experienced gardeners please advise -- amending soil when plantin

17 years ago

I have a bed that has abelias, a viburnum, a spirea, and an akebia. When I planted them years ago I amended my clay soil like crazy for the shrubs but just left the lawn and between the large prepared holes as it was. Now I want to extend the bed and plant perennials. After cutting back the sod to where I want the new edge, I was surprised to see how densely the shrubs' feeder roots had grown.

What do people do in this situation? Surely it can't be too uncommon. The shrubs are all pruned back quite a bit right now and they're all pretty vigorous. Am I OK to just go ahead and amend as always - 12 inches down - as long as I stay beyond the original (larger than currently pruned) dripline? I'm only concerned about not harming the shrubs, not about competition.

Thanks,

Ellen

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Comments (2)

john_4b
17 years ago
I absolutely would not dig 12 inches down to amend any soil within and around the current, or of the previously unpruned, dripline of these shrubs. Topdress and scratch in any amendments, or mulch, but I would not dig down and sever all of those existing feeder roots that extend out beyond the diameter of the unpruned shrubs. If you are planting perennials around the shrubs, add amendments only to the soil that is removed and goes back into the holes you will dig to plant these new plants.
You will be amending the soil for the new plantings, but minimizing the damage to the existing feeder roots.
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nancyd
17 years ago
The good news is your shrubs have rewarded all your hard work by sending out an extensive root system and being so healthy. Large shrubs send out a likewise root system. I plant around shrubs all the time and it would be virtually impossible not to sever some feeder roots since they reside primarily in the top 6 inches of soil, but I try to do minimal damage. It doesn't kill the plant if you cut off a few - they are short lived compared to the anchor roots which you really want to avoid. However, I only use small to medium size shrubs in my beds. I don't want to deal with dense root systems which is what you are running into.

The bad news is that it's very difficult to plant within a closely planted shrub border because of those roots. Consider creating a raised bed for your perennials to avoid competition with the shrubs altogether. It would make gardening a lot easier and you wouldn't have to worry about damaging too many of the roots. I'm not surprised you found as many as you did. A 15 foot tall shrub gets at least 15 feet wide at maturity. The roots are still growing even if you prune the shrubs, so I always use their mature size as my guide. A raised bed solves many problems because you will save from digging out all the soil, not damage the roots and, remember, once you topdress the bed with organic matter, not only are you feeding your plants, but also the shrubs! So you will be rewarded with even more roots. That's why a raised bed is the easiest solution for all concerned.
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experienced gardeners please advise -- amending soil when plantin

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john_4b

nancyd

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