not really about veg but wondered if you might help??

[iknownothing]

you may remember that last year i grew veg for the first time taking over our patio with raised beds!!! well i've caught the bug and need more space to grow enough veg to feed my hungry family!!! my poor dh is in the process of trying to dig out quite a large lilac tree which is where we want an new patio to go - I've managed to persaude him that's a good idea - this is all so i can have some more veg beds not on the new patio but alongside it on the back wall of our garden. anyway have tried lookin up on internet but just wondered if you guys had any suggestions also if we are going to cover the area of the roots in patio do we need to get all the roots out will they regrow? any ideas would be greatfully recieved and again sorry it's not strictly about veg!! thanks

[Beryl]

Lilacs are very deep rooted. I would treat the stump with something like
Root Out which unfortunately isn't available now but I have seen a similiar product on sale at Range but sorry the name escapes me. You score the stump so the crystals soak in. I have used this on 2 apples and 1 plum tree also a Golden Ivy with excellant results and no regrowth.
Have a look in your local garden centre it you don't have a Range store near you. It will save a lot of back breaking work.

Beryl.

[FelixLeiter]

you may remember that last year i grew veg for the first time taking over our patio with raised beds!!!

My memory does not serve me well.

my poor dh is in the process of trying to dig out quite a large lilac tree ... do we need to get all the roots out will they regrow?

I'm not sure what a dh is, but they should not have too much trouble if they have a strong back. Lilacs are shallow rooted (!!) and are quite brittle. Most of the roots will break out of the soil. So yes, dig out all the roots or there is a risk of regrowth.

[iknownothing]

thankyou both for your replies - he (dh - darling husband) has managed to get stump out and most of big roots a lot looked like they were rotten or diseased in someway. I now have him knocking down a brick shed that was a bit delapidated to make space for a greenhouse!!!!

[oldherbaceous]

That's the attitude i like, all or nothing.

[Johnboy]

Hi Iknownothing,
I bet you meet your girl friends and say "I am building a vegetable garden!" when poor dh is kind of working his nuts off!
Been there, done that and never had a 'T' shirt in all my life.
JB.