Roots Choking Out Shrubs

18 years ago

Along my side fence there are a dozen Hollywood Junipers that are at least 30 years old. They provide good privacy since the fence is only about 5' tall and they add character and height to the landscape. The problem is that anything I plant within 10 or 12 feet of them dies due to the fiborous root system of the junipers. The roots just choke out any other plants. I've lost 6 Australian tree ferns, 3 brugmansia, 3 hydrangea, azaleas, etc. etc.... Anyway the $$$$$ lost are adding up rapidly.

I am seriously thinking of building raised planter beds 2 or 3 feet high and fill with good soil and compost but am worried that the juniper roots would invade the planters. Do you think the juniper roots would invade the planters and if so should I prepare a cememt slab to set the planters on? One planter would be along the side of the house and I don't know how structurally safe that would be. Would it pose a problem to have 2-3 feet of soil up against the side of the house? My house is stucco.

I just had an unusual thought; If I build large cement planters and sunk them in the ground would that work?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
18 years ago
Don't raise the soil against the side of the house. Even though your wooden wall is stucco covered moist soil can cause a capillary action that can wick water between the stucco and the wall right up to your finished floor and warp your hardwood flooring or soak your carpet. Roots from the shrubs can and will migrate into a raised planter within a year or two. Any planter will need to drain and a concrete bottom will not provide that. How about keeping the bottom of your planter 3 or 4 inches above the shrubs roots? The air space would prevent the shrubs roots from entering the planter and allow for drainage. Al
jodik_gw
18 years ago
If it were me, I'd create a nice bordered bed of mulch or decorative gravel under those Junipers, and along the house, and pretty up the area with large nice-looking patio pots set every so many feet, or in groups... that way, I could grow the plants I wanted in the containers, and not have to fight with roots or damage to anything. Relatively cheap and easy...

Large raised beds built up off the ground would be nice, but how could that be accomplished adequately? How could they be built so that they'd hold that much weight in soil, wet soil when watered, without bowing or sagging? What would the materials be, and at what approximate cost? I can't picture what you mean, Al... :-)
Related Professionals
Miami Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Nashua Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Vicksburg Landscape Contractors · Oklahoma City Landscape Contractors · Lynchburg Landscape Contractors · Fall River Landscape Contractors · Grand Rapids Landscape Contractors · Santa Barbara Landscape Contractors · Stockton Landscape Contractors · Concord Home Builders · Lufkin Home Builders · Worthington Home Builders · Green Bay Home Builders · Coeur d'Alene Home Builders · Cowansville Home Builders
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
18 years ago
Wooden boxes two feet by two feet as long as you like. The ground provides plenty of support, only the air space is maintained to stop the root incursion. Not filled with garden soil, container soil. Easily watered by automatic drip system. I had a similar problem with roots from Ligustrum, grown as trees for a screen. Al
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
18 years ago
Please don't forget to give some thought to the damage that your Junipers will suffer with any of these projects. From the first couple of sentences of your post, it sounds like they add a great deal to your landscaping (and property value).

Remember, the root/soil system of valuable trees and shrubs should be fostered rather than harmed.

Another consideration is the allelopathic properties that many juniper species have.