Serious question, how do you deal with tree roots in a raised bed?

I built a 4x8 raised bed last spring and my tomato plants were half the size of my neighbor's who just plants in ground. Dug down 6 inches yesterday and found a thick network of maple roots that had pushed through the bottom. Anyone have luck with a root barrier or do I need to relocate the whole bed?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_cameron22h ago

Yeah, that bit about maple roots pushing the whole bed up hits close to home. I feel your pain, I've been dealing with the same thing and it's honestly exhausting.

margaret_williams522h ago

... and you know what's crazy is I've seen people say just put landscape fabric down but maple roots will laugh at that stuff... they find the tiniest gap and squeeze right through. What worked for me was digging the bed up completely and putting down a double layer of heavy duty pond liner cut a few inches bigger than the frame. Then I drilled a bunch of small drainage holes about 4 inches up from the bottom of the sides instead of the bottom... that way the roots can't climb up from underneath. You'll probably have to monitor it every spring though because those maple roots will keep trying and they'll push the whole bed up if you let them go too long.