Turns out, water was pooling along the edge where the soil compacted against the plastic, and it just wasn't draining right. We had to dig it up and add some gravel for drainage.
That’s wild about the grass going yellow right above the barrier. I’ve always wondered if those plastic ones just end up trading one problem for another. I’ve tried the fabric-style barriers in a small spot by my fence—honestly, didn’t notice much difference, but maybe it’s because my soil drains pretty well. I get what you mean about luck or maybe just the quirks of each yard. Sometimes it feels like plants just do what they want, no matter what we try.
Funny how fixing one thing can set off a whole new chain reaction, right? I’ve seen that yellowing too—sometimes I wonder if the grass is just trying to tell us it’s not a fan of our “solutions.” Did you notice if the roots tried sneaking over the top of the barrier, or did they just give up? I’ve had roots literally pop up on the other side like they’re playing hide and seek. Maybe it’s just a losing battle with some trees...
I swear, roots are like the ultimate escape artists. I put in a “root barrier” last year—dug down about 18 inches and everything. Thought I was being clever. A few months later, I found these sneaky little root tips curling up and over the edge, like they just couldn’t help themselves. I think trees just see barriers as a challenge. The grass, on the other hand, looked ticked off for weeks after I messed with the soil. Sometimes I think it’s less about winning and more about keeping the chaos manageable...
I hear you on the root barrier struggle. I tried the same thing a couple years back—dug down about two feet, used the thickest plastic I could find, and those roots still found a way around eventually. Have you looked into using metal barriers instead of plastic? I read somewhere that they’re harder for roots to get through or over, but I haven’t tried it myself. Also, did you notice if the grass bounced back after a while, or is it still looking rough? I always wonder if there’s a way to keep both the trees and the lawn happy, but it feels like a losing battle sometimes.
Metal barriers are supposed to work better, yeah, but honestly, digging deep enough for those is a pain. I tried the plastic too and had roots popping up a year later. My grass never really bounced back—always patchy where the tree was close. I’m starting to think you either get nice trees or a perfect lawn, but not both... unless you wanna spend every weekend fighting roots.
