Did I remove enough roots from large area of shrubs and trees to grow lawn?

Question

I have cleared a patch of shrubs and trees. When we pulled the trees and bushes out we managed to pull most of the roots but some were too difficult to remove. I was just leveling the soil out today and found some roots with a white substance that coloured the soil when I moved it. On another root with the same white coating the 'bark' slid off the root when I pulled it.

I am also still finding some parts of root balls.

As I want to lay turf on top, are these roots anything to be concerned about?

I live in the south of England.

Answer 1

The fungal coating is nothing to worry about, most shrubs and trees will have mycorrhizae around the roots, they have a symbiotic relationship. The thing I'd be concerned about, though, is precisely which trees and shrubs you have removed and whether you managed to extract almost all the roots down to a depth of 18 inches, particularly for the trees. If you did not manage to do this, regrowth is highly likely, more so with some plants than with others, and that you really do not want once your lawn is laid and growing.