"roots are sneaky little devils—they'll find a way around eventually."
Couldn't agree more. I've seen roots squeeze through cracks you'd swear weren't even there. Gravel's definitely temporary—good for drainage, not much else. One thing I've found helpful is combining vertical barriers with root pruning every couple years. It's extra maintenance, sure, but keeps things manageable long-term. Glad your setup's working so far... keep an eye out though, those roots never really quit.
Haha, reminds me of the time I found roots sneaking into a basement through a tiny gap around the plumbing. Thought I'd sealed it tight, but nope—nature had other plans. Gravel's definitely just a speed bump for determined roots. I've had decent luck with heavy-duty landscape fabric under gravel, but even then, it's more of a delaying tactic than a permanent fix. Those roots are relentless... guess that's job security for us maintenance folks, huh?
Yeah, roots are stubborn as heck... I've found that combining landscape fabric with a good root barrier (like HDPE sheets) can buy you a lot more time. Still not permanent, but at least it makes the battle less frequent. Hang in there!
Have you found landscape fabric actually helps much with roots? I've tried it before, and honestly, the roots just punched right through after a couple years. Maybe I used the wrong type or something... HDPE barriers sound interesting though—do you bury them pretty deep, or is a foot or two enough? I'm tired of digging trenches every few years.
"Have you found landscape fabric actually helps much with roots? I've tried it before, and honestly, the roots just punched right through after a couple years."
Landscape fabric is pretty much useless against determined tree roots—I've seen them punch through tougher stuff than that. HDPE barriers are definitely a step up, but depth matters. A foot or two might hold smaller shrubs at bay, but for serious trees, you'll want to go deeper (think 3-4 feet). Even then, no guarantees...roots are stubborn little buggers. Better than digging trenches every few years though, right?
