A bumper crop of roots and chalk! Please advise.

[PerdiM]

Hello. I'm hoping someone can give me advice about my veg plot. A few years ago, my husband dug 4 small vegetable patches in a corner of our garden, which I seem to remember did yield some crops for a couple of years. On average the plots are only about 1.5m x 3m, enclosed by wood (roof joists I think) and when they were begun, lots of organic compost was dug into the soil. Thanks to a lack of time, they've lain fallow since then, but I'd really like to cultivate them again, so I've started to dig them over. They are very close to an ash tree and the soil is thick with mainly tiny roots, which I assume are from the tree, along with many lumps of chalk. Digging isn't too bad, but I can't get much more than a spade length down, as the topsoil is so thin in our garden. I'm teasing out as many of the roots as I can, but am I wasting my time? Will anything we plant stand a chance against the tree roots, or should we put some sort of porous membrane over the surface, build up the sides of the plots and add topsoil in which to plant things? Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Nicos]

Hello PerdiM - and welcome to the Vine!!
I think you are on the right lines with your ideas of membrane and raising the beds further.
As soon as you incorporate more nutrients for the veg, the tree will think it's Xmas and gleefully grow more roots in that area!
Is there another spot in the garden you can locate the plots?
A spades depth is only just workable but if that's all you've got, then you can certainly produce healthy crops with a bit of tender loving care
Can you borrow a pick axe just to loosen the subsoil a little before you start?-or try and lever it loose in parts? That would certainly help with future crop production.
Good for you getting started again!!

[Mrs Dobby]

Ash is often known as a selfish tree (take a look under a mature one, nothing grows there)), as it not only has a dense canopy that excludes light from under it, but also is very greedy, changing the chemical constitution of the soil underneath it.

You could try raising the beds further and putting a membrane in, but if at all possible I would look at whether you could move the beds to a better position, as this will give you a longer term solution!

Oh and a very warm welcome to the vine!

[Jan]

Welcome PerdiM - best of luck with your veggies this year, it seems as if you have your work cut out at the mo but well done you for giving it another go, you'll get lots of support from all the grapes here

[PerdiM]

Thank you all for your warm welcome and advice. There isn't really anywhere else in the garden we can put the veg patches, unless we turn some of the borders over to veg. The best solution for the patch nearest the tree is probably to build up the sides and put more topsoil in, but I can't see that happening anytime soon, so I've moved on to another patch and that seems more promising. Fewer roots and lumps of chalk, more stuff to clear that had been growing on it and more worms (good signs?). Once I've dug it over, I've gots lots of home-produced compost to add to the soil, then I guess I can think about actually planting something; any suggestions for a newbie? Thanks in anticipation!

[rustylady]

Any shallow rooted crops should do well, as long as they're not too shaded by the tree and you provide enough water. Salad crops I'm thinking of, lettuce and radish appreciate a bit of shade and they're quick to grow.