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.

Put something (bricks?) under the rim if the pot to keep it clear of the ground so air can circulate underneath it. By inverting it, hopefully, gravity will help pull the pot contents away from the pot sides.

Good idea. I will try this.

I’ve had to do the same with a very pot bound agapanthus. In my case I sacrificed the pot, but once free I had to use a saw to divide the plant as the roots were so tough (and smelly!). Obviously you can’t do that with the plant still in the pot.

Can you get a scraper down the sides to free the pot from any clingy roots?

I don’t care about the plant. It’s the pot I want.

No, there is no way anything is fitting anywhere to shift this out at the moment.

I had no idea how bad it was until I chopped off the canopy.

It has clearly been like this for years and is like an solid knot of hair like roots on top. Barely any soil to be seen.

I’ve managed to shift it to the garage and turned it upside down to dry, also up on bricks for ventilation.

Will see what time and gravity brings.

Very sharp knife, a hori hori garden knife for example, just push down into the soil, slice around the edge of pot and it will come out. A slice and dice approach to cut through the root mat, but use a gardening knife so it doesn't break.

I agree with this, you need a very thin blade, or maybe an old palette knife. If you really can’t get anything between the plant and the pot - I couldn’t with my agapanthus, the only alternative is to dig away at the crown and work outwards till you can get a sharp knife or pruning saw in and cut a wedge out.

Do keep us updated!

If you aren't worried about saving the plant, then you can basically get a pair of secateurs, and cut the roots out bit by bit, starting with the base of the plant itself. Or a saw and just saw down, remove what you can, saw down again and keep taking out bits until it wiggles and you can pull the lot out.

Turn it upside down and stand it on the grass or soil (not concrete etc!). Then get a thick screwdriver and use a hammer to bang it through the holes, this worked on a self seeded buddleia that was pure roots with no soil!

Update:

I put the pot in the garage to dry out and am now working my way through a layer at a time with my pruning saw.

I saw around the edge then crossways and then pull out whatever I have managed to loosen. It is virtually all root, very little soil.

Then I leave it to dry again and go back a few days later to saw a bit lower and pull out some more chunks.

I am hopeful I will reach the bottom this month although progress is hampered by my recent hip replacement so I can only manage a tiny bit in one sitting.

Eventually I will return with a photo of my empty pot in victory!

I read that in the style of a Victorian explorer 😁

Thanks v much for the update. We are with you in spirit in your quest to rescue the planter.

It's finally out!
Thanks everybody for the advice.
Photo to follow

Lovely pot, the bench and pebbles are great too. What's the plan for the pot?

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