I've had a ficus growing on a brick wall beautifully for about 10 years now. Unfortunately the roots managed to find their way into a pipe, blocking drainage from my bath/shower. It's amazing how they crept under a few metres of garden bed and burrowed through the drain cap and down the drain, seeking water.

Anyway, I've cleared the pipe of the roots, but I think I'm going to need to pull down the ficus if the roots are that invasive. I've followed a couple of the other roots and they are strangling the roots on some of my box hedge and some other plants.

I'm just wondering, do I need to physically remove all the roots or if I just cut them from the source, will they just wither away and die? I'm worried that if I cut them, the bits that I leave may regrow.

If I need to pull them all out, I'll pretty much need to destroy the entire garden bed!

Thanks in advance.