North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[claude sweet <sweetent@home.com>]

Robert,

Most trees and shrubs, but especially the trees you mention, will 
establish feeder roots in your raised beds unless you install a root 
barrier in the bottom of the raised planter. The need to search for 
water, especially in drier climates and in wet climates in a drought, is 
a survival mechanism that can result in trees having feeder roots 
fanning out over 100 feet from the trunk.

I have a raised planter that is about 30 inches high, to make it more 
convenient for me to tend to without bending over or gardening on my 
knees. The amount of tree roots that develop in just a year's time is 
unbelievable. As a result I must dig out the planter mix, screen out the 
roots, and replace about 25% of the volume prior to replanting with 
tender flowering plants I over winter in pots.

If I had to do it over, I would lay a 2 inch thick cement pad on 
construct the raised bed on top of it.

Hope my experience helps you.

Claude Sweet
San Diego, CA
USA

lostman_amiga wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> I got another novice question for you.
> I have a few small trees in my front yard (Jujube, Che, Mulberry).
> Once they get a little more height on them, I thought I would
> surround the trees with a raised bed about one foot in depth
> and put in some Ribes around the tree with some saffron crocus or
> some other herbs around the edge.
> 
> I'm thinking the tree will give the Ribes a little shade and thier
> surface roots will not restrict the tree roots.
> 
> Does anyone see any problems with such a plan?
> 
> 
> 
> Robert Hamilton
> Atlanta, GA
> Zone 7a-b
> 
> 
> 
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