Ok, I know that when your unwanted plant is jointed, like St. Augustine or Bermuda grass, you need to be careful to get all those joints out when you weed, else they'll sprout. But what about the plants that have those little hairy masses of roots. Will they sprout?
Weed root question
I don't dig out the roots, cut them at soil level and if they sprout cut them back again, the roots add organic matter to the soil as they decompose and are good thing.
Of course if you want to plant on that spot or if the weed is a very troublesome one if might be good to remove the roots.
I guess it all depends on the particular situation.
If it is nut sedge, put the nut in a coffee can and send it to the city dump. I saw all these little black nuts in the dirt when we dug my first garden and DIDN"T throw them out. It will puncture an above ground pool liner too.