I recently dug up some mature cedar hedges and still have some of the roots poking up from the ground. I got out as many as I could but it think it's next to impossible to get all the little ones. I want to bring in some gravel for drainage and then put some topsoil on the top and then plant some flowers. Somebody told me to pour diesel oil over the roots to kill them but that doesn't sound environmentally friendly and I think it could affect what I plant in the new topsoil. Do you think that just putting plastic over the roots would work and then putting the gravel and dirt over that is enough. Or should I kill them with something else first? If so, what works best and is environmentally friendly too. Kate
The roots are dead, do not worry about them, they will decay with time. As for your idea of gravel and topsoil be very careful, you might be building a bed with a perched water table. A layer of gravel generally does not provide drainage. Michael
