Allotments 4 All

I am digging a strip which is about 1 m away from some very well established fruit trees.  I am digging quite deep as the ground has not been dug for a long time and has lots of nasties in it.

I haven't reached the area by the fruit trees yet and am wondering of damage I may do to the trees if I sever or remove some roots.

The first tree is a plum. 

Plums are shallow-rooted, but don't worry unless you hit an area with masses of roots. If you do, leave it; the odd small root won't matter.

Fruit trees do seem to take a lot of water and nutrients from the soil.   The other problem of growing near them is having enough space to pick the fruit.  My OH has a great way of putting his feet on things. 

Thanks for your comments. I will still have picking space and will digt carefully and see how I go.

I dig quite deep near to my plums and it does not seem to affect them too much. 

  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

 :-*

I wouldn't dig around a fruit tree if you can avoid it. Not because you will harm the tree, but because if you do damage a root, especially on trees like plum, they will often respond by sending up a shoot from the damaged part, and before you know where you are you've got a little forest of shoots emerging around the tree, and they're hard to get rid of.