Lemon Tree Liberation

That is a fully grown lemon tree, completely surrounded by horseweed.  This is the 1st tree I freed all by myself.  Horseweed does not have an extensive root system, and can be easily pulled out by hand.  Well easier said than done. Its so dense, about 10 plants per square foot, that it takes a few hours for each tree.  First you clear all around it,  only to discover that the horseweed  grows right to the base of the tree and goes up thru its branches.  But I am determined!! So I drop to my hands and knees and start crawling around under the tree, pulling horseweed as I go.  I discover that, down on your knees, you dont have the leverage of your back, and its all shoulder muscle now.  And the horseweed plants under the tree are just as big and thick as the ones around.  But I am determined!!  I keep pulling, throwing out the weeds as I make it to the trunk on the "open" side.  Thats the side thats open to our initial clearing, that connects to the parking lot.  By this time I am sweating and covered in dirt and horsweed pollen.  I also have to deal with fallen lemons squishing under my knees.  Well at least those smell good!!  Now its  time to work around the truck  to where the horsweed goes on into an impenetrable forest for acres, blocking out the afternoon light, and I think I'm getting a little paranoid!  Do you remember from the comic strip "Charlie Brown" that Snoopy would get "Weed Claustrophobia"?  Its for real.
        So I crawl out, catch my breath, drink some water, and check out my progress so far.  I decide to clear more on the outside before getting under the tree again.  That means my dog Kaylee, can get in there and hit me with her tail while I am down on the ground, sweating, dirty, squishing lemons, and giving myself repetitive motion syndrome in my shoulder. But I am determined!! I dive under that tree, keep pulling and pulling till that last damn horseweed is gone from under the tree and at least 2 feet away from any outer branch. Whew!! I collapse on my pile of pulled horseweed.
       Have I mentioned how good the lemonade from these lemons taste?