Gardening and Horticulture - Potting saplings (newbie question)

Recently I returned to the former home of my late great-aunt in order to acquire a few of the Japanese red maple saplings that were sprouting up in the yard. My great-uncle (who had passed ages ago, when I was only 6) had many on their front lawn and they were always so lovely. In the years since the house had been sold the trees in the front yard had withered and died, only one red maple surviving, and I felt it best to save a few of its saplings before it too perished.

I left with four of the tiniest little trees-to-be and took them home to pot. I placed all four in a large pot with soil from my own back yard. Probably not precisely the most advanced gardening anyone has ever heard of, I know.

So far everything is fine, however the big problem I'm having (though I honestly don't know if it is a problem or not) is that the grass, clover, and moss from the ground the saplings were taken from is now growing extremely well too. I'd like to know if there is a safe way to get rid of them without hurting the trees themselves. This isn't just about how lovely the trees will eventually be, they have some sentimental value, and I would very much like to ensure that they'll eventually be able to be planted and become wonderful trees.

-X

The simplest approach would be to pull the grass, moss, and clover.

The simplest approach would be to pull the grass, moss, and clover.

That is easier said than done since the grass just tends to break when I try to pull it. The clover will probably come out fine but the moss I'd have to wait until the saplings grew larger and were more deeply rooted, as the moss tends to be pretty well rooted itself. I'm less concerned about the moss though, primarily just the grass. I'll try pulling it again but I suspect it will just tear the blades of grass rather than pulling out entirely.

-X

You could use a small tool to dig out the roots of the grass.