Hello I hope you can help me. We had/ have a series of ratty old cedar tree/ shrubs (not like your lovely BC variety) that we have started to cut out of our backyard. My question is this. Do we have to dig up the roots of these or can we be lucky enough to build a planter box (aprx 1/2 foot to a 1 foot high) where they were along the fence and be able to plant climbing roses, climbing hydrangeas or some other climbing plants for privacy screening? My other question is what kind of tree would you plant in a subdivision backyard that would not fan out and ruin ours or our neighbours basements. (50 by a 100 foot lot) I understand that Maples have flat root systems. I think that perhaps a tap root or heart root system maybe better. I appreciate any advice!
If you are working above the level of the stumps then you have no problem, they won't sprout. All trees and shrubs except some desert kinds have most of their roots just below the surface. There is no kind of tree that leaves the top soil layer unoccupied. Look for a tree that has the size, shape, color etc. you want and then plant that.
