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So I am finally digging the patch where my raised beds will sit in a few days , not major digging, more weeding out as much creeping buttercup as I can. no other nasties that I am aware of fortunately. Plan is to get beds in, cover ground with cardboard and then fill with salvaged topsoil from conservatory foundation [already sieved and picked over] and compost, so should be some weed barrier.

But, there are some areas with a lot of fine threadlike roots that I dont know they what belong to I am picking them out, and as much of the white buttercup root as I can, even got the chickens out of their run, but that is a little traumatic as they havent been out before and are ex-bats.

Sooo, should I be more diligent on picking out these roots or just hope for the best ?

Thanks

Sarah

Nettle roots are yellowy, bindweed roots are white. Hedge roots tend to be browny red. What's on the other end of your roots? I mean is there a plant there or do they disappear off and maybe belong to a tree or hedge or something big?

Thanks guys.

I found some brambles and nettles, as well as buttercup and grasses, when I peeled back the carpet and started digging, hopefully got those out.

There is privet hedge on 2 sides of bed so it 'could' be that, but it seems more localised. Seems to be 'familiar' so hoping it isnt an old nemesis coming back to haunt. Getting most of them out at least, very very slow progress but satisfying.

Sarah

Gotta love the internet.....

Think the brown roots are mares' tail. Argh Thought I recognised them from a garden I renovated a few years ago. Aww darn it.

Oh well, more digging and picking tomorrow.

I hope not! But if it is then you can make a tea from it to spray your toms and spuds against blight as it is supposed to be really good for that.

If you have a sieve that can speed up getting the roots out. I fill the sieve and shake out the good soil into a big plastic thingamajigg to put back later.

Much less fiddly than doing it by hand (I did a small lawn or ground elder with a kitchen fork once before I progressed to gardening tools ) and gets more roots out without breaking them. I also have one of those garden claw things if you remember the advert from the eighties? That's also great at freeing bunches of roots without breaking them and loosening the soil round them.

Good luck