Am I digging too much or not enough

I'm trying to dig my garden over due to weeds and I'm trying to get all roots out but am I taking it too far .I have attached a picture and my wife thinks I'm digging too much but I said I have to get all the roots out.
Are they from weeds or from a tree or something else.
Advice needed. How far should I dig...

 

Looks like a piece of tree root to me. If it's from the neighbours, I'd cut it off. Let their trees feed from their garden. If its yours, well I guess you decide anyway.

My personal view is that you can never dig too much. The more air you work into it the happier the soil creatures will be, the more active they'll be, and the more they'll work your soil for you once you finally start planting into it.

A completely contrasting view is that the more you dig it at the time of year and into autumn, the more exposed you leave it to the elements, and the more nutrients will be washed out, but then you just put them back in spring anyway if you're worried about that.

If you start trampling all over it when its wet that will undo some of your work by compacting it, so I'd stop when it gets too messy to work with.

 

But I have so much to dig it won't get done if I keep stopping.
I thought this was the best time to dig.

 

Pernicious weeds like Bindweed and Ground Elder have brittle whist roots, they need removing.

Marestails are light brown, and less brittle, and go down so far you won't get them all out.

The are all, in the main, a couple of mm or more diameter

I probably should have started with "What pernicious weeds have you got?"

 

If you have heavy soil then digging it now, so that the frost can get at it over the winter, will make a big difference.

If you are on sandy soil ... dunno ... I'm on heavy clay

 

To tell the truth I'm not sure what weeds they are as I'm new to all this.


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Any books or sites you recommend to read some more on it.


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Hiya.

I think this might be getting a bit over-complicated. Basically, dig it through, removing any weeds/roots the best you can. I would add manure except in those areas that will be used for root crops.