Dead roots rising

An old timer said I could expect for old tree roots to rise to the surface of my cleared garden area for at least three years. The first year they are surfacing in spades.

Through the spring and summer I have filled this wheelbarrow at least 10 times with dead roots. The good news is that the roots don't actually harm the soil, only making it look unsightly and occasionally clogging the tiller. As the roots slowly decay they add organic matter to the soil.

New readers may want to refer to my post of January 27which has a photo of how the garden area looked before it was cleared. Where the garden stands now was a dense forest of evergreen and hardwood trees (top picture, behind the little red barn which as been moved).