How to remove a very pot bound plant from a ceramic planter?

[Ratherhaveacupofteaandabiscuit]

I have a very old ex-hebe in a large ceramic pot which had unbeknownst to me grown roots through the base drainage holes into the gravel then soil beneath.
I would like to reuse the pot but am struggling to remove the old plant as it is such a mass of roots.
I have cut the roots off underneath and am soaking the plant daily but it still is pretty stuck in there.
Any suggestions please?
Photos to follow once approved.

Have you pushed through the holes with your finger?

We had this problem with a plant and my dh only solution was to smash the pot. I was devastated!

I’d get the biggest drill bit I could find and start drilling holes into the wood of the plant and the roots and even the earth. The more material you can get out of the pot, the more the rest will be moveable.

I think I'd just keep digging away at it, maybe with a spoon, trowel or just loosening with a strong stick, and removing small amounts of the soil at a time. When you start to unearth some roots, start snipping bits off and continue removing soil. Soak it in between. It might take a bit of time but you'll get it out

We managed to save a pot with a similar plant by using a pruning saw and just working away at what we could see - cutting the roots apart bit by bit. It took forever but it is a nice pot and worth the effort.

I find that the roots infiltrate the inside of the pot unless it’s a very smooth surface.
Usually turning upside down and pushing a wooden spoon handle /broom handle if bigger hole(s) through the drainage holes will eventually shift it.
Good luck!

They won’t budge at all.

Sounds like it will be a slow process then.
I will keep soaking and chipping away.
If I could clear some soil I could saw the wood as suggested but there seems to be barely any soil at all, it is a mass of fine roots like hair around the outer and huge roots on the inner.
The pot has sentimental value (used to belong to my Aunt) so I really don’t want to smash it.

If you don't want to keep the hebe then let it dry out. That'll shrink the soil and make it lighter. I'd invert the pot, leave it somewhere dry for a while then take a look at it. Dig away at it round the edges with a small garden fork, trowel or hori hori knife.

Bread knife round the outside. Bigger bucket. Fill with water. Put it in upside down and soak.

If it’s not clear .. hopefully you will return one day. Lift the pot and it will have disintegrated

And to give it somewhere to drop too. If you don’t care for the plant then cut it right back with loopers as far under the soil as possible. Then you should have 5cm or so which will speed the drop.

Sorry about the drip feeds. The process is clear in my head 😅

Saw around the perimeter, with bread knife or pruning saw. Dig away at the surface. Pause, allow to dry, return, repeat. You will definitely succeed eventually. When I have faced similar challenges, I have wanted to keep the plant as well as the pot. Even that is almost always manageable.

There is a specific tool for this, the Sneeboer Container Knife https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/products/sneeboer-container-knife. It looks like a large serrated palette knife. If you don't have a spare £100 then a flexible bread knife or similar should do the job. At least your pot doesn't look particularly bellied so you should be in with a chance.

I would let it dry out and hopefully shrink a bit - so stick it in the garage or somewhere dry for a month then turn it upside down and push into the holes at the bottom til it falls out

Id basically cut the soil from the side with my hori hori knife, dig out the holes in the bottom with secateurs or a big drill bit and push it out from the holes underneath. I wouldn't soak it, id want to work on it dry, then soak once it is out. Maybe a chisel might help get the roots separated from the side if you haven't got a knife to hand. You can remove the outside inch of soil to get your hands down round the root ball.

Oh my godly god! £100 for a breadknife substitute!!!

yes you'd have to have a lot of very precious pots to make it worthwhile!

Interesting!
I will stop soaking it then and turn it upside down.
Think my bread knife can be sacrificed rather than spending £100!
Thanks everybody

It will dry out quicker, if that is your aim, if it’s the right way up so moisture can evaporate

I've got an old bread knife which very flexible, I think because it is a cheap one - I bought it when I was a student. It is ideal for chopping round the edges of pot bound plants and I use it quite a lot round the garden when I need a longer blade. Might be worth buying a cheap knife rather than sacrificing your bread knife!

A bread knife is what I used. Slowly but surely, it came away from the pot.

I've used a bread knife before. Takes a bit of doing but does the job.

Just let it dry out. The soil should just come out in a big lump along with the roots once it’s dried up enough and the soil seems to have come away from the pot on the inside.
I recently found three potted plants that were root bound next to the rubbish. Took them home, slowly broke up the soil with a small garden fork, separated the roots and made about nine pots out of the three. They are now flourishing and I’ve even taken some to the summer house to plant in the garden. 😜

@Ratherhaveacupofteaandabiscuit All soaking has done is to cause the compost in the pot to expand and make it an even tighter fit.

My advice would be to let it dry out completely, which will let it shrink away from the sides.