When a weed is growing IN your plants...

[@vlink4071]

So glad to see this, I have the same issue in a couple places! Thanks!

[@GardenUPLandscape]

Glad it helped!

[@AdobeGardener]

Great topic! Congrats on achieving your goal - nothing strikes terror in my heart like seeing a weed or grass in a plant that has just settled and looking perfect. Beautiful loamy looking soil and great root system on that plant! I deal w/pottery level clay (yes, several hundred feet from an old 1800s pottery maker) Meaning lots of compost and soil conditioner added but still clay based. Very wet soil allows me to get deep roots out easier. But intermingled within a cherished plant, a nightmare. Your solution of digging it up completely to get those hidden roots is great. Maybe soaking those roots in a pail could have greased the removal a bit?

[@GardenUPLandscape]

In your case, yes definitely, soaking the root ball would help a lot! For this plant in the video I don't think it would've helped much, simply because it wasn't the roots being tangled up that was the issue. The grass was pinched between the crowns of the plant, which I had to pry apart to make enough space to get the root out. So it depends on the situation, but yes soaking the roots can absolutely be helpful!

[@kssh6303]

Oh, I know it's hard. I am dealing with this too on my old garden bed!

[@GardenUPLandscape]

I wish you much patience and perseverance!