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PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:41 pm 
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I have a fully mature Southern Magnolia that I plan to build a flower bed under. The bed is going to be 12' in diameter. I've read Howards book "Plants of the Metroplex" but didn't find much info on mature trees. This is what I have planned. Please let me know if I can/should do anything differently.

1) Mark off site and lay down news paper and then weed cloth to help control the weeds.

2) Set up my metal edging to hold topsoil/compost/mulch in place.

3) Put down a 4-6" layer of topsoil mixed with compost.

4) Put down a 3-4" layer of ceder mulch.

Would it be beneficial to spray 10% vinegar prior to the newspaper/mesh to help control the weeds?

Should I try to leave as much of the trunk exposed or just mulch up as high as the rest of the bed?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 7:36 am 
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As far as bed preparation for a planting bed, I see only one issue- lose the weed fabric. Newspaper would suffice for this and once you have the soil bare, watering it and waiting for weeds to show then zapping them with vinegar to eliminate them before applying the newspaper is a good idea too.

However.... there's one big issue here: Your bed is being built on the root system of an existing tree. Between the newspaper, the added soil and all you could seriously harm the tree by cutting off air to the roots in that area.

I've never built a planting bed around an exiting tree, so perhaps someone else here might know if there is a safe way to do so- I cannot think of one that wouldn't risk killing the tree.

_________________
Shepherd of the Trees
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:47 pm 
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I put a raised flower bed under my magnolia, and believe me, NOTHING can kill that tree. The roots are SOOOOO invasive, before one year was up the tree roots had grown up into the flower bed. Have you ever dug in the dirt under your magnolia? The roots are like a mass of hair and you can just pull out handfulls without harming the tree at all. I've even chopped out some of the bigger roots with no damage to the tree (darn it). My grandmother planted a magnolia about 3 feet from the house, not expecting it to get very big. Well, it's taller than a two-story house with spread to match. And of course the shade is pretty dense under there; that combined with the roots that suck the nutrients out of the soil, it's hard to get much to grow there. And the roots get in the pipes too. Get the idea I'm not very fond of this tree? If my grandma hadn't planted it and it wasn't so blasted healthy, I'd get rid of it!


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 1:22 pm 
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I have two of them and one has a flower bed and doing great and same problem as the previous person. I think those roots are from the azeleas I planted in the bed under the trees. Planted them 2 years ago and this year they were(are)in full bloom. Had calediums last year but I think roots of azeleas are to thick. Having pansies right now blooming. We elevated the bed with heavy bricks for about 12-16" to make the bed streight since the tree is on a little slope. The only problem is that all the leaves fall in the bed. The tree itself is just beautiful.


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