[Piccolo]

Hi

Please can anybody tell me if the following plants can affect/poison the soil they are in for other plants.  I have a (very) small flower border that I am going to change the use of and hopefully turn it into a small veg border for plants such as carrots and beetroot.  I have some plants in there at the moment that I can either would prefer not to move or in some cases cannot move but I don't know if they will have affected the soil in such a way as to make it use-able for veg.  They are:

Gorse
Laurel
Lily of the Valley
Rose

Any help is appreciated.    Thank you.

[Yorkie]

I don't think they will have a negative effect per se, but what I would be concerned about is the competition for space, light, water and nutrients between the permanent plants and the veggies.  The permanent plants will have well-established roots and you risk damaging them if your veggies have to be dug in / dug out / harvested around them.  If you stuck to shallow rooted annual plants like salad you should be fine.

[SusieB]

It is said that Laurel sucks all the goodness and nutrients out of the soil.  Don't know how true this is.  If it was my garden, I'd remove the laurels and add compost or manure or whatever you've got.  I've removed several 30 foot laurels in my garden over the last few years, but things are growing now in their place.

[BumbleJo]

Hi. Personally I wish I'd never planted lily of the valley, it has been very invasive and its rhizomes spread out all over the place.  Ok in the right place but not where you would grow veg I think. I agree that laurel is supposed to be planted away from other things as they are said to not grow well if laurel is nearby.

[Piccolo]

Hi

Thankyou for your replies    It sounds like I should move the idea to another part of the garden perhaps, although the original flowerbed will still get an overhaul    Its time to get my secateurs back out 

[Christine]

Gorse is mighty prickly when you come to pick things but it often dies in a sulk if you prune it. Saves a job that.