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Vegetable Gardening

Can I build a raised garden on top of old stumps/roots of tree system?

7 years ago

Hello,

I had 5 very old and large rhododendron in my front yard that was blocking a window. We are remodeling the kitchen and that window has now become the sink window and has become a much bigger deal to have light and sight out of. While the rhododendron were pretty for a few weeks of the year, the rest of the time they are fairly ugly. I also wanted to repurpose that area as a vegetable garden. We decided to completely remove them but cutting them down at the ground level. This leaves a stump and I assume a substantial root system under the ground. If I wanted to turn this area into a vegetable garden, could I just build a raised bed on top of the old dirt/stump/root system? Do you see any issue doing this? Will it work? Do I just need to make sure the raised bed is deep enough on it's own to support the plants?

We also have a juniper that either smells like natural gas or cat piss next to the front door we want to remove. I also want to remove it for the smell reasons and turn that into a garden area as well. Same questions applies.

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Comments (4)

digdirt2
7 years ago
The toxicity of rhododendrons aside (although I'm sure that would concern some folks) cutting them off at ground level doesn't kill them. They regrow and the roots continue to invade easily so you would constantly be dealing with those issues no matter how deep you make the bed. You really need to first deeply dig out as much of them as possible.

And if kitchen light is the goal keep in mind how tall many garden crops get, especially in a raised bed.

Lastly keep in mind the damage that can result to your siding having the garden flush up against the house wall. You'll want to insure the slope is sufficient for good drainage, that sun exposure will be adequate, and you might want to consider using one of the many pest barriers between the house wall the the back of the bed.

Just some thought to consider.

Dave
Embothrium
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Rhododendron roots underneath not a problem. These shrubs are not going to grow new shoots up through a bed of sufficient depth to grow vegetables - especially root crops like carrots - and their slow-growing, sod-like, aeration sensitive roots are anything but invasive. Likewise these plants being poisonous if eaten does not pertain to this situation.

The shading of the vegetables by the house, protecting the house from the soil in the new bed, access to the side of the house for maintenance and repairs, access to the bed with the house right up against one side, those are the kinds of things that will be likely to become problems if a raised bed is built in that location.
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I garden in the only sunny place I have, a narrow strip (10 to 25 feet wide, 250 feet long) along a woodline of pine, maples, oak, etc. Last June I put in a small raised bed, about 16 inches deep, that I put on top of the ground without tilling. I grew decent but not spectacular pepper plants in it. This winter, I changed my garden plan, and needed to take apart my raised box. The tree roots had grown up through the ground and were so thick that after I took the sides off the box, I had a solid cube of compost mix that was so tight with roots I had to use a tiller to break it up, and even then it took a couple of hours to break down a 4' x 7' x 16" cube! It only took 6 months for that to happen! My in-ground beds are a lot easier to manage. I completely remove all the roots when starting the bed (talk about work--that's what i was hoping to avoid when I made the raised bed), then I make sure to go along the tree sides of the beds each year with a shovel to cut through any new roots that have grown back in the bed. I had the same problems with a lasagne bed I also tried last year. I made two bed side by side, one using lasagne methods, and the other tilled with the same quantities of compost added. I grew cukes in both beds, and the tilled beds significantly outperformed. At the end of the season I dug into both beds, and the lasagne bed was heavily rooted from underneath. It my experience, growing near trees has made tilling necessary, regardless of what type of bed or soil improvement I'm using. Cheers! JP
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If you are going to drill holes in plastic containers, drill them on the sides about a one up from the bottom. This will keep tree roots from coming up from the bottom, and let a little water stay in the bottom in the summer to soak back up, especially if you use peat moss. I have had trees roots grow up from the bottom and invade the entire pot. Also, if the pot sinks in the ground a little the inch above the bottom will allow for better drainage. May not work in the north where drainage is a premier, but in the south it has worked well for me. I have found that cutting the roots on the outside with a spade once a year works pretty well. If the garden is growing well that is all that matters. The annuals compete pretty well with the tree roots if you provide enough water.
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glib
7 years ago
dead stumps are good (they provide better soil than regular dirt, due to micro-channels and fungi), stumps that are still alive are bad. Consider what Dave says, my pole beans regularly get to 12 ft, and tomatoes can get to 8. If it is all low-growing vegetables (eggplants or lower), and if it is in the sun, it should work fine.
Jason
Original Author
7 years ago
Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback. This particular bed is one of 5 areas so I will make sure to select vegetables that do not get too tall and leave the tall ones to the other garden beds. The area gets good sun and I will have access on all sides of the bed. The note about protecting the house is a good one and I will take that in mind.

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