Impacted containers

[Brengirl]

I have grown tree lily in a container for 2 years and am quite sure that it is soreading and needs more room. I have tipped the pot over and tried to ease the roots out but cannot move a thing. Before I break the lovely pot is there anything else I can try?

[Flummery]

Try easing a plastic hand-trowel along the sides a bit and wiggle it about Bren. If you can scrunch it around enough to remove some of the compost you should manage to get the thing out. Good luck with it.

[rustylady]

Make sure it's thoroughly moist before you try removing it.

[Brengirl]

I have soaked it for a day or two but the roots are so compressed that the water just doesn't seem able to penetrated.
I have just had a thought though hows about if I use the pressure water gun?

[rustylady]

You could, or you could use a dinner fork - you need to remove as much compost as you can so you can get the rootball out of the pot.

[rana]

If it is very root bound I would have thought allowing the soil to dry thoroughly and the bulbs to shrink a bit would make it easier to loosen. Is it possible to turn the pot upside down then gently hammer dowels through the drainage holes to push the whole root mass out?