A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Tree roots growing up into my raised beds

I made 3 raised beds last spring and filled the wooden frames with compost & topsoil. My vegetables did well...until the Silver Maple tree near my garden started growing leaves in the spring. Then the plants seemed stunted. Now, I have tried to turn the soil for the fall garden & discover that the Maple tree roots are growing up into my raised beds! It is a matted root mess. The maple tree is about 50 feet tall and about 20 feet away from my beds. Do I need to cut the tree down? And If the stump is ground, will it kill the problematic root system? Moving the location of my garden is out of the question because I have a sunlight problem in my yard as well.

Removing the tree and stump will solve your root problem for sure. Otherwise it will be a unrelenting problem.

I feel for you Oscar, I have the same problem with a popular tree beside my garden. Some have advised me to roundup the shoots carefully if I want to keep the tree. But I think I'll have to either get rid of the tree or move my garden.