Making A Vegetable Garden In A Hostile Environment

We moved to the country for the love of trees.  I want to be surrounded by them.  I feel secure and it seems that my tiny cabin is cocooned in their ever spreading branches every time I wake up in the morning and look outside.

Despite my love for trees, I found one downside in living in this area.  I cannot fully pursue my love for gardening.  Flower beds and tree roots just don't mix, despite what the experts say, of dumping rich fertile dirt in the garden area where tree roots are present, to sustain both garden plants and tree roots.  The tree roots always win!  I have to break my back and purse to dig up matted fibrous tree rootlets and buy rich dirt each year!

This year I have decided to try gardening again.  My goal is to make a garden bed that would last for sometime without the invasion of unwanted garden enemies!

These are the garden enemies:  Tree roots, quack grass, rabbits, deer (occasional).  I have to protect the garden bed from all these.

How To Prevent Root Invasion:

1.  Dig and remove all tree roots from the garden area.  Prevent future root invasion by cutting the invading root several inches away from the garden bed.
2.  Dig up a 4 to 5" deep ditch around the garden bed.  Keep this area dry and prevent rich soil from it.
Monitor this area constantly for any signs of invasion of both tree roots and quack grass.

3.  Till the garden soil every year and monitor for any new root invasion.

How To Prevent Quack Grass invasion:

1.  Dig up all Quack Grass roots and remove them from the garden.  Do not cover garden area with weed block! Rhizomes of Quack Grass thrive very well underneath any kind of cover.  The best defense against it is to expose it to sunlight and dry environment!

2.  Number 2 above is also defense against Quack Grass!

3.  Dig up quack grass roots and rhizomes quickly as soon as you see it.  Do not wait until they proliferate in the garden bed.

How To Prevent Rabbits and Deers Invasion:

1.  Build a fence around the garden.