TREE ROOTS and DOLLAR WEEDS in no dig garden

by Evelyn
(Panhandle Florida)

This is my third year of no till, no dig gardening. I have several beds that the roots from the trees, which have been there before I began gardening in the traditional tilling each season and did not notice or have this problem. There massive root structure is terrible. Now with no tilling I have the matting of the tree roots that keep you from planting.

Also, the Dollar weeds have overtaken over half of the beds.
The current beds have been covering with straw but the dollar weeds still have overtaken. In some parts of my garden. The current are long rows with landscape timbers separating the paths from the beds. There is pine straw on the paths. The rows of beds are covered with straw.

I am pleased some of the no till beds/areas I have actually seen earthworms when pulling back the straw. Very exciting!
But very frustrating about the weeds and the roots.
Any suggestions out there?

Comments for TREE ROOTS and DOLLAR WEEDS in no dig garden

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Mar 14, 2013
 Hydrocotyle control and invading roots NEW
by: Anonymous Ali

What about covering the tree roots with a barrier and building raised beds on top? Or move your gardens away from the trees. Don't think you'll beat tree roots as they don't listen to stern lectures but just keep invading uninvited wherever they want, so plant on top of them and stop them like I suggested OR dig a trench around your garden and stick a barrier down, like corrugated iron?

I have dollar weed which we call hydrocotyle, and it's in my front lawn which is shady and the last to drain after rain. It's impossible to pull or dig out, I'd be crawling around for years catching every last bit. It's looks a nice bright green, so it can stay. What about doing the paper, mulch and other things ideas on this website. You would kill the hydrocotyle this way and then when it tried to grow again from surrounding plants, seed, roots and so on, then the VERY DEEP mulch on top would deter it from rooting into deeper soil below?

Gardening is always fun because you can never get it perfect, so do what you can with the time and resources you have, you will always get something back in return, good luck!
Mar 18, 2013
 I have already layered NEW
by: Evelyn

Thanks for the idea on the dollar weed control I actually did the layers and now I more dollar weed than before. I will be digging on hands and knees. Only space to garden. Thanks for the help.
:)
Aug 31, 2013
 similar problem with roots in no dig bed NEW
by: Tita Sokoloff

I have a similar problem in my no dig beds. This is the 5th year of planting, and although I add another 1 1/2 feet of new growing material (manure, straw, and other amendments) annually, this year, just digging in a few inches to put in transplant veggies, I've encountered massive root systems of invading trees and plants. The mat of roots includes, small, fine roots to 2 inch diameter roots. I don't see what else to do besides dig out the beds, but it's backbreaking work. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm in zone 8 North Florida on white beach sand :-)
Apr 25, 2014
 Dollar weed >:( NEW
by: Alicia

I live in Houston, and I have two 20x4 flower beds that are being over run by dollar weed!!! I have tried to no avail to pull every bit of out as much as I can, sprinkled weed preventer, and mulched, but it keeps coming back!!!! it chokes out my pretty flowers :(( what can I do or apply to mu flower beds to kill it without killing my flowers???

PLEASE HELP!!

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