level.
30 Aug, 2011
You either need to move the veggie beds further away from the privet, or remove the privet, if its yours. Privet does pinch a lot of nutrients, so growing near to a hedge of one isn't a good idea - and it must be delighted to have found such a rich source of nutrients to spread its roots into. Only other option I can think of is to clear out the beds, remove the soil, cut the privet roots back, and insert a root rhizome barrier vertically into the soil to a depth of 18 inches, then replace the soil from the beds to prevent the hedge roots reappearing.
29 Aug, 2011