Well, it depends on what the roots belonged to. Some plants/weeds will readily sprout from even the tiniest piece of root.

Rodney

I'd guess grass? I saw some clover as I was chopping too

roots and weeds are best removed and thrown in the compost bin.. preferable one that is hot or will be heating up.

If they aren't grass rhizomes then there is no point in removing them. Even if they were it was previously mentioned that you won't get them all.

So just work up the soil and keep in mind that the weed seeds are also in the soil and the bucket of soil added Will contain a new variety of weed seeds which you will need to contend with for seasons to come.

I would consider some type of mulch to hold weed development down, I'm partial to black plastic mulch but you'll need to use drip irrigation under it to water your vegetables. Landscape fabric or bio-mulch would allow water to penetrate. Or you could just pull weeds and a lay down over soil to curtail development of new seeds.

'If they aren't grass rhizomes then there is no point in removing them.' I'd have to disagree with that statement. Grass isn't the only candidate for a perennial weed which reproduces from root fragments. In my own garden where I know the weeds I wouldn't hesitate to bury roots which I recognise as being non perennial but I wouldn't risk it with unknowns. In the OP's position I'd say better safe than sorry and pile them separately until they were identified.

Yep, some roots are benign, others are outright vicious. Just try to get rid of wild violets... paper mulberry... grass is a piker in comparison.

Heh. Try getting rid of perennial sowthistle. Their wide-spreading, horizontal roots are brittle and each little damn piece will sprout.

Rodney

I just don't believe in the need to remove roots or even vegetation. I scooped up a few cu. ft. of sod with my bucket loader while putting purchased compost into 3 high tunnels. After tilling you hardly notice:

After covering they are history:

Any body want to trade for some creeping charlie or nutsedge?

Dave

Not all of us are working on your scale or budget, barrie2m. I grow in ground in the native earth, I don't have any machinery, don't use plastic mulches and don't buy in any compost or soil. What I do, or did, have is bindweed which would take over the entire plot if left in the ground. For ordinary gardeners, removal of perennial weed roots is just common sense.