The Root of All Evil

Some bright ideas don't work.  A couple of years ago I decided to plant up a couple of horseradish thongs in plastic drainpipes each 3ft long ans sunk vertically into the ground.  The purpose was

a) to grow singularly  thick long roots, and

b) to prevent the roots spreading in all directions, as they tend to do when left to their own devices.

Last weekend I decided to dig out one of the pipes. It was quite an effort as the base was embedded in clay.

Having pursuaded the ground to give up it's captive after a 15 minute tussle ending in a vacuous squelch I then had to knock out the contents:

Result?

a) No stout root just a tangle of spaghetti.

b) Backache (which a week later has got worse not better).

Moral:  Some bright ideas just don't work!

Excavation starts:

How long?

 Not so impressive harvest:

Psst - Want to see the water table?