hqueen13
<Insert Snazzy Title Here
We moved into our place, and I was so excited, I wanted a garden and all sorts of wonderful things. But I got here, and things are a bit different than I expected....
The trailer sits on the north side of a lovely grove of trees. They are all thin and lithe and quite lovely in summer providing thick shade over the house which means reduced cooling costs (I shutter to think what it would be without these trees).
However, there is a dark and sinister side to these lovely trees. They are an invasive species from Asia, and like many things from Asia, they reproduce aggressively from the root system rather than seeds. So the trees are continually putting out runners and attempting to sprout EVERYWHERE including under our deck and UNDER the house (the skirting on the house is white, and just translucent enough to cast a glow of daylight under the house... there were trees that were cut down to put the house in place, and those stumps attempt to put up new sprouts even in the low light).
I was so excited when we moved in to take the front yard and make it beautiful. I knew there would be deer to deal with (can't shoot them in the park), but I was ok with that... I wasn't prepared for super weed trees. It is almost impossible to plant anything because the trees try to grow through it. They grow through my hostas, through the azaleas, and every where else that they can push up. They don't seem to grow through the iris, but I haven't done much work with that. The amazing thing about them is that they are WIDELY prolific... I spotted a good sized tree in the woods behind the house. That is more than 50 yards away from the grove of trees in the FRONT of the house.
My other half has decided he has the crazy idea of wanting a garden next year. I don't want to start with much as I know it is going to be a big challenge for us. I am thinking I might like to do pole beans because I want to can them (the thing I miss the most from growing up, and now that I have a canner, I can!) So my question is what would be the smartest and be the most manageable/take the least effort to create a garden space? I am concerned that if I start adding "good dirt" to the soil, it will actually attract the trees. I am also somewhat concerned that if I do a set of containers I'll struggle to keep them appropriately watered and cared for.
I plan to set up a compost bin since we've got a never ending supply of manure (and it would be great to toss out any kitchen scraps that we have that the dogs can't eat), and my grandfather always used chicken wire to make a circular bin. When it came time to use the compost, he would simply uncrimp the end and you could shovel it straight out. I think that in order to keep the trees from trying to grow through my compost (he had this issue with bamboo, but bamboo roots are thick and easy to just hack out), I will put down some heavy dark plastic, and then lay a pallet on top, and set the wire on top of that. Compost can use circulation through the bottom, too, so it would probably be an added benefit. But I would (hope) that would keep any trees from growing up through it.
Does anybody have any other suggestions for my crazy situation!?
The trailer sits on the north side of a lovely grove of trees. They are all thin and lithe and quite lovely in summer providing thick shade over the house which means reduced cooling costs (I shutter to think what it would be without these trees).
However, there is a dark and sinister side to these lovely trees. They are an invasive species from Asia, and like many things from Asia, they reproduce aggressively from the root system rather than seeds. So the trees are continually putting out runners and attempting to sprout EVERYWHERE including under our deck and UNDER the house (the skirting on the house is white, and just translucent enough to cast a glow of daylight under the house... there were trees that were cut down to put the house in place, and those stumps attempt to put up new sprouts even in the low light).
I was so excited when we moved in to take the front yard and make it beautiful. I knew there would be deer to deal with (can't shoot them in the park), but I was ok with that... I wasn't prepared for super weed trees. It is almost impossible to plant anything because the trees try to grow through it. They grow through my hostas, through the azaleas, and every where else that they can push up. They don't seem to grow through the iris, but I haven't done much work with that. The amazing thing about them is that they are WIDELY prolific... I spotted a good sized tree in the woods behind the house. That is more than 50 yards away from the grove of trees in the FRONT of the house.
My other half has decided he has the crazy idea of wanting a garden next year. I don't want to start with much as I know it is going to be a big challenge for us. I am thinking I might like to do pole beans because I want to can them (the thing I miss the most from growing up, and now that I have a canner, I can!) So my question is what would be the smartest and be the most manageable/take the least effort to create a garden space? I am concerned that if I start adding "good dirt" to the soil, it will actually attract the trees. I am also somewhat concerned that if I do a set of containers I'll struggle to keep them appropriately watered and cared for.
I plan to set up a compost bin since we've got a never ending supply of manure (and it would be great to toss out any kitchen scraps that we have that the dogs can't eat), and my grandfather always used chicken wire to make a circular bin. When it came time to use the compost, he would simply uncrimp the end and you could shovel it straight out. I think that in order to keep the trees from trying to grow through my compost (he had this issue with bamboo, but bamboo roots are thick and easy to just hack out), I will put down some heavy dark plastic, and then lay a pallet on top, and set the wire on top of that. Compost can use circulation through the bottom, too, so it would probably be an added benefit. But I would (hope) that would keep any trees from growing up through it.
Does anybody have any other suggestions for my crazy situation!?
