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dowbright_gw

new garden near shrubs and bushes

dowbright
10 years ago

What distance do you recommend between a row of bushes and the vegetable garden? I have limited full sun, and sadly, there are bushes taking up quite a bit of it. They won't shade the area I hope to plant, but I know those roots may ruin everything, once I get the soil all nice and loamy.

I've read that shrub roots generally reach the entire surface underneath their branches. But I'm fearing that in reality they go a lot further. The average size of these bushes is about 2' x 3', four of them in a row. How far away do I need to plant to hope for any veggies?

Comments (5)

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    10 years ago

    The unidentified shrubs are quite small by your description. Will they get much larger? You should be able to plant your veggies right outside the drip lines.

  • pnbrown
    10 years ago

    Probably the roots go a little past the branches, especially if the shrubs are clipped periodically. I would take up all the grass next to the shrubs and put down heavy mulch for about two feet, and then till for the crops.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    10 years ago

    Dowbright, you are very correct in your thinking that plant roots extend far beyond the tips of their branches (the magical drip line). But that does not mean that you can't plant nearby.

    But first consider the effect of all of the activity to the shrubs. I assume that you might be rototilling the soil or other soil activities that may adversely effect the root systems of your woody plants. You might need to consider that.

    Another thing to consider is that the competition for water, space, and nutrients below the surface of the soil will be fierce. Some plants produce allelopathic chemicals in order to ensure their dominance over other plants. Science has only scratched the surface of understanding of allelopathy.

    More to think about will be the need for more water and fertilizer for your garden than you would ordinarily need to provide. And because of all of that, the shrubs are very likely to begin to grow like crazy.

    In spite of everything, it probably won't hurt to try. Give your shrubs as wide a berth as possible, unless you don't really value them. Be realistic about the competition between veggies and shrubs and be prepared to compensate. It will be a worthy experiment.

  • christyanne926
    10 years ago

    I am by no means one of the experienced voices on this forum, so please take everything with a hefty dose of salt, but this sounds similar to my situation. I rent, and the landlord wouldn't be happy with a yard dug up for an inground garden, but is ok with me planting in between the established landscaping and containers. So in between the bushes (2 large ugly things, and 1 rose bush with a good amount of room between them), I put down top soil and compost, and then dug into my new layers of soil to plant. I've grown zucchini which were perfectly happy, and vining squash (butternut, acorn, spaghetti). Last year, the spaghetti squash managed to climb one of the bushes before I caught it, and everything still seemed to happily coexist. I also let the vines go out on the bit of lawn, and put some soil over the vines in places, so that might help. I also managed to train peas up the bushes this spring, but they got knocked down in the really nasty storm a week or so ago. Hope this helps, and good luck!

  • dowbright
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Every single message is helpful. Wow, I love GardenWeb! I read in depth online, but honestly, more often than not, my questions are better answered here than in all the articles I can find on a given subject.

    My bushes won't grow any larger, because I won't let them. But yes, we do have to clip a few times a season. Personally, I'd be happy to get rid of them, but they do look nice in the yard. And my pseudo-husband is wild about them.

    Anything I do will be by hand. It's truly a small area.

    My grateful thanks to all, and I welcome any further ideas.