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Root system invasion?

14 years ago

My three new rose beds have an odd thing (too me) going on. The, let's say, top 4 inches of soil in beds have this matted white-ish root system under the mulch. Not where the roses are but where they aren't. I haven't found the root system leading anywhere. They are like big air roots compared to roses air roots.

Is this normal with new beds and the amendments?

Thanks,

Allison

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Comments (8)

michaelg
14 years ago
Possibly a fungus living off the organic matter?
mashamcl
14 years ago
How far away is the nearest big tree?
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kandaceshirley
14 years ago
is creeping charlie an issue elsewhere in your yard?
texaslynn
14 years ago
I have also found this under certain types of mulch. It looks like a weird white fungus to me. It's pretty dense and I am afraid that it is keeping the water from reaching the roots...but I don't know if I need to do anything about it or not.

Lynn
york_rose
14 years ago
It "sounds" to me like a fungus. If I'm right those "roots" are called "hyphae" (pronounced like "high fee", but as one word with two syllables, accent on "high").

If I'm right they're feeding on the new mulch. They're one of the early rotting organisms breaking down the mulch (or other undecomposed organic matter in your amendments) on its way to becoming compost.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
14 years ago
I agree with york_rose--it's a micro organism breaking down the mulch. It's nothing to worry about--it means your soil is alive, which is a good thing.
allison64
Original Author
14 years ago
I feel that Karl and York rose hit the nail on the head with fungus. I went and checked it out again. I don't have any companion plants as yet so no creepy :-) charlie. It looks like the smaller cedar mulch pieces are what is involved and the compost, and topsoil. FYI-It is very dense. The shovel did not want to cut through it but it can be easily raked through. So we have that figured out I think. But not the big roots (yet! :-)).
Picture is of mulch turned over.

{{gwi:327928}}

{{gwi:327929}}

BUT the question now is the roots in below pictures:

pretty good size roots :-(
Raised bed- about 8 months old- size wise you are looking at a shovel full turned over.
{{gwi:327930}}

Inground bed- about 5 months old
{{gwi:327931}}

I don't water where there aren't roses. So the dirt is rather dry. Just to let you know, none of the leaves are rose they are Eucalyptus.

Thanks All!
Allison
york_rose
14 years ago
Well, those are obviously roots, but I don't know of what. If you have roses closest to that area, my guess is going to be that they're rose roots, but that's only a guess.

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