Re: Shade garden help
- Subject: Re: Shade garden help
- From: E*@aol.com
- Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 13:15:02 EST
In a message dated 1/6/03 1:36:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, mtalt@hort.net
writes:
> not on roots tho' I did get a lovely new hand mattock for Christmas
> and that will be put to use in the root department:-)
The mattock is one of handiest tools we have. If you need to put in a post
and the post hole digger is hopeless, the mattock is the tool. I was
reluctant to use this at first, seemed a very violent thing to do, whacking
away at roots with the mattock. Nothing is more effective. You need some
strength but it makes root removal faster than cutting and pulling them.
Bless all maple trees, any gardener dealing with maple roots and torn between
the masses of roots and removing the tree has a hard choice. A big old
shade tree is hard to part with, maple roots are nature's CIA.
If you are adept with sharp tools, a machete is also a good tool to reduce
compost to small bits, faster than a shredder. It also removes roots. I
don't do this but my husband does. You want to be sure you are swinging it
the right way.
Claire Peplowski
NYS z4
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